I know there are varying topper discussions here on Pinside, but after recently being reminded of a few toppers I thought I would ask everyone what their favorites of all time are and why? I'd also be interested if anyone has every bought a pin with the topper being their top reason why they wanted the title?

When I first got into pinball a few years ago, I wondered what the big deal was with toppers. I'd see threads here on Pinside or hear conversations, and pretty much thought, "meh!" After all, what significant interaction did they have with the player? Now that I've been in the hobby for a few years I've come to appreciate the art and creativity of pinball design, including toppers. Of course, many are more than just static artwork, and many are even interactive with gameplay.

With that stated, the few that come to the top of my mind that I really like are:

- AFMr LE | I love being taunted by the Martian leader.
- Whirlwind | I was really surprised the first time I was playing this game at a show when the fans cranked up. I couldn't believe how much airflow they blew in my face.
- The Jetsons | I know this pin doesn't get much love, but I really like how the topper actually represents game progress.
- The Getaway, F-14, et. al | While the beacon lights on these games may not officially be defined as toppers, I love when I'm playing in a dark room and the beacons fire. Just seeing and feeling the lights rotate around on the walls of the room add to the overall excitement feeling of that moment in the game.

I've seen this at pinball shows and thought it was really cool. Does it look even better in a dark room? How exactly is the waterfall effect created?

I need to track down a video to see it in action. Photos look really cool. BTW, yesterday was Paul Stanley's b-day.

My 35 years ago teenage uber KISS fan loves it!