Table of the Week Club...Week 22: BIG SHOT

[shutyertrap]

Welcome back to the Table of the Week, where this week we will be playing Big Shot. Or as I called it in the BlahCade Podcast, Big Nuts.

Celebrate the fun(?) that is electro mechanical pinball. Even better, new flipper physics have been applied to this table, or so we're told. Discuss those strategies, like soft plunging and really only caring about the 5th ball. Oh just re-listen to April's podcast! I used all my jokes there.

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

Whatever happened to [MENTION=152]Sean DonCarlos[/MENTION] anyway?

 

[Captain B. Zarre]

This is surprising, but the TOTW is supposed to be all about exploring tables that we may not play as often as others, so I'm in.

In my opinion, the best strategy for this table is to complete all drop targets on each ball and avoid the Special as it will reset the targets and prevent you from earning a huge Bonus. That's pretty much it.

 

[Crepello55012]

As soon as you hit the lit special target it awards the bonus, mid ball. By hitting the special you can start building the bonus again.

 

[Johni3w6]

Also it gets you an extra ball.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

Yeah. Grab the Special whenever it's lit.

 

[Fungi]

Dammit. Now Cap's scores are gonna shoot through the roof.

 

[Slam23]

This table actually got me into EM's for real, something that would never have happened in real life. The simple pleasure of aiming at targets. It played a big part in me upping my nudge game. Without nudging you will look into the Abyss Of Drain. And as the saying goes, if you look in too far, it will look back into you. I'm certain it also stole a piece of my soul and took it back into said Abyss.....so be afraid, be VERY afraid.....

 

[Gus]

This table actually got me into EM's for real, something that would never have happened in real life. The simple pleasure of aiming at targets. It played a big part in me upping my nudge game. Without nudging you will look into the Abyss Of Drain. And as the saying goes, if you look in too far, it will look back into you. I'm certain it also stole a piece of my soul and took it back into said Abyss.....so be afraid, be VERY afraid.....

Same here. I never thought I would get into EM's, but Big Shot changed that. Great table! Dare I suggest we allow extra balls for this table? It's the only table on the timed mobile tournament that doesn't get a timer. Noone can last for 20 minutes anyway
[MENTION=2355]Captain B. Zarre[/MENTION]: I think your appreciation for this table will skyrocket when you start grabbing those specials

 

[Crepello55012]

I think we should allow extra balls on this table too. There's no fanfare to the extra ball. Most people wouldn't realise they had been given one, and as Gus points out you wouldn't last 20 minutes anyway. Or anywhere near it! The whole point of the game is to get the specials for an extra ball. We call for an exemption to the plunge extra balls rule under the paragraph (c) that most players wouldn't spot that they'd been given one anyway.

 

[Xanija]

I think we should allow extra balls on this table too. There's no fanfare to the extra ball. Most people wouldn't realise they had been given one, and as Gus points out you wouldn't last 20 minutes anyway. Or anywhere near it! The whole point of the game is to get the specials for an extra ball. We call for an exemption to the plunge extra balls rule under the paragraph (c) that most players wouldn't spot that they'd been given one anyway.

I tend to agree. But in that case it must be very clear for everyone participating. I'm a bit worried it leads to confusion for non-regular visitors of the forum.

 

[Crepello55012]

The whole thing is an evolution, If this is the part of the evolution that says some tables are a bit different and should be treated so then that's a good thing.
If you look back to the beginning of this tournament there was no extra ball ban in the first game.

 

[Fungi]

Can't wait for the extra ball discussion when Central Park comes along.

 

[Johni3w6]

Can't wait for the extra ball discussion when Central Park comes along.

That will become interesting.

 

[shutyertrap]

Can't wait for the extra ball discussion when Central Park comes along.

With Central Park I don't think they are actually viewed as "extra balls". To me it's that era's version of multiball, where the point of the game IS to get more balls. I tend to agree with the 'you don't even realize you got one' view of extra balls in Big Shot.

 

[Fungi]

With Central Park I don't think they are actually viewed as "extra balls". To me it's that era's version of multiball, where the point of the game IS to get more balls.

Ah. Well that was quick and anticlimactic. (That's what she said.)

 

[invitro]

With Central Park I don't think they are actually viewed as "extra balls". To me it's that era's version of multiball, where the point of the game IS to get more balls.

I think for Central Park they really are specials/credits. The add-a-ball version is Hurdy Gurdy; in that version they are extra balls.

http://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?any=central+park&search=Search+Database&searchtype=quick#481

 

[invitro]

This table actually got me into EM's for real, something that would never have happened in real life.

I've always been somewhat into EMs, if they are good or historic tables. Big Shot is neither*.

I'd love to see TPA start making EMs again, if they were tables like Fireball, Capt. Fantastic, Wizard, Slick Chick, etc.

Note: El Dorado City of Gold is a nearly (?) identical version of the original El Dorado, which was an EM.
http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=766

* I think Big Shot gives a mostly-incorrect impression that EMs must be boring. I like playing it occasionally, but I don't think it's a good table, at least not as good as dozens of other EMs.

 

[Snorzel]

Note: El Dorado City of Gold is a nearly (?) identical version of the original El Dorado, which was an EM.
http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=766

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=2500

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=2237

I also like these uses of the El Dorado playfield. I agree I would really like more EMs in the TPA collection

 

[shutyertrap]

My biggest complaint with Big Shot in TPA is that it doesn't play like an EM. They are much, much slower in ball speed. The flippers normally would struggle to get a ball anywhere near the top of the playfield. And the slingshots are half as powerful. Instead what we have, and this applies to the early 80's tables too, is a table built with modern mechanical properties applied to an old school layout.

While it is somewhat interesting to play these tables under these conditions, when you then play the real thing it is so much different as to be shocking.