Top 5-10 Pinballs every made - Pro talk

[jonesjb]

Ranking so far:
==========

1.Monster Bash

top 5 material
---------------
Addams Family
Star Trek Next Generation
Scared Stiff
Twilight Zone
Cactus Canyon

top 10 Material
---------------
Medieval Madness - due to early shot to Merlin's before trolls
Theatre of Magic - due to left ramp significance, timed out modes and repetitive trunk hitting
Ripleys Believe it or not - due to 2x scoring
Circus Voltaire
Creature from the black lagoon
Attack from Mars - due to super jackpot and 5 way combo significance
White Water - due to 3x Jackpot & Vacation Jackpot (class 6 river+3 locks)

Out of top 10
--------------
Terminator 2 - due to big importance of the gun
Arabian Nights - due to big importance of lamp scoring

Great thread PET3R. Have you ever played The Shadow? Excellent table with great flow and very balanced scoring. What are your thoughts on it? Not in Pinball Arcade, but who knows?

Regarding Addams Family, I agree it has a really good layout, but it's over use of the magnets near the flippers ruin it for me. It introduces too much randomness, and since it affects all multiballs, it leaves me longing for a good old fashioned multi without the magnets. This is what keeps it out of the top 5 for me.

 

[invitro]

Does 2x score in RBION have really big significance ?

Yes, for the tour bonus, whatever it's called when you shoot the vari-target after collecting all seven continents. (And maybe elsewhere.)

 

[PET3R]

Thank you Jonesjb. I am really happy to see that people like the thread and joining in. Where I come from, there are no pinball machines, so when I was young I would be growing up on Pc pinballs - Pinball Fantasies, Pinball Illusions and Pro Pinball. We would be competing in scores and play the hell out of them. Only when I came across pinball arcade I have discovered what was I missing all those years. When I get interested in something I dig deep and do lot of research. Of course I did this with pinball as well, going through every single pinball on IPDB and trying to do some research about it. Therefore I know the shadow table but never had a chance to play it. I think you can play it on VP but for some reason last time I played some tables there, it had some really weird physics.
I can be very competitive and I would not consider my self a noob in pinball even though these tables are still quite new to me. Except of MM I managed to beat every table/wizard mode (not referring to the list of wizard modes on pinball arcade), and just an example I have managed to rule the universe in AFM in just about 30-40 games after purchasing the table on ios, when I involved deep concentration during the play. Of course I am not a pro player and not even anywhere near, therefore I feel more as a moderator in this thread. I dig deep into rules and research, that is why what I write here are more my observations, than anything else.

Good point regarding TAF. I guess this will move the table down the rating or even to top 10. The question is, how significant role plays the magnet to scoring and gameplay. What makes this even harder to decide is the magnet being able to time out, therefore not affecting anything.

 

[Crooker]

In Rbion,definitely 2x scoring is very important. As invitro said. It doubles your score on the tour bonus. I won't start a tour without having 2x scoring active.
Never thought about how significant the left ramp in ToM is. Now that I do I guess it does need to be shot at a lot. Left ramp to complete theatre and also for vanish. It is also helpful during multiball as a left ramp shot will not do a complete orbit. It will stay at the top and hopefully get your end of ball bonus up to 8x. Bonus in ToM is huge, a large part of overall scoring.
My top in order. This is not easy.
MB
ToM
Rbion

TZ
TAF right there with MM and TZ.
For some reason I am not a big fan of CC. Just personal opinion.
MM

 

[invitro]

Your thread is getting a lot of attention, good job!

Good point regarding TAF. I guess this will move the table down the rating or even to top 10. The question is, how significant role plays the magnet to scoring and gameplay. What makes this even harder to decide is the magnet being able to time out, therefore not affecting anything.

I'm assuming that in this thread we're rating tables based on how they really are, and not as they are in TPA?

Because if so, well the Power (magnets) in TAF is not nearly as strong as it is in TPA, or I don't remember it being so on the 10+ TAF's that I played back in the 1990's. Though it might have been when it was released... I don't think I played it until late 1993 or 1994? I think it's established on this forum that the Power is way too strong in TPA.

So I don't think this should move TAF down much if at all.

(I don't have a strong opinion on whether TAF should be in the top 10.)

 

[pezpunk]

glad to see STTNG getting some love. couldn't agree more with PET3R -- it is very tough, but it is a game that rewards accuracy above all else. you don't lose your ball if you make your shot. this is something TPA gets right about the game.

if we're talking strictly gameplay and strategy, that changes my top 5 significantly - i am a guy who loves lights and sound and ramps and toys, but in terms of sheer challenge, System 9 / System 11 games (and other games from that era) offer as much or more than the most complicated and feature-packed 90s Williams games that i love so much.

F14 Tomcat is so fast and fun. Taxi, too. can't really place them behind TAF or TZ ... but then again, some of the modern Sterns are really great too. Star Trek, Metallica, and AC/DC i think hold up very well against that group too. it's hard for me to pick a top five, but i think any of those i just mentioned would be worthy.

 

[PET3R]

Invitro - yes you are right that we are ranking the actual tables and not the TPA version. Therefore thank you for bringing up the magnet strength into our attention. Hopefully TPA will tweak this one up one day.

 

[PET3R]

Pezpunk - as I haven't played any of sterns, I did not mention any but I was really waiting/hoping for someone to bring them up as I know they are great tables, including the spiderman, or not ? Still waiting for someone to mention Indiana jones and some other pinballs that are considered to be one of the greats.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

There's quite a lot to digest here.

I think it's also fair to say I'm not an overly-analytical player. TPA is a pick-up-and-play kind of game, and I don't really want to think too much about what I'm doing. Just dive right in and have some fun!

My first observation - no love for pre-DMD tables? At all? Sure they're more simplistic as you go further back in time, but some of the features squeezed into those tables is remarkable. Take Firepower and Gorgar for example - at the time, those would've been remarkable achievements. Sure the don't hold a candle nowadays but without them, we wouldn't have this "Top 10".

Anyway, onto the list as originally presented.

Monster Bash - I've probably played a real one 1 or 2 times, thus I have no comparison between TPA and real life. I agree with the assessment on the rules; that is a testament to Lyman Sheats and the quality of his programming. I'm not sure I'd put it as my #1, maybe in my Top 5, at least of the ones listed here.
Addams Family - played several hundred games for real, in varying conditions from near-mint to in serious need of some TLC. It's good, it's a landmark in design, but it's been bettered by later tables that built on the experience. Top 10, sure, but not quite Top 5.
Star Trek Next Generation - I wouldn't have this in this list at all. I've played it 100+ times for real. Sorry, it's an okay table, but it's too cumbersome and just doesn't feel "right" all the time. Top 20-ish maybe but definitely not Top 10 material.
Scared Stiff - again, I wouldn't have this in this list. Played 50+ times for real. It just doesn't flow well, and it's too easy. Way outside the Top 10 - or even Top 20, or 30 - and looking in.
Twilight Zone - played 100+ times for real, at least. Like its predecessor, The Addams Family, TZ is a landmark design but it's the Wizard Of Oz of its day - it does too much. Often "Less is More" and unfortunately TZ relies all too often on its toys; when they break, as they often do, the table becomes far less enjoyable for it. Sure in TPA the toys never break (well, except that they do...), but the way it's tuned in TPA is nothing like its real-life counterparts, rendering it no challenge at all. Top 10, maybe, but not Top 5.
Cactus Canyon - played it for real once. The incomplete masterpiece, some great ideas that are a lot of fun to play, zero reliance on toys, ruined (at least as far as TPA goes) by a completely unbalanced bonus mechanism that can render all other scoring methods moot: just keep the ball in play and you'll get a huge bonus that can more than double your score! Still, I can't take away from the overall experience, and CC belongs in my Top 5.
Theatre of Magic - played if for real 50+ times. One of my personal favorites, in real life it can be fast and deadly - shooting the trunk is a real crapshoot, unlike in TPA where it is rail-roaded to some extent. It's a genuine challenge which is why it's in my Top 5.
Ripleys Believe It Or Not - never seen one for real, let alone played one. So I only have TPA to go on, and I can't help but thinking the uber-floaty physics of the implementation don't help the enjoyment of this table. Again, killed by a single scoring mechanism (2x Continent tours) that comes to dominate scoring to such an extent it's not worth bothering to explore any of the table's other features.
Circus Voltaire - seen a real one, but was unable to play it. Suffers from the early-table TAP floaty physics, and I can't say I'm overly fond of it. CV tries for complexity, but doesn't quite pull it off. There's too much odd stuff going on here. I'd have to kick it out of the Top 10.
Creature From The Black Lagoon - played it 200+ times. A very basic ruleset with a single, simple, dominating goal: get a 4x Super Jackpot, and keep doing it. On a real table, it's insanely difficult to achieve, because the rake and angle of the left ramp - especially during the crucial multi-ball phase - make it a deadly shot if you don't get a strong, clean, hit. Anything that misses comes screaming straight down the middle with no chance of a save. The TPA implementation makes the left ramp a joke; balls will bank off the Menu targets and go all the way up and around the ramp, and getting those big multipliers and jackpots becomes almost trivial. The only thing holding back the prospect of stratospheric scores is TPA's rollover detection, which has to be micro-managed very carefully and makes this game a pain to play in TPA. I'll provisionally put it in my Top 10.
Attack From Mars - played it 100+ times. One of my all-time favorite tables in real life, AFM is a joy to play as well as being a great challenge. The modes are fun, the "blocking" issue that gives MM its problems isn't as clearly present. AFM goes in my Top 5.
White Water - played it several hundred times. There's no scoring imbalance here; getting the stage where a 3x Jackpot is significant is difficult, and a reward for good play in and of itself. Vacation jackpot, being the "Wizard" award, is supposed to be difficult to achieve, and yes it is flawed to some extent in the way you must complete it, but it feels like a reward. I love WH20 to bits, and it's clearly in my Top 5, and is my most likely choice for #1.
Terminator 2 - played it 50+ times. I don't like T2. I didn't like it when it was around in the '90s, and I still don't really like it in TPA. I can't say why, I mean technically it's very competent and has a great flow, but it just doesn't "work" for me. May it is the gun that puts me off.
Medieval Madness - played it 20-50 times. Just outside my Top 5; AFM - a very similar table - beats it out, just. As has been mentioned, the whole Trolls/Madness/Merlin mechanic is a killer and is the source of unnecessary frustration.
Arabian Nights - played it 200+ times. I have to say, I found this table very easy in real life. It's a strange table, flow-wise: all the flow is on the left-hand side, the right-hand side is crowded. Rules-wise, when playing for real, I was never interested in the lamp. Only since picking it up in TPA has the significance of 3x Lamp scoring - and keeping it going forever and ever - come to the fore. Still, it's not an easy thing to maintain, and there is danger inherent in shooting the lamp, so it doesn't completely kill the game. I'll slot it in to the bottom end of my Top 10.

 

[mpad]

Nice thread. Agree with most stuff here and I am a bit lazy to write....soooo:

Cactus Canyon
Great to see some love for that awesome table. I really love that one and it would definitely be in my top 5.
Love the variety of modes, great ramps with great flow, multiball is cool with the mother node, and best of all: gunfight / shoot the bad guys.
This is so cool, exiting and rewarding.
Also love the music, art, voice...

Champion Pub
This is one I would add to my top 10. Really like the whole training and go to a fight thing.
Well executed and also good variety to the modes.

 

[PET3R]

updated

Please everyone read this post. I am hoping this will make it easier for you to understand how we are trying to rate the tables, as some of you are steering from the topic.

First of all imagine you want to compare your skills with your friend. You will want a table that is most fair. I don't think you will go for ToTAN to see who gets the more points hitting that lamp as that is the key to big scores. Or T2 to see who can aim better with the gun. I am sure you will rather choose tables that uses all the table features like MB, TAF or STTNG to see the real skills.

To help even more here is the comparison to pool game. What I am interested in is the layout of the table - shape and placement of the holes (ramps) and the rules. I don't care about colour or quality of table, balls or cues, or how cool they look.

MB - this is snooker version of pool which is much more complex with different coloured balls that scores different points and allows for much more strategies.

pre-DMD tables - this is 8 ball version of pool. Works really well, but it contains only solid, stripe balls and black 8. It is really lot of fun but is not as deep as snooker and allows less strategies

ToM - this is also snooker with very deep strategies but here some balls are not important as they dont score any points (timing out of the modes), but you still need to play them. on your turn you need to pocket 3 balls before you can start counting your points (hitting the trunk).

WW - very interesting layout of the table with very fast surface and with the 2 extra holes that are around the corner and are able to be hit only through the cushion. It works really well, but there are 2 rules here. 1) On your turn, if you pocket 6 red balls (class 6 river) AND at the same time 3 colour balls (3 locks) you will get extra 50 points (vacation jackpot) 2) After pocketing 3 colour balls (locks), if you hit another 3 in a row (jackpot multiplier) your score will be tripled till the end of your turn (3x Jackpot)

MM - snooker table with deep strategies, but hitting the hole one at the front right gives you the most points that are cumulative (castle). There is one more rule. If one of the balls falls into the front left hole before you pocketed 40 balls you have to start again (early Merlin's shot)

TAF - unusual layout of the table that seems to be very unique with the placement of the holes in a very good places. There is one in the middle that you have to always hit before you want to pocket your next colour ball (chair). There are magnets under the table and occasionally the will affect the direction of your ball when you most need it, but only in a slight way, and if you wait they will switch off.

Rbion - just like TAF but after hitting the middle hole, you will get extra 10 points if you successfully pocket at least 3 colour balls (ripley letter). If you pocket balls in a certain way your score will be doubled.

T2 - pretty standard layout of the table with 1 very difficult hole to hit (skull/drain). This one happens to be very important because once you hit it we will go play DARTS and if you hit bullseye you will get 50 points (gun),

ToTAN - quite unique layout of the table with the snooker rules that allows deep strategies, but don't worry too much about them as we are just going to be hitting the front right hole because that one will give you the most points (lamp).

CTFBL - you have to first pocket 4 red balls (film) then on your turn (one chance only) you have to pocket 3 colour balls (save the girl), then pocket the black ball (jackpot). Now you have to hit 8 red balls (8x multiplier) after which you have to hit yellow ball to get 50 points. If you miss yellow you get 0 points.

AFM - layout and snooker rules, but we will be very often trying to hit hole at the front left. Once you pocket 3 color balls (locks) ON YOUR TURN you have to pocket ball into each of the 6 holes and then you will have 5 seconds to hit particular hole before it move clockwise (super jackpot). if you dont hit it you will have to do it again from very beginning. You will also during the game on our turn have to pocket 5 balls in a row (5 way combo). This together with super jackpot will give you chance to get extra 50 points.

So which pool table and rules would you like to play regularly with friends, specially if you want to compete and see who is better player ???

 

[Fungi]

Snooker... Snooker... Snooker... Is that anything like Hungry Hungry Hippos?

 

[vikingerik]

PET3R, us Americans don't know anything about snooker. I didn't even realize for a very long time that it's a different game and not just another word for pool.

I don't have time for a long post right now (I want to give CV a good writeup, I like that one more than most), but want to comment on this point:

Ripleys Believe It Or Not ... Again, killed by a single scoring mechanism (2x Continent tours) that comes to dominate scoring to such an extent it's not worth bothering to explore any of the table's other features.

Creature From The Black Lagoon ... A very basic ruleset with a single, simple, dominating goal: get a 4x Super Jackpot, and keep doing it.

Arabian Nights ... Only since picking it up in TPA has the significance of 3x Lamp scoring - and keeping it going forever and ever - come to the fore. ... it doesn't completely kill the game.

What's the difference between these three tables? They each have a single scoring mechanism that dominates everything else. Creature actually has a ton of side junk modes that you never explore, as much as Ripley's does. Why does unbalanced scoring kill Ripley's, but only hurt TOTAN some, and makes CFTBL a worthy challenge?

Also, I've played a real Ripley's on a few occasions, maybe 30 games total. The continent bonus isn't nearly as dominating and it's much better balanced than in TPA. 20M is a good score for the continent total and 200M is a great game. The score values from super jackpots and multiballs and Atlantis actually matter when you're only turning over the continents maybe twice a game and you can't railroad into the temple 2x column every time.

 

[PET3R]

thank you vikingerik for pointing out about not knowing about the snooker, but you really did not need to understand the rules to get my point.

I have updated the post so it is more American friendly and hopefully easier to understand.

 

[PET3R]

EldarOfSuburbia - I really value your long and detailed post, especially that almost all of your comments coming from the real tables which I am most interested in. Could you please rate the tables more from scoring/ruleset point of view rather than your personal preference in some ? When I compete in pinball with friend I want to be able to say that I won because I played better, having more better shots, not because he did not manage to hit 3x jackpot multiplier and that is what has won my game. I think STTNG is probably one of the most fair tables out there as it really rewards the skill throughout the whole game, and not in just one important moment which is 3x in WW or 2x in RBION.

 

[PET3R]

PET3R, What's the difference between these three tables? They each have a single scoring mechanism that dominates everything else. Creature actually has a ton of side junk modes that you never explore, as much as Ripley's does. Why does unbalanced scoring kill Ripley's, but only hurt TOTAN some, and makes CFTBL a worthy challenge?

I dont think that lamp scoring does hurt TOTAN only a little. To me that is totally broken as when going for high score you will only concentrate on that one shot. 2x scoring in RBION comes only at one point in the game, that is why it has a huge importance. If you miss it your score is half of what it could be. In TOTAN you are hitting the lamp throughout the whole game. If you miss you can immediately hit it again. There is little luck involved, so at the end it becomes a skill of how good are you in hitting that lamp. If your friend is ok with it, your TOTAN becomes competition in hitting the lamp, which to me is no fun, but it might be for some. In RBION it is not only about 2x score as you need to play the modes and all other features of the table very well. You play everything better than your friend, but you are unlucky to time that 2x score therefore him winning the game. This is one particular moment in the game that might decide whether you win or loose. CTFBL is like a ladder that you and your friend trying to climb quickly and see who reaches the top. Each stage in CTFBL is one step on the ladder and if you fail it you fall and have to start again. It can be actually fun to see your improvement. You start falling less and less and at the end you can climb the ladder succesfully 2x in the row, then 3,4... But to some this is always about one thing - to try to climb that ladder with a little variety which becomes very repetitive.

 

[WhiteChocolate]

I dont think that lamp scoring does hurt TOTAN only a little...

i too finally realized how much that lamp makes a diff in nights pet3r back a few months ago when it was TOTW... once i started grabbing the lamp option instead of the jewel in the bazaar, i found my score sudeenly, dramatically crank waaaaaay up! like at least 500-800% over my old game, average!

once you also realize how forgiving tilt is in TPA and get some practice with it ("turn into the spin" , it's really easy to whang that lamp around a lot. i probably wouldn't do as well with a real machine; i just can't shove them around as easy i can a virtual table, lol!

though this is from TPA perspective; i've never seen a real TOTAN - since scoring should be the same 'tween tpa and the real tables, thought i'd share that thought. very insightful and thinking more about how the scoring/rules of a table work, instead of just "being there" lol... a lot of "ahhhha!" moments for me, reading this thread!!

p.s. if i could contribute this, i don't think i've seen anyone else suggest this yet - perhaps for your list criterion, it'd be useful for peeps to imagine the table stripped of its theme - art and distinct sounds - or swap it all out mentally with some generic table art? that way, you're just thinking about the table, and not its theme at all...

for example, sttng (i also very much like now - i did not when i first got it/played the demos is a unique layout and fun once you get into it, but it may not seem as cool without the very excellent show tie-in, voice, sfx, etc. it's a pretty different and unique table - that's going to divide people off the bat; they'll either love that, or kinda hate it! i happen to love it -now-, but i didn't so much when i first started trying to conquor it - it's a tough table, for a long time at first!

for what it's worth, the diffs score big in my book, and (TPA) play is tough and scoring is "stiff" but fair - it really encourages you off the bat, you wanna get that first extra ball score! it seems few other tables set a good, appropriate first extra ball score - some tables give that away too easily, too soon.

 

[karl]

If we are talking about TPA tables, these are my top 5 (Nothing shocking here, except maybe White Water )

In no particular order: (Btw: I am basing my view on how they play in real life, not in the app)

Monster Bash - Very easy to understand rules. Fun as hell. Only minus is that it can become a bit shallow if you own it, I would imagine. Probably the least deep rule set of a modern classic pin, but every time I find this pin in the wild I enjoy myself tremendously

Attack From Mars - Maybe the coolest original theme out there. Wide open fan layout. I owned it for a while. Maybe the best pin out there to practice your skills on

Twilight Zone - Not everyone gets it. Lots of stuff on it with a rule-set to follow with not much free space and can be a bit stop and go. If you enjoy the theme, find one in a working order that is set up right. It can take you to another dimension, a dimension called the twilight zone (sic)

Medieval Madness - Great fun. Hitting the castle gate is what it is, the best bash toy ever in pinball. Also, probably the greatest actor script on any machine. You have to really, really hate medieval themes to not enjoy this one

White Water - Maybe I am bias regarding this title since it was the first one I ever bought. Ramp bonanza. (having a ramp were the ball actually hits the glass is pretty awesome) Captures the theme really well. Fast and furious, bright and colorful and a boatload of fun.

Here are the 5 most over-rated tables in my view:

Cactus Canyon - way over-ratted. Nothing special at all, with pretty boring rules. An average pin that is sought after because it is rare only. But pretty cool theme, at least
Safe Cracker - Not much of a pin at all with shallow rules. Sought after because it looks cool and not many built. Still a cool machine to show off but more of a novelty machine than a classic pin
No good Gofers - This one is on me. I can see how other people could love it. Some pins is just not for everyone
Star Trek TNG - I Like it in the app but not in real life. Steve R vs widebody= Fail. This pin would have been a top 5 if it were a narrow body. Great rules and design. It is just to wide for it's own good
TOTAN: Looks really good but good looks isn't everything

 

[Crooker]

Just a point about the 2x scoring in Rbion. There is nothing lucky about it. It must be setup. Temple gate must be open(right ramp shot) then the center ramp must be shot with the ball going to the right lane 3 times to activate 2x scoring. This is only done after completing all the continents( maybe after getting all Ripleys letters also). Not really worth doing all that work for any other mode. The better you play each continent the better your score is. 2x scoring is not some random lucky shot. Agreed that it the right lane from the centre ramp is pretty much a railroad shot(not 100% though). Never came across Rbion in the wild so can not comment on that aspect of it.

 

[vikingerik]

Ok, here's some more opinions. First, Cirqus Voltaire, which I like more than most and probably makes my own top 5.

- I like its layout. It departs from the standard open fan just the right amount, with interesting shots but without feeling packed and cluttered.

- It has just the right amount of mechanical bits in the Ringmaster, Menagerie ball, and Boom balloon. They're interesting to interact with and don't feel tacked on or getting in your way. I actually wish the Boom balloon showed up more often. The one mechanical bit that is tacked on is the cannonball backglass, which involves no skill and just delays the rest of the game, but this is only a minor flaw.

- PET3R mentioned the difficult ramp, but that's actually very well done in TPA, just about the same difficulty and drain threat as on the real machine.

- I actually quite like the low inlane-outlane divider and wish more games were like that. It doesn't really make much difference in TPA as you don't have fine enough nudge control to reliably select the inlane. But on a real machine, I feel I have quite a bit more control here than with the standard setup.

- Bashing the Ringmaster can get a bit dull, but CV does do it better than AFM and MM. You only have to go through four ringmasters instead of six saucers/castles, and the later ones don't get longer and drag on forever. And each one gives you a multiball as a fun tangible reward. If folks don't like the Ringmaster bashing, I actually think it's just from the voice package, that it would indeed be just as fun as AFM and MM if CV yelled out the same type of exuberant support.

- The progression towards the wizard mode works well. It's obviously cut from the same "complete N tasks" cloth as the likes of AFM or Whitewater. And some of the tasks aren't all that exciting, particularly Ringmaster Frenzie that's a strict subset of defeating all Ringmasters, or Spin which is just four shots that you never otherwise need to make. But I feel the design comes to more than the sum of its parts. You'll usually have several marvels take care of themselves while working on the ringmasters, but there's usually one or two outlying marvels that tend to be different each time.

- I agree that CV may have a few too many features, nothing like the elegance of Monster Bash. But there are none that distract or get in your way, they're all lightweight fun, just like a circus should be. (Okay, we could cut that dumb video mode.)

- One feature that does work is the push-your-luck element of Ringmaster Battle. Your choice whether to pursue that for an EB or just go for the wizard mode instead.

- Like all the best pinball games, CV allows a good amount of stacking but doesn't require it. The scoring for stacked multiballs is helpful and balanced but not dominating.

- Finally, the wizard mode itself. I'm generally not a fan of wizard modes that need to be won or lost like BFTK, I prefer just a big reward round like LITZ or Monster Bash. But Join the Cirqus is my favorite of the first type, and does it best. The key is that winning the mode is not tied to some arbitrary timer, or maintaining a multiball, or not draining a single ball (like Grand Finale.) If you drain, you use the next ball to keep going. So the wizard mode really is all skill and thoroughly fair, you against the machine, distilled down to a single direct worthy challenge.

- We're not rating on theme here, but I'll mention it anyway. The "electric circus" is a totally fresh take, and a welcome change from the freakshow/scary-clown type of treatment that's all too common in other media and from the likes of Hurricane.

- We're also not rating on the TPA conversion, but I think that's well done too. Folks complain about the floaty physics, but I think that works perfectly well for this table. The circus should be about acrobats flying around. This isn't supposed to be a Ritchie speedfest. The difficulty is surprisingly well balanced for a season 1 table. (Now if only Farsight could fix the lost-ball and cannonball-run camera bugs, so I could actually play the table again!)

Overall, CV doesn't do any one thing spectacularly well, but it does do a *lot* of things nicely well, and overall it adds up to quite a fun and satisfying package.