'Best' EM Pin?

GameyMcGame

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Thinking I'd like to get one for the gameroom...I dont love them but I think it would be fun to have one.

asking 'which one is best' is a can of worms...WIth that said, if I could get one, what suggestions do you have? Whats are the 'A' title EM's?
 
A title EM's... considering most on the market are cheap, that could be any and all of them.

Gottleib is a desirable name.
The wood rail ones that are restored and look like furniture seem to be gems in collections.
the baseball games with bat flipper that have the extra baseball field with rotating players, are hot.


for me, i like the style like Jet Spin with some projects to shoot for with open field
the roto-target stuff takes some tinkering and requires good finger/contact adjustment of bakelite surfaces that are slick.
I got really tired of that.

if i were going to do another EM, it would have to be using limited amounts of rotating mechanisms like the roto-target.
 
A title EM's... considering most on the market are cheap, that could be any and all of them.

Gottleib is a desirable name.
The wood rail ones that are restored and look like furniture seem to be gems in collections.
the baseball games with bat flipper that have the extra baseball field with rotating players, are hot.


for me, i like the style like Jet Spin with some projects to shoot for with open field
the roto-target stuff takes some tinkering and requires good finger/contact adjustment of bakelite surfaces that are slick.
I got really tired of that.

if i were going to do another EM, it would have to be using limited amounts of rotating mechanisms like the roto-target.

Thanks mark!
 
Usually games with drop target games are a good bet for EMs. Card games like Royal Flush or King of Diamonds are good ones. Big/Hot Shot is a fun one that has a pool theme. I'm also partial to Time Zone and some of the sci-fi themed ones.
 
Joker Poker is a great EM it came in SS also but the EM is great. I love my Old Chicago fun to play great art. There are alot of good EM's, I would stick to the 2 to 4 players, the single players just don't seem to bring the fun. Also think about theme if that matters in your game room. I would just search the IPDB site and see what gets you going. Good luck.

Toby
 
I picked up a Bally Space Time last year and like it a lot. I'm a big fan of the old Time Tunnel tv show - see the avaitar - so the bonus tunnel effect is what caught my eye about it. Some EMs are very cool with backglass animation and all.

Tom
 
It all depends on the vintage of the machine. I just restored a 1960 Gottlieb "Kewpie Doll" woodrail for a friend. It's a lot of fun for an older machine. It even has the cigarette holders on the rails!
 
Hot Tip 1977 - (EM & SS versions made).
Can't say exactly why, but I love and want this game.
But you can't go wrong with drop targets and spinners.
Spinners were way more effective in EM games than
later in life.
 
What was said above RE: Gottlieb's - lots of good ones to choose through the 60's and 70's. Royal Flush is great!

If you want something that plays a bit faster, consider some of the Williams EM's from the period, such as Aztec, Grand Prix, Space Odyssy/Space Mission, Big Deal.

Some other good Ballys from the period - Capt. Fantastic, Old Chicago, Nip-It

For Gottlieb - Big Indian, Spirit of '76, Top Score - lots of good ones from Gottlieb through the 70's!
 
I love my Jungle Queen (Gottlieb, 1977). Two drop target banks, kickers at the top of the playfield - great game (and has 100,000 point lights in the backbox for "breaking" 100k).

-scott
 
I'm in the minority, but I *hate* Fireball. It took playing it in two different tournaments for me to realize the game, more so than any other EM, is a crap shoot. People complain that EM's sometimes play themselves...no...only Fireball plays by itself. Play the thing for about 10 games before settling on it.

It's too bad you aren't in the bay. The PPM/JuJu has 100's of EM's to try out. Definitely a fan of Space Oddysey and El Dorado. Four Million BC is pretty goofy.
 
I have become a fan of EM pins. I love the feel and sound of the old EMs. Card based games are usually a sure thing. Art plays a big roll in the machine in my gameroom. I still love the look and feel of a wedge; but I really like the art of williams "pointy people". One of the best things about EMs are the price. If you don't like it you didn't have to morgtage the house to buy it. I love williams gulfstream.
 
A title EM's... considering most on the market are cheap, that could be any and all of them.

Gottleib is a desirable name.
The wood rail ones that are restored and look like furniture seem to be gems in collections.
the baseball games with bat flipper that have the extra baseball field with rotating players, are hot.


for me, i like the style like Jet Spin with some projects to shoot for with open field
the roto-target stuff takes some tinkering and requires good finger/contact adjustment of bakelite surfaces that are slick.
I got really tired of that.

if i were going to do another EM, it would have to be using limited amounts of rotating mechanisms like the roto-target.

I agree with you on the Jet Spin. I think I have the two best EM games made (aside from Fireball): Royal Flush and Jet Spin.
 
Fireball does play itself, but that's part of the fun. Getting the game going with all three balls and the zipper flippers is a blast. It's kind of more of a "woah" game. Sure to impress any DMD dudes that appreciate old shit. I own it and can attest to this.

I picked a Surf Champ up for $200 and I love it. Great art, good shots, spinner, drop target bank, Gottlieb...

Other than that I really liked Grand Prix. It was fast and a blast to hit those spinners.
 
Right now on Facebook.
"The Pinball Arcade" (people doing the new games, that did williams classics) are running a poll asking for the best EM pinballs that they should emulate.

I voted for jet spin and 1964 world fair.
 
My fav is target alpha

...or Gold Strike, the 1-player AAB version!

I still find it strange that many people prefer GTB EM games. Back in what I consider the "golden days" of EM pins (early 70's thru SS, when pins all had 3" flippers), WMS was the bomb. The WMS games were always much faster and zippier than the GTB/BLY/CC games.

Anyway, back to the question. I'll point out some features that I like in an EM, rather than a list of specific games. I do prefer 3" flipper games; although I enjoy many 2" flipper games, the 3" connects more with modern pinball and there's generally more direct flipper interaction. I also like having a spinner or 2, and/or drop targets. These both enhance the fun factor for me. Saucers are a secondary good feature. An EM with just standups and pops isn't that exciting for me, long-term.

However, a good layout with interesting rules is also important. Well-placed lanes, gates, etc. can make a game lots of fun. I like the orbits that have 3-5 star rollovers on them. Good bonus-building features are also cool. Finally, for home use a multiplayer game is a bit better when having friends over to play. (I know there are many fans of the GTB wedgeheads, which are mostly 1-player, but if you have a single EM or 2, I prefer multiple players.)

One EM I (and many friends) really like is Mars Trek. Picked one up 2 months ago. It has a neat double-spinner with a horseshoe loop and saucer behind them, and a satisfying left orbit shot. The rules are cool too: building the bonus to exactly 50k (10k increments) lights the extra ball in the horseshoe lane behind the spinners, a not-so-easy shot. increase or collect bonus and the EB light goes away. Max the bonus to 100k and one of the spinners lights for 1k. These spinners wail--totally unlike modern ones, they spin forever, so you can rack up huge points there. MT is a 4-player game, and has already appeared in 2 local tournaments. Driving people crazy, too!
 
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