What an amazing game MM is. From how it looks, how it plays, it's implementation of toys, callouts, and animation this game is amazing. Also has really nice rule set as well.
The first thing I generally like to talk about is the art. The backglass has to be an all time great backglass. It's sense of energy is amazing and it fits lots of the jokes and characters in the game on the backglass. While it is busy, it doesn't feel cluttered, it has a nice sense of composition. It works both if you study it deeply or if you just casually glance at it.
The cab art is good, but for my tastes a bit boring. However, I think that does contrast nicely with how busy the backglass is, so it works. And the cab art still looks nice.
The playfield art... Lots and lots of inserts on this game, but they don't feel cluttered and actually they get a lot of big characters still on the playfield. So I think it has great art on the playfield, and it tells you and shows you all that you need/want to see as well.
Now how does it shoot. Its a classic fan layout. Perhaps the layout to rule all fan layouts. It shoots really well. There are 8 main shots in the game. 10 if you count the trolls. Merlins magic targets and the troll qualifying targets do not count as main shots as you shouldn't be shooting for those, get those on the recovery or bounces. Game shoots smooth with the orbits and ramps. It can play fast, or you can slow it down for controlled play.
The danger in these games comes from not enough power to get it up the ramp(especially the right one), or hitting the castle gate, or hitting the trolls.
The game has what I would consider 3 main toys. The biggest and coolest is the huge castle on the playfield with the working drawbridge and gate. Has a little moat or ditch in it for the ball to fall into. This ditch makes the lock shot a wee bit tougher than it normally would be, but still a make-able shot. What is really cool is the ball lock area. Its a fake wall in the castle itself that you shoot the ball into. Then a cool animation will appear showing a catapult breaking a hole into the wall. Once three balls are locked you get another cool animation to start the mb.
The mb rules I think are really nice, and coupled with once again great animations and callouts. You hit a ramp(either one) and that takes out one of the bad guys knights. You take them all out, that unlocks the super. The super is lock shot itself. Great rules and great callouts.
The other two toys are the trolls and catapult. The trolls are two bash toys hidden beneath the playfield that pop up. These can block you from hitting the castle. But, you can thread the needle and still hit it as well. As I said before, this is where it gets tricky and if you aim for them it can result in a drain sdtm. It's best to try to take out the castle gate and trolls while in mb if you can accomplish that. Otherwise, be prepared to nudge and shake or slap the game to save your ball.
The catapult is just really a coil that shoots the ball up a wireform really fast. But, its integrated into the code and you can hit your flippers to choose what you fire at the castle. A nice cool effect, that adds to your immersion in the game and also adds to the sense of humor as well.
Speaking of its sense of humor that is found everywhere, from the art, to the callouts, to animations. Lots of humor in this game. Won't spoil it, but its great. As you go about destroying castles, and thanks to the cool toy you really do get to destroy them, you meet so many weird and quirky characters. The callouts are as varied as any game I've ever played, and really are just fun to hear. I don't know how many princesses you can rescue, but those are always fun to hear. And Tina Fey was the voice of one of them(before she got famous).
I even like that the inserts for the bottom lanes matter. You can spell fire which unlocks stuff like a video mode... The video mode is about the only bad thing in this game. First its a bit hard to get to, and that is alright, because its really not that good. I like video modes, but I don't like this one. AFM has one of the best all time video modes and it fits the theme perfectly. This one... Again... Its the only real wart on this game. Better if it didnt' have one. But, since its a quick and hard to reach thing... Not that big of a deal.
I would say while this game doesn't have a lot of modes. You basically shoot for a few things. Completing orbits gets you the jousting madness. Completing catapults the same. Left ramp is peasant madness, and right ramp you rescue princesses. Collect all those and trolls and you get into one of the madness wizard modes. You also can get a mode before you collect all of them that gives you a mb and adds a ball for each of the madnesses you achieved so far.
The main focus however is destroying castles. You hit the shot to lower the gate. Once the gate is lowered, you hit the gate to open it. Once that is lowered you shot into the castle and a cool effect happens and you see the castle destroyed. Receiving also a cool bit of callouts and animation. The only issue is. I think just shooting for castles can be pretty easy... Maybe to some boring. As it can be played pretty safe.
Once you get castles that require more hits to open the gate. Its best to start a mb once the gate is down. And really the lock shot is pretty safe. So if you get dialed in, you can really limit your risky shots.
I know from the above you might think I am a great player. I am not. But, I still can get nice scores in this game. Generally good enough for a replay on the machines.
I really like this machine. Think its almost as perfect of a pinball machine you could ever hope for. Fun to shoot, looks great, and I think while not a lot of modes. Its pretty hard to destroy all the castles, and also qualify for the ultimate wizard mode. Which you need to complete all the madness modes like 5 times each or something like that... That is tough. I've never come close to that. But, it is attainable. Just not by me.
Could I see myself owning one of these. I really hope so. Yes. I really do. Till then I shall always play it whenever I get the chance.