Apparently this is now a top ten table

[Espy]

I know the IPDB ratings are questionable, but I just noticed that BSD has entered the top 10. Think this is justified? Is it that good? One of the nine best tables in TPA? (We have all of the top ten bar Indiana Jones, and that isn't happening soon )

 

[Tarek Oberdieck]

It's justified for me. BSD is one of the best TPA tables. I like the ruleset, the sound and the animations. Point deduction for the unbalanced scoring design only. A lot of goals are uninteresting, for example the bonus multiplicator. The Castle Jackpot at max combined with a huge Bats and Rats bonus beat all other points within seconds.

 

[Kolchak357]

One of the most difficult for sure. Not top ten for me, but I know it is very popular. Number 31 on Pinside. Guess it depends on who you ask. Can be a very frustrating for the average (or worse) player. Excellent use of theme and mist multiball is just so cool.

 

[switch3flip]

Yes, if you ask me. For me it's the best pin in TPA, top 5 favourite real pin.

 

[invitro]

Picking favorites is hard, but I think BSD and Monster Bash are my two favorite TPA tables.

BSD had a very low reputation in the mid-1990's on rgp. People called it Dr*c*l*. I don't remember why... maybe it broke a lot or people thought it was all the left ramp. There wasn't one around me at that time, and the first one I played was at a Pinburgh around 2000. I then played the Visual Pinball version a fair bit, and now the TPA one -- I've still never given the real thing a good run.

I'm very curious if the TPA version has caused the IPDB rating to increase. I don't think I can come up with another TPA table that is beloved in TPA but the real thing is/was poorly thought of at some time.

 

[The Digital Man]

It's in my personal top 5 for whatever that's worth.

 

[Zaphod77]

People hated Dracula cuz they had to put quarters into it.

Add onto that the bad condition of machines on location, and it garnered a lot of hate.

But after they started moving of of location, and into people's homes they realized that the sadistic challenge the game offered was perfect for a HOME game.

So it's really no surprise that it has become more popular.

 

[Slam23]

Excellent home machine, very tough tournament machine. The unbalanced scoring makes for a weird combination of being a plus in terms of excitement and suspense, and a negative in that if you get behind, it can be very difficult to recover. For example: if your opponent gets a good Bats going on the first ball (in which luck of the pop bumper bounces plays a big part), he get's an automatic bonus on all three balls. In most cases that's game over. I can tell you that getting those three MB's going at once is one of the best thrills in pinball. Probably not top-10 for me but it's has definitely been an underrated machine.

 

[canuck]

The theme, music, art, and streamlined design sync perfectly on this table. The infuriating difficulty and speed add to it's appeal.

 

[invitro]

But after they started moving of of location, and into people's homes they realized that the sadistic challenge the game offered was perfect for a HOME game.

Thanks for the info.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

I played BSD on location back when it came out, so the table was brand new and didn't degrade that much before it was swapped out. I do remember it being tough, but not really much more of a money-eater than its predecessors in that location, which were Hurricane and Dr Who. To be fair Hurricane can be a bit of a ball-buster too, Dr Who was easier but it has a really odd layout.

 

[invitro]

Dr Who was easier but it has a really odd layout.

I played quite a bit of Dr Who in 1996 and found it amazingly hard until I had lots of practice with it, to make the hard shots and learn how to cope with misses. And reading the rule sheets to figure out how to score from video mode, and which Doctors to pick. I'd love to see it make TPA but I guess that's highly unlikely.

EDIT: I put "multiball" instead of "video mode" first... oops. I never did figure out multiball.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

And reading the rule sheets to figure out how to score from multiball, and which Doctors to pick.

This. As soon as I had access to a new table, I was sifting through rec.games.pinball for the most recent rules sheets. Dr Who is one of those tables where knowing exactly what you're doing and having a plan really works out and results in a much better experience (and bigger scores )

 

[EccentricFlower]

I think BSD is one of those tables that the wizards like because it's sadistic and duffers like me dislike because it's sadistic.

 

[ZREXMike]

Not in the top ten today, looks like. Just got this one, Standard Goals not too hard, but have not got any of the Wizard Goals. Nudging essential, have not mastered interrupting those damn slingshot-to-outlane shotguns, when the ball starts pingponging between them you can forget it & go to the next ball or new round. The Asylum throwout is a nudge I still need to fully map out, & the left inlane can be murder with the speed.

 

[Zaphod77]

Check the strategies thread. i worked out how to handle the asylum kickout.

But yeah. this table is a real noob killer.