for an EM lover like me, this table was SPECTACULAR!!!

Enjoyed this one. There is some controversy on the art...Most pins have some sort of boobage on them...But this takes it a bit further. Alot further. And not in a good way. Looks as if the art department was led by an 8th grade boy. More stupid then "sexy".

That said, game plays well. Skill shot truly is a skill to hit. Ruleset is easy to pick up and I like how your progress is saved from ball to ball. Scoring is balanced.

Layout is unique and those double posts near the flippers provide for some one of a kind bounces. Not a must play for me, but I think with better art this would have been a classic. Great cabinet!

This is a One-of-a-Kind game, that plays like no other (EM on steroids?). First impression when you see that game for real is that it is beautiful and colorful. Game plays relatively fast. The small display on the apron is an excellent idea. Some quotes are really fun. Overall, a real pleasure to play.

I like the game, the throw-back concept, but this has the making of a "dud" written all over it. It's a lot of fun at first, however, before long, this machine is ultimately little more than a smooth running vintage-looking machine with absolutely no depth.

The miniature video board included near the left flipper is extremely tiny. I'm sure it saved them a lot of money of not needing to code corresponding videos, but the static nature of the back box ensures the simplicity of this game will never be compromised.

The board graphics are well drawn, and the game is well lit with clean audio (again, not a ton of variation here).

The likely issue with a game like this is the limited appeal it would have to those outside of the regulars within pinball community.

Whoa Nellie is a repackaging by Nordman/Freres that was based on the Gottlieb Continental Cafe game.

The Pros:
This game looks absolutely fabulous. This is a frivolous and fun pinball endeavor that will make players re-think about what older designs are really about. inside pinball jokes (and some blatant ones as well) are all over this table. This has to be the best cabinet design I have ever seen!

The Cons:
The novelty wears off quickly. I understand what collectors are looking for in a game like this and I'm glad I had the chance to play a game or three, but I would not want to spend the $$$ that this game demands for the amount of game I get out of it.

The Takeaway:
Find one if you can and play it. Then you can say you played it. This rating is Dave Mercer approved!!!

Update:
I finally got to play the new Stern produced version of this game. The biggest difference is the removal of the gobble hole replacing it with a saucer. I have to say that the game plays longer than it should now. I do like the 4 lanes at the top lighting 4 related rollovers and the individual pop bumpers sounding off when the PF saucer is scored. There are lots of quotes and the small details that have been added to this game to refine it are well done. I like this game quite a bit, but it would not be something I'd put in my collection. Great to see at a show and have a beer with friends over, but in my own arcade, it is too much of a novelty for me.

Update v2:
I recently listened in on a conversation about Whoa Nellie from a number of people who had nothing but bad things to say about it.

1) The Price. $6500.-
2) An EM Design that has been "updated" and nothing more
3) Sentences that started out with the statements: "I find it offensive." "Who do these guys think they are?" and most telling: "As a feminist..."

All valid reasons for the people engaged in the conversation to not (in their humble opinions) play this game. I disagree on all counts.
1) Don't buy it if you don't want to.
2) There hasn't been anything released like this game in decades. For that alone it should be celebrated.
3) Greg and Dennis are two of the NICEST, KINDEST, SWEETEST, HAPPIEST, AWESOMEST pinball people you have ever met. Ever. To hear the PC crowd show nothing but utter disdain for this theme showed me a level of ignorance and self righteousness that I had never seen before directed towards a pinball game and the people who produced it. Ever.

Consider that pinball art packages for as long as we know, have always been heavily influenced by sex. We would not have pinball today, if it wasn't selling sexual fantasies throughout pinball. Even today... pinball is sold with rock and roll, horror and sex. Heck, WoOz has a Dorothy Upskirt shot as she is trying to escape from the flying monkeys. Feel however you want to about this game. I'm still gonna play it, enjoy it while I laugh and smile the whole time while I'm doing it.

If you're local and want to check it out, PM me.