(Topic ID: 303426)

ONE game from each decade: What's in your collection?

By Grayont

2 years ago


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    #1 2 years ago

    Hey everyone! Was thinking about some fun questions to get some general pinball conversation going, and thought of this prompt. I'm sure it's likely been asked before, so apologies if you've answered this already in the past, but perhaps some recent releases might change your 2010s/2020s answers!

    If you could only choose one game from each decade (60s, 70s, 80s, etc.) up to now, what games would you choose to make your personal best lineup? Thinking about this myself it's difficult to choose just one from the more recent decades with so many great games coming out, and tough for me to choose older games at all since I just don't have a lot of playtime on most 60s and 70s games. So, take my older picks with a grain of salt . I think my picks would have to be the following:

    60s: Spin-A-Card - Ok, I'll be honest, I haven't played many games from the 60s. For this pick I browsed the EM top 100 and found one that looked like fun. This one seems to have a nice theme and some sort of cool objective with the card inserts on the playfield. Also traditional inlane/outlanes which a lot of games from the time don't have.

    70s: Jacks Open - Love the simple yet challenging goal of completing card hands. Very addictive!

    80s: High Speed - I enjoy the upper ramp on this game, I'm always a sucker for games with upper flipper shots. The simple objective of getting multiball and grabbing jackpots is fun and challenging.

    90s: White Water - Ok, some of you may be surprised by this one since I didn't choose other favorites like MM, AFM, TOTAN, TOM, CFTBL, etc. but something about white water is just so fun to me. I think it's definitely the upper playfield shots and the awesome ramps, because as I said, I'm a sucker for a good upper flipper shot. Picking off the lights to advance rafts is fun and getting the vacation jackpot is a good challenge!

    2000s: The Simpsons Pinball Party - This was a tough choice, and I almost wanted to pick Spiderman or LOTR instead, But I decided to go for TSPP for the deep and challenging ruleset, along with the more preferable theme compared to LOTR for me personally.

    2010s: Wizard of Oz - This was definitely the hardest choice because there have been so many fantastic games recently with all of Jersey Jack's games, Stern JP, DP, GB, IM, and more I could barely choose. I finally decided that WOZ would probably have to be it since it is my highest rated game, but my taste has shifted more toward good shooters and WOZ can have some clunk at times, so this could change from day to day honestly. All the games listed above would be great candidates as well to me.

    2020s: Avengers: Infinity Quest (Premium) - Ok, so there haven't been that any games this decade yet of course so I would have to say out of what's available, I'd have to go with AIQ. TMNT and GNR are great choices, and Godzilla is looking like it could be a contender as well but I have not had the pleasure of playing it yet so I cannot say for sure. I will stick with AIQ for now, but GZ with fleshed out code would likely take it's place.

    Honorable mention: Radical! - I wanted to include it but since it snuck into the 90s and not 80s I couldn't choose it over the classic Bally/Williams DMD games, but I do adore this game.

    And with that, I'd love to hear your answers and why you chose them!!

    #2 2 years ago

    For a while, I was actually trying to build a collection of one game from each decade, with as much gameplay diversity as possible and showing off the advancements in technology over time. Basically a mini pinball museum in my house. The problem is that a.) I don't want to get rid of either of my 80's games to make room and b.) I'm not really a fan of 1950's-style games. The ones in brackets are titles that I don't currently own.

    1930's: Signal Senior - Literally just pins and balls. So simple and so satisfying and the gate system is an ingenious gimmick.

    1940's: Bally Rocket - Bulb scoring is so charming and the kickout hole sequence (later seen on Kings & Queens and Paradise) is a lot of fun.

    1950's: [Diamond Lil] - A great representative of an early flipper game, with the challenging reverse-flipper arrangement.

    1960's: Hot Line - Fast and furious action with tiny 2" flippers as your only weapon. I love the colorful 60's artwork. Also (arguably) pinball's first dot matrix display.

    1970's: Jet Spin - The apex of late-EM engineering, with a vari-target, a roto-target and some challenging shots in between. Love the asymmetry.

    1980's: Spectrum - the most original concept in pinball ever created and Margaret Hudson's masterpiece.

    1990's: Tales of the Arabian Nights - Fun toys, crazy ramps, magnets and a compelling story. Clearly the standout game of the 90's.

    2000's: [Spider-Man] - A "standard fan" layout, a deep and challenging rule set and multi-balls galore epitomize the 2000's style of pinball.

    2010's: [Deadpool Pro] - LCD displays are the big innovation of the 2010's but this one stands out with a bonkers layout (including one of the single best shots in all of pinball), unbeatable music and a wicked sense of humor.

    2020's: [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles] - So many ways to play! Head-to-head, teams, cooperative and Half Shell challenge. A bright, fun update of a retro theme. To be honest, it's early in the decade, so TMNT is kind of a default choice. I'm sure greatness awaits in the coming years.

    #3 2 years ago

    I don't think I know any games from the 60's.

    70's - Wild Card - I am not big on EM games, but I really like that one. I have never played it in person though, I have a video game version of it. I wouldn't mind owning one though if the opportunity ever comes up.

    80's - Taxi - This actually IS in my collection. I like the music, I like the characters. There is a nice variety of shots, there is more than one way to score a good amount of points, and the rules are simple and straight forward. The theme is original. I like the topper and the bell and the "taxi meter" bonus score counter.

    90's - This is a hard category to pick just one in. There are soooo many good pinball machines that were made in the 90s. I wold say Medieval Madness, but that is such an obvious choice. I think I will say Scared Stiff. I think it is the best Elvira theme machine, I like the rule set, the spider spinner is a neat feature, it has a couple of easy multi-ball modes, the theme is solid and it fits better than Party Monsters.

    2000's - I would probably say Lord of the Rings. Mostly because I played it all the time because I saw it everywhere. The only other machine I really remember from that time was Roller Coaster Tycoon and I can't stand that game.

    2010's - Aerosmith. I really get a kick out of the Toys in the Attic multi-ball mode, where it shoots the balls into the little toy chest on the play field and then dumps them out later.

    2020's - It's early yet. I have to admit that I haven't played a single machine on the 2020's list

    #4 2 years ago

    Fun question. I've personally tried to maintain a collection along these lines, it gets challenging after a while because decades would get locked down by all time favorites.

    50's - Gypsy Queen. Classic Wayne Neuens with Roy Parker artwork. You can debate whether other games are better, but Gypsy Queen is an excellent example of why Gottlieb was on top for so long.

    60's - Flipper Fair. I hate clowns but the layout is supurb. I really like how the Gottlieb Add-a-balls of this era have really short ball times to balance the fact that you can earn balls. Nothing beats the thrill of lining up the Add-a-ball on the center target and nailing it repeatedly. Layout was reused on Crosstown, but flipper fair is the OG.

    70's - Mata Hari. I've owned three copies of this game. 80's and 70's are the hardest to pick one game from for me, but none of them get played as much as my MH.

    80's - F-14 Tomcat. This is the game that really made me fall in love with pinball. For sentimental reasons it gets the nod over Flash Gordon, Centaur and a host of other games I love.

    90's - Stargate. This is my favorite 90's game. Fight me.

    2000's - Spiderman. This decade is weird. There really isn't that much to choose from, so probably the first decade to cut if I had to lose a game.

    2010's - Iron Maiden. Do I have to justify this one? If you like the band there are very few games that even compete with it.

    2020's - TMNT. Honestly haven't played many of the games that came out since the pandemic started. I've owned TMNT and liked it a lot. I expect to replace it with Godzilla or Ultraman when I find one to play because Kaiju.

    #5 2 years ago
    Quoted from digdug2084:

    90's - Stargate. This is my favorite 90's game. Fight me.

    I like the Stargate pinball machine but... after the 300th time in 18 seconds of being chided to "shoot the pyramid" it makes you want to smash the thing with a club.

    #6 2 years ago

    Crazy... I was just talking to my wife about doing this when we were sitting at the concessions area at expo. Told her I would build out like top 5 per decade and we would work on one from each list over time.

    #7 2 years ago
    Quoted from Redwizard000:

    I like the Stargate pinball machine but... after the 300th time in 18 seconds of being chided to "shoot the pyramid" it makes you want to smash the thing with a club.

    The two biggest problems with the game is that the sound design is garbage and that the machine is so finicky that you pretty much have to play the game in a private collection to really appreciate it.

    Personally I find "shoot the pyramid" endearing in a campy sort of way, but I'm under no illusion that it is good. I apparently care about sound design less than the average pinsider.

    The wild ruleset which layers a mode tree onto the stargate shots plus the quartz economy makes every WPC game feel flat in comparison.

    #8 2 years ago
    Quoted from TopMoose:

    2010's: [Deadpool Pro] - LCD displays are the big innovation of the 2010's but this one stands out with a bonkers layout (including one of the single best shots in all of pinball), unbeatable music and a wicked sense of humor.

    I agree, Deadpool has been a favorite of mine since it came out. I played it all the time when I worked at the Seattle Pinball Museum and they got one.

    Quoted from TopMoose:

    2020's: [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles] - So many ways to play! Head-to-head, teams, cooperative and Half Shell challenge. A bright, fun update of a retro theme. To be honest, it's early in the decade, so TMNT is kind of a default choice. I'm sure greatness awaits in the coming years.

    If deeper rules aren't as important to you then Turtles is a fantastic pick. I owned it for a while and it was definitely a blast! Great combos and flow!

    Quoted from Redwizard000:

    80's - Taxi - This actually IS in my collection. I like the music, I like the characters. There is a nice variety of shots, there is more than one way to score a good amount of points, and the rules are simple and straight forward. The theme is original. I like the topper and the bell and the "taxi meter" bonus score counter.

    Taxi crossed my mind as well when thinking of 80s games. I'd say it's in my top 5 80s games! Very fun ramps.

    Quoted from Redwizard000:

    2000's - I would probably say Lord of the Rings. Mostly because I played it all the time because I saw it everywhere. The only other machine I really remember from that time was Roller Coaster Tycoon and I can't stand that game.

    LOTR is a great choice for this period. I was going to pick it until I remembered TSPP and decided that may just barely edge it out. LOTR is a close second for me in this decade.

    Quoted from digdug2084:

    80's - F-14 Tomcat. This is the game that really made me fall in love with pinball. For sentimental reasons it gets the nod over Flash Gordon, Centaur and a host of other games I love.

    F-14 is a close second for me when it comes to 80s games. One of the few that I would like to own, as I typically am into super deep rule sets. But the speed on F-14 is just such a blast.

    Quoted from digdug2084:

    90's - Stargate. This is my favorite 90's game. Fight me.

    I want to play stargate more because it does look quite fun and looks like there is a lot to do. I typically strongly dislike Gottlieb games in this era but stargate actually does look like a lot of fun!

    #9 2 years ago

    so hard to pick just one

    60's hot line or Dodge City
    70's flip flop
    80's High Speed
    90's AFM or Shadow
    00 LOTR
    10 MET Premium or DI
    20 JP Premium

    #10 2 years ago

    Just to clarify how I arrived at TMNT for the 2020’s

    - Hot Wheels feels weird.
    - Guns N Roses and Rick & Morty are cloying and obnoxious.
    - Mandalorian is a repetitive wood chopper and the upper playfield isn’t well-integrated.
    - Godzilla and Avengers are too complicated to be any fun.
    - TMNT’s shots are too narrow for a game where accuracy is so vital, but the theme and game options are more fun than any of the other options.

    I have faith that in the next 8 years, someone will make a game with a unique playfield layout that’s enjoyable to play and isn’t designed solely for use in tournaments.

    #11 2 years ago
    Quoted from TopMoose:

    Just to clarify how I arrived at TMNT for the 2020’s
    - Hot Wheels feels weird.
    - Guns N Roses and Rick & Morty are cloying and obnoxious.
    - Mandalorian is a repetitive wood chopper and the upper playfield isn’t well-integrated.
    - Godzilla and Avengers are too complicated to be any fun.
    - TMNT’s shots are too narrow for a game where accuracy is so vital, but the theme and game options are more fun than any of the other options.
    I have faith that in the next 8 years, someone will make a game with a unique playfield layout that’s enjoyable to play and isn’t designed solely for use in tournaments.

    You may need some more games on Godzilla- it isn’t nearly as confusing as AIQ

    #12 2 years ago

    Technically JP is a 2019 game, but I'll let it slide . It's a super good game though, I can't blame you for picking it. It's in my top 5 of the decade for sure! Currently my one and only game in the collection!

    #13 2 years ago

    Oh. I actively do this as I curate my collection.

    60's Central Park. Such a great game. Haven't gotten one yet.
    70's Bally Strikes and Spares - Best beer and a friend game. May not have many friends, but I do have plenty of beer.
    80's Space Shuttle - Steal those MBs.
    90's Indiana Jones - No the best game of the 90's, but thematic perfection.
    00's Spiderman (photo finish with TSPP) - Not a fan favorite, but my favorite fan layout.
    10's Deadpool (photo finish with JP Premium) - Weird ass layout and quirky theme beats Keith's superior design.
    20's Too Early To Tell. - Probably TMNT or Godzilla but I haven't owned either yet.

    #14 2 years ago
    Quoted from Grayont:

    Technically JP is a 2019 game, but I'll let it slide . It's a super good game though, I can't blame you for picking it. It's in my top 5 of the decade for sure! Currently my one and only game in the collection!

    sure is, Seems like it just came out. I got mine in November of 2019 and just sold it.

    #15 2 years ago
    Quoted from NC_Pin:

    You may need some more games on Godzilla- it isn’t nearly as confusing as AIQ

    I’ve had about an hour on a pro. The layout is amazing (as with all Elwin’s games) but finishing even one Kaiju battle is impossible and every shot seems to start some kind of multi ball. I get that deep rulesets are popular, but there’s too much going on to keep track of. I’m sure it’s ideal for a high-pressure tournament, but if that’s not your thing, it’s just not any fun.

    #16 2 years ago

    30s and 50s represented here

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    #17 2 years ago

    For me:
    1960's : Gottlieb King of Diamonds. Was at my 1st job in the snack bar and played it a ton.
    1970's This needs broken into EM & SS.
    EM: Gottlieb High Hand- tons of drop targets. A perfect Gottlieb card theme game.
    SS: Bally Eight Ball- When you set the all time sales record at the time, 20.2K something was right. Plus it's fun simple game. Profits set up
    future great games to come. Gave us Playboy 18K, KISS 17K, Star Trek 16.8K.
    2nd place: Stern Meteor. Huge sales numbers set the plate for future great games.
    1980's Pick any class of 1981 Bally games. It didn't get better then these.
    1990's TIE AF or TZ. The best of the 90's

    After that I don't care.

    #18 2 years ago
    Quoted from TopMoose:

    I’ve had about an hour on a pro. The layout is amazing (as with all Elwin’s games) but finishing even one Kaiju battle is impossible and every shot seems to start some kind of multi ball. I get that deep rulesets are popular, but there’s too much going on to keep track of. I’m sure it’s ideal for a high-pressure tournament, but if that’s not your thing, it’s just not any fun.

    Fair enough, but for me, I see Godzilla having a pretty easy basic rule set. Line up your multiball with either Mechagodzilla or the building... hit the scoop to battle a monster... finalize your multiball. At that level it is about as basic as Monster's Bash (bash Frank to set up the multiball then try to start as many monster modes as possible before you send the ball up Frank's ramp).

    I agree with you on AIQ - i have had the game a year and I still struggle to understand the strategies involved with placing and using gems.

    #19 2 years ago
    Quoted from NC_Pin:

    Fair enough, but for me, I see Godzilla having a pretty easy basic rule set. Line up your multiball with either Mechagodzilla or the building... hit the scoop to battle a monster... finalize your multiball. At that level it is about as basic as Monster's Bash (bash Frank to set up the multiball then try to start as many monster modes as possible before you send the ball up Frank's ramp).
    I agree with you on AIQ - i have had the game a year and I still struggle to understand the strategies involved with placing and using gems.

    I can see how AIQ can be overwhelming, but I like the games that have lots and lots of stuff to do and strategies to try because it keeps me coming back again and again. Godzilla seems like it will have a lot of stuff to do once the code reaches v1.0. What's there now looks pretty solid already.

    #20 2 years ago

    I havent played enough games from the 60s and prior to decide on any titles.

    1970's - El Dorado: I love drop targets and this would be my go to drop target game of the group. I love the 'western' theme too. (I could easily go with a late 70s Bally because I love them, but gotta go with 70's Gottlieb EM here.)

    1980's - Centaur. This was TOUGH choosing just 1 game from the 80s. My favorite decade for pinball. Centaur wins because it checks all the boxes for me. Extra value Queens Chamber shot (captive ball inline drops) is one of my all time favorite shots.

    1990's - Bram Stoker's Dracula. Easy choice. Never gets old. Not too easy, not too hard once your get in a groove and get the ball under control.

    2000's - Ripley's Believe It Or Not - I like this game a lot and the theme is more interesting to me than anything else from this decade.

    2010s - Deadpool. I really like this layout. It is so fun to shoot. This decade is loaded with great games: AC/DC, Walking Dead, Iron Maiden, Metallica, but Deadpool I think is my favorite player from these years. However, i'd prefer another theme over comic...

    2020's (so far) - Rick and Morty. Interesting layout, cool ball lock, challenging shots and very good theme.

    #21 2 years ago
    Quoted from sunnRAT:

    2000's - Ripley's Believe It Or Not - I like this game a lot and the theme is more interesting to me than anything else from this decade.

    This is a great choice, I thought of this one as well when I was thinking of games from the 2000s. Probably in my top 5 for the decade. The rules are quite solid. I like that to get to the final mode you have to actually do well in the modes during the game.

    Quoted from sunnRAT:

    2020's (so far) - Rick and Morty. Interesting layout, cool ball lock, challenging shots and very good theme.

    I've only played Rick and Morty a few times but I enjoyed it quite a bit when I did. I've only seen one episode of the show but I do like the callouts in this one a lot. Glad they had Justin Roiland come in and do game specific callouts rather than just pull sound bytes from the episodes. Also it seems there's a good amount to play for and collect. Definitely my favorite Spooky Pinball game so far.

    #22 2 years ago

    50's - Ace High: not a lot of time on games of this era but liked the bullseye targets (outer ring and inside target score differently) and more complex rule set of Ace High.

    60's - Flipper Cowboy: Great backglass animation. Fun gameplay and multiple ways to earn extra balls. Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang goes the knocker when you start a game and the cowboy shoots the target. Also a Bang when you earn an extra ball.

    70's - Wizard: Rip the spinner when lit, hit the targets to flip the flags and earn double bonus, lite spinner etc.. Really fun to play and great artwork.

    80's - Black Knight: so many to choose from this era but BK is hard to top when I'm in the zone and playing both playfields at the same time, hitting magnasave, collecting the mytery award and ripping the spinner when lit. Collecting an extra ball is so satisfying with the whistle sound effect and ringing bell.

    90's - Twilight Zone: so many great interactive toys and fun shots.

    2000's - Lord of the Rings: probably my favorite software/sound package.

    2010's - Alien: overall good shooter, interesting shot map, great sound and good rules. WOZ is a close second.

    2020's - TBD: not enough time on any games yet.

    #23 2 years ago
    Quoted from Jvspin:

    2010's - Alien: overall good shooter, interesting shot map, great sound and good rules. WOZ is a close second.

    I haven't played Alien or seen much about it. I definitely want to try it out sometime though.

    #24 2 years ago

    30s - Prospector: I love the art and it has a good mix of pins and springs to keep things random.

    40s - Humpty Dumpty: First pin with flippers!

    50s - Jalopy: I love the interactive backglass and old cartoon art style.

    60s - Pirate Gold: Plays surprisingly fast for an old game and there is plenty to shoot at.

    70s EM - Little Joe: I like the twist on the general gambling theme you see in a lot of games in this era (dice instead of cards).

    70s SS - Gorgar: First talking pin AND it has killer art (no pun intended).

    80s - Bad Cats: I love the call outs and the general humor of the theme. Its like an early cat meme from before the internet.

    90s - Indiana Jones, The Pinball Adventure: I grew up watching those movies and day dreaming about being just like him, so it's a good hit of nostalgia for me. Black Rose as a close contender because it was the first pinball I remember playing and not walking away from after two games.

    2000s - The Simpsons Pinball Party: I love the theme and the call outs. Sadly not as much competition as the 80s and 90s.

    2010s - Dead Pool: Chaos in pinball form with a popping art package.

    2020s - Legend of Valhalla: I like the theme and what I've heard of the soundtrack is epic! Can't wait to try it. On that note though, pinball seems to be riding into a resurgence in this decade so hopefully there will be plenty to overshadow it.

    The collection above presents plenty of different themes, skill levels, and historical tidbits to keep any visitors amused until you need to shoo them away.

    #25 2 years ago

    50s Balls A Poppin
    60s Cowpoke
    70s Fireball/Paragon
    80s High Speed
    90s Addams Family
    00s TSPP
    10s Deadpool
    20s Godzilla

    Honorable Mentions
    50s Sittin Pretty
    60s King of Diamonds
    70s Jungle Queen, Interflip Dragon, Eight Ball
    80s Barracora, Taxi, Eight Ball Deluxe
    90s Medieval Madness
    00s LOTR
    10s Iron Maiden
    20s GNRLE

    #26 2 years ago
    Quoted from Slacker_Quacker:

    2020s - Legend of Valhalla: I like the theme and what I've heard of the soundtrack is epic! Can't wait to try it. On that note though, pinball seems to be riding into a resurgence in this decade so hopefully there will be plenty to overshadow it.

    Interesting, I haven't seen much on this game yet but I will say it does look like the best layout from American Pinball so far. Looks like some nice flow and speed. Don't know much about the rules yet.

    #27 2 years ago

    20s: Rick and Morty
    10s: Jurassic Park Premium (honorable mention to Deadpool)
    00s: Lord of the Rings
    90s: Star Trek: The Next Generation (honorable mention to medieval madness)
    80s: Whirlwind
    70s: Paragon
    60s and before... fun to play at a show but really have no interest.

    #28 2 years ago

    70s Centigrade 37
    80s Eight Ball Deluxe
    90s Medieval Madness
    20s Spider-Man
    10s Star Trek LE
    20s too soon

    #29 2 years ago

    60s Dodge City or Teacher's Pet
    70s EM Volley, SS Paragon
    80s TX-Sector
    90s White Water
    00s Spiderman
    10s Jurassic Park Premium or LE
    20s Led Zeppelin LE (haven't played Godzilla yet)

    #30 2 years ago

    I was also considering WW for my 80s pick but then I realized it's a 1990 game! That and Radical were in consideration for my 80s pick but they just squeaked into the 90s tier!

    Quoted from John_I:

    90s White Water

    Good choice!

    #31 2 years ago

    I'm kind of bordering on being an "ol fart" now and I love both the pins of my (wasted) youth and modern ones. And I really like collections with pins from different eras. So, what would I chose. Today I go for:

    50s: Only know them from books, but Gtb Grand Slam looks pretty amazing
    60s: Gtb Melody (My first ever pin. Love that game)
    70s: Surf Champ EM / Harlem Globe Trotters EE Sorry, I just can't limit it to one.
    80s: The Black Hole, US Version. First time I played that game and had multi-ball on both levels in different directions my mind was blown. Why can't they do that again?
    90s: TAF: Love the playfield and cooky humour.
    00s: Spiderman: The first Stern Pin where I thought "hang about... they've caught up with B/W.
    10s: Metalica
    Now: Godzilla Premium: Never played it, but as far as I can judge, it's a perfect modern pin.

    #32 2 years ago

    Fun topic.

    Is the goal to pick the best game of the decade, or the game that best represents the decade?

    For example in the 90s people above picked WH2O and Shadow. Both are great games and either might be my favorite of the decade... but neither represent the dominant style of pinball in the 90s. WH2O and TS are both weirdos for their era.

    #33 2 years ago
    Quoted from horseflesh:

    Fun topic.
    Is the goal to pick the best game of the decade, or the game that best represents the decade?
    For example in the 90s people above picked WH2O and Shadow. Both are great games and either might be my favorite of the decade... but neither represent the dominant style of pinball in the 90s. WH2O and TS are both weirdos for their era.

    I suppose it's up for interpretation but I'd say which games are your personal favorites from each decade. Ones that you would choose if you were going to construct a collection only consisting of one game from each decade.

    #34 2 years ago
    Quoted from TopMoose:

    I’ve had about an hour on a pro. The layout is amazing (as with all Elwin’s games) but finishing even one Kaiju battle is impossible and every shot seems to start some kind of multi ball

    Tell me you haven’t played a premium without saying you haven’t played a premium. Finishing a battle is not THAT hard. Understanding which shots go to which monster? Sure if you can’t follow blinking lights, I can see where that’s an issue, but your multiball quote doesn’t hold any water. Bridge attack is ridiculously hard to start, and the shot into the building is so tight, and rejects are more than norm than a MB. Might want to re-play a Premium and then give an updated opinion

    #35 2 years ago
    Quoted from Grayont:

    Interesting, I haven't seen much on this game yet but I will say it does look like the best layout from American Pinball so far. Looks like some nice flow and speed. Don't know much about the rules yet.

    Played it at Expo. Whether not set up correctly, or hellafied flipper fade from being banged on for days on end, both of the machines I played were weak. Did not like at all

    #36 2 years ago

    60s- Sweet Hearts. This is my baptism into pinball. Been in my family since the late 60s. Was lucky enough to inherit it. So many family memories on this one.
    70s- Genie Gottlieb widebody sweetness.
    80s- So may great Williams from this era, but Funhouse! always comes out on top. Something about Rudy taunting me...
    90s much closer race, but would have to give the win to Adams Family. great integration and call outs, and the Mamushka!!!
    2000s- Lord of the rings. Its Tolkein!
    2010s-Oktoberfest! dream theme, fun, campy so deep and so much fun. Prost!
    2020s Havent played hardly any yet, but very excited for both Godzilla and Legends of Valhalla.

    #37 2 years ago
    Quoted from BlackTiePinhead:

    Played it at Expo. Whether not set up correctly, or hellafied flipper fade from being banged on for days on end, both of the machines I played were weak. Did not like at all

    That's a bummer. Surprised it felt weak though. Every time I've played an American Pinball game the flippers have felt extremely strong. Possibly even too strong. Especially when I played hot wheels.

    #38 2 years ago
    Quoted from Grayont:

    That's a bummer. Surprised it felt weak though. Every time I've played an American Pinball game the flippers have felt extremely strong. Possibly even too strong. Especially when I played hot wheels.

    My experience has been the same as BlackTiePinhead for every AP game I’ve played. I really like their layouts and rules, but the flippers have been a constant complaint.

    #39 2 years ago
    Quoted from BlackTiePinhead:

    Tell me you haven’t played a premium without saying you haven’t played a premium. Finishing a battle is not THAT hard. Understanding which shots go to which monster? Sure if you can’t follow blinking lights, I can see where that’s an issue, but your multiball quote doesn’t hold any water. Bridge attack is ridiculously hard to start, and the shot into the building is so tight, and rejects are more than norm than a MB. Might want to re-play a Premium and then give an updated opinion

    You seem to have very strong feelings about Godzilla. I’m glad you like it so much and I appreciate that you want me to like it too, but I’ve given it a try and it’s just not for me.

    #40 2 years ago
    Quoted from dothedoo:

    My experience has been the same as BlackTiePinhead for every AP game I’ve played. I really like their layouts and rules, but the flippers have been a constant complaint.

    I think perhaps AP games need to be dialed in quite a bit to play well. I recall Zach from STDM raving about Houdini and all the adjustments he made and I've played the game before on location and it wasn't really for me.

    Quoted from TopMoose:

    You seem to have very strong feelings about Godzilla. I’m glad you like it so much and I appreciate that you want me to like it too, but I’ve given it a try and it’s just not for me.

    I can totally understand the feeling of getting overwhelmed with choice and strategy at times. Even though that's my general favorite part of a pinball that I'd own at home, playing a game with super simple objectives is a great time to mix in too once in a while. The main reason I hope to own a High Speed one day to just hit some orbit to side ramp combos.

    #41 2 years ago

    Here’s my list:
    70s: Stars - I love the weird period where games went solid state, but still used chimes and Stars is just a great game. Honorable mention to Joker Poker.
    80s: Taxi - This is a nostalgia pick. I played a ton of Taxi growing up. It’s also got a great layout and theme integration for the time period.
    90s: Whirlwind: I love some Whirlwind, but honestly for me the 90s doesn’t hold up as well as it does for other folks. Whirlwind is my favorite from the era with Funhouse as an honorable mention.
    00s: Simpsons Pinball Party: Great theme integration and great code. The only thing that made me sell this one is that the ball times at standard settings were sooooo long. Like 60 minute games.
    10s: Jurassic Park Premium: This is the pinnacle of pinball for me. Great code. Great layout. Great theme integration.
    20s: Rick and Morty: This is a close second to Jurassic Park. My game was one of the last off the line and it flows so well and shoots like butter. The theme integration and code are great.

    #42 2 years ago
    Quoted from Mizzou0103:

    10s: Jurassic Park Premium: This is the pinnacle of pinball for me. Great code. Great layout. Great theme integration.
    20s: Rick and Morty: This is a close second to Jurassic Park. My game was one of the last off the line and it flows so well and shoots like butter. The theme integration and code are great.

    Agree about Jurassic Park. Super fun game, and I think it's Sterns best. I really want to get more time on Rick and Morty, especially one that's been tweaked and configured to play smoothly. I enjoyed the few games I played one on location.

    #43 2 years ago

    1950s: Serenade
    1960s: Target Pool
    1970s: Jet Spin
    1980s: F-14 Tomcat
    1990s: Whirlwind
    2000s: Lord of the Rings
    2010+: Wizard of Oz

    #44 2 years ago

    60s: King of Diamonds
    70s: Stars
    80s: Warlok / Eightball Deluxe (tie)
    90s: Twilight Zone
    00s: Lord of the Rings
    10s: Iron Maiden
    20s: TMNT

    #45 2 years ago

    So tough to choose;
    1930's: Mills Official, a very early basic mechanical pin that is challenging
    1940's; Wms TORCHY, a pre-flipper that has two large electromagnets in the PF
    1950's; Wms Turf Champ, PF animation and one of a multitude of great pins from this period
    1960's; Spanish Eyes, not the best player but killer artwork, again, so many great pins these years
    1970's; Fireball (original), multiball and zipper flippers...what more do you want?!
    1980's; Black Hole, an amazing pin that never gets old, early speech, two level PF
    1990's: ST:TNG, one of the best pns ever IMO
    thats where I stopped due to lack of space and cost.

    #46 2 years ago
    Quoted from twoplays25c:

    2000s: Lord of the Rings
    2010+: Wizard of Oz

    Agree with these! Just these two pins alone could keep you busy for years! Also F-14 one of my fav 80s as well.

    Quoted from zarco:

    1990's: ST:TNG, one of the best pns ever IMO

    I do have a lot of fun on this game, but every time I play it, the larger slings seem to make the ball go to the outlanes soooooo often. Not sure if that's just me.

    #47 2 years ago

    1960's Paradise Gottlieb
    1970's Paragon Bally
    1980's Black Hole Gottlieb
    1990's Attack from Mars Bally/Williams
    2000's Spiderman Stern
    2010's Total Nuclear Annihilation Spooky
    2020's Elvira House of Horrors Stern

    #48 2 years ago
    Quoted from gonzo73:

    1960's Paradise Gottlieb
    1970's Paragon Bally
    1980's Black Hole Gottlieb
    1990's Attack from Mars Bally/Williams
    2000's Spiderman Stern
    2010's Total Nuclear Annihilation Spooky
    2020's Elvira House of Horrors Stern

    Paragon would definitely be a good 70s choice.

    I'd like to play more machines from the 60s. Perhaps change my 70s choice to a solid state.

    Maybe ill take a drive over to Banning and... oh nevermind.

    #49 2 years ago
    Quoted from gonzo73:1960's Paradise Gottlieb
    1970's Paragon Bally
    1980's Black Hole Gottlieb
    1990's Attack from Mars Bally/Williams
    2000's Spiderman Stern
    2010's Total Nuclear Annihilation Spooky
    2020's Elvira House of Horrors Stern

    Paragon is a super fun 70s pick for sure. Going for those in line drops never gets old and the sounds are so great! I need to get more time on Elvira's House of Horrors, because I only hear good things but I've only played it a few times and haven't fully grasped the rules yet.

    1 year later
    #50 1 year ago

    Just spotted this somewhat vintage thread.
    I only have 3 decades of machines, and each decade is tough to say.
    1950s - Playing solo, probably 1958 Williams Gusher. Playing with
    someone, 1956 Williams Fun House has Gusher beat.
    1960s - Diamond Jack, Majorettes, and a couple others are a close runner
    up. Playing with someone, Lariat, Pleasure Isle, and there's others that
    are very close runner ups.
    1970s - Probably Lucky Hand. Playing with someone, Bristol Hills, but there's
    EM Black Jack and others also..

    There are 56 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.

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