For instance, Super Hero on Spiderman. Making a series of shots that don't really tell a story or even make sense just doesn't seem exciting. Valinor is epic to reach, but really it's just victory laps when you get to it.

I think the sequence on MM, where you start BFTK, hit a series of shots, and then you're faced with that final battle to beat Payne, is probably the perfect example of what a wizard mode should be.

DTR is LOTR to me is also worthy of being in the top 10, just based on the intensity it makes you feel, followed by the crazy light and mech show once completed.

LITZ is pretty cool just because of the chaos.

I haven't reached Showdown in DI yet, but I've seen videos and I would definitely replace Armageddon on the list with this one. If JJP puts a nice ending on Showdown, it will definitely solidify it on the top 10.

10 is a big list so let's hear you top 5 votes for wizard and mini-wizards modes that are actually exciting to play, not just reach.

Here's mine (based on ones I've reached or seen):

5) Shadow - Battle
4) DI - Showdown
3) TWD - Horde
2) LOTR - DTR
1) MM - BFTK

#2 5 years ago

KEN

radium

Pinside+ Frequent

Covington, LA

10y 93,550 4,153 12 2

Well, here's a list of the ones I've gotten to:

#3 5 years ago

MOB

JoinTheCirqus

Pinside member

Lyme, NH

18y 95,300 2,115 1

I will throw out CV, triple wizard mode!

#4 5 years ago

MEH

ThePinballCo-op

The Pinball Co-op

9y 115K 1,752 40

OP
Quoted from Damien:
Got me thinking about what actually makes for a great wizard mode

Any mode where the machine kind of shuts down and gives you a second to realize.... "oh crap.... this is gonna be insane". And then a build up to the big moment that took you all game to achieve, followed by a huge light show and lots of sounds as the balls start taking over the playfield.

During the actual wizard mode itself, maybe a target or two to hit, or multiple targets or a sequential series of targets, but at the same time hitting anything should count as a bonus.

I can't really name names, as I haven't achieved a ton of wizard modes, but this is what I'd envision to be awesome in my eyes.

EDIT: It's awesome to see DI on the list. It's hardly been out and most people I've talked to don't even know what the wizard mode on it looks like.

#5 5 years ago

DAD

Damien

Inactive member

Unknown

7y 70,300 2,014 7 10

I've watched a bunch of videos on wizard modes, and seems like EOTL on Metallica and Super Hero on Spiderman are sort of the same deal. Just ended lit ramps and shots that just build up points, but don't really have a story to them or even an end.

To me, that just seems really anticlimactic. Especially considering how much time and work it takes to get to some of these.

I agree with the point about the game pausing and setting the stage for some BIG! I think Horde does it perfectly.

Haven't seen what they're doing for the wizards in Iron Maiden, but hopefully they put in something great.

Any other wizards or mini wizards that are worthy?

#6 5 years ago

SKB

Eskaybee

Pinside member

12y 155K 12,963 40

OP
Quoted from Damien:
I've watched a bunch of videos on wizard modes, and seems like EOTL on Metallica and Super Hero on Spiderman are sort of the same deal. Just ended lit ramps and shots that just build up points, but don't really have a story to them or even an end.
To me, that just seems really anticlimactic. Especially considering how much time and work it takes to get to some of these.
I agree with the point about the game pausing and setting the stage for some BIG! I think Horde does it perfectly.
Haven't seen what they're doing for the wizards in Iron Maiden, but hopefully they put in something great.
Any other wizards or mini wizards that are worthy?

So you actually haven't played super hero on SM? Cause I sure feel like a super hero when I get to it, battling the villains with that music is fantastic. Then hitting the spider sense to finish out the mode; it's fantastic. I love wizard modes that have a goal and aren't just timed based chaos. AC/DC encore, Super Hero, Horde, Danger Room (xmen), HOTK (GOT) are some of my favorites.

#7 5 years ago

SKB

Eskaybee

Pinside member

12y 155K 12,963 40

Oh and Armageddon and Showdown are fun on DI. Though I've only done showdown once and Armageddon a few times.

#8 5 years ago

B16

Billy16

Pinside member

11y 94,300 3,701 58

Could be Iron Maiden, but no one I know has gotten to it yet...

#9 5 years ago

DAD

Damien

Inactive member

Unknown

7y 70,300 2,014 7 10

Quoted from Eskaybee:
So you actually haven't played super hero on SM? Cause I sure feel like a super hero when I get to it, battling the villains with that music is fantastic. Then hitting the spider sense to finish out the mode; it's fantastic. I love wizard modes that have a goal and aren't just timed based chaos. AC/DC encore, Super Hero, Horde, Danger Room (xmen), HOTK (GOT) are some of my favorites.

I've never owned or had an opportunity to get to Super Hero, buy from videos, it just seemed to be a bunch of random shots, then a load of shots to sandman, then back to the random shots.

Is there something else to it?

#10 5 years ago

DK

Pinball Naples

12y 155K 4,872 129 3

-Shadow
-TZ
-AFM
-WH20
-MB
-Demo man
-Judge Dredd

Not top 10:
-LAH (criminally short)
-TOM (too easy)
-TAF (besides the 50 MILLION yell it’s a repeat of same modes)

#11 5 years ago

DK

Pinball Naples

12y 155K 4,872 129 3

OP
Quoted from Damien:
I've never owned or had an opportunity to get to Super Hero, buy from videos, it just seemed to be a bunch of random shots, then a load of shots to sandman, then back to the random shots.
Is there something else to it?

You can feel your heart beating from your chest when you have the intentionally land the “spider-sense” shot for 250M lol

#12 5 years ago

JAH

heckheck

Pinside member

Chelmsford, MA

17y 53,150 432 18 70

TSPP Alien Invasion. That certainly deserves a spot. Moving towards the objective of locking 5 balls is really fun. There is a strategy but it's not super easy and you can end up reversing progress of you aren't careful. I always look forward to playing that mode.

#13 5 years ago

AJB

AJB4

Pinside member

9y 93,550 793 7 37

Monster Bash - Monsters of Rock.

#14 5 years ago

SAM

smassa

Pinside member

San Diego, CA

13y 86,900 6,014 9 68

Thats one of the worst top 10 lists I've seen.

#15 5 years ago

SMK

TheLaw

Pinside+ Addict

Ann Arbor, MI

12y 162K 48,064 19 30 1

OP
Quoted from Damien:
Saw this list again the other day:
https://thisweekinpinball.com/your-top-10-wizard-modes/

or did you see it 11 months ago?

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-best-wizard-modes

#16 5 years ago

TechnicalSteam

Pinside+ Frequent

8y 88,050 1,733

Agree with some.

I would add
SWLE - Throne Room Dual
GG - Immolation Imperative

#17 5 years ago

KJS

Mudflaps

Pinside+ Frequent

Springfield, VA

11y 181K 8,675 5

JM Power Down is pretty rad.

#18 5 years ago

JPJ

Frippertron

Pinside member

Sparta, NJ

7y 60,800 2,301

STTNG Final Frontier

#19 5 years ago

WIL

Willathrilla

Pinside member

Winnipeg, MB

10y 87,550 333 22 50

Tommy - Pinball Wizard

#20 5 years ago

DNO

Pinside member

Highlands Ranch, CO

11y 73,800 1,976 45

Super Hero-
As I recall...
Shoot all red arrows, 6 shots, ball save active, complete to Add a ball.
-shoot each villain once + once more for each EB played (great rule!), must hit all 4 before hitting the next set, complete for add a ball(ball saver)
-all 6 arrows light white, change all to red to complete, once red- they change back!
All red for AAB and ball save.
-sandman...hit 5 times + another 5 for each EB played
- finish with the spider sense shot, for 250M + double scoring the rest of your ball!! ...-and MAJOR gratification (victory laps?, don't recall)
This is absolutely a top 5 wiz mode, maybe the best ever.

#21 5 years ago

DNO

Pinside member

Highlands Ranch, CO

11y 73,800 1,976 45

And..,
All SH stages can be played with single ball play, and you get 2 ball saves on the outlanes (last chance)

#22 5 years ago

DAD

Damien

Inactive member

Unknown

7y 70,300 2,014 7 10

Played a SMVE today on location and got to Battle Royale. I'm guessing that is the mini-wizard?

I only had two items missing on the wheel of inserts, so does that mean I may have been close to reaching Super Hero?

Regardless, I had a lot of fun playing it. It's now on my list of games that will eventually take the spot when I sell my AFMR LE.

#23 5 years ago

SKB

Eskaybee

Pinside member

12y 155K 12,963 40

OP
Quoted from Damien:
Played a SMVE today on location and got to Battle Royale. I'm guessing that is the mini-wizard?
I only had two items missing on the wheel of inserts, so does that mean I may have been close to reaching Super Hero?
Regardless, I had a lot of fun playing it. It's now on my list of games that will eventually take the spot when I sell my AFMR LE.

SMVE is a super fun pin. But on factory setup, it’s a little easy and can get monotonous in a home setting. I recommend at the very minimum removing the center drain post; the next level in brutality would be adding lightning flippers.

As for Super hero; you were close but you have to defeat all the villains 3 times which is shown on the villains’ insert matrix, not the center web matrix. That web matrix could use some code polish but it’s main use is for the white arrow modes and completions; you have to have all those white arrows lit solid + defeat all the villains 3 times to get super hero.

#24 5 years ago

DAV

DavidPinballWizz

Pinside member

Lauwe

10y 51,050 1,204 3

Cirqus Voltaire
TWD: Last Man Standing 115 --> 0
Avatar (the first phases are 'easy', then you better pay attention)
Metallica
Scared Stiff (the choreo)
Tales Of The Arabian Nights (yes I loose from time to time from the Genie)
..

#25 5 years ago

GWL

gliebig

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 119K 5,424

On my games, I've reached it on MMr and TOM. Probably never see MET or DI's unless I stuff socks in the outlanes and install super long flippers.

#26 5 years ago

ZLM

ZMeny

Flip N Out Pinball

Evansville, IN

8y 174K 5,456 35 18 10

Cheap plug.... sorry

#27 5 years ago

DAD

Damien

Inactive member

Unknown

7y 70,300 2,014 7 10

Quoted from gliebig:
On my games, I've reached it on MMr and TOM. Probably never see MET or DI's unless I stuff socks in the outlanes and install super long flippers.

Have you reached Armageddon in DI? Not as cool as Showdown, but not too shabby.

#28 5 years ago

DAD

Damien

Inactive member

Unknown

7y 70,300 2,014 7 10

Quoted from ZMeny:
Cheap plug.... sorry

Haha yeah, I had watched your video a while back, and thought you guys were nuts for not including MM (BFTK) on the list. Some good choices though regardless.

But I think Valinor is debatable. Definitely the most desirable wizard mode to reach in pinball, but I don't think it's all that exciting compared to a lot of others. So I guess it should come down to how were rating these modes. If it's about "fun" which was the point of this thread, then I would say it doesn't make the top 10, or at least does not score as well on it. If it's about the journey to get to a wizard mode, then it absolutely deserves it's spot as #1.

Anyhow, keep up the good work with your videos. I usually have your new episodes playing on one of my computer screens, while I pretend to work on the other

#29 5 years ago

GWL

gliebig

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 119K 5,424

OP
Quoted from Damien:
Have you reached Armageddon in DI? Not as cool as Showdown, but not too shabby.

No.

#30 5 years ago

DAD

Damien

Inactive member

Unknown

7y 70,300 2,014 7 10

Quoted from gliebig:
No.

It's not the fun way to do it, but try starting modes and timing them out. That's what I did to reach it the first time. Now I play out the modes as I go for Showdown. I've spelled DIALED, but still need those two damn letters haha!

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