F14 Tomcat opinions

FrizzleFried

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Has anyone played F14 Tomcat? Opinions? Expected prices? I like a fast open game with lots of shots... this looks like a good candidate?
 
Has anyone played F14 Tomcat? Opinions? Expected prices? I like a fast open game with lots of shots... this looks like a good candidate?

I heard it's one you want to avoid, good light show but horrid gameplay.... I was thinking about picking one up and was quickly talked out of it.
 
I heard it's one you want to avoid, good light show but horrid gameplay.... I was thinking about picking one up and was quickly talked out of it.

..and everything I've heard has been quite the opposite. It's a great Steve Ritchie pin.

I had one and would buy another, if I came across a good deal.

do a search on rec.games.pinball for discussion of it. Really, we all just have opinions here
 
There has been a few threads recently about F-14. I personally love mine. Awesome light show. Very fast play. Little frustrating at times but the multiball with the lights and sound definitely makes up for it. :D
 
In early 1988, F-14 Tomcat was the game that brought me back to Pinball. The next pin I hope to purchase is an F-14. I have many a memory spending Friday nights at the local Putt-Putt, playing this game for hours, ignoring all the video games around me.

It's probably my third favorite title from the system 11 era - BK2K and Taxi being my top 2.

If you're playing on a freshly waxed playfield, the game is lightning fast, and would give BK2K a run for it's money, if F-14 had a wizard mode.. It is one damn loud, and bright machine, though.
 
I LOVED my F-14 sweet lights awesome speed and pretty frustrating sometimes.

But I ultimately sold it because no one else ever played it.

It's a great game IMO
 
Never played that one but I do remember Ken Layton expressing his dislike of it. IIRC Ken said the game was such a poor earner they/he pulled them (plural) off route in a short time.
 
I think there are alot better options for the System 11 era:

High Speed
Pinbot
Banzai Run
Black Knight 2000
Earthshaker
Mousin Around
Swords of Fury
Taxi
Whirlwind

I would easily take any of these before I'd get an F-14. Just sayin...
 
The one local is up for $600... the playfield/backglass appear to be in good shape but the cab itself is beat...
 
If the playfield is nice, and the boards mostly work, then that's a decent price. Many of the F-14s had full playfield mylar. The backglass is actually a translite and a sheet of clear glass. Nothing to flake off, so it should look new, unless there's some weird fading.

Cabinets can be fixed. Much easier than searching from a NLA backglass or translite or fixing/replacing a worn out playfield.
 
f-14

it is a good game i have an eairlier model,prototype, it was from a route and the mylar was put on long after it was out there. it was bubbled andthe inserts were raised up but it cleaned up fine. it is fast and the multi balls come quick.though the sound gets annoying after a bit. all in all a good pin
 
Some like it, Some hate it.. I Like it but I also hate it.. Great light show in the dark, game play is decent, It's fast and you can loose your balls incredibly fast. Probably one of the most frustraiting pins I've ever played. Its one of those "You love to hate it" kinda pins. I'd give it a 6.5 out of 10. Decent one to have in your collection but if it's your one and only I'd suggest looking for something else.
 
I think there are alot better options for the System 11 era:

High Speed
Pinbot
Banzai Run
Black Knight 2000
Earthshaker
Mousin Around
Swords of Fury
Taxi
Whirlwind

I would easily take any of these before I'd get an F-14. Just sayin...

F14: Got it
High Speed: Got it
Pinbot: Got it
BK2K: Got 2
Whirlwind: Got it.

Bonzai: Not going to pay the >$2k they've been getting recently :)
Mousin' Around: not interested
Taxi: Maybe...
 
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