Everyone talks about how great past eras of pinball were, and how we sorely miss some things (such as unlicensed tables), but there are some things put on the scrap heap that should stay there. What are some of yours? Mine include:
5. Time drop target banks - this doesn't increase excitement, it creates frustration - knocking down two targets of a tough to reach 3-bank and your ball gets stuck in the bumpers, and you helplessly stand by and watch the time run out. Fortunately, I don't see these often anymore. JY in 1996 is the latest one I can think of (CC doesn't count).
4. Flipperless drains - Usually the culprit of tables that have terribly hungry outlanes (PB, STTNG) or features such as bumpers near the outlane (TZ, TAF). Nothing is worse than watching the ball go down the tubes without you getting a chance to do anything with it. Ball savers help this somewhat on modern pins, and a trend towards staying away from overly-frustrating layouts, such as when the Pin*Bot playfield was recycled for Jack*Bot, they changed some of the measurements to make it less frustrating (though John Borg with his Tron Legacy and Iron Man tables seem determined to bring this back. Even champion player Bowen on the PAPA site had to play Iron Man three times before he could get anything going).
3. Lit Extra Balls that shut off after you drain - must I explain why this sucks?
2. No ball saver during multiball - I feel so terribly stupid when TAF or TZ pumps you up with their miltiball start theatrics, then the balls are shot into play, and two (or three) bounce off the flippers and go down the drain. At least those two give you a second chance - earlier games it was screw you!
1. No ball saver! - Out of all the conventions, I hate this the most. Stern tried to make a comeback with it, but feedback must have been bad, because it's back, though great tables like TSPP and RBION are now and forever more frustrating than they need to be. Now JJ is trying it on their WOZ table (at least the last build I played). Hopefully they just turned it off for expos to keep the line moving.
5. Time drop target banks - this doesn't increase excitement, it creates frustration - knocking down two targets of a tough to reach 3-bank and your ball gets stuck in the bumpers, and you helplessly stand by and watch the time run out. Fortunately, I don't see these often anymore. JY in 1996 is the latest one I can think of (CC doesn't count).
4. Flipperless drains - Usually the culprit of tables that have terribly hungry outlanes (PB, STTNG) or features such as bumpers near the outlane (TZ, TAF). Nothing is worse than watching the ball go down the tubes without you getting a chance to do anything with it. Ball savers help this somewhat on modern pins, and a trend towards staying away from overly-frustrating layouts, such as when the Pin*Bot playfield was recycled for Jack*Bot, they changed some of the measurements to make it less frustrating (though John Borg with his Tron Legacy and Iron Man tables seem determined to bring this back. Even champion player Bowen on the PAPA site had to play Iron Man three times before he could get anything going).
3. Lit Extra Balls that shut off after you drain - must I explain why this sucks?
2. No ball saver during multiball - I feel so terribly stupid when TAF or TZ pumps you up with their miltiball start theatrics, then the balls are shot into play, and two (or three) bounce off the flippers and go down the drain. At least those two give you a second chance - earlier games it was screw you!
1. No ball saver! - Out of all the conventions, I hate this the most. Stern tried to make a comeback with it, but feedback must have been bad, because it's back, though great tables like TSPP and RBION are now and forever more frustrating than they need to be. Now JJ is trying it on their WOZ table (at least the last build I played). Hopefully they just turned it off for expos to keep the line moving.
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