Which table(s) would you recommend for a beginner, besides Scared Stiff ?

[Ton]

I haven't played TPA the last few years because, although I got some good advice here, I couldn't get a grip on it somehow. I think that I know why meanwhile. I bought a new TV some time ago, a LG Oled, that has a Game Mode and started playing again and noticed that I had hardly any lag now which resulted in much more precise shots.
I started with Scared Stiff and little by little my results are getting better and better. Not spectacular, but most of the scores on the backglass are mine now. I keep practicing of course, but i would like to try another table for a change and for some variation.
Which table(s) would you recommend ? And then I mean tables that are fun, not too hard and with not too many and difficult rules. I tried Theatre of Magic for example but for me it is a bit long and still difficult at the moment.

 

[Gorgar]

Medieval Madness and Attack From Mars are a little more difficult than Scared Stiff, but they are the type of tables that are easy to learn but difficult to master. They both have very similar layouts and rules, so I would start with Attack From Mars, the easier of the two.

In general, the season 1 tables are generally the most beloved ones and are tuned easier, so I would look at that season first. Other than MM and AFM, I would check out No Good Gophers and Creature From the Black Lagoon.

 

[Kolchak357]

Gorgar made some excellent suggestions. Monster Bash is another I would add. Easy to understand what to do, and not terribly difficult. Plus it's just a flat out fun pin. Great use of the monster theme with plenty of humor and good music.

If you are looking for a different type of theme, I'd also recommend Cactus Canyon. Pretty easy to understand, plenty to do, and a wild west theme with plenty of humor.

Both of these have multiball that isn't very difficult to start.


Now if you are looking for great pins with a bit more difficulty then I'd recommend Twilight Zone or the biggest seller of all time Addams Family. Both super fun with a lot to do, but they can play a little mean at times.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

8 Ball Deluxe is a great intro table too. Simple enough to get right into, not frustratingly difficult, and crazy addictive.

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[Crawley]

Big Shot is a good one to get used to skills like ball trapping and post passing. You also need accurate shots in that one to hit all the drop targets so it's a good table to practice how the ball comes off the flippers after you've trapped it.

 

[shutyertrap]

I agree that Medieval Madness is a good one to learn on. It guides you towards what you should shoot out and the rules are fairly straight forward. Plus you learn the art of combo-ing ramps. If you step out of DMD world, Whirlwind is fairly straight forward for learning a non wizard mode table that still has a run the table type scoring.

The unknown here is what type of player are you? You say beginner, but is that new to pinball in general or just not skilled? Are you just looking for long ball times or going for a sense of progression? Are you the type who is happy with average scores or are you looking for tables that let you take enormous leaps if you know the secrets?

For instance, EBD is a great table to practice and hone your skills on, but it's not ever going to be a super high scorer. Creature is a table that once you discover the shear amount of points available in multiball, you'll ignore everything else on the table. Then there's Ripley's, which has this insurmountable point wall until you learn the rules and go from thinking 20 million is a good game to being disappointed with anything less than 200 million.

The last issue to be addressed is what do you own? If you are looking for advice to know which tables to buy, just buy Season 1. There are many different types of tables within it, good for all level of play. You'll quickly find out what kind of player you are from that, and then it will be much easier to make recommendations.

 

[k88dad]

I'm surprised nobody recommended Bride of Pin*Bot. It's an easy table that provides a reasonable challenge for a beginner. The ruleset is simpler than Theatre of Magic, but it has the pinball basics. There's a skill shot, a big point shot, a natural progression of rules (create the bride, ) and it isn't ridiculously fast.

Another obvious choice is Taxi. It also covers the basics while keeping the rules simple. You start with a skill shot, and then attempt to pick up a series of passengers in (usually) the same order every game. I always turn to Taxi if I'm having an off day with the flippers.

I recommend looking at the instructions either from the standard goals menu or from the instructions menu itself. Start with the skill shot and then peek back after every game or two to see what else looks interesting. Over time, you can learn many of the rules without feeling like you have to Read The Friendly Manual(r).

 

[Ton]

Thanks for all the replies and the great suggestions.
[MENTION=1506]k88dad[/MENTION] (particularly): Would it, to learn a new table, also be a good idea to play a few games only practicing on one of the goals from the instructions ? Or is that just what you are recommending already ?

 

[Anubis]

The most important skill to learn, I think, is ball trapping. If you are going to focus on one thing, that is what I would recommend. Like most things, it will vary by table. Some machines actually punish you with drains for ball trapping. Genie and HH come instantly to mind.

 

[k88dad]

Thanks for all the replies and the great suggestions.
[MENTION=1506]k88dad[/MENTION] (particularly): Would it, to learn a new table, also be a good idea to play a few games only practicing on one of the goals from the instructions ? Or is that just what you are recommending already ?

That's pretty much what I was saying. Playing a few games trying to get one of the goals is a great way to start to learn about the table (especially if the goal is fun but not real easy for you.) Some tables have easier goals. You might complete some of them without even trying.

Whether they're easy or not for you, trying to complete goals is a great way to learn the rules of the table. I suggested the skill shot (when the table has one) because that can often be done every time you launch the ball. Some goals are just "here's another way to score points on this table." Other goals are for a fundamental part of playing the table, like get an extra ball or start multiball. Many of the goals are just score a certain number of points for the game, or on one ball. A lot of people never got the one for millions of points on Genie. You don't have to complete all of the goals to enjoy the table, but you might figure out many of the rules just by trying a new goal every few games.

 

[shutyertrap]

My approach virtually every time to playing a table in TPA:

1. Just flip the ball around, shoot for flashing lights, if there are ramps, get the ball up them. Essentially just feeling out the table and seeing where I can shoot the ball.
2. After about a dozen games, there are bound to be rules or sequences I start to pick up on. If multiball is a thing, I start trying to activate it.
3. By this point I now have a good idea if this is a table I like or not. Also more than likely, I've gotten at least a few of the standard goals, if not all through nothing more than dumb luck.
4. If I'm liking the table, I will now look at what the goals remaining are and read the instructions for getting those goals.
5. On some tables, I can get all the wizards within a few hours or less of playing. On other tables, there will be 1 or 2 goals that take hours and hours to get. I play for nothing other than achieving the goal, often stopping and restarting a game before 3rd ball drain simply because a sequence to get the goal was not achieved. Interestingly, it is these moments that I start locking in my accuracy for multiple different shots, thus making every other aspect of the particular table easier.
6. Once I've gotten all the goals, I've become fairly knowledgeable of the rules and scoring tricks. If I haven't already picked up on how to get really high scores, I'll go onto the forum and see what others have done. Often what I find is I know the way, I just haven't achieved it yet.

I'm doing this very method right now on my real EBD I've recently gotten. I first had to forget everything of muscle memory from TPA's version, then I started bashing around. Real quick I started practicing certain shots, then I looked up the full set of rules in TPA and learned what was different from their settings and the dipswitch settings on my machine. Lastly I watched video on PAPA to see what is possible score wise on a real machine. Now I'm learning how to execute. So whether it's a real table or digital, I tend to approach and learn them in the same way.

 

[big_kick]

I recommened Genie for beginners. Beginners should complete all 5 Wizard goals of Genie

 

[Extork]

Gorgar has already said it, but Attack from Mars is the perfect beginner table. There's no better theme for pinball than aliens/space. You've got the cheesy tongue in cheek call outs. Completely original ripped of from Mars Attacks. The gameplay is pretty great. Tons of stuff to shoot for. It makes you think, oh, I need to go for ___. But maybe I should've gone for ___ first. That's where you get that replay value. Also you can suck badly, and still keep getting extra balls. It's just one of those tables I've had non-pinball players try, and they like it better than the others even if they don't like pinball.

 

[Anubis]

I don't know why, but I seriously underperform on Attack from Mars.

I remember one tournament I finished 3rd. I had a couple of firsts, several top 5s...and I was something like 40th on AfM. One time, I even exceeded the 20 min limit. Highest score I have ever had is about 25 mil and change.

I can see it as a player-friendly table. But, it is also quite fast and not shy about draining. Not sure what I'm missing.

P.S. Come to think of it, maybe I just have a problem with that style of table. I don't shoot the lights out on MM and I'm the drizzling poops on NF.

 

[vikingerik]

Completely original ripped of from Mars Attacks.

It wasn't. The pinball machine was released in December 1995, the movie in December 1996. Just a coincidence that similar projects used similar names at similar times. Both were independently inspired by old sci-fi flicks, of course.

Back on topic, yes, AFM is just about the best beginner machine there is both in TPA and real life.

 

[AJB]

It wasn't. The pinball machine was released in December 1995, the movie in December 1996. Just a coincidence that similar projects used similar names at similar times. Both were independently inspired by old sci-fi flicks, of course.

Mars Attack is actually based on a trading card series from 1962. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Attacks


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[yespage]

No Firepower? Sure, it drains like a sink, but the rule set is extremely simple and a good one to learn nudging based on the simple layout.

 

[Zaphod77]

Attack from mars is not a beginners table. it is, however, fun enough for beginners to enjoy, and always seems fair.

Real beginners tables, in real life.

1) Rollergames. This is one to really learn pinball fundamentals on, and it's not too hard.
2) Super Mario Bros. very easy table. only time a beginner will have trouble getting a replay is if it's ludicrously high.
3) Teed Off. learn to trap and shoot for the win. Very easily pwned once you get to lightning storm.
4) Bad Cats. Meow, mya-meow meow. center ramp has a really easy sweet spot for extra balls.
5) back to the future. left ramp all day, and it puts it right on the flipper to shoot it off the plunge. another easily found sweet spot.
6) police force. an eminently loopable center ramp that has good rewards.
7) DE original Batman. the center ramp is so easy to loop that it kicks the ball off of it if you aren't in million plus.
8) DE original star wars. Stay on target... Stay on target... (center ramp)
9) Street FIghter 2. another case of learning how to play the field. teaches good shot making fundamentals.
10) WHO Dunnit. This was conceived as an easier table, and it shows. But it has enough depth to it that it wont' bore you when you get better.
But in TPA, i consider the following beginner tables.

1) Creature from the black lagoon (at least for now it is) easy easy easy.
2) Teed Off
3) Elvira and the party monsters. The all important ramps are safe to attempt to shoot. that's what makes it so much easier than real life.
4) Funhouse. (you can play for AGES if you keep getting extra balls)
5) Twilight Zone. (it's really a kitten compared to real life. once you learn to trap and control that slot machine..)
6) High Speed (if you want to roll a game on TPA, this is the one)
7) Bride of pinbot. get that backdoor billion.
8) Xenon. This is very friendly and a beginner has a good shot of infiniting it. and set very liberally.
9) Jacks Open. Simple, and rather kind for an EM.
10) WHO Dunnit. Again once you learn to collect thoes clues you can play for AGES. I've rolled this one too.

 

[Anubis]

Attack from mars is not a beginners table. it is, however, fun enough for beginners to enjoy, and always seems fair.

Real beginners tables, in real life.

1) Rollergames. This is one to really learn pinball fundamentals on, and it's not too hard.
2) Super Mario Bros. very easy table. only time a beginner will have trouble getting a replay is if it's ludicrously high.
3) Teed Off. learn to trap and shoot for the win. Very easily pwned once you get to lightning storm.
4) Bad Cats. Meow, mya-meow meow. center ramp has a really easy sweet spot for extra balls.
5) back to the future. left ramp all day, and it puts it right on the flipper to shoot it off the plunge. another easily found sweet spot.
6) police force. an eminently loopable center ramp that has good rewards.
7) DE original Batman. the center ramp is so easy to loop that it kicks the ball off of it if you aren't in million plus.
8) DE original star wars. Stay on target... Stay on target... (center ramp)
9) Street FIghter 2. another case of learning how to play the field. teaches good shot making fundamentals.
10) WHO Dunnit. This was conceived as an easier table, and it shows. But it has enough depth to it that it wont' bore you when you get better.
But in TPA, i consider the following beginner tables.

1) Creature from the black lagoon (at least for now it is) easy easy easy.
2) Teed Off
3) Elvira and the party monsters. The all important ramps are safe to attempt to shoot. that's what makes it so much easier than real life.
4) Funhouse. (you can play for AGES if you keep getting extra balls)
5) Twilight Zone. (it's really a kitten compared to real life. once you learn to trap and control that slot machine..)
6) High Speed (if you want to roll a game on TPA, this is the one)
7) Bride of pinbot. get that backdoor billion.
8) Xenon. This is very friendly and a beginner has a good shot of infiniting it. and set very liberally.
9) Jacks Open. Simple, and rather kind for an EM.
10) WHO Dunnit. Again once you learn to collect thoes clues you can play for AGES. I've rolled this one too.

I never put Teed Off in the easy category. But, probably because I hate it too much to care. Maybe I can try it again by putting it on mute.

I agree with most of your choices. I think the only other one I raised an eyebrow on is TZ. But, once you figure out the shots, it isn't that bad. I do remember the real thing being a nightmare. Addam's Family is, too. I hated the real life AF when I tried it.

 

[dave950lam]

The early 80's/ late 70's tables would be good for a beginner.....Simple rules and a layout that's not too busy/distracting.