What are your Top 3 DE tables?

[Captain B. Zarre]

Because Pinball Arcade hasn't released them yet, why don't we give more attention to these wonderful games?

My Top 3 are:

1: Jurassic Park. Just the theme in general is captivating to me. For instance, the modes are called "CRT"s and almost all of them are based on scenes from the movie. When you complete them all, you get to access "System Failure" where the machine literally pretends to shut down like the computers do in the actual movie, and then you get an insane six-ball multi ball. Besides this, you also have many other goals to achieve, like collecting the T-REX Bounty and starting Tri-Ball. The Tri-Ball in this game is surprisingly complex for an early 90s machine, and you know how much I love deep rulesets! Besides this, the sounds are great (System Failure music is comprised out of distorted sounds from the game ), the theme is well-done, and the music is worth a couple of Emmys. The one thing I don't particularly like is the backglass, it's lot's of weird stuff under the T-rex and the JP name. Maybe it's symbolism towards the movie? XD

2: The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends. For a machine based on a kids cartoon from the 60s, this machine is sophisticated. Nearly 10 unique modes (couple from WABAC, Puzzles, Hat Tricks), awesome flow, and the theme... The theme is brilliantly executed. Nothing seems phoned in - the designers went with the plot of the cartoon story arcs and did it very well. Combine this with references to nearly every single short on the show and you've got yourself a winner. This was also, notably, the first general Stern machine to feature a Super Jackpot (Bullwinkle's Treasure by completing the pie during Tri-Ball). It's really horrible that there's none on location near me. Wr-wr-wrong hat does get old after a while, but it CAN be fixed, there's often dirt between the Hat Trick targets. After watching video of this machine, I feel inspired to watch the cartoon, people online keep telling me it's great.

3: Time Machine. Both the theme and sound on this pinball are well done. You lock balls by completing targets to advance from the 80s all the way to the 50s to start multi ball. During multi ball, there's a huge cacophony of chimes coming from a real chime box under the play field. It was considered innovative at its time, and it's a real shame that its much more obscure today than back then. Time Machine, where you go back in time...

Vote for your top 3 on the poll above. Perhaps write a post about them. It's not a requirement, but it's definitely a suggestion. Wait, who am I, the mod?

 

[Kolchak357]

We haven't had a poll in a while. I was starting to get the shakes. I'm torn between picking the three I would most want and three that I would like that are in the realm of possibility of making it to The Pinball Arcade.

Edit - Voted for Jurassic Park, Who's Tommy, and Guns N Roses.
All of which seem highly unlikely to appear on TPA.

 

[invitro]

Boy oh boy I hate DE machines. In the 1990s, I was spoiled by having lots of great pins by all manufacturers around, but operators in my area really loved DE's. I suppose it was because of their high-ticket movie themes. I couldn't stand most of them and still don't.

I suppose Tommy is my favorite, as it has a quite decent playfield and would have very good sound if it wasn't coming out of DE's sound system. I have a lot of good memories of playing Tommy, and some silly ones of trying to decipher its video mode and pestering K. Martin about it. I had a lot of fun playing Maverick, too, as it's maybe the only DE to have a playfield that is somewhat creative, and not just a mishmash of WMS's playfields. Those are the only two I can actually say I enjoy. My third vote was for JP, as it's at least tolerable, I suppose. I debated going for GNR, TFTC, and even LAH. Actually I think I will switch my JP vote to GNR if I can. When I think of GNR I can't help thinking of some really annoying sound effect that plays when a ball makes it halfway up a ramp and falls back down. The sound on GNR is generally very good for a DE, and I like the ramps shaped like a G and an R.

The DE pins before JP really are some of the very worst pinball machines ever made. I really hope TPA is not thinking about adding any of them. There are sooo many 1979-1982 WMS/Bally tables that should be considered if they want to do something other than the Golden Age 1990s WMS pins.

 

[Shaneus]

WWF is grossly underrated. You should all be ashamed of yourselves!

 

[Nightwing]

Since I think we may get two at most in TPA,I voted for my three favorites that I liked to play "back in the day".

Star Trek
Star Wars
WWF Royal Rumble

The theme wins out here. I know how simple SW is,but I don't care. This is a DE poll...most of what is here pales in comparison to any Williams/Bally table of the same era.

Jurassic Park would have been third,but I can still play that locally...

 

[Bowflex]

Since I think we may get two at most in TPA,I voted for my three favorites that I liked to play "back in the day".

Jurassic Park would have been third,but I can still play that locally...

I agree that maybe we get 2 or 3. They have a few non-licensed tables but nobody is clamoring for those. Rocky and Bullwinkle and Tales from the Crypt are both really good tables, quite popular, and possibly achievable. Jurassic Park is pretty cool but it has a playfield that is very Lawlor-esque. Which isn't a bad thing but it loses originality. I do like T-Rex eating your balls. That came out wrong.

Oh, and WWE is extremely underrated. People write it off due to the wrestling theme but it is a fun game and it helps if, like me, you love wrestling!

 

[DanBradford]

Can we see a list of them all so I don't miss any?

I've owned R&B and GE and currently have a WWF and LW3 and a BTTF. and I had a SP. but I can't remember which ones are data east.

DE did loads of good titles, I don't understand all the flak they get except maybe because the parts are harder to get and cost more

 

[Bowflex]

Can we see a list of them all so I don't miss any?

I've owned R&B and GE and currently have a WWF and LW3 and a BTTF. and I had a SP. but I can't remember which ones are data east.

DE did loads of good titles, I don't understand all the flak they get except maybe because the parts are harder to get and cost more

Personally I voted for Lethal Weapon 3 and Last Action Hero along with GnFnR. But they definitely put out several other great tables. The unlicensed games they did are actually quite decent. R&B is great. I think the criticism comes from the belieft that they only produced tables that have simple layouts and heavy reliance on the DMD (often interrupting gameplay and flow). However, I think that criticism is more easily found on some of the higher profile tables like Star Wars and really isn't as common as one might believe. Still enough to form an opinion for many players based on just playing one offering.

 

[DanBradford]

Plenty of crappy titles too, I won't argue that. But then so did every company. GNR rocks. SW rocks. I think for my third choice I'll take TFTC even though I've hardly played one.

 

[Espy]

Star Trek (a simple game. but the combo flow on the two ramps is really satisfying), Star Wars, and Secret Service... just to be different, and I doubt very many people have played it.

 

[shutyertrap]

I only voted for 2...as my hate for DE tables is quite strong.

I picked Jurassic Park for one. It rips off Whirlwind in a major way with the layout, but seeing as how that's one of my favorite games, it makes it a positive. I just played a real JP a few weeks back for the first time in forever, and it is wicked fast. But as with most DE games I'm familiar with, it's also obnoxious in how loud and busy it is.

Guns N Roses is my second pick. I've only gotten my hands on a real one once, but I did put some time into with VP. I like the layout, and the game never gets boring for me. That to me is a win for a DE table. Sorry Star Wars, LW3, Simpson, BTTF, and Robocop, but you all lost me 3 games in.

I've heard plenty of good things about TFTC and R&B, but I've never played them in real life so I can't judge. And yes, for me judging a DE table based on real life play is essential, because it is the feel of their machines that I hate more than anything. Truth be told, digital conversions are the best thing that could actually happen to a DE table in my opinion. So many of my complaints would disappear once digitized!

 

[chadderack]

The original Simpsons is a fairly simple pin, but really fun. I played the hell out of it back in the early 90s.

Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends was a lot of fun every time I played it. Great call outs & references; the voices were spot on. The multiballs were a blast.

 

[Punisher]

Checkpoint. Last Action Hero, and Tommy.

Please don't kill me.

 

[Dutch Pinball ball]

Ok ok ok ok ok ok.