(Topic ID: 197627)

What are your favorite playfield features?

By PinballBJB

6 years ago


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Topic Stats

  • 38 posts
  • 27 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 6 years ago by westofrome
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

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    Topic poll

    “What are your favorite playfield features?”

    • Ramps 45 votes
      22%
    • Upper playfields 14 votes
      7%
    • Scoops 7 votes
      3%
    • Drop targets 35 votes
      17%
    • Pop bumpers 7 votes
      3%
    • Spinners 23 votes
      11%
    • Magnets 31 votes
      15%
    • Bash toys / unique game-specific toys 31 votes
      15%
    • Other (loops?)(comment to say what; not "flippers" wiseguy) 9 votes
      4%

    (Multiple choice - 202 votes by 94 Pinsiders)

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    #1 6 years ago

    Would be interesting to get a general idea of the popularity of various playfield features relative to each other.

    I'm not familiar with a way to do a Pinside poll that allows voters to give rankings for the options. (Sorry if I could've done that but didn't know how.) So I guess the simpler, non-scientific way to do it is just to ask you to vote for the two or three (or four?) features you prefer best from the list. The poll allows you to choose more than one.

    Even better, if you're willing to post a comment to give some rankings or explanations, that would be much more fun.

    Thanks for participating!

    #2 6 years ago

    I'm a fan of drop targets. Joker poker, #hot shot, bunch of others.
    -Mike

    #3 6 years ago

    flippers

    #4 6 years ago

    Definitely spinners!

    #5 6 years ago

    I did realize too late that EXTRA flippers would've been a good addition to the list. I used all of the slots that the Pinside poll tool allows, but if I'd thought of extra flippers when I was building the poll, I might've listed them instead of scoops, maybe.

    #6 6 years ago

    Shaker motors and crazy habitrails

    #7 6 years ago

    I love spinners and drop targets. I also like coils/solenoid features that fire back at the player.

    #8 6 years ago

    Subways

    #9 6 years ago

    Interesting - no votes yet for scoops. Probably I should've omitted them from the list and used that slot instead for something like subways, extra flippers, or loops.

    #10 6 years ago
    Quoted from Buzz:

    Shaker motors and crazy habitrails

    This is interesting; do shaker motors technically count as part of the playfield? They're great but maybe they're separate features like DMD, LCD, sound?

    #11 6 years ago

    I'm a big early SS fan. Spinners just edge out the drop target for me.

    #12 6 years ago

    I especially like the giant spinning disk in Fireball and the captive ball to inline drops in Centaur.

    #13 6 years ago

    Inline drops ala future spa or Metallica

    #14 6 years ago

    I went drop targets and pops. I love seeing my conquests in the form of drops. And pops because they offer variable outcomes and keep the ball fast. Plus both of those options gives you a physical and audible reaction.

    In regards to pops though, placement is key. If you're hiding them or if they don't really effect a possible drain, then they are less interesting.

    #15 6 years ago
    Quoted from PinballBJB:

    Interesting - no votes yet for scoops.

    Scoops are fun, but they have to be deep below the playfield to really feel satisfying. Those shallow ones like on Ghostbusters just don't do it for me. Not sure why, though. I guess it just "feels" good when the ball goes under the playfield.

    I love drop targets. Absolutely love them. On new games, old games, they fun to shoot for, give a clear indicator of progression, and they transcend generations.

    #16 6 years ago

    Flipper buttons.

    Edit: let's go with the ball as the buttons are on the cabinet.

    #17 6 years ago
    Quoted from RonSS:

    I went drop targets and pops. I love seeing my conquests in the form of drops. And pops because they offer variable outcomes and keep the ball fast. Plus both of those options gives you a physical and audible reaction.
    In regards to pops though, placement is key. If you're hiding them or if they don't really effect a possible drain, then they are less interesting.

    Excellent points.

    #18 6 years ago
    Quoted from mbaumle:

    Scoops are fun, but they have to be deep below the playfield to really feel satisfying. Those shallow ones like on Ghostbusters just don't do it for me. Not sure why, though. I guess it just "feels" good when the ball goes under the playfield.
    I love drop targets. Absolutely love them. On new games, old games, they fun to shoot for, give a clear indicator of progression, and they transcend generations.

    I agree. Especially about scoops having to go all the way under the playfield.

    #19 6 years ago

    I voted drop targets but more specifically - inline drops. Subways are cool too.

    #20 6 years ago

    Ramps and drop targets in the lead so far.

    #21 6 years ago

    The playfield art of the 80's and 3-d plastics.

    #22 6 years ago

    Drop targets and spinners for me.
    I love in line drop targets and wish they were used more in modern pinballs.

    #23 6 years ago

    Drop targets!

    #24 6 years ago

    The hologram on Creature.

    #25 6 years ago
    Quoted from Spagano314:

    The hologram on Creature.

    Spagano314 That's a new angle -- not just generic features but which games have the most interesting unique features -- I like the interpretation. So many possibilities for that question; I'll have to think about it. Some contenders that come to mind quickly are the castle in MM, the magic trunk in TOM, the gumball machine in TZ, and the spinning house in WOZ.

    #26 6 years ago

    Gotta go inline drops.

    #27 6 years ago

    Pretty ladies.

    image-21 (resized).jpgimage-21 (resized).jpg

    #28 6 years ago

    The wand on PM

    #29 6 years ago

    i am a sucker for inline drops.

    #30 6 years ago

    Good question. Like @minusworlds, I do like a good subway. All those pieces you listed are important. I dig saucers/hidden shots. I enjoy a good dead pass off a scoop. I like the chaos of pops. But overall, I would have to say ramps as the most satisfying aspect in pinball for me.

    #31 6 years ago

    I wish every game had nothing but stand up targets! How metal would that be!

    #32 6 years ago

    Pinballs without drop targets are not pinballs

    #33 6 years ago

    Orbit

    #34 6 years ago

    Inline drops forget em.
    There's a new kid on the block.

    The Danesi lock.TNA.

    #35 6 years ago

    Yes! Loops and orbits are cool. When I was younger I always liked ramps. Now I love orbits and loops.

    Nothing more satisfying than hitting that tough outside loop and have the ball come screaming back around to the flipper just to hit that same loop again.

    #36 6 years ago
    Quoted from Toads:

    Inline drops forget em.
    There's a new kid on the block.
    The Danesi lock.TNA.

    I admit that the multiball lock on TNA is very cool. Played the prototype at Southern Fried Gameroom Expo in Atlanta in June and really liked that feature. It caught me by surprise when the ball locked between the drops but the second it did and I understood what was going on, it was a wow moment.

    #37 6 years ago
    Quoted from Mfsrc791:

    Yes! Loops and orbits are cool. When I was younger I always liked ramps. Now I love orbits and loops.
    Nothing more satisfying than hitting that tough outside loop and have the ball come screaming back around to the flipper just to hit that same loop again.

    Definitely an awesome feeling.

    #38 6 years ago
    Quoted from Frippertron:

    I wish every game had nothing but stand up targets! How metal would that be!

    Ready! Aim! Fire!

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