What's new
By:
Pinball info

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

TAF - the one that got away

Durzel

Durzel

Registered
5Years
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
2,041
Location
Bath, UK
I've got a lovely Twilight Zone, my first owned pinball, absolutely mint and plays beautifully. I've never got close to LITZ, I haven't even got over 400 million yet. It's got all sorts of different things going on that reward and punish in equal measure...

Why is it then that I find myself endlessly lusting after TAF? I can't stop playing it on Pinball Arcade. It feels like the one that got away. Every time I get Multiball on it I find myself grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Help!
 
Wanting a second machine is par for the course. This is all normal.

As for TAF, it's great! My really lovely one got away, and now resides in TILT i think, but i don't crave it's return. It was an itch i had to scratch, and now it's done. A very popular machine, everyone remembers playing it because there were so many, brilliant theme integration, but TZ is a better game in my opinion. TAF was a trophy game for me, and in trading it for a Stern ST my eyes were opened to the new world of Stern's coding.

The mulitball start on TAF is still one of the very best out there. It really does have to warm up, so it can kill you!!!!
 
TZ is a great game for sure.. it might be that I just seem to suck at it that I'm finding myself drawn to TAF. The fact it's a simpler game is what I think is so appealing at the moment.
 
Durzel said:
TZ is a great game for sure.. it might be that I just seem to suck at it that I'm finding myself drawn to TAF. The fact it's a simpler game is what I think is so appealing at the moment.
Click to expand...
...and ironically that was exactly what eventually bored me about it.

Spiderman's a good example of a game that can be simple or complex depending how you approach it. You can play it like AFM - fun and simple, or you can dig into the multipliers and start creating your own strategies and play for the modes.
 
Yeah, I can see that. I think I've probably come into ownership a*se about face so to speak.. bought one of the hardest & most layered games, instead of something I can just enjoy. I'm just struggling to warm to TZ at the moment :(
 
guess it depend on how often you play, and how many games you have to choose from when you do. It's become 'very rarely' for me, but i have amassed a reasonable bunch of games in the last few years e.g. LOTR got switched on for the 1st time in 4months on Wednesday evening, and that was only because someone came over for a few beers. We mainly played Metallica Pro - it was the clear favourite.
 
Well, that's the other problem. I pretty much bought TZ on a whim, having not played it before outside of Pinball Arcade, and on the recommendation of a friend.

Currently I'm so busy with work, and at the weekends, that I rarely find time to play at all - I think I've had an opportunity to play maybe once in the last 3 weeks. And when I do I'm not finding it massively enjoyable, not because of anything wrong with TZ or my pin specifically, just that... well.. I'm not chomping at the bit to keep playing.. if you know what I mean?

The last few nights I have had time I've ended up actually playing TAF on Pinball Arcade instead. :(
 
Again, wanting a second machine is par for the course.

However, if TZ's simply not for you, then that's slightly different. You may go through a few other games then suddenly realise how good TZ really is compared to those other games. Then again, you might not. I did, and that's why i'm on my 3rd.
 
Last edited:
Love my TAF but definitely want a TZ one day. LITZ is great when you get to it. Both games are pretty difficult really, TZ being a lot harder. Not in the sense of rules but in the 'Pat Lawlor' kind of way. Tight play field and both 'stop n go' games. Modern games like Aerosmith or GOT are far easier with open play fields and more flow. It just depends what you like.
 
TZ didn't really float my boat. Although I can understand how some folk love it for it's complexity and it does have some nice shots. I suppose if you have one dialled in then I might have enjoyed it a bit more.
 
I felt the same way when I owned a TAF but wanted a TOM. TAF is ok but it soon gets repetitive. The sound grated on me too.
 
Sometimes games don't click so whenever that happens, I just sell and try another game.

I have never 'got' TZ but one day I might, you never know.

Why not try and do a straight trade for a TAF?
 
TZ didn't do it for me either was lucky enough to have one for a few months not to long ago on a temporary swap it is now off the list of ones I would love to own to on the list of played and enjoyed it but wouldn't buy it.
 
Durzel said:
I've got a lovely Twilight Zone, my first owned pinball, absolutely mint and plays beautifully. I've never got close to LITZ, I haven't even got over 400 million yet. It's got all sorts of different things going on that reward and punish in equal measure...

Why is it then that I find myself endlessly lusting after TAF? I can't stop playing it on Pinball Arcade. It feels like the one that got away. Every time I get Multiball on it I find myself grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Help!
Click to expand...
The way to crack LITZ is to start the modes then ignore them. Just relight the Piano/Slot Machine shot and start another mode. You will soon get to LITZ. Same with Tour The Mansion on Addams actually.
 
Had a TZ alongside my TAF for a few years & when I decided to move one on, TZ is the one that went.

TAF is a simple game, thats what I like about it,
 
TZ is a masterpiece of design.

But it just lacks something. The music and callouts are not quite there. There isn't the insanity or enthusiasm in the voices that you get with TAF or scared stiff for example.

It also lacks that bit of fun/ humour/ irreverence that the best games have

It is a serious Pinball. And sometimes you want more fun.
 
DRD said:
TZ is a masterpiece of design.

But it just lacks something. The music and callouts are not quite there. There isn't the insanity or enthusiasm in the voices that you get with TAF or scared stiff for example.

It also lacks that bit of fun/ humour/ irreverence that the best games have

It is a serious Pinball. And sometimes you want more fun.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's exactly it.
 
DRD said:
TZ is a masterpiece of design.

But it just lacks something. The music and callouts are not quite there. There isn't the insanity or enthusiasm in the voices that you get with TAF or scared stiff for example.

It also lacks that bit of fun/ humour/ irreverence that the best games have

It is a serious Pinball. And sometimes you want more fun.
Click to expand...

I disagree with a lot of this.

There is plenty of insanity and enthusiasm in the callouts - The Power voice taunting you, laughing at you is just epic. The Multiball buildup is equal to TAF in my book ..... Don't touch the door, dont touch the door, dont touch the door ....BOOM !!! The sound effects are awesome throughout ... the Spiral noise, the TZ do-do-do-dah-do-doo theme kicking in, the Clock ringing during the frantic Clock mode. The Hitchhiker countdown ...especially when you have loads to cash in. I could go on .....

TZ offers so much more gameplay and strategy wise than TAF. Yes you can just go for whizzing thru to LITZ, as with TAF you can just plough thru the Mansion rooms to Tour ..... but TZ has oddles of other things going on that offer much reward and satisfaction to a seasoned player ...much more than TAF. And I *love* TAF.

For me TZ is one of the greatest implementations of a theme in pinball. You truly get that weird, creepy Twilight Zone vibe playing it. It's bloody brilliant :thumbs: Things are never what they appear ...in the Twilight Zone.

TZ > TAF for this Lawlor fan :clap:
 
Sgt GrizZ said:
I disagree with a lot of this.

There is plenty of insanity and enthusiasm in the callouts - The Power voice taunting you, laughing at you is just epic. The Multiball buildup is equal to TAF in my book ..... Don't touch the door, dont touch the door, dont touch the door ....BOOM !!! The sound effects are awesome throughout ... the Spiral noise, the TZ do-do-do-dah-do-doo theme kicking in, the Clock ringing during the frantic Clock mode. The Hitchhiker countdown ...especially when you have loads to cash in. I could go on .....

TZ offers so much more gameplay and strategy wise than TAF. Yes you can just go for whizzing thru to LITZ, as with TAF you can just plough thru the Mansion rooms to Tour ..... but TZ has oddles of other things going on that offer much reward and satisfaction to a seasoned player ...much more than TAF. And I *love* TAF.

For me TZ is one of the greatest implementations of a theme in pinball. You truly get that weird, creepy Twilight Zone vibe playing it. It's bloody brilliant :thumbs: Things are never what they appear ...in the Twilight Zone.

TZ > TAF for this Lawlor fan :clap:
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. TAF is very good but TZ is better :thumbs:

It's good for the hobby that we all have different opinions, if everybody thought TAF was the best it'd be even more pricey than it is now, it's already overvalued for what it is.

But it sounds like TZ's not floating the OP's boat so go for a TAF if you can find one. Happy hunting!
 
I totally agree with everything @Sgt GrizZ said above. TZ was the first game I ever bought too after playing it on Pinball Arcade and it's still my favourite to this day. I doubt I'll ever sell it but if I do then I'll probably be finished with Pinball altogether. First game in and last game out. I've recently bought a Dialed In and it's a great game for sure but it's not better than TZ. Most likely nothing ever will be.

P.S. Getting to LITZ really isn't that difficult at all. I think you just need to play more pinball. :p
 
Having owned both I would say TAF is more of an “immediate” game than TZ. I think most people like TAF straight away whereas TZ is more of a grower. TZ Has so much going on it’s great but I think it really helps if you know the TV show and the episodes as the artwork and some features just don’t make sense unless you’ve seen it. Although I suppose that’s also true of TAF. I suspect more “younger” players will have seen the Addams Family movie rather than the Twilight Zone TV series so could relate to it more. At the end of the day they’re both top class games and true classics. Not sure TZ should be constantly rated as no.1 game on IPDB though.
 
Durzel said:
I've got a lovely Twilight Zone, my first owned pinball, absolutely mint and plays beautifully. I've never got close to LITZ, I haven't even got over 400 million yet. It's got all sorts of different things going on that reward and punish in equal measure...

Why is it then that I find myself endlessly lusting after TAF? I can't stop playing it on Pinball Arcade. It feels like the one that got away. Every time I get Multiball on it I find myself grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Help!
Click to expand...
I'm looking for a TZ if you are thinking about selling....
 
I'm considering it, however more likely is that I'd be looking for a swap. Am still thinking about it.
 
Neil McRae said:
Both overrated.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...
Addams and Twilight overrated, yeh right, Always thought you talked total ****e now you have just proved it beyond any doubt.
The two machines that totally revived pinball in the early 90's and you say overrated. If it were not for those two machines pinball would not be were it is today.
 
Neil McRae said:
Both overrated.
Click to expand...

They may not be your type of game, but that doesn’t make them overrated. It’s like someone who only just started playing video games calling the classic games from the 8 and 16 bit era overrated - understandable given their perspective, but simply untrue.
 
Revived Pinball ahahahahaha more like nearly killed it off completely!

I’ve been playing pinball since the late 80’s and I didn’t like either of those games back then and I still don’t - sure they may have sold a few more than others but if you say these games saved Pinball then in my view you have a bizzare notion of saved. I hope you don’t get a job as a paramedic! Lol

JLM - I agree with you totally hence why I own all of the williams video games from the 80’s (apart from Joust as I think that is over-rated also!).

Neil
 
How did the bestselling pinball machine of all time nearly kill off pinball? Please explain.

TAF is still taking more than most of the new machines on site. My father was an operator and I know that TAF was the biggest earner, it was the last machine to be pulled from site in the early 00's.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom