I don't think you can really compare them to anything else. It's a very unique way to play, with its own skills. Do you like other 2" flipper games? If not I doubt you'll like these either, but I find zippers more skillful than other 2" games

I have a pair on my Medusa. It takes a little time to get used to them. It is okay on a small upper playfield like Medusa, but I doubt they will be very powerful on a larger playfield. Plus the 2" size does not help much......

Yves

Properly rebuilt they should have no issue getting the ball to the top of the playfield. Any older game like this isn't going to play as fast as an SS though.

They are very rare and found only on a few games. Are your concerns reliability or playability? Personally I do not like them but I dislike small flipper games in general.

Overall, I like zipper flippers. My personal favorite is Four Million B.C.

That said, I've *heard* (but personally cannot confirm) that Gator plays inferior due to the zippers than the layout does without. Gator is a reused layout. The game was first Sheba (a 2-player in 1965) and then Campus Queen (a 4-player in 1966). Neither of those iterations use the zipper flippers. I've played Campus Queen, and it's an interesting game.

Anyway, some say the zipper mechs don't play the same (more give or something when open?) and the layout suffers for it. No idea if it's a big deal or not since I have no first-hand comparison knowledge.

I have one machine, Surfers, with zipper flippers and absolutely love them. Nice change of pace and strategy in my collection. At first, I thought Surfers would be a short term game, but I can’t see ever getting ride of it from my collection. Get Gator, try it, and keep/sell depending on your tastes. There is always a market for zipper flippers games.

I like Zipper Flippers and I cannot Lie....