Aerosmith is on the line, but it won't come out until after the Shoji Tabuchi pin.

If all a theme needs to qualify is to have a Disneyland ride based off it first, how long until we get a Song of the South pin?

Theme is definitely an issue, but visibility and transparency of rules are, as well. If TZ crapped out on location due to complexity then I can't imagine how most non-pinheads feel approaching something as dense as TWD or Hobbit, even if both games do offer simpler, more basic bash toys for beginner players, and that's if they ever come across one, which is unlikely. Pinheads crab about games like TAF as being too repetitive, but when you're a home owner it's easy to forget that TAF is magical in an arcade where your access is limited. A non-player steps up to TAF and it's instantly inviting and instantly rewarding, and progress happens immediately. It might be good for Stern to produce a more user-friendly game with a more modern theme.

The "racetrack" in Nascar is super cute, though, the first time I played it I actually took my hands off the flippers for a couple seconds because I was so surprised.

A Tom Waits "Black Rider" pin would be extremely awesome for all five of us fans.

Stern's use of the LCD is a fumble so far, I wonder if they have the artistic resources to really take advantage of it and avoid being hamstrung by the increased need for detail and attention.

I mean, it comes down to personal taste but so far I think the Aerosmith LCD animations look like a bad flash game.

It really highlights the amount of work it takes to make a good, engaging display.

Lmao I just think it's ugly, it's fine if you like it. It's interesting watching the pinball companies struggle to find ways to incorporate the LCD. WOZ is kind of a mess, TH is overwhelmingly detailed, and BM66 needs a lot of help in finding a way to visually link the looped clips together, right now they just fly at you kind of arrhythmically without a grounding central conceit. In some ways DMD animations were really ideal, because they could have a sort of simplified cartoonishness where the lack of detail was funny in and of itself. There's a lot more work that has to go into a large, clear display to make it as snappy, especially when working with pre-existing media.

Haha I do love WOF, it's shamefully true.

WOF's unfinished code is a tragedy, it's such an odd, unique layout, like one of the cool 80s widebodies.

I like the lower half a lot, it forces me to think differently about how I play and the Free Spin outlanes bring in an element of on-your-toes nudging - it's a great throwback game for anyone who likes pre-DMD layouts.

I do love this from the Deadflip stream. In the words of a wise gopher, "too many balls!"

too many balls (resized).png

Haha, true, it's a tough game, it just kind of sucks on a philosophical level that it's not complete.

The theme does nothing for me (I'd be glad if I never heard "Dude Looks Like A Lady" ever again in my life) but it looks like it shoots nicely, even if it is a little unremarkable, and the art is terrific.

Ah, someone hasn't seen Tommy in a while:

Yeah, the art really pops, I love how detailed it is.

"Don't give up!...on the plastic surgery! Just keep at it! That's it, now you look like a bloated horse!"

It does feel a little bit like a mix-and-match of their other music pins.

Ball, Parton, and Blanche (drag or not) are all awesome ladies so I'm glad my icon is being viewed in a good light.

Pros:
-Fun multiball
-Shoots nicely
-Good music, if you like Aerosmith

Cons:
-Bland modes
-Bad music, if you don't like Aerosmith
-Incoherent theme

The LCD is kind of a draw, though tbh I think the animations are really ugly. I'm not sure what's expected from later code updates, but I hope they beef up the modes and connect the dots on the overall narrative. Right now it feels like playing an 80s SS while listening to the Aerosmith Best Of album.

Yeah, exactly! These band pins need another conceptual level, it's why I've never been able to get into AC/DC, because it feels like the gameplay is entirely about maximizing points. If I want to play a pin that's entirely about point acquisition, I'll play an EM - somehow, having gobs of toys and ramps and animation just to serve an abstract number feels wrong.