Quoted from unigroove:A few months ago I had a discussion with Roy Wils about what makes a great bash toy. That resulted in me making a list of bash toys on games. For me it turns out that the best, or most fun, bash toys are the ones that are interactive and reveal a hidden passage after being hit several times. The castle in MM is probably the best bash toy as it has 3 levels:
level 1: ball hits draw bridge and end in moat, lowers drawbridge after x shots
level 2: ball travels over drawbridge, hits castle gate, travels back across drawbridge, opens gate after x hits
level 3: ball enters castle to destroy it
Don't have the list in front of me, but I can't think of any other 3 level bash toys. Most are 1 or 2 level toys, with 1 level toys being completely static and 2 level toys revealing a new passage after being hit x times. Pinball Magazine no. 3 is likely to have an article on the best bash toys and why they are so much fun.
Agree with MM for variety and being nicely integrated with the theme (as opposed to a generic toy). Plus the extra ball lock door to the left.
Others I like:
CV: The Ringmaster could be considered 3-leveled: magnet catches the ball when he's down, rises and throws the ball off, satisfying bash when he is up, and when fully raised (to destroy the RM), the spring undeneath provides some nice rejections on straight hard shots.
LOTR LE: Balrog is a very satisfying shot with the shaker. The regular version really feels like it's 'missing' this.
AFM/SM: I like the center ship/sandman toys because you can do a lot of drop catches after these shots.
TOM: The magic trunk is a cool 3-way toy: bash, hole for jackpot, magnet to catch ball and start multiball.
TOTAN/Triple Action: If the spinning disc with posts is a "bash toy" then I love getting the lamp/disc spinning in these games. Not a fan of the smaller version in Avengers.
POTC/CSI: Dunno if the round spinning chamber is a bash toy either, but I like hitting those.
SS: Yup, the crate is cool, and well-implemented.
BDK: Scarecrow crane is a well-implemented moving bash toy.
Junkyard: not a hard shot, but the wrecking ball sounds and movement is cool.
CC: The bit of elevation makes the Bart head a fun shot.
RFM/SWEP1: The whole center is kind of a bash toy, and the reflected video makes it pretty cool.
Auburn, WA
