Portland, OR
LCA is a very fun game with a bonkers Jon Norris playfield design, and it really is a shame that he never got the opportunity to work for another bigger pinball company later on. Famously, this is the first game to have modes, and they are fun. It’s not super intuitive as to how to start each one, but you pick it up eventually.
The game has a couple of really cool and defining features which include the animated backglass shootout, the rotating ramp/diverter mech, and the super jackpot shot that rolls around a loop ala Creature from the black lagoon, or like the cup shot in Diner.
The art on the playfield I mostly enjoy, but the backglass and cabinet are merely fine to maybe even bad, and collecting poker hands in addition seems to run counterintuitive to the main theme of the game which is shooting an action movie.
I really enjoy shooting the super jackpot shot during multiball or even when it is lit for a million during regular play because it’s a very tough but super rewarding shot. And I love trying to get all my stunts done in one game. The game doesn’t have a lot (or any) flow, but it does give you many great hurryup moments.
If I find one of these in working order, it always draws my attention and I find myself gleefully sessioning it, even if there are “better” games next to it.
Pinside rating
This game has received 45 approved Pinsider ratings. 5 more approved ratings are needed to get a rating and for it to be eligible for the Pinside Pinball Top 100 ranking.
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 1 of us has rated this game.
Found 18 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 18 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.680/10
1 year ago
The things that make this game stand out are the rotating playfield, and how the ball hops over game elements from the ejects, the back box interactive element and the built in topper (spotlights). The rest of the game is average. I am not super fond of the theme and the strange mix of cards with the movie theme doesn't really work for me. Even with the rest of the game being average and maybe slightly below in some cases. I think the game play is excellent and the very fun. I believe this game is rated so low due to age and theme. The bottom line is the game is very fun and has variety in the shots and reasonably good game rules considering.
5.815/10
3 years ago
Game definitely has some cool aspects to it. Rotating play field and red G.I is definitely unique. The “million lit” call out repeating every 3 seconds is incredibly annoying. Neat game but would never want one in my collection.
2.994/10
3 years ago
A weird one that wants to be a poker game and “movie” game. The movie theme is done horribly and the “Ready Set Draw” feature just kills the flow. Best way to get decent points is to shoot the spinner for poker hands over and over.
7.578/10
4 years ago
The precursor to the modern era.. first game with modes.. kooky artwork, fun gimmicky backglass.. the clock on the playfield is nice.. timed modes can be hectic and nerve wracking.. some stop and go but overall decent flow and playability.. play one if ya see one
8.188/10
8 years ago
A largely underrated game, in my opinion. The game doesn't have type of smoothness and flow you'd get from a William's game from the era, but what it lacks in flow, it more than makes up for in depth of ruleset and skill required to complete "scenes." Timed shots can be brutally difficult, and the various modes are intelligently designed around the playfield.
Backbox animation is striking and great fun for the causal player, but the repetitiveness and ease of the gunfight can get annoying for the repeat player.
The mystery award can be a bit unfair. When playing in multiplayer, someone can get lucky by winning excellent mystery score values, where the other person can get lousy rewards. This factor alone makes it unsuitable for tournament play. The catch up feature is neat: It allows the person in dead last to match the score of the next highest scoring player. However, the feature should only apply to players scoring poorly, but it often rewards players in first place with an extra million.
Overall, this is a great table for skilled players. The scoring is very unbalanced, but that can easily be overlooked if you're playing for completion of modes, not points.
Update: I've found that this game has 3 ROM revisions. The only differences I've found regarding them is how the mystery awards are awarded. In the most recent revision, the mystery sequence and gun fight sequences are much faster and more difficult to win under the hardest setting. The frequency of the more lucrative awards has also been decreased. It also gives each player an equal opportunity at receiving the "catch up" feature. While the game is still completely unsuitable for a tournament setting, the game is far more balanced with the newest ROMs.
Still a great game, and easily one that is among the most popular with guests.
Backbox animation is striking and great fun for the causal player, but the repetitiveness and ease of the gunfight can get annoying for the repeat player.
The mystery award can be a bit unfair. When playing in multiplayer, someone can get lucky by winning excellent mystery score values, where the other person can get lousy rewards. This factor alone makes it unsuitable for tournament play. The catch up feature is neat: It allows the person in dead last to match the score of the next highest scoring player. However, the feature should only apply to players scoring poorly, but it often rewards players in first place with an extra million.
Overall, this is a great table for skilled players. The scoring is very unbalanced, but that can easily be overlooked if you're playing for completion of modes, not points.
Update: I've found that this game has 3 ROM revisions. The only differences I've found regarding them is how the mystery awards are awarded. In the most recent revision, the mystery sequence and gun fight sequences are much faster and more difficult to win under the hardest setting. The frequency of the more lucrative awards has also been decreased. It also gives each player an equal opportunity at receiving the "catch up" feature. While the game is still completely unsuitable for a tournament setting, the game is far more balanced with the newest ROMs.
Still a great game, and easily one that is among the most popular with guests.
Almere
5.666/10
9 years ago
Not a bad game, just not for me. The backglass game gets very old very quick, really slows down play,
8.012/10
9 years ago
This was the first or one of the very first Gottlieb system 3 machines, so it isn't quite the same as say a Williams System 11 (which came out in 1986).
Game is very fast. Ball drains are the norm, and the mini post doesn't do much in my experience. Not a super high scoring table either. Other than the jackpot which can go in the millions quite fast, one million is the largest single score you can get.
The movie theme is pretty cool., although some of the rules for collecting the scene bonuses are strange. The loops and kick out holes are nice as they are in places where they will not drain immediately. The rotating play field in the top left is a neat idea if not totally pointless.
The back box animation of the gunfight is pretty neat. One of the few totally interactive ones out there. The display is well done, if not basic for the time.
In terms of pins, it was released about 3 years too late. By now Bally/Williams had many machines out that were more advanced and more playable such as Pinbot, High Speed, Earthshaker, and Elvira and he Party Monsters.
Overall it's a notable pin. It's quite enjoyable to play, but it can be very frustrating as ball drains are quite normal and fast, similar to Williams Firepower.
Game is very fast. Ball drains are the norm, and the mini post doesn't do much in my experience. Not a super high scoring table either. Other than the jackpot which can go in the millions quite fast, one million is the largest single score you can get.
The movie theme is pretty cool., although some of the rules for collecting the scene bonuses are strange. The loops and kick out holes are nice as they are in places where they will not drain immediately. The rotating play field in the top left is a neat idea if not totally pointless.
The back box animation of the gunfight is pretty neat. One of the few totally interactive ones out there. The display is well done, if not basic for the time.
In terms of pins, it was released about 3 years too late. By now Bally/Williams had many machines out that were more advanced and more playable such as Pinbot, High Speed, Earthshaker, and Elvira and he Party Monsters.
Overall it's a notable pin. It's quite enjoyable to play, but it can be very frustrating as ball drains are quite normal and fast, similar to Williams Firepower.
8.484/10
10 years ago
Great game. Deep rule set. Mode based. You can't just play this a couple times, it takes time to learn it. Challenging and fast. Fun to play, hard to find one with the spot light assembly still intact and mounted on top of the light box...
6.815/10
12 years ago
I purchased "Lights....Camera...Action!" as my second pin. It's an interesting pin, with the moving arms behind the translite staging a shootout between two actors in a film. The rules are somewhat confusing. I have read that the theme changed during production from a card based pin to the movie theme it currently has. Building poker hands doesn't make much sense with the final theme. The two floodlights on top are interesting, but the angle they are at puts their reflection right onto the middle of the play field glass during different modes during game play. The rotating mini play field is interesting, but I haven't figured out what the point is other than novelty. The upper drop targets can lead to a lot of drains when bouncing back, but the center pin between the flippers helps.
To get big points on this game you have to be lucky with what you score through winning the "gunfights" up top and awards for your poker hands. I have set mine up for 5 balls, otherwise a game can be over very quickly. The game has a catch-up feature when playing multiplayer, but the rules don't really explain it. All in all in interesting game that you don't see very often, but too much luck involved for me. My kids and wife seem to like it, so this may be a good pin for the casual players, and the shootout behind the translite is a novelty.
To get big points on this game you have to be lucky with what you score through winning the "gunfights" up top and awards for your poker hands. I have set mine up for 5 balls, otherwise a game can be over very quickly. The game has a catch-up feature when playing multiplayer, but the rules don't really explain it. All in all in interesting game that you don't see very often, but too much luck involved for me. My kids and wife seem to like it, so this may be a good pin for the casual players, and the shootout behind the translite is a novelty.
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