Big Shot, EATER OF SOULS

mpclemens

New member
Jun 26, 2013
133
0
I know FS has stated that they won't be porting any more EM tables over in the near future, focusing instead on tables that can be ROM-emulated or are part of a property that people have heard of. I understand the economics of the situation, despite the fact that (to me) nothing really says "pinball" like a true bells-and-score-wheels table. I understand the *public* reason, given, anyway. What Farsight won't let on, though, is that with Big Shot, THEY HAVE OPENED A PORTAL INTO THE HELLMOUTH ITSELF.

"Hi, my name is Big Shot, and I'm here to liberate you from your pocket change."

This table is brutal, folks. I played it on PHoF, but FS really upped the Evil Ante when the ported it over. I am glad I'm not paying-per-play, because my kids would be sold into slavery/eating cardboard by now. And I know this isn't just a factor of the specific port, either. Real EM's are tough players, even in person. I suppose they were a step up from the original bagatelle games -- pay your penny and watch a ball bounce, woo! -- but just barely. These things had to be coined for dimes, the smallest and lightest coin -- there was no way a middling player could hold the necessary pocket change.

"Hi, my name is Big Shot, and I giveth and I taketh away. But mostly I taketh."

Here's a good game of Big Shot, for me:

* Launch ball 1 and hit a top rollover, ball bounces off a slingshot and down the drain
* Ball 2 misses rollovers, bounces down outlane for a pity 1000 points
* Ball 3: oh, right. We're supposed to be hitting targets. Two drop targets, light the 8-ball, drain down the left outlane.

I don't even bother with 5-ball games any more. Gets the pain over sooner. When the stars align and I somehow, wildly manage a replay, you can be sure that extra ball is going SDTM. "Oh hey, nice Special. Pity it won't last but a second."

"Hi, my name is Big Shot, and I am here to bring the pain."

This is a wonderful table upon which one may learn humility. Sure, it's exciting to score a five-million-point skill shot on a modern DMD, but you don't know real joy until you've managed to actually hit a lit rollover... on purpose. (The celebration only lasts long enough for you to watch the wild ricochet off the slings, of course.) You can have your yoga, your medication rooms, your inner peace -- when I want to know my place in the Universe, I fire up Big Shot and watch the silver ball sliiiiide by. "Ommmmm.... I am a pathetic dust mote on the face of the planet... ommmm..."

"Hi, my name is Big Shot, and you will always come crawling back for more."

Damn this table. Damn it twice, and sideways on Sunday. Damn its cheerful colors, damn its simple rules, damn its infernal, addictive nature. "Just one more game, just one more..." Damn the rush you get for a 100,000+ point game and damn the lows from the followup 5,000-pointer. Damn the ball when it swerves just thisclose to the eight-ball kicker, right on the way to the damn outlane. Damn it once, twice, and thrice.

What an awesome table.
 

Jeff Strong

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 19, 2012
8,144
2
Great post. That's the thing with tables like this that kick our ass every time: they keep us coming back again and agin, similar to the early arcade games (Pac man, Joust, etc.). "Just one more game" is exactly right.
 

canuck

New member
Nov 28, 2012
880
1
Big Shot took my dog, my house, and my truck. I now live huddled under a bridge eating cold cans of beans.
 

Slam23

Active member
Jul 21, 2012
1,279
2
It lures you with innocent chimes and bells, but don't listen to it! No, don't push that button.....ah, too late, another soul got sucked up by the Infernal Machine from The Abyss. It's an evil machine for sure.... :) Great post, sums up my experiences with it quite nicely. It's about the only table in season 1 that is still below 500 HOF points (iOS).
 

Nightwing

Active member
Aug 1, 2012
1,137
0
I know FS has stated that they won't be porting any more EM tables over in the near future, focusing instead on tables that can be ROM-emulated or are part of a property that people have heard of. I understand the economics of the situation, despite the fact that (to me) nothing really says "pinball" like a true bells-and-score-wheels table. I understand the *public* reason, given, anyway. What Farsight won't let on, though, is that with Big Shot, THEY HAVE OPENED A PORTAL INTO THE HELLMOUTH ITSELF.

"Hi, my name is Big Shot, and I'm here to liberate you from your pocket change."

This table is brutal, folks. I played it on PHoF, but FS really upped the Evil Ante when the ported it over. I am glad I'm not paying-per-play, because my kids would be sold into slavery/eating cardboard by now. And I know this isn't just a factor of the specific port, either. Real EM's are tough players, even in person. I suppose they were a step up from the original bagatelle games -- pay your penny and watch a ball bounce, woo! -- but just barely. These things had to be coined for dimes, the smallest and lightest coin -- there was no way a middling player could hold the necessary pocket change.

"Hi, my name is Big Shot, and I giveth and I taketh away. But mostly I taketh."

Here's a good game of Big Shot, for me:

* Launch ball 1 and hit a top rollover, ball bounces off a slingshot and down the drain
* Ball 2 misses rollovers, bounces down outlane for a pity 1000 points
* Ball 3: oh, right. We're supposed to be hitting targets. Two drop targets, light the 8-ball, drain down the left outlane.

I don't even bother with 5-ball games any more. Gets the pain over sooner. When the stars align and I somehow, wildly manage a replay, you can be sure that extra ball is going SDTM. "Oh hey, nice Special. Pity it won't last but a second."

"Hi, my name is Big Shot, and I am here to bring the pain."

This is a wonderful table upon which one may learn humility. Sure, it's exciting to score a five-million-point skill shot on a modern DMD, but you don't know real joy until you've managed to actually hit a lit rollover... on purpose. (The celebration only lasts long enough for you to watch the wild ricochet off the slings, of course.) You can have your yoga, your medication rooms, your inner peace -- when I want to know my place in the Universe, I fire up Big Shot and watch the silver ball sliiiiide by. "Ommmmm.... I am a pathetic dust mote on the face of the planet... ommmm..."

"Hi, my name is Big Shot, and you will always come crawling back for more."

Damn this table. Damn it twice, and sideways on Sunday. Damn its cheerful colors, damn its simple rules, damn its infernal, addictive nature. "Just one more game, just one more..." Damn the rush you get for a 100,000+ point game and damn the lows from the followup 5,000-pointer. Damn the ball when it swerves just thisclose to the eight-ball kicker, right on the way to the damn outlane. Damn it once, twice, and thrice.

What an awesome table.

Completely agree!
 

Potrzebie

New member
Sep 4, 2014
67
0
Wonderful missive and perfect description of the painted lady that is "Big Shot." It lures you in with those bright colors, rows of drop-targets, simple rule-set; practically daring you from '...across a crowded room.' It then throws you out onto the pavement face-first with its wide maw of a center drain, seemingly magnetic outlanes and curses galore at missing the special targets by a millimeter.

According to Wikipedia, "Replays can be achieved by... earning 50,000 points, 64,000 points, and 72,000 points." Shouldn't TPA award an extra ball for these goals too?

As heartless a b*tch as she is, I keep going back to her again and again, endlessly searching the next roll-over of the reels.
 

Potrzebie

New member
Sep 4, 2014
67
0
I've played around with CP, but it's nowhere near as maddening as BS. I think it's because on CP, with that gargantuan center drain, you expect a lot of drains. Unlike BS where it seems so many times you can save a ball and can't.
 

Zaphod77

Active member
Feb 14, 2013
1,316
2
EM games don't have knockers. just the sorta soft thwack sound of the credit wheel turning.

the knocker is the solid state replacement of the credit wheel.

actually, only TAF has a knocker, the others thwack. :)
 

mpclemens

New member
Jun 26, 2013
133
0
Has Big Shot introduced you to its attractive young cousin, Central Park, yet?

I haven't bought CP for TPA.I'm still smarting from its evil incarnation on PHoF. The extra outlanes and those dinky flippers are just pure suffering. I think that may be the only table in PHoF where I didn't finish the Wizard goals. Even Aces High treated me better.

According to Wikipedia, "Replays can be achieved by... earning 50,000 points, 64,000 points, and 72,000 points." Shouldn't TPA award an extra ball for these goals too?

It was in PHoF for sure, because that was the only saving gace of the table (though you scored in-game "Credits" not EBs, IIRC.)

I used to be disappointed that FS declared no EMs for the near future. Now I realize they're simply being merciful.

[flails flippers uselessly as ball soars through the truck-sized gap]

"Ah! Dammit!"
 

Potrzebie

New member
Sep 4, 2014
67
0
Today's game of Big Shot: Ball #1: 98,000, Ball #2: SDTM, Ball #3: SDTM, Ball #4: SDTM, Ball #5:SDTM. My neighbor two houses down came by to see what was wrong.
 

Man-Machine

New member
Dec 6, 2012
163
0
Agreed. I'm a big fan of this table. Terrible. I've managed to get away for some time but now I'm back. It is as painful as it always was.
 

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