Looking for nominees for the hardest pin out there. Not necessarily hardest to finish but just to play/score on. I'll start a poll after we get a few solid nominees. Let me be first by nominating The Shadow.
(Topic ID: 83302)
Linked Games
4 Queens
Bally, 1970-
AC/DC (LE)
Stern, 2012
-
AC/DC (Premium)
Stern, 2012
-
AC/DC (Pro)
Stern, 2012
-
Big Daddy
Williams, 1963
-
Black Hole
Gottlieb, 1981
-
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Williams, 1993
-
Doodle Bug
Williams, 1971
There are more than 8 games linked to this topic.
Click here to show all linked games
Click here to show all linked games
Topic Gallery
Fairbank, IA
Sana'a
Big Daddy is the hardest to score on that I own. If you can get to 1000 pts on a three ball game, then you are doing pretty darn good. If your entire game lasts more than a minute, again you are doing good.
I can put half a billion on a Shadow easy.
are we taking into account if the game has a tipping point before scoring becomes easier? BSD is a bitch to get going, but you get a couple multilballs going and you've just tripled your score at the very least. fish tales also seems like once you get it past 50-60 million, the points start flowing more easily.
I had a Doodle Bug and it was hard to get the doodle bug built up and running. plus it had no drain lanes. a behind the flipper ball was possible.
Quoted from dementedwarlok:it had no drain lanes.
RollerCoaster Tycoon. Really the only thing that gets your scores way up is Park Tycoon, so be prepared for lots of grinding.
Quoted from dementedwarlok:my bad drain to flippers
I understood. I have played Doodle Bug. I like that they added posts behind the flippers for Klondike. No cradling allowed on Doodle Bug. 
Quoted from o-din:I understood. I have played Doodle Bug. I like that they added posts behind the flippers for Klondike. No cradling allowed on Doodle Bug.
i loved doodle bug its a challenge to keep the ball moving all the time. glad i sold it to a family member i can visit it any time
Quoted from Cash_Riprock:2nd for Ripleys!
yeah, actually completing a mode is a challenge.
Quoted from dementedwarlok:its a challenge to keep the ball moving all the time.
That's the way I always play. Whenever possible.
Big Daddy, not so big score. I watched Nimblepin play this machine for hours nonstop one night before he finally cracked 1000. Then he was done. For the night. It takes some serious nudging just to keep the ball in play.
This is why it is my nominee. He's coming back this evening. I'll let you know how it goes. 
DSCN2412.JPG
Super exclusive ad from the Pinside Marketplace!
At least 30 games on Big Daddy between the three of us tonight. High score- 657. My last game I was rocking ball one to the tune of 409 points. Then tilt. Game over.
isn't WOZ supposed to be really low scoring? haven't played it enough to really get a feel for the scoring, so not sure if just low scoring or if i just haven't figured out the power shots....
also, is the 4th reel on big daddy supposed to be painted over? does it have a 4th reel?!?!
Quoted from Dommer:isn't WOZ supposed to be really low scoring? haven't played it enough to really get a feel for the scoring, so not sure if just low scoring or if i just haven't figured out the power shots....
also, is the 4th reel on big daddy supposed to be painted over? does it have a 4th reel?!?!
WOZ is a low scoring game. But with perseverance you can crank it up a bit and get a decent score.
You can throw perseverance out the window on Big Daddy. The stars must align on the night of o full moon to beat that machine. But nobody has. The object is to hit 10 different numbers to light Special. And I have not seen all ten hit yet in one game.
When you get to 1000, there is a light behind the 1. That bulb should last forever.
Tspp isn't hard, unless you are talking about beating alien invasion, then for me it's thus far been impossible. Getting there isn't too bad. If you are talking about wizard modes, lotr is probably the toughest around = Valinor!
In terms of scoring, RBION is stingy with points, a score of 40-50 million is a very good game.
Toughest is subjective, and I don't think the numerical score value from machine to machine can be factored in. Layout wise XMENLE/XMEN is one of the toughest of the modern games to hit the shots. When you get better at it after some practice, its still tough, yet satisfying.
The hardest pin needs to be assessed in terms of score in many of the earliest games. The other criteria should possibly be total completion of all modes that have been set in the game.(ie. to complete Atlantis on RBION). There may be other categories that others may use for evaluation purposes.
I think the only way to really answer this question is ball times. Which game has the shortest ball times?
Quoted from ryanwanger:I think the only way to really answer this question is ball times. Which game has the shortest ball times?
For modern games, Iron Man, BSD and F-14.
For older games, many many EMs.
Quoted from schwarz:Looking for nominees for the hardest pin out there. Not necessarily hardest to finish but just to play/score on. I'll start a poll after we get a few solid nominees. Let me be first by nominating The Shadow.
RBION. It's brutal and I love it. Of course STTNG is up there as well.
Quoted from ryanwanger:I think the only way to really answer this question is ball times. Which game has the shortest ball times?
Dungeons & Dragons. My lowest score ever was in the 4000 range. Never played that game again.
Quoted from schwarz:Poll added, wish I had ten spots I would have added STTNG
I was unable to vote in your poll, because even though Big Daddy is an EM, there are other EMs that are very easy to score on, such as Williams Grand Prix. I thought I made a pretty good case for it though.
Sorry o-din... Maybe we should start another thread with strictly EMs. I played a bunch that I thought were really ball busting.
ACDC (unforgiving drain monster, TNT targets are death hits and of course the cannon, shoot the target banks causes uncontrolled side drains, shoot the bell equals SDTC drains then equals a few less than gentleman like words to be said)
and Shadow (anytime I tried to play it, I just walk away disgusted after 1 or 2 games)
Quoted from schwarz:Sorry o-din... Maybe we should start another thread with strictly EMs. I played a bunch that I thought were really ball busting.
A lot of them really are. No ball save, game ending on a tilt, etc. Most of the DMD games you have listed, including STTNG, which I have, are a cake walk, relatively speaking. But I do realize a lot of people haven't spent much time playing these older machines, which might make the newer ones seem difficult.
Promoted items from Pinside Marketplace and Pinside Shops!
Reply
Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.
Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!
Donate to PinsideGreat 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+!
