Which Season Pass should be next on my list?

[Mclong]

Hello everyone, I'm looking at purchasing another Season pass for my iPad 4. Since, a pass isn't available yet for Season 6 I'm left with either Season 4 or Season 5. Each season has a few epic tables such as Adam's Family and Red and Ted's or Judge Dredd and Last Action Hero. Also, I'm hoping for a few hidden gems, for instance I've come to enjoy Central Park in Season 2. Which season should I acquire first? Is there a noticeable difference with flipper physics 3.0 introduce with Xenon? Which tables do you find have the most replay value in those seasons? Which tables are hidden gems, if any?

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond.

Sincerely,

Matt

 

[shutyertrap]

Well if you are a Pat Lawlor fan, then you have to go with Season 4. Earthshaker, Roadshow, Addams Family, and Safe Cracker? C'mon now! Starship Troopers or Phantom will become your possible hidden gem, as they have their fans. Party Zone, Cyclone, Xenon, and Jack*Bot aren't too shabby either. Seriously though, it all comes down to the Lawlor tables.

Season 5 you get three Steve Ritchie tables, with Getaway, No Fear, and F-14. I think the EM pack of Fireball and El Dorado is pretty strong too, especially since you'll never want to play City of Gold again after experiencing the EM version. I haven't yet put in time with Dredd to make a comment, I'm not impressed with Frankenstein personally, and Hurricane becomes very blah once you figure out the scoring. That leaves TX Sector, Last Action Hero, and Rescue 911. I think R911 is a total dog, TX is fun briefly and then becomes 10x worse than Victory, and LAH I haven't put time into to leave a comment either.

Myself, I'm a Lawlor fan so S4 is the winner to me. If you are a fan of EMs, then you have to go with 5 as both tables are fantastic. I don't play on iOS, only PC, so I can't help you with how they look or play on that platform. Another consideration is if you are waiting for a sale, S4 will have a better discount than 5, if it even has one at all.

 

[Mclong]

shutyertrap, Fantastic detailed response which gives me much to consider before purchasing. I'm probably overthinking this because eventually I will purchase every past and future season pass. If available, I would have purchased Season 6 pass but that's unavailable through Apple. There are several tables in both seasons I've never played on physical machines. Like you, I am a huge Pat Lawlor fan and Twilight Zone is one of my top 10 machines of all time. I have recently played only a few games on The Adams Family in real life and did not get in-depth with the rule set. I've been interested in Safe Cracker since hearing about it on a recent Blahcade podcasts. Victory was fun the first time I played it but quickly became one of my least played tables due to flow issue and rinse-repeat feel. I'm glad to know upfront that TX Sector won't be a hidden gem and I will keep my standards low.

I am interested in sales and based on history, do you expect a sale to come in the next few months?

Edit:
Purchased Season 4, thanks again for your recommendations.

Furthermore, Farsight replied about flipper physics.
[MENTION=2355]Captain B. Zarre[/MENTION]: When will the new physics come to older tables on iOS?

We've been adding the physics to a few tables each month. We will continue until the entire collection is complete.

 

[HotHamBoy]

shutyertrap, Fantastic detailed response which gives me much to consider before purchasing. I'm probably overthinking this because eventually I will purchase every past and future season pass. If available, I would have purchased Season 6 pass but that's unavailable through Apple. There are several tables in both seasons I've never played on physical machines. Like you, I am a huge Pat Lawlor fan and Twilight Zone is one of my top 10 machines of all time. I have recently played only a few games on The Adams Family in real life and did not get in-depth with the rule set. I've been interested in Safe Cracker since hearing about it on a recent Blahcade podcasts. Victory was fun the first time I played it but quickly became one of my least played tables due to flow issue and rinse-repeat feel. I'm glad to know upfront that TX Sector won't be a hidden gem and I will keep my standards low.

I am interested in sales and based on history, do you expect a sale to come in the next few months?

Edit:
Purchased Season 4, thanks again for your recommendations.

Furthermore, Farsight replied about flipper physics.
[MENTION=2355]Captain B. Zarre[/MENTION]: When will the new physics come to older tables on iOS?

We've been adding the physics to a few tables each month. We will continue until the entire collection is complete.

This isn't an outright lie, but it is a little disingenuous. I feel like they've updated the physics on about 4 tables this year.

Good choice with Season 4. S5 is solid but S4 is superior, IMO. But I'm a Lawlor shill.

 

[CycOd3liC]

+1 for Season 4. Some great tables for sure!

 

[Rich Lehmann]

Why get the whole season? I get the season because I like trying the new table as they come out but having played them all, Addams Family and Xenon are the only ones in season 4 I played after the first month. In season 5 TX Sector and Hurricane with an occasional Judge Dredd

 

[shutyertrap]

Why get the whole season? I get the season because I like trying the new table as they come out but having played them all, Addams Family and Xenon are the only ones in season 4 I played after the first month. In season 5 TX Sector and Hurricane with an occasional Judge Dredd

Because if he's a Lawlor fan (and he said he is), that's 4 tables he'd buy anyway. If there were 2 more he was interested in, the other 4 become free.

 

[karl]

I would say that season 4 and 5 are almost on par, but season 4 is a little better. Roadshow, Jackbot, Xenon, Addams = all good. Rest is ok. Season 5 started great with Getaway and F-14, but lots of acquired taste titles after those.

 

[Fungi]

Season 5 started great with Getaway and F-14, but lots of acquired taste titles after those.

I'm still waiting for that acquisition to take place.

 

[karl]

I'm still waiting for that acquisition to take place.

Blame google. I am foreign and drunk

Edit. For a moment there, I thought I had done a horrible spelling mistake, that would change the world I will correct this with: Blame Monty Python.....Wait, that's not right. Time to go to bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Fungi]

Blame google. I am foreign and drunk

Edit. For a moment there, I thought I had done a horrible spelling mistake, that would change the world I will correct this with: Blame Monty Python.....Wait, that's not right. Time to go to bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzz

No. You haven't done anything wrong. I'm uncertain what you think you did. You're just fine.

 

[karl]

No. You haven't done anything wrong. I'm uncertain what you think you did. You're just fine.

No, I'm not

 

[CycOd3liC]

I'm just a pinball fan in general. I'll play anything, but i have a lot of great memories on several of those S4 tables (more than any season).

 

[Mclong]

Because if he's a Lawlor fan (and he said he is), that's 4 tables he'd buy anyway. If there were 2 more he was interested in, the other 4 become free.

That's exactly my train of thought regarding Season Passes.

 

[Mclong]

I'm just a pinball fan in general. I'll play anything, but i have a lot of great memories on several of those S4 tables (more than any season).

Likewise, I'll play anything a couple times and I have most of my pinball memories from Season 1 with a few tables from every other Season.

 

[Rich Lehmann]

Blame google. I am foreign and drunk

Edit. For a moment there, I thought I had done a horrible spelling mistake, that would change the world I will correct this with: Blame Monty Python.....Wait, that's not right. Time to go to bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Speaking of Google, I was at their Venice Beach offices and they had an Addams Family table in one of their break rooms. Played like new.

 

[Mclong]

Speaking of Google, I was at their Venice Beach offices and they had an Addams Family table in one of their break rooms. Played like new.

That's cool! How do you feel the TPA version plays vs the real thing in top condition?

 

[Kolchak357]

Addams is probably my all time fave, so you know what season I would take. Season 5 has some good pins, but I definitely play season 4 pins more often.

Not to speak for Rich, but for me Addams is easier and more predictable than the real thing. The magnet is also too powerful IMO. But it's a lot of fun to play. I didn't think it would ever come to TPA, so happy to have it.

 

[HotHamBoy]

Addams is probably my all time fave, so you know what season I would take. Season 5 has some good pins, but I definitely play season 4 pins more often.

Not to speak for Rich, but for me Addams is easier and more predictable than the real thing. The magnet is also too powerful IMO. But it's a lot of fun to play. I didn't think it would ever come to TPA, so happy to have it.

Certainly some tables just need the real-world physics, kinetics and presence to be truly engaging. As a result, a lot of otherwise great games suffer in TPA.

Some games are just so well designed that they are still really fun and have great staying power despite what's lost in translation.

Addams is one of those tables, along with Attack From Mars.

Why get the whole season? I get the season because I like trying the new table as they come out but having played them all, Addams Family and Xenon are the only ones in season 4 I played after the first month. In season 5 TX Sector and Hurricane with an occasional Judge Dredd

Taste is subjective, you know. That's the best reason to buy a season - try a table for yourself instead of relying on the opinions of others. You may feel completely opposite.

I find Xenon and TX to be dreadfully dull. Two of my least-played games. I like the Lawlors, Jack*Bot, LAH, Getaway, Dredd, etc.