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The Pinball Arcade / Farsight Studios
Top 5-10 Pinballs every made - Pro talk
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<blockquote data-quote="EldarOfSuburbia" data-source="post: 221643" data-attributes="member: 4106"><p>There's quite a lot to digest here.</p><p></p><p>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!</p><p></p><p>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".</p><p></p><p>Anyway, onto the list as originally presented.</p><p></p><p><strong>Monster Bash</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Addams Family</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Star Trek Next Generation</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Scared Stiff</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Twilight Zone</strong> - 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 <em>too much</em>. 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.</p><p><strong>Cactus Canyon</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Theatre of Magic</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Ripleys Believe It Or Not</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Circus Voltaire</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Creature From The Black Lagoon</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Attack From Mars</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>White Water</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Terminator 2</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Medieval Madness</strong> - 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.</p><p><strong>Arabian Nights</strong> - 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.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="EldarOfSuburbia, post: 221643, member: 4106"] 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. [B]Monster Bash[/B] - 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. [B]Addams Family[/B] - 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. [B]Star Trek Next Generation[/B] - 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. [B]Scared Stiff[/B] - 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. [B]Twilight Zone[/B] - 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 [I]too much[/I]. 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. [B]Cactus Canyon[/B] - 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. [B]Theatre of Magic[/B] - 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. [B]Ripleys Believe It Or Not[/B] - 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. [B]Circus Voltaire[/B] - 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. [B]Creature From The Black Lagoon[/B] - 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. [B]Attack From Mars[/B] - 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. [B]White Water[/B] - 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. [B]Terminator 2[/B] - 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. [B]Medieval Madness[/B] - 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. [B]Arabian Nights[/B] - 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. [/QUOTE]
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Top 5-10 Pinballs every made - Pro talk
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