Quoted from SHOOTTHEPYRAMID:Bubbly, ripped or otherwise poorly applied Mylar in the wrong place can ruin a games playability. I don’t care how good your funhouse looks if I have to worry about the Mylar every plunge.
Replace the word "mylar" and the descriptors in your statement with almost any typical feature of a pinball machine. For example:
"Poorly maintained flippers"
"Broken or missing rubbers"
"Popped or unlevel inserts"
"Burnt-out or eye-searing bulbs"
"Stuck or disabled mechanisms"
"Dirty or damaged playfield"
...and I'd say all of those (aside from maybe the last) are vastly more common to experience in the wild than faulty mylar.
Mylar is but just another physical component of a game, that requires its own maintenance and upkeep. Not terribly much mind you. But if possible problems are left unaddressed it can cause larger problems down the line and/or render the game into unplayable garbage, just like any other part. By itself, when installed and maintained properly, mylar is perfectly fine.
I tend to leave it alone. If an older game has a problem spot, I address that spot - the game probably would have been much much worse overall without the rest of the good mylar.
Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
