It didn't happen quickly. Most EM's in the 70's you could play for five minutes and figure out the rules. Didn't even need to read the instruction card, although virtually all of the rules were written on them. In the 80's games got deeper rules. Reading the instruction card wasn't enough. In the 90's, we got wizard modes. In the 2000's, we got even deeper games with wizard modes that were often out of reach for the vast majority of players.

Which games are 'good' is subjective. Stern and JJP continuing to build games with (mostly) deeper rules suggests that's what their customers want. Stern tried dumbing down the rules on Munsters. That didn't go well with home buyers, but there about as many of those on location as other recent Stern's. We'll see if they try that approach again.

The other thing that has changed is players are better now. Competitive pinball hasn't been organized in the past. Now, you can easily track your ranking online no matter where you live or compete. That has brought a lot more good players onto the scene. Escher Lefkoff won PAPA A division at age 13. These new younger players want those deeper rules. Games made before 2000 get boring fast for those players.

I've been playing for more than 50 years now and while I still enjoy playing the EM's I learned on for fun, I would rather play today's deeper games. Learning the rules and finding exploits is half the fun. I don't read instruction cards on new games until I get 40 or 50 games in. You have to learn the rules along with the shots. Once I get a feel for the game, learning the rules gets easier and whatever it says on the intruction card makes more sense. I'm thankful for all the great games coming out today. It really is a great time to be a pinball player.