Huge fan of classic Sterns… but Nine Ball just does not seem to click for me. I get (and appreciate) the whole ‘hit the drops in order’ thing, but when you add in the spotting of the targets the drops feel overly busy/chatty during normal play. Also, the whole multiball thing just seems pointless to me as you just have multiple balls on the playfield and it is actually just harder to do what you would like to due to the crowding.

There are things I love about it - the art, the horseshoe, the hard-to-get saucer, the spinner… but at least so far, it is just not clicking for me as to why people like it so much (just feel most other Stern Electronics games are much better)

As someone who's played mostly 70's, 80's and 90's games I haven't been able to wrap my head around the newer higher priced titles. I tried to get into Star Wars by Stern but couldn't do it. TMNT wasn't bad but the game stopped too much so the DMD could do something. I played a few games and realized it wasn't for me either. I want more playfield action and less storytelling

Also - I think the rules for Fathom are phenomenal. Two mermaids (blue and green) ‘living’ in two areas (lagoon and cave) and each has their own bonus? To me - just awesome… especially when comparing that depth against many other games of the same era.

Funhouse and Pinbot. No matter how many times I play them I never have very much fun. Dunno what I’m missing but they bore me to death.

Ditto Funhouse. Very popular game but I just don't get the appeal. And CFTBL just winds me up for some reason... hate it.

Machines that do not have the score displays placed individually in the backbox. What is the point of just having a piece of plexiglass with just art on it?

If you can stack it all up and rip that spinner a few times, it's kind of like 80s BSD.

As for my pick: JJP Pirates -- I just don't get it, and I don't care to.

I will third Funhouse. Just nothing there for me. I also just cant get into Avenger IQ or Godzilla. They just arent fun for me. Honestly, most modern games just dont have the same feel as older games. I could care less about the lcd screens as I dont think they add much for the player. Classic games from the late 70s and 80s are the best imo.

Bugs bunny birthday bash.

Tron, I'm just lost on this game, totally don't get it, never had fun playing it, tried several times, just doesn't click with me.
Also GnR, just what? If it comes up at league, I just plunge and walk away, do not get the love for that game at all.
I love my Godzilla, love my ems and early SS games, I'll go out of my way to play wood rails and am excited to play each new game that drops, so it's not an era thing for me.

B

Anything by Spooky. TNA was Scott's original design, so that doesn't count.

I think the second part of your statement may reflect why.

I guess I get it with Pirates. One of my favorite games to play!

Rob Zombie
Tron
GOTG
SMB
Monopoly

Judge Dredd, I totally hate that game.

Punchy the Clown... just kidding since I have never played one... Anyone flip this machine?

Honestly, Elwin’s Jurassic Park. I’m not saying it’s not a good game. I just don’t think it’s as great as a lot of people think it is.

So I guess IMDN isn't a Stern game or Banzai Run isn't a Williams game either.

ST, TWD and Funhouse are games I don't like or even grok their appeal.

I'm gonna take shit for these since everyone else always loves them, but.....

Black Knight 2000. It may actually be a good game but I can't stand the music and having to listen to that soundtrack while playing is like trying to make out with your girlfriend while her father is in the room playing his "Hello Muddah Hello Faddah" records. And, "Give me your money"? Obnoxious.

CFTBL. I may have liked it if it was a strictly 50's horror movie theme, but the drive-in thing kills it.

Taxi and Diner. Again, they may be good games but the themes.....ugh. What was next? Post Office? Bus Terminal? At least Diner has cool artwork.

Addams Family and Twilight Zone. Great themes, just can't get into them. Maybe I haven't played them enough.

Dredd is a game I WANT TO LIKE due to the source material but I have not enjoyed a game on any of the examples I have played.

Same for Terminator 2.

Just for clarification, did you mean “Dear mother, Dear father” as in .. Dyers Eve?
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Nope....

Agree… Judge Dredd should be great (theme, art, callouts) but the layout is just garbage and not fun. I think the geometries are just slightly off or something because it is one of the most the most easy to walk away from games for me.

Ahh yea thanks - pretty bad.

Mine is Twilight Zone. It's a great theme, a classic, has "all the toys", and I just don't enjoy shooting it very much. I think it's Lawler, some people love his games, I find them often (not always) not for me. Like putting a scoop behind a spinner is so utterly unsatisfying to me, I just don't click with his mentality.

For people who didn't get Tron, I really only have one question: could you hear it? Because for me if I can't really hear the audio I find I simply don't enjoy it nearly as much. It's one of those games that's not super special layout and rule wise, but has a really satisfying "full experience". When I have the sound pumping on the external sub and the fiber optic ramps going I just feel pulled in. If I play it on location without being able to hear and no good light show? Eh.

Demolition Man is another.

Played the snot out of a very nice example at Saratoga Silverball last year (thanks @forceflow!) and despite many, many games it just won't draw me in.

I'm finding that out about a number of William's titles and I don't know if it is how they use sound, general layout or some other factor. Some hit the spot (Blackout & Sorcerer) and others mentioned not so much. Cyclone, Firepower, Grand Lizard, Gorgar, Space Shuttle have passed through and gone and I have played a bunch of different titles at shows to get a flavor.

BSD and Rollergames were good fun though, might pick one of them up in the future.

It's good to have choices!

Love Taxi but Diner is pretty blah to me.

When I owned Dredd I found I could adjust it to shoot nice, or be challenging, not both. There is like this narrow range for playfield angle where all the shots just work and it's a lot of fun to just shoot around on, but it didn't ask much of me at that point. Maybe some people dig that, but I sold it quickly afterwards.

I don't like funhouse either, but my dark hose dislike game is probably Theater of Magic. It's not terrible, but I can't make myself not shoot for multiball on it, which means I don't need like 90% of the game.

That's my biggest issue with playing games on route. Much of the time I can't hear them - usually due to the noise from other games being played.

For anyone that doesn't get a game that they've only played on route - ask yourself if you've really experienced it as you should (set up properly, maintained, audible, etc.). That said, I get it that no game is going to appeal to everyone. No matter how well it may play as intended.

And ... FWIW, I love my Dredd. The fun looping options that the layout provides reminds me of another favorite of mine - IMDN.

LOV

GnR. It’s hard to even finish a game.

That is actually the one design of his that I do like. The others don't do much for me. It may be the rules.....but none of them say "play me" when I walk past.

Cactus Canyon. The theme and art are very much my thing. But the game never struck me as fun. And I really tried to like it.

Funhouse. I know it's a classic game that many love but I just can't get it. A friend got the 2.0 conversion and I try to like it but no, it's still not fun.

It have nothing to do with Rudy as I own Roadshow that I do like and it have two creepy heads on it

Keith has talked about Dredd being an influence before.

Addams Family. Just do not enjoy it.

*checks collection..... response checks out*

Addams Family (callouts annoy the hell out of me, not a fun shooter)

Funhouse (not wild about the theme, there are some aspects I like such as the second shooter rod skill shot, might not help that most of my playtime is on a game that was in the shop with a Pinsound speaker kit which made Rudy sound like he was talking with marbles in his mouth)

Getaway (not as good as High Speed)

Bride of Pinbot (cool theme and concept, not that fun of a shooter)

Wheel of Fortune. I cannot stand it and the flipper area is terrible come on Dennis Nordman you are creative but jeez.

Any modern game where you shoot for scores in the billionty-billions. Is it really necessary to go that high?

CC, ACDC, Funhouse, Getaway, BOP, BOP 2.0, Funhouse 2.0, Flintstones, Spirit, JD, DM, BK2K, GB, Alien, Ro-Go, King Rock, SG, JM, ...etc etc

The worst one I have owned was LAH. For some reason, that one never did it for me.

Scoop city, like other Data East games. No thanks.

Settle down there Skippy

Oh yeah forgot GB; thanks.

Glad I could help

I just don’t click with Metallica or Deadpool. I know they are good games as so many seem to love them but I just don’t get either. I tried with Metallica, even bought an LE but couldn’t stand it. It’s not the layout as I have GOTG and absolutely love it. Not the theme as I grew up on the music. I just don’t know.