Seriously, start a poll. You'll get some uptight guys that will say these have been compared before but I would love to know. It's been forever since I played TZ and I've never played TAF but would love to own one.

I own TZ and CV and they are completely different. CV is fun, fast and a rookie can always make the game do something. TZ is an all time classic but alot to maintain, well worth it though. More bang for youre buck on TZ than anything else but its alot harder IMO. I would say buy them both and then contrast the differences.

I own a TZ and TAF and probably CV is next. I think for long-term TZ is the winner. If you had to pick one and wanted something fun and it was also for non pinheads I'd go TAF. Really depends what your situation was.

Can't go wrong with any of those choices. Buy the one that is in the best condition.

I own a TZ and TAF....love them both and they will be permanent fixtures in my Den.......very different machines, IMO,,,,,

TAF is just a classic and great to play...awesome flow, great theme, and never gets old....it's the much "calmer" and easier to manage/ play than my TZ

TZ is unbelievably cool, and I play it more than my TAF, but mainly because it is harder to beat, and keeps sucking me in. Alot going on, and can be really frustrating to play at times....that's why it's so good....."boring" or "predictable" are terms that don't apply to this game

I started w/ my TAF, and added the TZ about a year later...right choice for me...got comfortable working on the TAF which helped me deal w/ TZ care..plenty of toys for both, but more for TZ

Both amazing machines...hope this helped.....

Luckily I do own all three CV, TAF, and TZ
If I had to pick which is the best I would have to say TAF
TZ is just too hard and more complicated
CV is harder to find since alot less were made and is fun to play but hard to beat as well
It takes along time to get to a CV wizard mode and if you finally join the Circus
and start the wizard mode but fail it is disappointing and you really don't
want to start the long process again
So if want something a little easier to play get TAF easy to get to wizard mode Tour the Mansion
If you want something more challenging get CV
It you want something really complicated get the TZ
If you are just starting out the TAF will be the cheapest
If you can find a nice CV for under 7K including shipping get that then the rest later
That is just my take on it after having all three for several months now
I'm keeping all there since I like the variety they provide

I'd go with CV, with TZ being next. I don't care for TAF too much.

There's a reason why TZ is the best, it was years ahead of it's time.

TZ was produced with virtually no budget restrictions.

I would be curious to know how much it would cost to produce this game today.

TZ is the best pin out of all three. 'Nuff said.

Love my TZ, I want a TAF next, either are a great choice. CV, I have nothing against it, awesome looking game, going by price point, TZ and TAF are the better deals for what they offer. Plus Tz is a wide body!

Edit - VVVVVVV Thats Phoogs Ultimate glass taken with a flash on(the 1st pic).
DSC08863.JPG DSC08869.JPG

tz then cv, I think cv is the harder game, and with more wizard modes, both great games for a collection

I'm fortunate to have the trio.I gave this considerable thought and would put TAF first if I had to choose.

Not as much of a 'chore' to play.Excellent use of a playfield.Easy objective.Top implimented skill shot.A better 3/4 way combo than Tz.No ball save.Some of the best call outs.Playfield magnets.The seance mode.

Hope this helps.

I tend to like the games that screw me over the most. But also a game that takes along time to beat. I think I would have to go for the tz on this one.

1. Twilight Zone
2. Addams Family






3. Cirqus Voltaire

TAF
CV








TZ

I have all 3 and would rank them
Cv
TAF
TZ
They are all great pins.

I agree to Tatman9999!

I have all 3 aswell, and CV gets most play by me.
Taf has great shots and modes - just plain fun to play.
TZ is also great, but for some reason I cant explain, I often skip this when taking a tour in the gameroom. Very frustrating at times, but also very satisfying when a good games eventually comes.

I completely agree. CV is one of the best games out there. You can't beat the fun factor, and very unique with the DMD down by the playfield. If you can find a nice one within your budget, this is the game to get. TZ is a close second, and it's a lot of fun to play. TAF...I just don't get it!

I have owned a TZ and currently own a TAF. In the future at some point i will probably get another TZ but my TAF isn't going anywhere.

My choice is TAF since it is a funner game to play and for some reason i like the theme more then TZ.

CV i have played a couple of times but really dont like the game for some reason.

but then again it is all personal

Such a variety of opinions!

I've had a TAF, have a CV, and played TZ a bunch of times. If you asked my personal opinion...
TAF
CV
TZ

I miss my TAF and would snap one up in a heartbeat if I saw one and had the money. It's just "right" on so many levels.
I just got CV, but really enjoy it.

TZ...just didn't do much for me personally. But that's just me...it's ranked where it is for a reason!

I'm going for SM instead of CV for my 3rd......just throwing it out there.....

Pretty much how I expected the results...about 2x more votes for TZ than TAF and 2x more votes for TAF than CV.

4x = TZ
2x = TAF
1x = CV

TAF - Showtime!

CV. When in doubt go with rarity as you can get it gone quick if you feel you made a mistake, at least when we're taling top 25 pins. Don't go out and buy a Heavy Metal Meltdown or anything (i would).

TZ has it all. 4 flippers. Wide Body. Great Dots. Great Audio (jackpot sound is sooooooooo good). Lots of modes. Ceramic Ball. Mini flipperless Playfield. It's the machine I never get tired of. I liked playing it at my friends house so much, that after 5 years I finally bought one for myself. Now we have two in the club literally 15 minutes apart.

How I would rank them

TAF
TZ






CV

For me cv doesn't have that fun factor that taf and TZ have

These are my number 1, 2 and 3's. They are all fantastic and some of the greatest pinballs ever made. For me CV is number one, but I can't tell you why and it's very personal preference. I wouldn't expect others to feel the same way. But TZ is pretty much a flawless game. It's almost perfection at it's best.

TAF I hated when I first played it. It screwed me over so fast, no mercy balls, and I never thought I got my money's worth out of it because I was such a shitty player (in 92). Now i'm a less shitty player and do much better. But it was a the game where I figured out it had a surprise ending, and I kept playing to figure out what that ending did (never found out until I owned it). So it got me interested in pinball for the long haul and pulled me away from video games. So there is a fond attachment there. But TZ is perfection.

Someone drove a big car on my TZ! That game plays so fantastic. My favorite mod that I did to it was that gumball lighting mod. I love that thing. I remember the guy that gave me that mod and I think it's fantastic. Love how it lights up for when the gumball light lights. Miss that game. But I don't have the room to get one back.

Currently have all three, at least until tomorrow when CV goes bye bye.

TAF is a keeper, TZ is a sleeper, and CV is fun, but gets old fast. Just my feelings. But if you like deep....long...........................games TZ is for you. I get confused on TZ and quickly lose interest. Though it looks awesome, sound is cool too.

JACKPOT!!!!!

Very interesting.

I had this very conversation with a local Pinsider just yesterday. He is looking for a TAF, and he knows that I don't care for that pin. He asked why. I was honest, and told him basically the exact same thing that you said above. The funny thing is that I also told him that I thought my opinion on the pin could change if I had it at home for awhile. TAF almost always kicks my ass...in a bad way.

1:TZ
2:TAF
3:CV

Twilight Zone is a game that keeps on giving and giving and giving. There is so much to do on this table. The sublteties of the rules and the gameplay mean that your skills and your ability to make the best choices for your game during play are always being challenged. Do you shoot for door panels? Do you go for regular multiball, or the Gumball multiball? I love the powerfield and when this game is properly maintanied, is an absolute joy to play. Reaching Lost in the Zone is always a challenge and when you get there. The theater of this deck comes to full bear. Brace yourself for impact, because when it hits you... Hooooo-Eeeeee! I can't stop playing this deck. I just can't...

The Addams Family is the best selling modern table for a reason. This game is a true player that is incredibly reliable and consistent. IF TZ has a fault, it's that the carte blance that was given to Pat Lawlor and his team took his eye off the operator's prize. When the game failed as often and consisitently as it did on site, ops dropped the game as it affected their profit margins. This game balances the scoring of the windows of the mansion with that of multiball incredibly well. I also really like the mini-flipper to the swamp shot. The epitome of risk-reward in a pinball shot. If I could change one thing about this deck, it would be the train target, I wish it was a looping shot.

Cirqus Voltaire is the youngest of the 3 tables and the best looking of the 3. The art package on this deck sets the bar for which all other pinball games are compared. I love the layout, flow and blingingly fast speed of this layout. While the game has ball traps in it, the technical reliability of the deck (as far as I know) is much closer to TAF than TZ. For me the reazon CV is #3 on this list has to do with the ruleset and the process of joining the Cirqus. The strategy of stacking multiballs on this deck is much more interesting to me than going through all the qualifications to reach the Wizard mode on this game... which means... It's not that enticing of a reward.