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Anyone try NBA Fastbreak?
- Thread starter EnergyOne
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Slam23
Active member
- Jul 21, 2012
- 1,279
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I have played the table a couple of times IRL and also played the VPM version. I may not be neutral in my opinion because I'm a big NBA fan. But just on the flipper side of things: I really liked the table, fun art, nice DMD animations, great sound and a lot to do although it has not a terrible deep ruleset. At the start of the "game" you can choose out of different NBA teams, and in game that means that shots are called out for at least three key players of that team. The gameplay has good flow and there are a lot of combo shots to make. It has an innovative idea about scoring points (you score points just like in a real basketball game, so a top score may be around 140 points) and I also like the VUK's from where you can shoot at the basket while you have to dodge a defender. On VPM it was quite easy to score, on the real table it was much more difficult making it more of a fun challenge. The minigame in the backbox is a bit gimmicky for my taste and not something that requires a lot of skill. I would really like to see a TPA version of it, and I think it ticks some innovative boxes that would make it a good candidate for "preserving". I don't know if the theme speaks to everyone, but there are a lot of sports fans on this forum. I also think it's a difficult license because besides the NBA itself, it uses the names of real players of that particular '90s era. I don't know if that can be a package deal, but I know from several video games that there had to be seperate deals with particular players to get them in the games, for example Michael Jordan. In all a very nice table I would say.
Tann
New member
- Apr 3, 2013
- 1,128
- 1
Unfortunately, FS has said that this table will never be in TPA. Not even a tiny chance.
http://digitalpinballfans.com/showt...sing-nightmare?p=172035&viewfull=1#post172035
pinsam
New member
- Oct 13, 2014
- 41
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MJ has only been in a handful of basketball video or arcade games throughout the years. He is in Space Jam (pinball) though, which came around the same time as this, so maybe that has something to do with it.
Slam23
Active member
- Jul 21, 2012
- 1,279
- 2
Michael Jordan is also in this rare pinball (using a customised Lethal Weapon 3 playfield): https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/michael-jordan-data-east-wtb (scroll to middle of page for pic)
And this is the IPDB entry: http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=3425
This one would only require one license.....
But would be quite difficult to get....
And this is the IPDB entry: http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=3425
This one would only require one license.....
But would be quite difficult to get....
DaPinballWizard
New member
- Apr 16, 2012
- 1,016
- 0
The Seattle pinball museum has one. I play it when I visit Seattle. Fun table. I wish it could make it to TPA. Would be a great addition.
- Mar 14, 2012
- 7,334
- 0
I love this table. It is one hurry up after another, really stresses you out! The unique scoring is the kicker for me. No millions of points, just basketball scores. Never played it with head to head mode, where two machines are linked. Would be awesome.
After really giving the table a look, and knowing that FarSight isn't opposed to 'altering' images for licensing purposes, next time I talk to Bobby I'm gonna revisit this with him. Fact of the matter is, the faces they have in the art package are not exactly famous nor precise. A simple switch of jersey number or team and you'd never know who was who. On the playfield itself, I don't believe there are any team or player images, just generic bodies. That means the NBA license is the only thing. On top of that, I don't know that the player name callouts or the accompanying DMD images (the one for Kobe is him in name only) would require $$. There are no other sponsors on the table, the announcer is a voice artist, not a celeb.
It had been so long since I'd actually played it in VP, that I forgot what was and wasn't on the table. Take a look for yourself...
Here's the backbox, which does have actual players. I think. I'm a Laker fan, had to really look to see if that was an actual player. Best I can tell, it might be Nick Van Exel.
After really giving the table a look, and knowing that FarSight isn't opposed to 'altering' images for licensing purposes, next time I talk to Bobby I'm gonna revisit this with him. Fact of the matter is, the faces they have in the art package are not exactly famous nor precise. A simple switch of jersey number or team and you'd never know who was who. On the playfield itself, I don't believe there are any team or player images, just generic bodies. That means the NBA license is the only thing. On top of that, I don't know that the player name callouts or the accompanying DMD images (the one for Kobe is him in name only) would require $$. There are no other sponsors on the table, the announcer is a voice artist, not a celeb.
It had been so long since I'd actually played it in VP, that I forgot what was and wasn't on the table. Take a look for yourself...
Here's the backbox, which does have actual players. I think. I'm a Laker fan, had to really look to see if that was an actual player. Best I can tell, it might be Nick Van Exel.
Slam23
Active member
- Jul 21, 2012
- 1,279
- 2
Well, I have some news....I bought one! I played it at the DPO a couple of weeks back, and by chance heard that it was for sale. I immediately expressed my interest and just made the deal a couple of days ago! It will be my first real life table and it mixes two of my favorite things: pinball and NBA basketball. I'll have to wait till early next year to get it, because the owner was kind enough to restore the table first for me. Because it's his and his friend's hobby to fix up older tables, they won't charge me anything more than the cost for the materials. It'll be worth the wait, because I'm not technical at all (I'm a psychologist by trade, and they are not known to possess an abundance of skill in that department ) I'm really excited and can't wait to play it again! For now it's the one table, but as the saying goes.....that second table is probably not far away!
Now for those players (my best guess):
From left to right:
Nick van Exel (indeed!), Luc Longley, Clyde Drexler, Penny Hardaway, Jason Kidd, Jerry Stackhouse and Detleff Schrempf
Another example how they didn't get to license bigger names, and how they tried to cater to the international market also with an Aussie and German player.
) I'm really excited and can't wait to play it again! For now it's the one table, but as the saying goes.....that second table is probably not far away!Now for those players (my best guess):
From left to right:
Nick van Exel (indeed!), Luc Longley, Clyde Drexler, Penny Hardaway, Jason Kidd, Jerry Stackhouse and Detleff Schrempf
Another example how they didn't get to license bigger names, and how they tried to cater to the international market also with an Aussie and German player.
- Mar 14, 2012
- 7,334
- 0
That's a comical list of players! Now the question is, did you identify them by jerseys or faces? Because if you could remove the team name and change the number, the only thing lest to licenses would be NBA.
Slam23
Active member
- Jul 21, 2012
- 1,279
- 2
Both! I'm a big NBA fan, so it was't that hard. I think they did an excellent job on Drexler, he is highly recognizable. But it's definitely second tier when you think about the NBA in 1996. Drexler is a Hall of Famer, and Kidd an Allstar. Nick van Exel had some good seasons and was a clutch shooter, but also a bit of a head case and having a chip on his shoulder. Luc Longley was a journeyman center, nothing special. Penny could have had a spectacular career but had injury trouble, it was said that he was leaning more on his talent than working hard on his conditioning, but that may be more of a rumor. Stackhouse was touted to be the next franchise player for Philly but that didn't happen also. I remember that he was found to have a progressive deterioration of his eye-sight. Schrempf was a nice point forward type of player for Seattle with a scoring touch, but turned out more of a role player than a star. One of the more famous Euro players to have made some name, and quite early also. Nowitzki eclipsed him as the best German born player in the NBA. Well stop me if I bore you
Last edited:
Tann
New member
- Apr 3, 2013
- 1,128
- 1
Without knowing the jersey numbers:
Nick Van Exel: I recognized him but didn't remember his name. ^^
Luc Longley: didn't recognize him, thought he was Toni Kukoc
Clyde Drexler: didn't recognize him at first, thought he was Otis Thorpe (he had a little moustache too) -and mainly because Clyde Drexler is the only Hall of Famer on this backglass, and he's just far above the average level of the others players, imo
. So I don't see why he would be on this backglass!Penny Hardaway: didn't recognize him (in fact, I had no idea who the drawing represents)
Jason Kidd: obvious
Jerry Stackhouse: didn't recognize him (I had no idea who the drawing represents too)
and Detleff Schrempf: OBVIOUS (lol)
Kolchak357
Senior Pigeon
- May 31, 2012
- 8,102
- 2
The Earl Bowl bowling alley in Earlington Pa has one. I've played it on several occasions. I wasn't really into it the first couple times, but it grew on me. The scoring systems makes it a fun pin to play with friends.
atlantis1982
New member
- Nov 23, 2012
- 360
- 0
Used to had this one in one of the leagues, its a fun table to play, but the whole "reflect points like a real basketball game" niche was ridiculous. I can get bigger points from older EM's than this.
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