Maybe I'm not a Pin person...

[mwong168]

Pick up that williams hall of fame for PS3 or Wii or fire up the pinball emulator of your choice to get a feel for what you want next. Or goto the PHOF.

Visual Pinball is even better as it is as close to the real thing as you are going to get because it even emulates the ROM for each game as well.

There are usually two versions of each table released. A 4x3 looks like this:

The ones that I play on my 3 screen cab are full screen and look like this:

If you read my build thread the first post documents how to setup Visual Pinball. It doesn't come close to emulating the real physics of the actual table but still fun to play and it gives you a great idea of the game's depth and rules.

-mike

 

[kaz1961]

I just picked up a Taxi this weekend for $750. It is in nice shape with just a bit of wear on a few inserts and works 100%.

 

[WadeLanham]

Well, you just might not be that into pinball. Taxi is a solid title from that era, but there is much more to do on later System 11 pins like Earthshaker, Whirlwind, and of course early DMD games. I'd say, just sell it and pick up something else for a while. Even if you aren't pinball crazy, I think it's a good idea to keep one around just for some variety or for those people who will always skip playing vids but will play a pin.

Wade

 

[snapJaw]

A few things I've noticed about pinball:

1) If you only have 1 - it gets boring. Fast.
2) If you have two - and they are both the same kind of game, you get bored.
3) Most guests are more attracted to the pinball machine.

I would recommend getting another game that has a different playing style or a good compliment. The good thing is - if you still don't like it, pins are generally easy to get rid of.

You should have no trouble trading that pin for some choice arcade machines if you decide you don't like it.

 

[Deadly]

So, I have officially had my pinball machine for over a year, and its the LEAST played game of the small group I have. Is that weird? The thought of pins was cool to me, and the first few months with it was awesome, but since then it has just sat. What am I missing? I have fond memories of Taxi, and its fun to play when I do play it, I just don't ever have the urge to turn it on and play. Weird. Is it that the game is too shallow? I have done all of what the rules allow, so am I "finished" with it? Maybe its just a phase. Everyone always talks about how their pinball machine is by far the most played thing in their collection, but I'm just not experiencing that. WTF is my problem?

Jow - just ran into this:
http://pinballbayarea.wordpress.com/pinball-tournament/
Hopefully this will help expedite finding you a few places to play

 

[jow]

Jow - just ran into this:
http://pinballbayarea.wordpress.com/pinball-tournament/
Hopefully this will help expedite finding you a few places to play

Site bookmarked, thanks man.

 

[metahugh]

So, I have officially had my pinball machine for over a year, and its the LEAST played game of the small group I have. Is that weird? The thought of pins was cool to me, and the first few months with it was awesome, but since then it has just sat. What am I missing? I have fond memories of Taxi, and its fun to play when I do play it, I just don't ever have the urge to turn it on and play. Weird. Is it that the game is too shallow? I have done all of what the rules allow, so am I "finished" with it? Maybe its just a phase. Everyone always talks about how their pinball machine is by far the most played thing in their collection, but I'm just not experiencing that. WTF is my problem?

You know Jow I've been there before. I have a hard time holding onto games since there is always something else around the corner that I want. I regret selling a lot of the pins I have had in the past and some of them I will re-buy in the future.

I think you just need to find the right title. After about 7 years of buying and selling pins I finally found the title that I can honestly say I will never sell, my Stern Spiderman. I don't play it every day but I do play it often and much more than any of my vids. My vids stay off the majority of the time being powered on once every couple of months but Spiderman gets turned on and played weekly.

Play more pinball and you will get a feel for which titles you would like. I agree having only one pin can exacerbate the issue but its not the single cause. Getting the right game makes all of the difference.

Also finding someone else to play with is a biggie. I have a local friend that is a big pinball collector and we play regularly, having another person to enjoy the game is priceless. Another thing is having other hobbies. I play pinball, arcade video games and I play console and PC games so I always have something else to do. After stepping away for a little bit coming back to pinball keeps the experience fresh.

 

[BJones2]

My preferences are pretty strange with some pin titles. Some titles I just can't stand and others I can never get tired of. I never got into Taxi for some reason.

Go to a pin show if you can and try playing a bunch of other titles and find one you like.

 

[Lukenatme]

Well, assuming I could get $700 for Taxi (is that asking too much?), that would put me in the $1200-$1500 range to spend on something new. Any suggestions?

A lot would have to happen for this to come to fruition, but lets just play for shits and giggles.

Jurassic Park is a title I often see recommended when you can only have one game, and a nice one could be found in that price range. I had a guy offer one delivered from Tennessee that had been completely shopped for about $1500.

I used to have a Williams F-14 as my only pin (mid '80s, kinda shallow) and it didn't keep my attention. I made an unrelated trade for The Addams Family and yet another trade for a Mario Andretti, both DMD's and they both keep my attention A LOT more than F-14 ever did.

 

[SterlingRush]

For your price range, try to locate and play a Lethal Weapon 3 pin. Underrated by a lot of people, but it has a great flow and keeps you busy for the whole game. A great DMD pin in your price range, and depending on the condition of your Taxi vs a LW3, it could maybe be a straight trade, you never know. I agree with the above though, have at least one other pin that plays different from the Taxi, and I think you'd find more enjoyment. Between my PZ and my LW3, I bounce back and forth all of the time. I suck at pinball, but the fact that these two games play completely different, keeps up my enjoyment. Great pins can be had without forking over thousands of dollars for one.