UPDATED POLL: What's your favourite classic? Please choose 2

[Wizcat]

No love for Gorgar?

Too many great games to stick into a single poll here. Needs to be a Battle Royale style format. Maybe ask each guest on your podcast to pick a classic game, then take votes (via thumbs up/down) on which one survives - the previous winner or this new game, and maybe start with Dolly as your existing champion?

Just a thought. Could be fun

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Funnily enough I was thinking about drop targets last night. They've become a bit of a low scoring bridesmaid on a lot of modern games but I quite like them being a big feature of the older games.

That is why I really like Sinbad, you cannot cradle the ball, no slingshots, but there is a single drop, a double drop, a triple drop and a quad-drop. Each set lights a bonus multiplier, but if you do not get the single drop, then no multiplier,

 

[M4carp]

I stopped cradling the ball when my LOTR blew a transistor and burnt the coil
Anyway, it’s cheating

 

[Gonzo]

No love for Gorgar?

Too many great games to stick into a single poll here. Needs to be a Battle Royale style format. Maybe ask each guest on your podcast to pick a classic game, then take votes (via thumbs up/down) on which one survives - the previous winner or this new game, and maybe start with Dolly as your existing champion?

Just a thought. Could be fun

I've never played it Paul and therein highlights the gap in my knowledge.

I'm definitely looking to feature the classics a lot more on the channel. We've got about 10 videos backed up now which need editing so I need to pull my finger out.

 

[David_Vi]

Get to @JMP and play his Stargazer. It's fantastic. The way you can lock in the value of the spinner

There was a really intense INDSIC classics final featuring it, I don't always get into watching competition play but with some classics it's exciting and edge of seat stuff


My other thoughts would be when you say classics, I think really you mean early solid state games. (Pre Williams System 11 where everything is on one display).
So the early to mid 80s games. Ballys golden era in my opinion.


I voted for Centaur, although Nine Ball is great too. Games with spinners and center posts
I love the zacs but I think I prefer the Gen1 zacs (locomotion is one), to the next era of Gen2 which is all the zacs at PBR. I find the second era don't feel as nice to play and don't think they have the feel you like going by the love for Dolly.

Something about 80s Bally's and early solid state sterns just feels good to play.
I don't have enough experience of the early Williams games so can't say much about them.

 

[OTRawrior]

Flash Gordon is truly excellent but I don't think my casual friends would enjoy how punishing it is.
Meteor is brilliant, it's super fast but not really punishing. Gameplay is super simple, hit most, but not all, the drops; then rip the spinner. Curse when you get an inlane that resets the drops!

 

[roadshow16]

I voted for Flash Gordon and Paragon because I think they are probably 2 of the best games ever made. But frankly 2 are not enough!

Nine Ball is incredible. I would absolutely love to own a Viking and Frontier, awesome games. Skateball is immense, Fathom, EBD and Centaur are stone cold classics, Star Gazer and Meteor are spinner ripping crack cocaine. My mate Neil has a Wizard (EM), whenever I visit his place we spend way more time playing it than his AFM or Tron LE.

These games are just more fun for multiplayer games, they are more of a leveler too. I'm on daddy day care today and my boy just said to me 'how about a game of Nine Ball dad' as if it's the most normal thing in the world that he has a Nine Ball in his bedroom Love it

 

[Gonzo]

Thanks for all of your input folks, I'm very much taking this advice onboard and it will certainly influence my next game.

4 very clear leaders at the moment.

 

[Deleted member 2463]

having seen the type of games you like Kris I'd have a good play of Flash Gordon before you get one. Its a brutal game, the TWD of the classics era and a strong like by competitive players.

 

[Gonzo]

having seen the type of games you like Kris I'd have a good play of Flash Gordon before you get one. Its a brutal game, the TWD of the classics era and a strong like by competitive players.

Yeah, thanks Neil. I think you're absolutely right.

@Ant-H is kindly lending me Flash Gordon so I won't purchase it. It's not just about it being brutal for me either, I don't think my family or non pinball mates would want to play a game that was too brutal.

I have the Walking Dead at the moment at it's very cruel

 

[Deleted member 5505]

Flash G is awesome, it literally feels like you're fighting against the f#@cker which makes it feel more like the action of the film

Had friends staying this weekend and made the most of the new games room, after a few plays on my 4 pins Thursday night my mate ranked the pins.
1- Tommy 2-Family Guy 3-Flash G 4-Robocop (he commented that he didn't get it at all and said it was easily the worst pin)
Friday night he played a great game on Robocop achieved multiball (for the first time) twice, became commander and ramp champ, now he wants to buy one!
His new ranking is 1-Robocop 2-Tommy 3-Flash G 4-Family Guy

An opinion can change fast

 

[new forest pinball]

This is an epic thread Kris, one of my favourites in a long while. It’s good to see the appreciation for the classic games growing on the forum as some years ago it was trolled by dmd snobbery. I grew up playing classics so it’s difficult at times to appreciate pinball beyond them. I do obviously but you catch my drift!
Excellent news about the fun and enjoyment that Dolly is providing for you, friends and family
I’m with Craig on this one, choosing two favorites is virtually impossible among the classics, so think i will pick six of the best in no particular order of each main manufacturer. Some choices are deeply emotionally driven. The first s.s. I played was hgot and Dolly Parton which they had at butlins bognor regis (among others) the first classic I owned was EBD.
Anyway here we go…..*
STERN.
Seawitch flight2000
Star gazer
Galaxy
Meteor
9 ball
Quicksilver
BALLY.
fathom
Eight ball deluxe
Dolly Parton
Viking
Flash Gordon
Xenon
WILLIAMS.
Black Knight
Baracorra
Blackout
Cosmic gunfight
Alien poker
Joust
GOTTLIEB.
Haunted House
Black hole
Spirit
Pink panther
Spiderman
Joker poker
Sinbad
ZACCARIA
Hot Wheels
Fire mountain
Pinball champ
Soccer kings
Time Machine

*footnote: I love alot more Bally s.s. Machines than that….. inc Paragon, future spa and skateball. Centaur strangely enough I can take or leave it

Classics rule… great thread really enjoying it….. looking forward to hearing all your views, feelings and opinions..
Keef….

 

[VeeMonroe]

I'd agree with @Neil McRae - I LOVE Flash Gordon, but it's brutal. It's also a lot less intuitive rules-wise than some of the single-level classics from that era. I was sad when mine left (sadly, my husband didn't like it).

We currently have an Alien Poker, which is challenging to do well, but has gloriously simple rules (I love shooting the drops down in order). I also love Harlem Globetrotters, but that's also a test of skill.

Speaking as someone who spent a while looking for a classic, it feels harder to get a specific model than 90s machines, so I'd get an idea of some good ones and then be flexible about what you get. I waited 18 months to find someone selling an Alien Poker and the one I bought was a total sh*tshow in terms of condition (it's currently dismantled and undergoing restoration in the back room).

 

[Supersprint]

I sold my centaur two years ago after never really getting it ready to actually play and enjoy. I disrespected the classics as too simple to justify owning. Stupid mistake. Attending the U.K. open last year was a total eye opener, credit to the owners of the classics row, some stunning games there, quicksilver!! What a work of art that game is.

I would suggest YouTubing the U.K. open classics finals and see some gameplay for a fair few mentioned above. The final battle on Medusa has given me a taste to get hold of one. I managed to pick up another centaur recently as I realised I had made a mistake selling it after playing some classics again.

Sterns are a good shout, I think you can try quite a few Williams and gottliebs for relatively small money which is an advantage when deciding what you like. I’m after a Medusa and a classic stern next, I may even sell a load of stuff and pick up a new fathom.

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Curious, you say you like your Dolly Parton
Any reason that you don't want to go back just a couple more years and get an EM?

Plenty of great machines came out in the mid-70's

 

[Slimetime]

Any love for Taxi?

 

[steve brum]

Taxi is technically too new to count as "classic" although it is awesome

 

[Arv]

Thing is most of us think that 30 years ago is in the 70s but alas times moved on. Taxi is still 35 years old now.
Maybe we need a re-classification of the solid states from '78-85?

The Arcade Era perhaps?

 

[Gonzo]

I sold my centaur two years ago after never really getting it ready to actually play and enjoy. I disrespected the classics as too simple to justify owning. Stupid mistake. Attending the U.K. open last year was a total eye opener, credit to the owners of the classics row, some stunning games there, quicksilver!! What a work of art that game is.

I would suggest YouTubing the U.K. open classics finals and see some gameplay for a fair few mentioned above. The final battle on Medusa has given me a taste to get hold of one. I managed to pick up another centaur recently as I realised I had made a mistake selling it after playing some classics again.

Sterns are a good shout, I think you can try quite a few Williams and gottliebs for relatively small money which is an advantage when deciding what you like. I’m after a Medusa and a classic stern next, I may even sell a load of stuff and pick up a new fathom.

That's great advice, I'll definitely go and look at that classics comp.

I'm certainly narrowing my list.

 

[Gonzo]

Curious, you say you like your Dolly Parton
Any reason that you don't want to go back just a couple more years and get an EM?

Plenty of great machines came out in the mid-70's

I'm sure you're right Pete but that's probably phase 4 of my pinball journey . . . one step at a time. Even though there's not much code or rules on Dolly I think I'd be happy to go forward a couple of years but not back at this point.

I spent last night reading reviews on some of the games listed above. Dolly is 1979 and I don't mind doing slightly more complicated in terms of perhaps a multiball or marginally upgraded bonus scoring and strategy. But I don't want to go to far into the mid 80's because over-complicating will put people off from having a casual game.

I have Godzilla and a number of other games here and nobody is really interested, they just don't appeal to non pin heads whereas the simple games do. Funnily enough everyone wants to play this JP home pin and I think it's because it looks less daunting.

 

[Gonzo]

Taxi is technically too new to count as "classic" although it is awesome

Absolutely Steve.

If I was looking for a game just for myself then I'd absolutely consider it.

But if my mates or family are over and we've had a drink I just want to crank up a 4 player and not worry about ramps. Just rip the spinner, bash some drop targets.

Probably the the key thing is that everyone playing understands the progress of their opponent even when p1$$ed . . . . it makes for a great night.

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

I'm sure you're right Pete but that's probably phase 4 of my pinball journey . . . one step at a time. Even though there's not much code or rules on Dolly I think I'd be happy to go forward a couple of years but not back at this point.

That is OK
While I like the latter EMs, and I like Solid State, most of the SS games from 77, 78, 79, are a bit 'meh'
you should always collect what you personally like

 

[Gonzo]

So, now for the painful bit £$£$£$£$

Fathom
Centaur
Eight Ball D
Medusa
Barrocora
Paragon

These all have multiple votes and I noticed Quicksilver was rated highly on Pinside.

What do these things cost? Asking for a friend

​

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

So, now for the painful bit £$£$£$£$

Fathom
Centaur
Eight Ball D
Medusa
Barrocora
Paragon

These all have multiple votes and I noticed Quicksilver was rated highly on Pinside.

What do these things cost? Asking for a friend

​

I am interested in seeing the answers
If you were here in Australia, I would be telling you to give up on Medusa and Fathom (you are aware of the Fathom remake?) as they did not come here in big quantities back in the 80's
Don't forget that both Centaur and EBD both had a second run with the Pacman cabinets, those usually go cheaper

 

[Gonzo]

I am interested in seeing the answers
If you were here in Australia, I would be telling you to give up on Medusa and Fathom (you are aware of the Fathom remake?) as they did not come here in big quantities back in the 80's
Don't forget that both Centaur and EBD both had a second run with the Pacman cabinets, those usually go cheaper

Yes, I was aware of the remake thanks Pete. Spencer almost went to the Hagis factory recently but I'm quite sure that would be out of my price range anyway.

I've had an offer of a trade for JP Home pin but the offer is not the game for me for reasons listed above.

It may well be that I move the home-pin on and have a few offers.

At the moment I'd suggest that Eight Ball D is the obvious choice and I really enjoyed playing it at Medway.

I think I might have to pop to Pinball Republic and play a few machines.

 

[Arv]

So, now for the painful bit £$£$£$£$

Fathom
Centaur
Eight Ball D
Medusa
Barrocora
Paragon

These all have multiple votes and I noticed Quicksilver was rated highly on Pinside.

What do these things cost? Asking for a friend

​

Fathom and Centaur i'd say you were looking at £3-3.5k now.
Eight Ball D around £2-2.5k
Medusa around £2.5k
Barrocora and Paragon £1.5k - £2k

Take all these with a pinch of salt mind. If there was and eBay auction for Fathom or Centaur i think there would be a lot of interest and possibly push the price higher.

Don't forget they don't make these old dears anymore.

 

[Jay Walker]

Don't forget that both Centaur and EBD both had a second run with the Pacman cabinets, those usually go cheaper

In fact those were surplus cabinets for 'Rapid Fire', the Bally copy of Hyperball. M&M Pac-Man uses a normal cabinet, with 2-part backbox. The upper part of that may be similar to Centaur II and Eight Ball Deluxe LE, but the rest isn't.

Gonzo, a liking for drop targets suggests Meteor, but it would fail your 'understandable while ****ed-up' requirement. And Williams Flash is the same era as Dolly, but a bit more of a solid-state mindset, so to speak. A game which showed how Williams intended to advance things, outclassing E/M updates like Stern's Wild Fyre or Dracula. But pre-dating multiball and lane change.

 

[David_Vi]

So, now for the painful bit £$£$£$£$

Fathom
Centaur
Eight Ball D
Medusa
Barrocora
Paragon

These all have multiple votes and I noticed Quicksilver was rated highly on Pinside.

What do these things cost? Asking for a friend

​

@AlanJ has most of those you need a weekend up north!

 

[Jim gatward]

U missed flash

 

[Gonzo]

U missed flash

I missed a few Jim but it was really to get a feel what the top games were so unless Flash was going to get numerous votes it's probably okay although I'd like to play them all. Thanks mate.