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Explain.
Not because I strongly disagree, but I'm curious since you bring it up as a controversial take.
It’s not really controversial, probably. I just wanted to get it out there.
This is unsubstantiated, but I imagine that if you asked a retro gamer (pac-man, dig-dug, galaga, etc.) about pinball they would probably say it sucks or that they don’t care about it or that it’s not for them.
Nobody talks about pinball outside of the niche circles, but I think it’s superior to traditional arcade games, superior to modern arcade games, and is generally a perfect amalgamation of the arts: music, artwork, mechanics, and code-based chicanery all contribute to something beautiful.
Take Whirlwind for example. It’s absolutely gorgeous in every way: the Gnosticism in the art, the insanely catchy soundtrack, novel mechanical elements, and brutal hostility make it the magnum opus of pinball, and a perfect embodiment of the chaos of a storm IMO.
Admittedly, the scene is not what it once was. New table manufacturers leverage existing IP instead of creating their own, and the few original tables that are still produced are mostly kind of slop. Compare Total Nuclear Annihilation to Whirlwind for an example.
Alright you clearly have experience and opintions, what are your top tables?
I'm particularly fond of Attack from Mars and Medieval Madness, and I'm a sucker for secondary playfields.
Whirlwind is definitely my favorite. My other comment went into why, but specifically I really enjoy the jackpot shot, because the timing is very difficult and the payoff is huge. Other contenders would be Taxi (Gorbie cracks me up and those ramp shots are punishing but rewarding) and Pin*Bot (massive skill ceiling, banging IDM soundtrack that was ahead of its time). I haven’t played many post-Williams tables, but of the ones I have played I enjoyed Stranger Things for its simplicity and the Demogorgon shot.
This selection makes it obvious that I grew up on vpins, as Stern does not license their tables virtually. There are still many, many iconic tables I haven’t played or have only dabbled with: Twilight Zone, Black Lagoon come to mind.
Attack from mars I’ve only played a handful of times. The scores are too high for my tastes, but I enjoy the risk-reward UFO shot and it’s generally just a hilarious table.
Looking at the Pinball Map there isn't a listed Whirlwind table within 3 hours of me but I'll keep my eyes peeled. The spinning board elements look familiar but it's possible I played something else with that gimmick. Taxi has somehow evaded me despite being somewhat common. Pin-bot I know well (Bride of Pin-bot too!) it's a solid mid-80s table that's always worth a few rounds.
I'm pretty blind to the scores other than as a free game goal, I'm in it purely for the experience.
Good points, and I agree.
I do like Pinball (I just suck at it) and I always thought the machines are really really neat. I'm happy to see someone bring them up! I suppose it's just that they're a bit inaccessible. Having one in your home is a whole thing and going to an arcade is another whole thing.
If you’re lucky, you might have a club near you. Nothing but pinball. They’re usually pretty calm too. Check out the pinball map