The Pinball Thread

[Jeneki]

The Predator Pinball (Pinball Brothers) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzH7b1DJ4ZU

Not the best reveal video. I found a few other vids that show the cast from the 1987 film at least.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Eeeh, I'm not impressed. Their artwork often looks like some semi-professional photoshop job...

here's a gameplay video, which also failed to excite me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nVVn6C-EJc

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

So, any of you going to UK Pinfest late August?

I'm gonna play the shit out of their King Kong and Godzilla machines...

[Jeneki]

I noticed in the most recently posted gameplay, the muiltball "Get to the Choppa" no longer shows a close up of Arnie's face and has a different dubbed voice. Guess they couldn't get the rights for him.

Which means an unofficial mod will surely put it back in lol. Similar to how every Stern TMNT machine I've played has the unofficial mod that replaces video with the 80s cartoon.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

I noticed in the most recently posted gameplay, the muiltball "Get to the Choppa" no longer shows a close up of Arnie's face and has a different dubbed voice. Guess they couldn't get the rights for him.

Which means an unofficial mod will surely put it back in lol. Similar to how every Stern TMNT machine I've played has the unofficial mod that replaces video with the 80s cartoon.

You're thinking about buying the predator pinball?

[Jeneki]

Nah. There's a lot of pinball locations near me, so one will show up somewhere. Easier to get a few plays in that way.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

I only (barely) have the space for one pinball machine; right now it's Creature from the Black Lagoon, but I'll probably sell it soon so I can afford a Godzilla.
Let's talk about our favourite machines! I haven't even yet played Godzilla, but it has an incredible reputation and looks amazing, design- and artwork wise. What I have played quite a bit is White Whater, about which I love almost everything (not a fan of the midi tunes that machines from that era have, though; I also don't like this about Creature's soundtrack). Attack from Mars, Indy, and Baywatch (Sega's best machine IMHO), in no particular order, are some more of my favourite machines.

[Jeneki]

Jaws 50th Anniversary (Stern) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evJlg5M6vXM

Cosmetic variant to Jaws pinball, similar to Godzilla 70th. No play differences. As a side note, lmao at that tiny sticker used to indicate 50th anniversary.



Some favorite pins:

For EM games, stuff like Prospector (1977) or Grand Prix (1976), where you build up separate bonus lines and cash them out in different ways.

Early solid state, Gorgar (1979) is quite fun and has good variety with how the different shots power up.

Guilty pleasure, Data East WWF Royal Rumble. Probably my favorite 'nostalgia' table due to the voice sound and music, "Yeah yeah ooooooh yeah!"

80s style, Monte Carlo. Unconventional layout but interesting mechanics with how you build up before the ball locks to spin and win, and the special timed shot is super hype. Vector pinball also has some interesting ball lock mechanics and is quite a challenge to pull off.

90s style, High Speed II The Getaway, as the multiball and red line mania are pure adrenaline. Also Star Trek Next Generation, which is very brutal but addicting, as well as hitting the right nostalgia marks.

For total hype fun factor, Black Knight Sword of Rage. It's the only pinball I've played where battles really feel like battles. Sure there are plenty of tables where you 'fight stuff', with more complex layouts and shots all over the place, but the simpler layout in Sword of Rage feels more like I'm aiming attacks as enemies move about. For example, the way the sand worm scurries back and forth before getting stunned by a hit, chopping off hydra heads to remove a shot, the danger of attacking the Black Knight directly or getting flailed, etc. I prefer the pro version (no upper playfield) as the premium version slows down the fighting a bit. Quick and brutal game, it's basically a knife fight in a telephone booth.

Favorite modern overall, Iron Maiden. Love the modes, shots, loops, difficulty balance, everything about it feels great. Godzilla is also great, but leans more towards longer play sessions.