Season Two - Your thoughts so far?

[spoonman]

Here is a quick rundown of what I think, but I'd like to hear what you guys think.

11 Dr. Dude + Firepower:
DR. DUDE looks and plays well. The sound quality is good and the table art is sharp and colorful.
FIREPOWER looks OK. The pop bumpers are not as strong as they should be and the game ending loop bug kills the fun when you are worrying about it. It should have been addressed by now.

12 Cactus Canyon + Central Park
CACTUS CANYON'S outlanes, the right one in particular, is too hard to see and this results in many unfair drains.
The ball also moves erratically and doesn't feel natural (sort of like the problem with AFM).
CENTRAL PARK looks nice, but the wizard goals are set a little insane IMO. NOT much to say about the audio here except that it's another table that would benefit from the ability to play BGM.

13 White Water + Space Shuttle
WHITE WATER's visuals seem blurry and lack detail. The ramps don't look as good as they should (see TOTAN for an example of how great they can look!). The music also seems more muffled than I recall.
SPACE SHUTTLE: I love....LOVE! how this looks and sounds here. It's as if the Farsight team rescanned all of the table art at a higher resolution and put extra polish on it. The table detail is crisp, colorful, and contains no blurry textures. The sound is clear as well, and it plays like a dream.

14 Centaur + Pin•Bot
CENTAUR is another winner for Season Two. The red/black colors really pop on here and the voices and other sound effects have some awesome bass and sound clear. I enjoyed this one with headphones!
PIN•BOT unfortunately did not impress me. The graphics were on the blurry and washed out side. I was hoping for something close to the detail of BOP, but it didn't come through for me.

So those are my thoughts for now.

 

[Palmer Eldritch]

very disappointing and I fear if the trend continues season 3 will be worse than 2...

(I mean in terms of bugs/glitches/wonkiness not table selection)

 

[spoonman]

I wonder if they have different artists working on certain tables.
I just don't understand how Pin•Bot can look so drab and blurry while Space Shuttle looks really sharp and detailed.

There shouldn't be that much or a drastic difference in table art quality.

 

[DarkAkatosh]

I won't be another nitpicker but my thoughts are mostly positive so far. Except for the broken Firepower.

And ill also say that if you don't like unfair drains then suck it up princess. Pinball was never meant to be a cakewalk and those tables that are bore me to tears like BoP.

 

[spoonman]

I won't be another nitpicker but my thoughts are mostly positive so far. Except for the broken Firepower.

And ill also say that if you don't like unfair drains then suck it up princess. Pinball was never meant to be a cakewalk and those tables that are bore me to tears like BoP.

Nope, I heart unfair drains!

 

[heddhunter]

Here is a quick rundown of what I think, but I'd like to hear what you guys think.

11 Dr. Dude + Firepower:
DR. DUDE looks and plays well. The sound quality is good and the table art is sharp and colorful.
FIREPOWER looks OK. The pop bumpers are not as strong as they should be and the game ending loop bug kills the fun when you are worrying about it. It should have been addressed by now.

Dr. Dude is very very good. I don't have any problem with Firepower. Haven't seen any game ending bugs. A good pack, well worth buying.

12 Cactus Canyon + Central Park

I skipped this one - don't really like either table. I have it on iOS for completness.

13 White Water + Space Shuttle
WHITE WATER's visuals seem blurry and lack detail. The ramps don't look as good as they should (see TOTAN for an example of how great they can look!). The music also seems more muffled than I recall.
SPACE SHUTTLE: I love....LOVE! how this looks and sounds here. It's as if the Farsight team rescanned all of the table art at a higher resolution and put extra polish on it. The table detail is crisp, colorful, and contains no blurry textures. The sound is clear as well, and it plays like a dream.

White Water is good - I don't see any blurry art, and if you think the sound is muffled you should try playing it on iOS! I actually thought the sound was phenomenally clear. The ball feels very "slippery" though, it's incredibly hard to shoot accurately. The flipper rubbers in particular are just way too slick. We've got a real WW at my local arcade and it doesn't feel anything like this.

Space Shuttle is beautiful and plays great, the only complaint I have is the pop bumpers default lighting is way too bright. They are blinding, glaring and distracting. When they flash during a hit you can barely tell the difference. Weird because the iOS bumpers look completely normal. I do love Space Shuttle though, hard to go wrong.

14 Centaur + Pin•Bot
CENTAUR is another winner for Season Two. The red/black colors really pop on here and the voices and other sound effects have some awesome bass and sound clear. I enjoyed this one with headphones!
PIN•BOT unfortunately did not impress me. The graphics were on the blurry and washed out side. I was hoping for something close to the detail of BOP, but it didn't come through for me.

I think Pinbot looks very good, the blue/pink lighting is really nice and futuristic (although not very true to life). Centaur is good but the lights in the rollover lane and pop bumpers at the top are way too bright again. Centaur should be almost entirely black, white and red - those garish orange/pinks are really out of place.

Both of those tables play very well.

In general I wish the flipper rubbers were just a teensy bit "stickier". I know Farsight is going for "brand new" but noy pin I've ever played (including brand new Metallicas this past weekend) has flippers that slick. It should be just a bit easier to catch/trap.

 

[Sumez]

It's waaay easier to trap balls on TPA than on any real table I played (except from later Gottlieb tables)

 

[Sinistar]

Centaur and Pinbot are great additions, the rest I have excluded myself from , Might buy WW and SS , soon, but for now Im content with the season 1 tables.

 

[MonkeyGrass]

It's waaay easier to trap balls on TPA than on any real table I played (except from later Gottlieb tables)

I own a Williams Sys11 table, and in my experience, it's MUCH easier to trap on a real table. The ball is "heavier" on a real table and especially with new red flipper rubbers, way easier to grab and trap. It tends to float and bounce a bit more on TPA, often bouncing back off the inside of the flipper towards the center drain. On a real table the ball settles down pretty quickly after one or two bounces.

 

[TomL]

I own a Williams Sys11 table, and in my experience, it's MUCH easier to trap on a real table. The ball is "heavier" on a real table and especially with new red flipper rubbers, way easier to grab and trap. It tends to float and bounce a bit more on TPA, often bouncing back off the inside of the flipper towards the center drain. On a real table the ball settles down pretty quickly after one or two bounces.

Just out of curiosity, how long before you notice the rubbers breaking in, or getting "old"?

 

[MonkeyGrass]

Just out of curiosity, how long before you notice the rubbers breaking in, or getting "old"?

Just replaced the originals with brand new red ones. What a major difference, I can tell ya that the ones on there were pretty stiff, and obviously had been there for quite some time!

I will let you know when these start to lose some grip and cushion. I have no idea how long that will be! I also did the playfield rubbers/bumpers all around, waxed, new balls and man oh man what a change in the play action. This thing FLIES now.

 

[Rudy]

It's certainly a slow burning season, on one hand Pin*Bot and Centaur is one of the best combination packs I have ever played, on the other hand we've got tables like Central Park and Goin' Nuts which just aren't fun at all, and coupled with tables which lose their shine after a few games. On the flip side, there's plenty of 'name' tables from Season Pack 1 that I didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would (Harley Davidson, CFTBL, ST:TNG, Black Hole, Black Knight) but I still seemed to enjoy the themes better.

Of course, it'll perk up a little with Terminator 2 and might even become amazing if Addams Family squeezes itself into the last pack of the season, but other than that it's been largely hit and miss. To be honest, Season 2 was always going to be a bit awful in parts because the have to fit the less popular P:HOF re-releases out. Methinks they figured they were ready to stop the re-releases a few months ago but were taken aback by the Crave court case, the PS4 development kits, the Ouya launch, the Wii U test beta, the PC beta etc. and had to go cheap with a few tables to ease the workload.

It also makes me think we'll see the Addams Family kickstarter within the next month if they're trying to fit it into pack 20 and give us two premium tables a season (if they fund). Let's just hope they release the PC version before then so I can start spending all my money all over again.

From the polls alone Seasons 3+4 look like they'll be a huge improvement on Season 2, plus there won't be any more re-releases to drag down the table packs and the value of the packs will seem a hundred times better. I feel a little cheated for buying the pro pack ahead of knowing what was coming, but there's still 6/7 tables we don't know anything about coming which could even it out.

 

[Pinballfan69]

Dr. Dude/ Firepower

Firepower is my fav of the pack. It requires really accurate shots and that's what I love about pinball. Tables that need that accuracy is big plus also depends if I like the theme and design of the table.

Dr Dude I didn't care for. I've tried but it doesn't grab me like other tables do.

Cactus Canyon/Central Park

Central Park - Don't care for tables before the 80's and that's personal preference. I had to get it because it was in the pack if I had a choice I wouldn't buy tables pre 1980.
Cactus Canyon - Love the theme the idea of shooting targets with a timer. also requires pretty accurate shots up the ramps and lanes one of my favs in season 2.

White Water/Space Shuttle

White Water - Love the design and the rule set. However, I found this table easier than expected in keeping the ball in play.
Space Shuttle - one of my favorite tables back when I used to play pinball consistently. I think they did a fabulous job emulating this table.

Centaur/Pin*Bot

Centaur - Since it has been released, I'm finding I'm enjoying this table a lot more than expected with it's unique way of releasing multiball. Another table that rewards for accuracy.
Pin*Bot - I find this table easier than I thought. It's ok although I'm irked that 'Reaching the Sun' goal still hasn't registered in the amount of times I've got to the sun.

Looking forward to Whirlwind and Championship pub whenever they release that for the PS3.

Of course, it'll perk up a little with Terminator 2 and might even become amazing if Addams Family squeezes itself into the last pack of the season, but other than that it's been largely hit and miss. To be honest, Season 2 was always going to be a bit awful in parts because the have to fit the less popular P:HOF re-releases out. Methinks they figured they were ready to stop the re-releases a few months ago but were taken aback by the Crave court case, the PS4 development kits, the Ouya launch, the Wii U test beta, the PC beta etc. and had to go cheap with a few tables to ease the workload.

It also makes me think we'll see the Addams Family kickstarter within the next month if they're trying to fit it into pack 20 and give us two premium tables a season (if they fund). Let's just hope they release the PC version before then so I can start spending all my money all over again.

I still can't see the allure of Adams family. Much like Twilight Zone, I've played the real thing and it's kind of meh to me. I do hope it get's funded though. With that accomplished, other tables like Indiana Jones pinball adventure, LOTR, and other high premium tables might be aggressively looked into.

 

[heddhunter]

I still can't see the allure of Adams family. Much like Twilight Zone, I've played the real thing and it's kind of meh to me.

I'm with you, mate. I've never understood the love for Addams Family. I know it's the most popular table ever made but... why? The movie wasn't that good, and the table isn't that good either. (It's not bad, but it's not All Time Best either.) We had a TAF at the place I worked for months so I played it a lot, I'm not speaking out of only having played it once or twice in a loud bar

I do hope it get's funded though. With that accomplished, other tables like Indiana Jones pinball adventure, LOTR, and other high premium tables might be aggressively looked into.

Indeed! I would vastly prefer IJ or LOTR.

 

[LanceBoyle]

Admittedly this has been a bit of a slow season, but the Centaur/Pin*Bot and The Champion Pub/Whirlwind packs have been quite good, with the former being IMO the season's best so far. Kinda hesitant about the Flight 2000/Goin' Nuts pack, but F2K looks interesting, and maybe my opinion on Goin' Nuts could change with this version.

 

[Sumez]

Of course, it'll perk up a little with Terminator 2 and might even become amazing if Addams Family squeezes itself into the last pack of the season, but other than that it's been largely hit and miss.

With all the Lawlor tables in season 1, the addition of Addams Family is actually not that interesting to me anymore.
It's a great fun table, but to me, half of it is in the theme. In terms of rules and playability, I consider No Good Gofers, TZ and RBION clearly better tables (or maybe I just don't know TAF well enough, but it does seem like a fairly simple table to me)

That said, TPA HAS to get TAF, it's such a definitive pinball table that everyone knows. It would be a huge gap in an otherwise near-perfect list to never get it.

Indeed! I would vastly prefer IJ or LOTR.

I'm so hooked on LOTR lately! Played it a lot just yesterday, and while I'm still nowhere any good at it, I got dangerously close to destroying the ring last night. The rule set is so spot on, and the shots feel good - it has that quality that I also feel in ST:TNG, that whenever you do fail, it feels so obvious what you did wrong, and you blame yourself much more often than the table.

 

[spoonman]

I'd still want a fun cartoon table to end out the season.
I'm good with monster macabre.

The Simpsons, Family Guy, Rocky & Bullwinkle (in that order).

 

[Lucipher28]

Honestly, not that impressed so far.

There's much better and higher rated tables that haven't been put out yet. I didn't see the point in yet ANOTHER space game (Flight 2000).

Terminator 2 will be the first time this season where I'd be happy with a table.

 

[Ark Malmeida]

Honestly, not that impressed so far.

There's much better and higher rated tables that haven't been put out yet. I didn't see the point in yet ANOTHER space game (Flight 2000).

Terminator 2 will be the first time this season where I'd be happy with a table.

Seriously? I guess you're pretty hard to please then. White Water, Cactus Canyon, The Champion Pub and Whirlwind are all top notch in my book and many of the others are great fun too (I'm actually a fan of Dr. Dude).

 

[Lucipher28]

Seriously? I guess you're pretty hard to please then. White Water, Cactus Canyon, The Champion Pub and Whirlwind are all top notch in my book and many of the others are great fun too (I'm actually a fan of Dr. Dude).

I love when people get snippy about an opposing opinion in a thread ASKING for people's opinions. Hahahaha

I play on PS3, so "The Champion Pub" and "Whirlwind" aren't available to me yet. I mentioned "Flight 2000" because I know I'm already "spaced" out. How many space themed pin tables do we have now? It's just repetitive at this point.

As for the rest, like I said, I wasn't that impressed. I had never played "Whitewater" before, so I was excited to try it out... but the game play got old real fast.

"Canyon" and "Dude" were neat, but again, they just didn't keep my attention very long. I'm ready for more of the Pins I grew up on, like "The Addams Family", "Bram Stoker's Dracula", "T2", etc etc. I will say that I enjoyed most of the tables in Season 1, however. I had never played a lot of those games, so it was a real treat.

Now I'm ready for tables I grew up on.