Oh! That will teach my impatience Next time I play the game I will be taking the easy skill shot.

Baywatch's skill shot options are very good in the non-plunger category.

I just realized the thread is called:

1) What is the best skill shot? (where the "WHY" is very interesting, if you are building a case for why you think you know what the best skill shot IS in pinball...)

and the answers are for the most part responding to:

2) What skill shot do you like? (which is purely subjective) -- I really like the Taxi skill shot, but it's not the best in pinball, since there's no risk involved.

It would be cool if those that have posted "what they like" could actually answer the topic, and supply reasons why they think they know what the "best skill shot in pinball" is...

("I like chocolate." -- and that's not very interesting.)

-mof

Taf Wh20

The Pinball Magic one looks like a lot of fun. I've never seen one so I haven't had the opportunity to try. Same with PotC, that skill shot looks great too.

Of the games I've played I like Congo's the most. Super Skill by plunging into the kickback. And if the game is dialled in right, the kickback will fire the ball into the mystery hole and you get a Super Skill Combo

The requisite System 11 skill shot is plunge strength = score, where the risk/reward is the second to last 'slot' is the best, and if you shoot to far you get a low score. The fact that so many games of that era use it kind of makes it lame. Same with Stern's 'hold the left flipper and shoot a ramp' skill shot. But I guess it's better that they're not wasting a huge amount of space/expense on parts that are only there for skill shots.

Lawlor is my favorite skill shot artist: WW, FH, TAF, RBION, etc.

Honorable mentions: Taxi, Pinbot, Tron

Just because there is no risk does not make it a bad skill shot. I just plain enjoy the ones that are hard to make, regardless of risk!

I just get excited at any skill shot that doesn't allow me to move the "skill shot" in front of the ball. Where did that come from? Takes all the skill out of it.

You're right! The CFTBL skill shot is tough. Imagine if you could simply lane change it.

Excellent, so do you think BIG GUNS has the HARDEST skill shot to make in all of pinball ?
Why?

I am just hoping a few more people will put a little "why" into their responses so those of us who haven't played every title out there just yet, can remember to look for certain things next time we go out to play. I like to learn from Pinsiders.

-mof

^^ I'll explain a bit more about why Congo is my favourite so far.

It is a manual plunger and the standard skill shot is hitting the chasing lit target on the target bank. This is a T2-style skill shot but with the manual plunger there is more skill involved. You get 10M for hitting any target + 5 for hitting the lit target.

Better than this standard skill shot is the Super Skill Shot which requires plunging into the left outlane to engage the kickback. There's something cool about plunging down the outlane that I really like! This scores 25M.

What is even cooler is that the kickback can sometimes fire the ball into the mystery collect hole for another 5M.

Congo is a good one for sure.

Lawlor's skill shots can be cool, but some aren't worth it. Million plus for RBION is an awesome shot, but doesn't add up to enough to make it worth it in a home setting. Whirwind...I never even try it.

I agree with SKB. FG is my favorite.

Because it is insanely difficult to hit. You have to pull back JUST the right amount, or it goes to far. The ball basically has to arc into the skill shot, which has always been hard to do.

Yes yes yes! That is a great one and very important to your score. (Well my scores anyway)

AS I've seen some talk of hardest ones Fireball is a tuffy. WOF is also very tough. Seems like the window to make it is extremely small.

Why, for me I gave the example of PotC

I owned PotC for 7 years, didn't even know there was a skill shot (it's not in the pinball news review) so just by chance someone on pinside said that was a cool skill shot on PotC and I had to ask what it was. So from then on, I've been trying to hit it. Hard little shot, very flat angle.

Medusa has a fantastic skill shot as well.

Worst skill shot has to be TZ. Make the skill shot, lose the ball out of the pops.

TOTAN is probably my favorite, even though I think the game itself is overrated.

TAF is a good one

TZ, too.

BSD because it interacts with the DMD

POTC - when I owned one, that Super Skill shot was like cursed Aztec gold.

Tron - plunging right over the Gem switch. Perhaps the most satisfying skill shot.

I agree. It's a bit of a blight on that game. Everyone always plunges hard and ignores the skill shot. It might as well not have one.

That sounds awesome!

Twister has a different skill shot.

Funny you say that, I've been thinking this week that Banzai Run is the most frustrating skill shot, but WW soft shot and try to sweep the targets for 600k is my favorite

Wow: there are a lot of good ones!

I like Four Million bc a a lot. A bit better than Fireball even. They're very similar, but I think 4mbc's has an even nicer feel to it. Some really good plunging is needed for both, and the payoff is great. (Ding Ding Ding!)

Whirlwind is a big winner with the possibility to sweep the targets.

Arena's is nice. It's well integrated into gameplay as well. But it's more luck than skill. And the reward (1m) unbalances the score.

.

Pinball Magic, soft plunge goes upside down and drops into the hat.

Fireball. Detroit Pinball League finals have come down to that skill shot in the past.

My current favorite is the Super Skill shot on WOZ. Its a tight straight shot, requiring you to hit the ball on what seems to be an unnatural spot on the flipper...or, I'm just doing it wrong.

Well, then, what's a better plungerless one?

It accumulates, and it also advances towards video mode if I'm not mistaken.

My favorites are ST LE and Barbwire with Big Fatso gate.

Congo wins. If it is dialed in there is nothing better than shootin it out the left.
TSPP, and super skill on Who dunnit are up there for me.

Which one? The pink target in the haunted forest (for 7500 points to start), or the crystal ball target (for 10000 points)?

I've never made either one on purpose, I always get them when I really screw up and miss the witch badly.

Both are very tough and very risky, hence more points than the rollover lanes or the witch.

I've actually heard the the skill shot in Mr and Mrs Pacman is an awesome skill shot that's tough to hit.

That makes it a lousy skill shot, as every skilled player does a hard plunge to avoid it. (Yet another reason why I dislike TZ.) And it's pretty short and easy.

I'll concur with Pinball Magic. The vertical spiral where you need just enough momentum to drop the ball at the right point is cool.

I'd like to nominate IM for the WORST skill shot on factory settings.

Created a fun poll here based on the input from this thread.
-mof
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/poll-best-skill-shot-ever

Of the games I own now my favorite are fast cast on FT and go for the pole on I500

Thanks for the write-in candidates, and the thumbs ups. Another group of 9 has been created here.
Group B
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/poll-best-skill-shot-ever2
-mof