I had one for about 4 months and recently sold it. I had about 70 games on it and got to the point where I just didn't want to play it anymore…like literally ever. I just didn't get any enjoyment out of it, it wasn't satisfying to play. It felt like a frustrating and tedious chore, to the point where I often wouldn't even finish a game before turning it off. There's nothing that gives you an adrenaline rush, no sense of accomplishment or purpose to what you are doing. The last month I had it, I never turned it on.
Some positives are definitely the build of the cabinet itself. The hinged speaker panel in the backbox is pretty neat. The stand to prop up the playfield is a nice touch. The ramp upgrade is a definite improvement and helps in the gameplay and aesthetic department. The plastic lockdown bar is 100% ridiculous unfortunately. They screwed up the one thing that you are physically connected with the entire time you play the game. It makes the whole experience feel cheap. There's no getting around that. There's an automatic pause and moment of confusion as soon as someone lays their hands on the game for the first time. I won't even talk about the flipper buttons because those can be changed at least.
I suppose if you are a huge fan of the theme you will be able to look past some of the negative aspects of the game - some, not all. There's just too much to overcome with theme alone, even for the most die-hard Thunderbirds enthusiast IMO. I may be wrong of course.
In closing, as harsh as this might sound, I have to stress that in terms of gameplay, this is undoubtedly THE WORST game I have ever played. There's no comparison.
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Here is a post I made in the Homepin thread that I thought would be good to add to the review -
"Besides the people that paid blindly for it years ago...who else wants it? The game costs $6700 + 13% tax here in Canada. It took me 4 months to get rid of mine with 71 plays for $4000. In a fit of pure desperation I attempted several trades during that time as well, only to be laughed at...literally. I offered it to a friend of mine to keep until I figured out what I was going to do with it and he wanted no part of it. Pretty sure he called me a horrible name during that discussion if I remember correctly. To actually want this game I believe you either need to be so nostalgic for the theme that nothing else matters or you just never played another pinball machine in your entire life and have nothing else to compare it to. The look on peoples faces when they lay their hands on that plastic lockdown bar and touch those belly button-esque flipper buttons for the first time is truly a testament to the poor choices that were made in the design of this game. As was mentioned in the Bro review, "it's the only pinball machine that actively makes you not want to touch it." So true. You're already turned off before even pressing the start button - and that's when the gong-show really begins. The ramp to nowhere offers only frustration whether it's the saran wrap or stainless version. The only bit of excitement comes when the ball is trickling up the ramp and you're not sure if it'll make it into one of those super satisfying rollovers or come barreling back SDTM. The wireforms look somewhat interesting at first glance until you realize their only purpose is to release locked balls back into play. WTF? There's zero flow, no satisfying shots, the sounds are repetitive and grate on you by the time you get to the second ball and the DMD makes me want to claw my eyes out. I hated playing it so much that I rarely managed to get to the second ball before turning the game off. I do like the little stand in the cab to prop up the playfield though....good job on that Mike!
Living with this thing for 4 months and having experienced 71 painfully frustrating and unsatisfying plays on it, I can honestly say that Thunderbirds is, without a shadow of a doubt, THE WORST game I have ever played. It was a celebration when it left and that had nothing to do with the fact that I managed to even get anything for it. I just wanted it out of my life.
It's hard to explain but it actually bothers me that it even exists. There's just no excuse to make a game this bad in 2019. If you subscribe to the motto that 'all pinball is fun'......I think you really need to play this game. You'll never utter that phrase again."