List you favorite pin themes

[tiltjlp]

We've discussed our favorite pins by decades, the evolution of the game from fairly simple EMs to much more faeture laden and toy-influenced modern pins, but not the actual themes of pins. Especially in the past, when there were many manufacturers, themes often seem to go in cycles, as one maker copied or borrowed a theme that worked for another company, and tried to do them one better. Here are my favorite themes. Individual licensed themes shouldn't be included, but can be mentioned at the end of your list.

Tle Old West, since I'm a history buff
Fairey Tales, as in the Gottlieb series
Playing Cards, both as flipperless and more modern
Car Racing, especially flipperless and EMs
Gambling. as in Casino
Baseball, spans all eras
Bowling, spans all eras
Prehistoric or Futuristic

Specific licensed themes I've liked.

Anything Simpsons
Most anything Star Trek

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

50's science fiction/horror

Creature from the black lagoon
Elvira
Scared Stiff
Haunted house
adams family

etc....................

 

[yogiholzer]

I don't have any favorite theme, I think.

I could specify the themes from the tables I like most, but these themes aren't the reason I like the tables. If I would prefer any themes on tables I would have to like some tables I don't like.

 

[Popotte]

As yogiholzer, I have not a favorite theme. I like a table or not, without sentimental reason... First, I like a table visualy. Second, I like a table for his fun. I can't play on a table with fun if I don't like his layout. I know, it's stupid, but...

 

[yogiholzer]

No, it isn't stupid. I know what you mean and I decide from similar aspects.

 

[StevOz]

I'd have to say I would favour space/sci fi themed tables, especially when combined with those great electronic sounds that tiltjp just can't stand.

That said for pure comedy vocals and boobies, nothing beats Scared Stiff.

 

[jpsalas]

I like nearly all pinball themes, from space themes, movies, to card themes.
The only thing that puts me off from playing a table is if I can't see what is going on. Many tables are too cluttered with targets, ramps, animations and I can't see the ball or what is going on. I'm sure they are fine if you have played the original table. As an example I could mention Circus Voltaire (Scapinos version). I'm sure the table is very fun in real life, but for me in VP is too cluttered, so I use to like better tables from the 70's and 80's. If I must choose a theme then it will be "space".

JP

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

I know what you are saying jpsalas
I find most VPM recreations of DMD tables to be too cluttered an so I do not play them much
But is I am buying a machine then I would not be looking at much else

 

[GHoSTFaCe]

My favorite theme seems to be circus/carnival type games, if I were forced to think about it... Not that I consciously gravitate towards those games, but nevertheless they do seem to be among my favorites. The Comet/Cyclone/Hurricane series was fantastic, and Funhouse still ranks among my favorite pins of all time.

 

[tiltjlp]

Interesting discussion this has turned into. And Steve, in spite of those horrid electronic blips, I really have grown to enjoy a lot of those SS games. Of course I don't turn my speakers on when I play them. There aren't many games I don't enjoy to some degree, but I still have trouble getting used to the huge scores on modern games. But then, I grew up playing game that scored in the 100s and 1000s instead of the 100,000,000,000,000,000,000s.

 

[GHoSTFaCe]

Interesting discussion this has turned into. And Steve, in spite of those horrid electronic blips, I really have grown to enjoy a lot of those SS games. Of course I don't turn my speakers on when I play them. There aren't many games I don't enjoy to some degree, but I still have trouble getting used to the huge scores on modern games. But then, I grew up playing game that scored in the 100s and 1000s instead of the 100,000,000,000,000,000,000s.

Now that's just a silly generalization. If I recall properly, your favorite game of all time (Struggle Buggies, 1953) had a minimum score of 10,000 for hitting anything and scored into the millions. That's not significantly different than machines in the 80s where machines had 7 digit scoring or even today with the newest Sterns. On an average game of Roller Coaster Tycoon or Monopoly, a score of between 5-10 million is pretty good.

I will grant you that many machines in the 60s & 70s scored much lower than that and there were some machines in the late 80s & 90s (Who Dunnit and Jack*Bot come to mind as particularly bad offenders) where there were gaudy billion point scores, but overall it seems like an average score of about 5 million has been constant for a few generations.

Score can't be the only grudge you hold against the newer games.

 

[bob]

The theme doesn't matter to me much as long as there are hot babes on the table. I also like targets, the more targets the better I like it. I think most ramps are a waste of time, especially if they are only returning the ball to a flipper. I'm not fond of those looping shots either that just makes the ball zip around the top of the table returning it to the flipper for another attempt at a looping shot, a totally stupid concept, IMO. I think some of those Zaccaria tables are awesome with their bright colors

I'd like to see some more comic character tables. I'd like to see someone (like PD) remake the Amazing Spider-man table, but I've never seen any great pics for it.

I don't really mind low or high scoring, it seems irrelevant to whether a game would be fun or not.

 

[tiltjlp]

Interesting discussion this has turned into. And Steve, in spite of those horrid electronic blips, I really have grown to enjoy a lot of those SS games. Of course I don't turn my speakers on when I play them. There aren't many games I don't enjoy to some degree, but I still have trouble getting used to the huge scores on modern games. But then, I grew up playing game that scored in the 100s and 1000s instead of the 100,000,000,000,000,000,000s.

Now that's just a silly generalization. If I recall properly, your favorite game of all time (Struggle Buggies, 1953) had a minimum score of 10,000 for hitting anything and scored into the millions. That's not significantly different than machines in the 80s where machines had 7 digit scoring or even today with the newest Sterns. On an average game of Roller Coaster Tycoon or Monopoly, a score of between 5-10 million is pretty good.

I will grant you that many machines in the 60s & 70s scored much lower than that and there were some machines in the late 80s & 90s (Who Dunnit and Jack*Bot come to mind as particularly bad offenders) where there were gaudy billion point scores, but overall it seems like an average score of about 5 million has been constant for a few generations.

Score can't be the only grudge you hold against the newer games.

It was intended as an exaggeration. I really don't have any grudges against any tables, since I don't turn on my speakers. I can and do enjoy must games I play in VPM, and I'm just as lousy with them as I was with EMs. I really to better with flipperless tables, because it's easier for me to nudge than it is to master flippers, given my poor hand-eye coordiantion. Referring to Bob's post above mine, I'm not a big fan of looping shots or ramps, for the most part. On tables I really like and figure I'll be playing regularly, I usually lower the slope, since I have such poor reaction time.

 

[LPmangas]

- Futuristic , like Pin-Bot , Bride of Pin-Bot , Genesis , Centaur , Star Wars ( Data East ) , ...

- Casino , like Monte-Carlo ( Gottlieb ) , Riverboat Gambler , High Roller Casino , ...

- Fun , like Fun House , Cyclone , Hurricane , Jokerz , Game Show , Cactus Jack , Surf'n'Safari , ...

- Adventure, Fantasy , like Amazon Hunt , Indiana Jones , Grand Lizard , Monster Bash , Addams Family , ...

But there is so much good tables , that almost all categories could be representated , lol :)

 

[zerhino]

I like pool themes...from 8 ball to Cue Ball Wizard.

 

[LPmangas]

ah yes pool ( not swimming pool lol ^^ ) are good tables too :)

 

[highwayman]

a good table needs serious sound-fx like early 80's williams/bally tables.
it also needs something different on the playfield.

a few that come to mind i'v played a lot and what stood out.
black knight - williams. because of the magna-hold.
orbitor-1 - stern - the dish-playfield and spinning bumpers are amazing.
medusa - bally? - the zipper-flippers.
fireball - who made this? - dont know the version, but the spinning plate in the playfield was awsome.

dont want to forget fathom and catacomb simply for the great sound-FX!

E-M's? - rubbish - i feel sorry for people who gew up with E-M's

 

[highwayman]

i almost forgot, cant forget my friend's Robocop.

the first ever table with solid-state flippers that can smash drop-targets into several pieces!!!!

 

[tiltjlp]

E-M's? - rubbish - i feel sorry for people who gew up with E-M's

No need to feel sorry for me. the great thing about pinball is that it's been around long enough that there is something to please everyone. You have your modern games which sometimes make me scratch my head in wonder, and I have my flipperless that you won't touch with a 50 foot pole. As long as you're willing to lead a sheltered pinball life, we can all live in harmony.

 

[forchia]

... First, I like a table visualy. Second, I like a table for his fun. I can't play on a table with fun if I don't like his layout. I know, it's stupid, but...

I'm also on the same boat as popotte & yogi :)
If the layout catch me, I'm done
If the layout is not that good for my tastes, I completely leave the table out :bored:

anyway, I always liked circus themes tables, and pirate tables
Despite bob's tastes, I prefer to leave babes out of pinball themes, I'm always afraid to fall in love during playtime, hehehe

 

[wangho]

50's science fiction/horror

Creature from the black lagoon
Elvira
Scared Stiff
Haunted house
adams family

etc....................

I second the sentiment. My favorite theme by far