Has TPA changed your preferred pinball era?

[mikehg]

Mixed preference for me - mostly between SS and alphanum.

But I'm just curious as to whether many people have found their preferences shifting, being exposed to all these great tables that we wouldn't normally get to play (I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a real pinball table here in the UK )

 

[kinggo]

no, it did not. Alphanumerics are the kind where I would find my favourite ones. But I also like the other types if the game is good.
What TPA did is learned me how to give every game a chance so some that seemed like a total stinkers back in the days became quite good at the end. But that's the bennefit of pay once and play as much as you want.

 

[mikehg]

It's interesting how in many things, 'accessibility' and true quality can seem inversely related... it's the things you struggle to like at first that you end up liking that really shape you in the end, I suppose.

I think the real skill in making a pinball game (and many other things) is making it fun to dabble in, *and* rewarding to master. The games where you can have loads of fun bashing the ball around without knowing the rules, and yet still come back to once you know them inside out, are the real gems.

 

[Kolchak357]

I've always preferred EM and early SS because I played a lot of it growing up. That will never change, but it has helped me appreciate more complex rule system DMD pins like Ripley's.

 

[Dedpop]

no, it did not. Alphanumerics are the kind where I would find my favourite ones. But I also like the other types if the game is good.
What TPA did is learned me how to give every game a chance so some that seemed like a total stinkers back in the days became quite good at the end. But that's the bennefit of pay once and play as much as you want.

 

[IGoFirstIndy]

cool poll. DMD got me into pinball. i now find i like solid states the best.

 

[wolfson]

started on EMs but I love all tables !!!

 

[Nightwing]

What TPA did is learned me how to give every game a chance so some that seemed like a total stinkers back in the days became quite good at the end. But that's the bennefit of pay once and play as much as you want.

Couldn't agree more. And I like pinball from across all eras. Always have,always will.

 

[JJH516]

no, it did not. Alphanumerics are the kind where I would find my favourite ones.

+1

 

[dave950lam]

I like pins from all times. Only ask for EM's because only two are currently on TPA and need to balance things out.

Well, 2 1/2 if you count the updated El Dorado. Would be cool to have the original EM version.

 

[shutyertrap]

My gut reaction is to say I still prefer alphanumerics. Williams System 11 is just where it is for me. That being said, the DMD machines tend to hold my interest longer, as they often tend to be just funny. Ultimately I had to ask myself what would I want to physically own, and alpha is where it's at for me.

 

[David T. Melnick]

I like the EM, AN & SS each. We have enuf of the DMD.

 

[Rich Lehmann]

I don't know what all the pinball nerd terms are so I can't vote but ...yes, I used to like classic early 1980's and didn't see the point of all the fancy 1990's and 2000s tables but now because of TPA I learned to love the fancy millennial tables.

 

[David Pannozzo]

I'm with Shutyertrap, I love System 11 games and everything up to The Wizard Of Oz. I love System 11 for a quick fix, and all the DMD games for all their driven stories and adventures, plus yes some games a very humorous.

 

[JPelter]

DMD -> EM for me. I love the brutal difficulty and short playtimes a lot more than the bells and whistles and deep rulesets mostly. There are of course outlier tables that are just really really good no matter what. Overall that's been my experience though.

 

[rehtroboi40]

I like pins from all times. Only ask for EM's because only two are currently on TPA and need to balance things out.

Well, 2 1/2 if you count the updated El Dorado. Would be cool to have the original EM version.

+1. I don't care too much for the SS version. The EM version does look more fun though.

Do you remember the "Microsoft Pinball Arcade" from the late 90's? There were some great EM's on that one, especially Slick Chick. It would be awesome to see the rest of the tables from that collection make it to TPA, as CBW and HH have. BTW, the TPA versions of the latter were tremendously improved over the Microsoft versions IMO.

 

[night]

I like EM and early 80s tables. I hardly like any DMD tables. For me it does takes the gameplay away in most cases. For style, I just can't stand tables like Twilight Zone and Ripley's. I have much respect for the design and all that, but I hate to solve little puzzles, I just want to play pinball and these type of tables are far removed from authentic pinball gameplay. I love stuff like Flight 2000, Centaur and Firepower, hardcore pinball without any fuzz, toys, nonsense. Just plunge the ball and go! Most recent TPA tables are not my cup of T to be honest, and the stuff I like is hardly covered by Farsight. Zaccaria fills the gap for me.

 

[Gus]

I always preferred DMD and SS tables (89-95). TPA has made me appreciate all kinds of tables. Alphas and EMs are a ton of fun too. Makes me wish I played them more in the 80s when I had the chance...