Most underrated pins?

Baloo

New member
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
97
Reaction score
0
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
With so many pinball machines out now and only one manufacturer left, leaving most arcades to stock up on the usual Stern pinball machines, it feels like some great pins just aren't seen anymore in arcades, and collectors usually tend to gravitate to the same few pins over and over again. You can always find talk about Medieval Madness, Twilight Zone, Addams Family, or Tron: Legacy, or even find pins like Monopoly, Lord of the Rings, Batman, Iron Man, Family Guy, and Simpsons Pinball Party on a regular basis. But where does that leave all of the other pinball machines that have been made over the years? Which would you say are the most underrated pinball machines when it comes to say, going price/availability and gameplay?

Personally, I think Street Fighter II and Super Mario Bros. by Gottlieb don't get enough credit. The Premier pins don't exactly have the best rep, but I find these to be great games that aren't seen too often anymore. Trying to make a chart-topping score on one of these suckers is tough, especially with the fact that you have to learn how to make the right shot at the right time for the big points!

Which pins do you guys think have been forgotten in the sands of time?
 
I think pins are not any different than TV's, game consoles, stereos etc. etc. The latest and greatest take the #1 spot while the old stuff becomes less desirable.

There are a TON of GREAT pins that truly deserve a lot more recognition than they get for sure.

You have simple minded weak rule pins. I mean no disrespect towards those but it's that kind of pin that falls to the way side. Examples are Earthshaker, The Shadow, World Cup Soccer 94, Judge Dredd, Funhouse.
But those games are also typically VERY affordable and a blessing that they aren't over glorified like so many others. So for us people that can't justify or afford a pin $3500+ let's keep on bashing those simple minded games and keep on enjoying one of the best kept secrets ;)
 
I'll second Demolition man, It is entertaining and fun to play

Other favs are Game Show and Gladiators actually!
 
Mars god of war.
Also Blackhole deserves all the attention its gets if not more!
 
since i started a thread on its scoring lately, i feel as though i have to mention starship troopers among the "that's a shitty pin, but it's fun as hell to play" category. it's cool...it's fun...nobody wants it...so you can find it cheap and have a ton of fun with it. but anywhoooooo:



IMO....the biggest underrated pin? the one that has all the elements there, but for whatever reason just isn't in that top 15, top 25 conversation???

who dunnit.



all....day....long.



that's a pin that will not be leaving my collection at anytime in the foreseeable future (much to the chagrin of my buddy who sold it to me. ;) ). it's uber-fun. it has some nice shots. it has FANTASTIC music/sounds. it has cool playfield toys/gameplay gimmicks (working slot machine, roulette wheel to bet your score - how cool is that?!?, huge 3-part ramp, multiple multiball modes, and a midnight madness mode to top it all off).

fan...tastic...pin.



honestly, i have no idea why it's not an A-list title.....people point to the lack of a wizard mode, but i've met very few people who have hit every shot and solved all five cases on one play, so MEH.

who dunnit. rulz.
 
honestly, i have no idea why it's not an A-list title.....people point to the lack of a wizard mode, but i've met very few people who have hit every shot and solved all five cases on one play, so MEH.

who dunnit. rulz.

The rules are a little shallow (just a little), as you said there is no wizard mode, the middle ramp is the size of a house, the gambling aspect takes away skill and makes it more of a luck machine.... but the biggest thing that people don't like is how it takes away the pinball part of the game, and makes it more about solving puzzles.

Now, I personally love the hell out of Who Dunnit. Amazing sounds, amazing lights, and amazing dots. Great feeling theme and a neat toy under the playfield. I love it, but was only answering your question.
 
The rules are a little shallow (just a little), as you said there is no wizard mode, the middle ramp is the size of a house, the gambling aspect takes away skill and makes it more of a luck machine.... but the biggest thing that people don't like is how it takes away the pinball part of the game, and makes it more about solving puzzles.

Now, I personally love the hell out of Who Dunnit. Amazing sounds, amazing lights, and amazing dots. Great feeling theme and a neat toy under the playfield. I love it, but was only answering your question.


LMAO!!!!!!! yes. it's big (buh-huh).



no worries on your response. i've heard the criticisms of this pin plenty of times.....but like you, i love the dang thang.

the roulette wheel may take away skill........but how cool is it to be playing a murder mystery pin and then, all of a sudden, to be able to BET your score on red/black???? i absolutely love that shit. it's soooooooooooooo not your typical pin.
 
The rules are a little shallow (just a little), as you said there is no wizard mode, the middle ramp is the size of a house, the gambling aspect takes away skill and makes it more of a luck machine.... but the biggest thing that people don't like is how it takes away the pinball part of the game, and makes it more about solving puzzles.

Now, I personally love the hell out of Who Dunnit. Amazing sounds, amazing lights, and amazing dots. Great feeling theme and a neat toy under the playfield. I love it, but was only answering your question.

Valid points, and I would also add the fact that it has a lot of stop and go. Yes, you can certainly get good flow going for awhile, but overall there is just too much stop and go for my taste.

I loved pretty much everything else about the game, especially the theme (film noir) and the slot machine was a very cool toy. Enjoyed it in my collection for awhile, and I do miss it slightly.
 
Taxi. Lots of fun, love the slingshot and burnout. Great voices, it even has pinbot!

Comrad!



is that one underrated though? seems that most folks LOVE taxi.....it's a top 50 pin on pinside (which has a pretty darn good ranking system, IMO),.
 
Personally, I think Street Fighter II and Super Mario Bros. by Gottlieb don't get enough credit. The Premier pins don't exactly have the best rep, but I find these to be great games that aren't seen too often anymore. Trying to make a chart-topping score on one of these suckers is tough, especially with the fact that you have to learn how to make the right shot at the right time for the big points!

Which pins do you guys think have been forgotten in the sands of time?

I dont like those two because their big innovation/main game component is the hi-tech wonder of...a bunch of ugly holes drilled in the playfield. Seriously. It looks bad, it plays bad, it's just dumb. Also the SF2 car mini game is lame, and the backglass is the most hideous piece of art I have ever seen.
 
is that one underrated though? seems that most folks LOVE taxi.....it's a top 50 pin on pinside (which has a pretty darn good ranking system, IMO),.

I never heard anyone ever go on about it. In fact I only recently discovered how great it is cause my local bowling alley has one!
 
Ill give it up to Roadshow. I love Playin that pin. I might be a little bias as it was my first pin ,but I love the shaker, sounds and play. I also played Rbion and really enjoyed that.
 
For me it would be the following : The Who's Tommy, No Fear, Black Rose, WWF Royal Rumble, F T Big Hurt , to name but a few underrated pins who i really like.
And from Stern it would be T3 who gets much flack, but imho i like it more then T2 (i know blasphemy :) ), and the Sopranos (also a superfun game).
 
Ill give it up to Roadshow. I love Playin that pin. I might be a little bias as it was my first pin ,but I love the shaker, sounds and play. I also played Rbion and really enjoyed that.


Road Show is a great pin! And yes! that shaker is just awesome on that one! Such a great rumble when the dozer is working!
 
Johnny Mnemonic
Demolition Man
Judge Dredd
Congo

Played most of these but Congo and agree that they are fun. I have Demo Man headed to my place oct 1 so very excited and will prob have a little party day of arrival. One Pin that i have not seen mentioned is Junk Yard. I have this pin and its fun. lots of side games you can play with time machine.

I am looking for a JM found one in my area but Store selling want like 4k+ for it. :(

Looking to replace three arcade machines with pins. but again games i want to pricey or just hard to find in my area.
 
I always have to throw Bride of Pinbot into these lists. A great playing game that has a lot going for it. It could use some more complicated modes, but as it is, it's tons of fun and a good challenge.
 
I always have to throw Bride of Pinbot into these lists. A great playing game that has a lot going for it. It could use some more complicated modes, but as it is, it's tons of fun and a good challenge.

+1

I can rock her world so hard. I just have all the shots down so well that a game on her lasts for so long I have to be willing to spend the time to play a game. It is a pin that needs very accurate shots, but has so many many shots packed into it. A lot of my friends battle on it and seem to prefer it to my newer WCS. She gets the most action every Sunday when folks come over. I sold Pinbot Monday, but BOP is never leaving. It is just a solid game that challenges most folks who play it.
 
Back
Top Bottom