High Roller Casino is not a good looking or sounding game, but fortunately, it plays rather well.
The Pros:
The shots are well done and the mini-games integrate well into the theme (with one exception below, but even then... it's still true to the theme). The PF is very well designed and both ramps have alternate functions/paths. The spinner on the right orbit is a blast to rip and my all time favorite decade/generation spanning feature of standups behind drops requires skill, risk/reward decision making as well as adaptation skills to deal with how the ball interacts with both sets of targets on the same bank. Love it!
The Cons:
The divider on the center ramp seems to be flimsy. Maybe flimsy is not the right word... it feels cheap. One of KO'C's worst art packages (it pains me to type that last sentence). It looks like he was given a rush job over the weekend and hardly any money to get the job done. The Craps game is completely random and makes achieving the wiz mode a real chore sometimes.
The Takeaway:
This is a fun playing pinball game. Not a looker, but lots of fun. Let's say this game has "personality". Stock up on extra parts as this game seems a bit flimsy in the construction department all around. Stern's first original pinball design after buying the Sega pinball division and the last game we saw from Jon Norris. Consider that nearly every year of his career he produced at least 2 pinball games. His name is credited with 6 games in 1995 including the righteous Stargate. People bag on Premier games, but there are some great games in his portfolio and when you read into what he had to deal with and the deadlines given to him... the quality of his work does not deserve the "lesser" status that many people give him and John Trudeau. A good game is a good game regardless of the manufacturer.
Update 3/2013:
I got a chance to play this game and it was a bit of a let-down and a bit of a nice surprise.
The Good:
I had forgotten how much fun the break a bank feature was on this deck. When I collected that 100th chip, this game really lit up. A blast to play. Multiball, I got a much better idea of the stacking of the single, double, triple jackpots... then collect the super from the slot machine. Takes a bit of skill and ball control with 4 balls flying around the pf. Collecting as many triple-jacks and then the Super is a hoot. I also really appreciate how both ramps have two types of diverters on them, one lateral and one vertical. I also like the randomness of the drop from the slot machine ramp toward the lower pf. It adds a nice bit or on your toes randomness to the play of this deck.
The Bad:
The flippers were not strong enough to consistently make it up the center diverter ramp. I can't hold this against the design, but I certainly can hold it against the operator. (In best Cartman voice) Weeeeeaakk! The more I played the modes the more I felt like it wasn't just Craps that were random. The 21 and Hi-Lo games were also strife with randomness in their awards that really felt like the game was or was not going to help you move along with your score. The "cheat" feature really came in handy with these 3 modes and when you need to "cheat" at least half the qualifications to the frenzy... not so hot. The targets behind the drops were not registering on this copy of this table (Again, in best Cartman voice) Weeeeeaakk!
Takeaway:
I'm taking the rules score down a bit for this game. However, the gameplay on this game is entertaining (even with weak-dick operator flacco-flippers, and that speaks volumes in my book) when you get into the multiball aspect of this table. If you can find one for a nice price, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Update v2:
Playing multiball, I saw a familiar jackpot multiplier flashing on the lower portion of the DMD. Where have I seen this before? Oh yeah! LotR! This is a Keith Johnson programmed game. While John Norris is credited as the designer (unfortunately his falling out with Stern meant this was the last table he designed) the ruleset is a Keefer. Learning how to strategically "cheat" during modes will make the more random modes flow more easily. This kind of subtlety makes the difference between a good and a great game. It is also indicative of Keith's Johnson's skill as a rule writer. So hit that center ramp and save yer cheats for when you really need to progress within the game. Finally, pay attention to the spinner on the right orbit. While it does not dole out many points, it does boost your bonus which can be huge! To keep game times sane, I'd nastify the outlanes by removing posts and rubbers. While it seems that some rules are really well flushed out (3 flavors of multiball is awesome). Some of the other objectives of the table (craps) seem unfinished or at least un-polished as far as his work is concerned (MUST CHEAT!!!). Since this was a lean time at Stern, unless mystery programmer shows up... this game will probably stay as it is. And that's a shame. This table could have really shined. While it does have it's moments, it is what it is and is a serviceable table that features a lot of multiball awesomeness. Still, If I could find one for a great price, I'd get it!
Thornton, CO