That could posssibly be because they aren't actually that old.

That's not the point I'm arguing. People get so down on virtual pins because they haven't played quality examples of one and their only exposure is the ones on their iPads or some crappy cab, when done right they are awesome.

If I could only have 1 pinball machine, and a VPin was a choice and could be built out with all the features you can buy for the price of a NIB, yes, I would. without question.

Luckily I don't have that much of a restriction, but I'm still building one because I want to be able to learn the rules of competitive games and create my own tables. Another advantage is that if you live in an apartment you can turn off the force feedback, throw some headphones on and play all night without bothering anyone.

I had my 12 favorite pins in my game room and thought of a way I could squeeze just one more in.
Because it would definitely be the last one I could fit in I carefully weighed the available options:

WoZ because it was different and exciting and new (and I still think it is cool).
MMrLE as a classic that would go well with my other WMS games (although never a must-have to me).
a Virtual pinball that could emulate all the games I liked but didn't have the space (or funds) to own.

WoZ is a beautiful and impressive game, but I liked the idea of a virtual pin covering all the games I don't have and I was leaning that way for a little while. Then I got caught up in the mad rush over MMrLE and got in on the pre-order frenzy (placed my pre-order directly with PPS and paid the deposit).

But then Stern came out with Mustang, and while the theme is a turn-off for some (although I thought all guys liked musclcars?) it hit me dead center, since I own a '96 SVT Cobra + '01 SVT Cobra + '08 GT500 + '13 Mustang GT. Once Mustang was out I played a couple different pros (at a couple different locations) enough to see that I liked the gameplay, then I cancelled MMrLE and ordered a Boss premium through JJ at Game Exchange. And with Mustang code now at 1.4 version it is a really good game.

This just shows you that buying any pinball game is all about what you like and personal choice. I'm guessing that very few people would choose Mustang over MMrLE or WoZ, but given my other hobbies and the pins I already had it was a better fit for me.

I think virtual pinball is great for learning rules to games, but don't think adding a cabinet to it makes it suddenly better than an iPad game. I got a small (27") cabinet before any pinball machines and really regretted it (considering I paid more than I paid for most real games). It's the difference between riding a rollercoaster and watching a first person video of a rollercoaster. You can make it look the same, but even if you shake your seat around and blow a fan at your face it's nothing like the real thing. I enjoy batting balls around and learning rules but rarely have a "serious" session on it.

Do yourself a real favor op...Now that you read all this. Forget everything that you read.

Go to a pinball show and see and play it all..and get what you like...it's all there. The good the bad and the ugly.

Don't ask and have others make a decision that you should make for yourself. You really need to get out there and look and touch. In effect, This site is virtual.

Definitely. The bottom line no matter what should be to get something that you enjoy playing.

If this guy goes from owning 8 real games to one fake one that cost thousands of dollars, he'll want to kill himself in a day.

Are you people willing to live with that guilt?!

Shame on you folks!!!

That right there is sound advice. It's harder if you live in place with no pins. Either way, what we think doesn't matter because it's a matter of preference and even if you are trying to make an informed decision it's still all opinion.

Btw, I'm not saying he should get a vpin, I'm just saying vpins are't the devil and done well, they do t suck. Easily the best ever dedicated arcade game, after all, it's still pinball

LOTR was my only game for most of a year. It's very hard to "beat". If your into the theme, might be one to think about.

I currently only have room for 3, which aint all that far from 1 and I thought about a Virtual Pin.. once you play one you'll know why it just wont cut it. It's ok... but you can have just as much fun with the Pinball Arcade on XBOX, PS3/4 or a PC. On the Virtual machines, its way to easy to get the button press timing down and hit the same shot over and over. Also, the ball makes shots it never would on a real machine, which diminishes some of the challenge. Like for instance, bouncing off a slingshot and somehow making it up a ramp.

Yeah, this too. Experience it all for yourself at a show. They usually have some Virtual Pins there. Maybe you will like it, who knows. The variety sure is a nice feature.

Addams Family

really doesn't matter, I have put the same amount of gameplay on these 2 machines as I have older machines. the depth of these 2 games and pf layoust is what makes these two keepers imo.
who cares though, everybody is right these days.

I have one pin in our place. There's just not enough space to set up two machines.
But...
I've got a second one on the way currently and have owned 2-3 at times previously.
First of all, ACDC is sick! It's the best game I've ever played and is such a rush, it never gets old.
I suggest you watch some tutorials and gameplay videos on PAPA.org
If you're challenged with a lack of floor space, here's what I do:
Setup your ACDC, then fold up the second pin and put it in storage somewhere out of sight.
(Preferably on the same floor, and not far away).
When you need a change, swap them out.
Keeps things fresh, without having to buy/sell.

You know what hasn't been mentioned yet?
Heighway pinball. Their first title, Full Throttle should be out around early March.
Their second title is Aliens.
The reason I mention them is because you swap the playfields, but don't change the cabinets.
You could have multiple games without too much space. (You can store at least one extra playfield/game under the cabinet while you're playing the other one)
Check it out!

Go to Pinball Wizard arcade in Pelham,NH off exit 2 on 93 on your way home from Boston. They have over 100 pins. It is worth the trip. Twilight Zone would be another pin to consider in a 1 pin collection. Great game with a deep rule set that will keep you busy for years.

They have a TZ at PWA. I have a nice TZ if you want to try it.

http://heighwaypinball.com

Check it out.

Don't forget multimorphic pinball, same concept of swappable playfield.

I also agree with deeper rule sets in a smaller collection. ACDC, LOTR, Met, Tron, TSPP. All good games that can fill the need. I also had a virtual. It was great for trying games or playing games I will never see, but I have already sold it and agree it cannot compare to the real thing.

You can't go wrong with TSPP extremely deep, fantastic theme and execution. Price is right too you should be able to get a decent one in the low 3000s and a mint one in the mid 4000s.

Or you could just get a TV set with flipper buttons attached and forget about the whole pinball thing.

Agree 100% with this. I would go for this approach or get a nice example of the deepest game you can find (LOTR, TSPP, even TZ)

Get a TZ, learn the rules and have a blast for many years. The rule set is deep and there are many different ways to accomplish the same thing. It will keep you busy and the more you play the more new things you will see that you never knew were there.

If I could only have a single game, it would have to be Attack From Mars!

attack-from-mars-pinball-machine-backglass.jpg

It's hard to argue against AFM.

It's got it all. Great theme, sound, humor...the game itself is modern pinball epitomized. It's deceptively simply but requires you to quickly nail different shots and it moves you around the playfield constantly.

I don't care how good you are it's always going to be a challenge to get Rule the Universe and the game is like crack in that it keeps you coming back for more, always.

Every now and then I read where someone got sick of it cause they "always beat it."

What does that mean exactly? If they were getting RTU every game I'd suspect some serious foul play (no tilt...EBs for replays and 3 replay levels etc.)

Rule the Universe is the wizard mode, the final mode, and reaching it is good for a score that will dwarf your previous high score.

You need to achieve 6 objectives to pull this off. Some are easy, some are hard. The most difficult is probably destroying all the city attack saucers.

It's not frustrating because it's a carrot on a stick that keeps you coming back. The game is still awesome without achieving it but it's nice to have something there to reach for. Plenty of good players love this game and have never Ruled the Universe.

I've been playing the balls out of mine all week because I'm sick of seeing the TEX factory setting RTU champ. Gotta get that off of there. I've come pretty close but haven't been able to attack mars (all city saucers) yet with everything else lit. I think the one time I destroyed mars I hadn't got Super Jackpot yet (which is the second toughest goal to reach).

And yeah there are rulesheets...google Attack from Mars rulesheet it'll come up. Personally I'm not a fan of those I just like to play the games until I figure everything else. The B/W games are great at this....a lot of the Stern games not so much in my opinion, not as intuitive.

The real answer is there is no pin if you can only have one that will maintain your desire for long. For the most part people in the past that have posted like this that have had to have only one with no chance to expand usually end up selling it and finding another hobby.

If you have cash, and you are really interested, get a really high end powerful computer driven virtual, play them all. If I truly could only have one pin spot, say going on a long journey to the center of the earth for 5 years haha, this is what I would do. Not real pinball, but some of them are getting very close, and the sheer variety would be the big positive there.

*IF* you can fit two - that will hold your attention 10 fold from one, and give you options to change one out here and there.

If I only had room for one I would contact Lonnie at VP cabs. I played one yesterday at his house and it had force feedback that was really cool. You could load hundreds of free games on it.

or you can get a Zizzle and store it under your other pin