(Topic ID: 260214)

The best or coolest ball locks in pinball

By Diospinball

4 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

You

Linked Games

No games have been linked to this topic.

    Topic Gallery

    View topic image gallery

    Capture (resized).JPG

    You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider diospinball.
    Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.

    #1 4 years ago

    Hey guys one of the things I really like when I play pinball are all the cool mechs, ball locks in particular can be really cool and fun, and I think can really help give a gym its unique personality. Because, if done right, its not just a physical mech, but can also be implemented in a cool and unique way into the code and strategy of the game.

    I thought it would be fun to list some of your favorite ball locks and why you like them and whats unique about them.

    My favorites are:

    Breakshot: A really fun and unique ball lock. Love the newton-esque element of hitting the centerpost and sinking balls into the back locks. It can be a dangerous shot, but of course the risk reward is always worth it. Just love the kinetic-satisfaction of this one. Simple, but really cool.

    Aerosmith:This ball lock really blew me away. It looks cool, and having the balls shoot up into it is really fun, and always makes locking a ball an event,or special moment.What i like about this game. Its approach to mb in the code allows you to take mb at I believe 3 balls or hold off till 6, but if you wait, you get higher jackpots. Of course in a multi player game if you had 5 balls in the lock and your opponent only just locked three he can take the mb and get all the balls you stored. His points would be locked at the 3 ball, and the ball saves won't keep putting more than 3 back out once you drain. But, more balls can lead to more points(and of course you don't lose your progress). So just a few interesting strats can come from that aspect. But, really amazing ball lock.

    Iron Maiden Prem/Le: A very unique ball lock for the mummy mb. Turning a normal ball into a captured ball, that is really, really smart and unique. Really feels like you earn that ball once you spell out all its letters, just smart integration.

    TNA: This one to me is just so simple, I'm surprised it hasn't been done sooner, and its also so much dang fun to lock a ball and to start the mb. Its just fun.

    Alien: I really don't like this pin. I think its a snoozefest, and just doesn't excite me at all. But, the ball lock. Man, that has to be one of the coolest things ever. I've played it more than a few times at galloping ghost and the only thing I really like about this game is the ball lock. Just an amazing mech(I hear its amazing so long as it keeps working. But, again the one at GG works).

    MM: Its not so much that the lock itself is so amazing. Its a basic lock. But, the shot itself is a nice one, and also I really like the fake wall aspect of shooting the castle. How when you shot the castle it triggers a cool animation of a catapult damaging the side of the castle making the whole bigger and bigger, till MB starts and the enemy soldiers come out and you have to dispatch them. Just how its implemented into the code is so dang good. To me it makes MB an event.

    BSD: Mist mb. Its not a traditional lock. But, I think for arguments sake you could say it is a ball lock, since shooting the ball would start you into mb. And that has to be one of the coolest starts to mb ever.

    Lastly for just a little bit of a minor honorable mention is Deadpool. I like the lil deadpool mb. I know they nerfed it a bit so you can't get it as much. And I know its basically inspired by TNA. But, to me its fun to lock and to hit and start the mb.

    I hope I didn't forget any of my favorites. I think this covers it. I'm sure you all will come up with some cool ones too. So I'm looking forward to reading what you all respond with.

    #26 4 years ago
    Quoted from Ive:

    Strange Science ! Seeing the balls locked and loaded in the Atom Smasher.. waiting to pour out on to the playfield !
    [quoted image]

    Its a bit like Heavy Metal Meltdown's ball lock then. Never played either of those games in person. But, I did play HMM as a virtual pin.

    And wow... So many great ball locks that I failed to mention.

    I've never played the shadow. I'd like to own one and of course play on someday.

    I know one person mentioned Fishtails. I think that is a cool one.
    Can't wait to play a Prem Stranger Things as that one looks amazing.
    But, I don't think anyone mentioned Bride of Pinbot. That is a really cool and fun mech. Not the best. But, I think an honorable mention.

    #49 4 years ago
    Quoted from illawarra92:

    Old school - Bally's Capersville

    I watched some youtube videos on it. Sadly... None of them were particularly good examples of what I would call stellar gameplay.
    I see there are two traditional ball locks at the top of playfield. You release those a bit like how you would in fireball or 4 million bc.
    Then there is a weird thing to the right that I can't make out. It reminds me a bit of the tar pits in 4 million bc. Is that what you were talking about, or the ones at the top?
    No idea what the mech at the middle right of the playfield does.

    Game looks interesting. Never heard of it. But, I like both Fireball and 4 Million BC. Hope to own one of those someday.

    From what I can gather. The middle right playfield mech. You can shoot and lock a ball into it.
    Then hitting some shot or shots will cause it to drop down a level. Then once you hit enough shots it drops down into the shooter lane.

    But, what i don't get is. Sometimes the saucers at the top appear to lock a ball, and sometimes they just spit it right back out. Don't get the why that is.
    Just curious about the rules is all.
    And yeah... That appears to be a cool ball lock.

    #57 4 years ago
    Quoted from 27dnast:

    WOZ monkey lock is incredible...
    I500 super charger lock is definitely unique. Nothing else like it. Innovative!

    A lot of people seem to like the monkey lock, and I liked it too... Even though I was having a really good game and the monkey stole my freaking ball and wouldn't give it back.
    Yep, ball got stuck and no operator to tell to get it unstuck for me. A bit bummer that yellow brick road got rid of something many people like, but maybe they want it to be more of a route or location machine.

    And I'm glad someone mentioned waterworld. I know some people dump on Gottliebs of the mid 80s to the mid 90s when they went under. But, I enjoyed playing that game. And I thought that ball lock/ship was a really cool mech. I had fun playing the game. Didn't do so well on it, but I played 3 games on it against my Pops and we enjoyed our time on it.

    I really want a Judge Dredd one day though. Love the comic. Love one of the movies, and love the Anthrax song which is how I discovered the comic.

    #60 4 years ago

    Can't believe no one mentioned the gobstopper in Willy Wonka. What I like about that one is its a simple idea, but really, really cool, and I don't know if its ever been done before.
    Two parts to it, the unlocking of it and getting the gobble hole open(yes, not a real gobble hole as you get the ball back), and then the actual shooting the hole and getting the ball. Fits the theme and looks cool.

    You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider diospinball.
    Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.

    Reply

    Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

    Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

    Donate to Pinside

    Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


    This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-best-or-coolest-ball-locks-in-pinball?tu=diospinball and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

    Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.