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Help a first time buyer decide what to do

huggers said:
Interesting. Most people seem to dig it. I should probably play it before making any call though!
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Agree on SM. Never understood the fuss. Same with Tron. Both vastly overrated imo.

You see, this is why you need to play em first,..... everyone's opinions are just that. Yes the majority 'may' like Title X, but you could well be in the minority that doesn't.

Having said that, buy wisely and you can resell it no problem if it doesn't float your boat :-)
 
I would recommend play before pay to any newbie. I must say though that I have bought a number of games I have never played before. Some highly rated (like Shadow) did nothing for me. Some lesser renowned games (CSI, WPT) have been a real delight.

Buy it, play it, sell it. Rinse and repeat.

But one piece of advice I would give is don't hang on to them if you find yourself not playing. I had a load of the classic Bally/Williams and nearly quit the hobby because I never played them. I have since sold them all, bought some different games and now have my second wind.
 
I would recommend one (or 2) early 90's Bally Williams games to anyone buying their first machine. I agree about starting at the bottom, there are plenty of hidden gems available for around the £1500 mark, which will leave you free to either buy two or hold some cash back for the inevitable unexpected house move costs! My suggestion would always be to get along to a league meet or an event to play as many different games as possible and see what you like. Some good value titles to keep an eye out for would be:

World cup soccer
Fish tales
High speed 2
Flintstones
Black Rose
Congo
Indy 500
Champion Pub
No Fear
Dirty Harry
Jack Bot

There are some great value Sega/Data East/Stern games too such as

Batman Forever
Goldeneye
Terminator 3
Rollercoaster tycoon
Monopoly
Baywatch
Star wars

Don't be afraid so much about buying the correct theme, the important thing is to get a game in the right condition for the price! All titles will be available in fantastic and crappy condition, what you SHOULD pay is more about how happy you are to take on work to fix and clean, or live with play field wear. Before making a potential purchase check out the forums buying guide and ask on here what things to look for on specific games.

Good luck with the purchase and enjoy!
 
I think Spiderman is a great game but obviously not everyone does. For me, depends how deep you want the game. Some games are more simple than others but I prefer games where getting to the 'wizard' mode is more of a challenge. Depends what sort of player you are.
 
Cheers for all the replies, love how active this forum is. I'd heard IM was really tough. Saying that BSD is supposed to be pretty tough and it's what makes the game great. As many have said though, really tricky to make any definite purchasing calls without playing first though for sure. Think I will likely get a couple of WPC games in the best possible condition and go from there.
 
But I don't think SM is "deep", you get to one level and then just repeat the same stuff more times to get to the next level, than guess what? You do the same again to get to the wizard mode! I may be remembering it wrong but I don't think so :popcorn:
 
SM is not he deepest game but it doesn't stop when you hit Super Hero mode. If you check out Bowens tutorial it just goes and goes.......
Most games are repetitive with the worst being the latest 'KISS' IMO. Having said that some games are too complicated, I still can't work out what the hell is going on in Hobbit. It all comes down to personal taste and luckily there are enough games out there to cater for everyone.
 
I really went off BSD when I realised what a difference not getting a full bats bonus on ball 1 made to your overall score.
 
I dont know if it's me but I don't play for scores.i haven't got a clue what I have got to on mine. It's the mechanics of the game I love, the graphics, sounds, lights, the ball flowing through ramps etc.... Getting a certain shot gives satisfaction, but no idea what points it awards. Maybe because I'm still new, but back in my TZ days I didn't care for scores then either.....
 
Matt Adams said:
But I don't think SM is "deep", you get to one level and then just repeat the same stuff more times to get to the next level, than guess what? You do the same again to get to the wizard mode! I may be remembering it wrong but I don't think so :popcorn:
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It is the subtlety of using the multipliers that makes SM such a good game. Set up a 3x multiplier on the right ramp and then start Battle Royale. Happy days.
 
huggers said:
Cheers for all the replies, love how active this forum is. I'd heard IM was really tough. Saying that BSD is supposed to be pretty tough and it's what makes the game great. As many have said though, really tricky to make any definite purchasing calls without playing first though for sure. Think I will likely get a couple of WPC games in the best possible condition and go from there.
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Buy from the forum, sell on the forum and you won't go far wrong.
Passionate members who know what they are doing.
 
I agree lights, affects, features, ramps, sound, theme all have a part to play. Some machines are a better package than others. That's why this hobbie is so great..
 
Kenny Taylor said:
I agree lights, affects, features, ramps, sound, theme all have a part to play. Some machines are a better package than others. That's why this hobbie is so great..
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I think it depends a lot on if you are more of collector or a player. A collector will gravitate towards games like TOTAN and Theatre of Magic (which look stunning) whereas a good standard player will tend to look beyond the art and more towards how it plays. WPT is a prime example. Looks like crap, plays great.
 
I still marvel at the wonderful pins created in the early 90's. For example my BOP and Funhouse are simply beautiful machines to look at.
I think the best looking machine is CFTBL. The most heavily featured/mechanical pin is STTNG and TZ. Playfields way a ton..
 
Anton said:
I dont know if it's me but I don't play for scores.i haven't got a clue what I have got to on mine. It's the mechanics of the game I love, the graphics, sounds, lights, the ball flowing through ramps etc.... Getting a certain shot gives satisfaction, but no idea what points it awards. Maybe because I'm still new, but back in my TZ days I didn't care for scores then either.....
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100% agree, I'm a crap player and couldn't care less about points and strategies, just give me a beer and let me bash my balls :eek:
 
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How do you like to play?

Non stop brutal speed and flow? Bit of stop and start, or lots of it? Widebody feel, over narrowbody?(wide-slower, narrow-faster). I find a lot of 'deep mode' pins are brilliant the first so many games, then after a time, it becomes a chore to play them because of the repetition involved in completing the modes.

Personally speaking, anything that breaks flow for too long generally gets frustrating. Many beautiful games just don't last in the home for me for that very reason. There have been some exceptions for sure, but ultimately, if i feel i can control a brutally fast pin even for a minute or two and hit all the shots i'm aiming for its extremely satisfying. I play pinball every morning. I now judge how my day is going to go based on how many combos on Tron i get before i even get dressed. :D:D:D
 
I enjoyed SM whilst I had it, but don't particularly miss it now it is gone. I'm trying to get down to 2 Pins, one deep one and one to just jump on and have a quick blast.
 
Don't know if I'm doing this reply right, new on here. Is your Star Wars still for sale? How much? Thanks
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Hi Mike, I'm guessing this was from when I had my Data East Star Wars which I'm afraid I sold ages ago. I do still have a Star Wars pin but it's the uber rare one made by the Spanish manufacturer Sonic Segasa. If this is the one you're interested in then let me know and I'll PM you :thumbs:
 
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