Hercules Pinball

It's hard to properly convey just how big this thing is.

It's novel due to it's size, but the gameplay is nothing special. It has the usual early SS simple rules, and it lacks some of the charm other early Atari SS games had.

Might be fun to own, but I don't imagine this getting much extended play time.
 
It's hard to properly convey just how big this thing is.

It's novel due to it's size, but the gameplay is nothing special. It has the usual early SS simple rules, and it lacks some of the charm other early Atari SS games had.

Might be fun to own, but I don't imagine this getting much extended play time.

yeh I looked at playfield and thought it wouldnt probably be a super fun one but I thought it might look badass to have.
 
Does anyone have any thoughts or views on this machine. I seen one for sale locally and was wondering if its a nice collectors piece. Apparently its the biggest pinball ever, besides maybe one called Bigfoot.

Well, to start off, it is Big. There is one at Lyons Classic Pinball, I have played it twice. I guess the best way to describe it is that it is a novelty. It's big, uses a cue ball for the pinball, the flippers and all of the playfield parts look huge, but it plays slooooooow. There is no speed to anything, it is like playing in slow motion. Maintainence is a nightmare, or so I hear. To get to the underside of the playfield, you open the doors on the bottom of the cabinet and crawl underneath it, I guess that would be better than trying to lift that playfield. Also given it's size, you need a lot of room to set it up, and doors big enough to move it into whatever room that you are going to set it up in.

Did I mention it's Big?
 
Well, to start off, it is Big. There is one at Lyons Classic Pinball, I have played it twice. I guess the best way to describe it is that it is a novelty. It's big, uses a cue ball for the pinball, the flippers and all of the playfield parts look huge, but it plays slooooooow. There is no speed to anything, it is like playing in slow motion. Maintainence is a nightmare, or so I hear. To get to the underside of the playfield, you open the doors on the bottom of the cabinet and crawl underneath it, I guess that would be better than trying to lift that playfield. Also given it's size, you need a lot of room to set it up, and doors big enough to move it into whatever room that you are going to set it up in.

Did I mention it's Big?

lol thanks, I was actually thinking of buying it for a novelty reason to put on our showroom just to have a fund weird item that would draw attention to the arcade section. Guess ill pass on it.
 
i played it too,they had 2 at cedar point. wasnt that great.but for the novelty,its very cool.would love to have a back glass on my wall.
 
Gotta love Hercules! I would never want one for my home but it sure is a cool novelty. Check out this pic of me playing one at the Jersey Shore for size comparison!

SDC10091.jpg
 
Does anyone have any thoughts or views on this machine. I seen one for sale locally and was wondering if its a nice collectors piece. Apparently its the biggest pinball ever, besides maybe one called Bigfoot. Heres the link.

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?gid=1155

Many years ago, when I managed an arcade in Charlotte, NC we had one of these that we would send from store to store. They definitely drew the crowds but they were a pain in the arse to maintain. Think about the forces applied to the flippers to shove that cueball around, not to mention the pop bumpers.

As a novelty to generate some interest, perhaps. As an every day player, ahhh no.

Half Life
 
I played one as a kid at an arcade in Panama City Beach on vacation, I remember it very well. The game wasn't very good at all, cool to play once or twice but that was about it.
 
Here is a writeup I did on a visit to Hersheypark in PA in 2007- you'll see they have a Hercules there, and there are pics of me playing it.

My opinion is the same as others: great for one or 2 plays but that's about it. It also broke on me during my 2nd play! A game with that kind of repair ratio wouldn't be in my lineup for long, I don't care how big it is!

http://www.59registry.hypermart.net/btdt/lost_arcade/HP2007/hershey_arcade2007.htm
 
There was a Hercules at the pacific pinball expo. I hadn't played since I was a kid somewhere in Reno - I think the nugget. Ha ha I managed to tilt the sucker.

I think gameplay would be much better if you replace the cue ball with something about 25% lighter. As others have said it is SO slow.

If it were more reliable I think it would be a fun split flipper game.
 
Back
Top Bottom