The Pinball Arcade table ratings

[netizen]

IDK if I have a specific logic behind my rating system. It's something like shooting that one low scoring shot over and over just 'cause it's fun ...


My Pinball Arcade table ratings
——————————
10 — Elvira and the Party Monsters
10 — Gorgar
10 — Taxi
9 — Class of 1812
9 — Flight 2000
9 — Monster Bash
9 — Ripley's Believe It or Not!
9 — Star Trek: The Next Generation
9 — The Twilight Zone
8 — Centaur
8 — Cirqus Voltaire
8 — Dr. Dude
8 — Firepower
8 — Haunted House
8 — Pin•Bot
8 — Tee'd Off
8 — Whirlwind
7 — Attack from Mars
7 — Genie
7 — The Machine: Bride of Pin•Bot
7 — Medieval Madness
7 — No Good Gofers!
7 — Space Shuttle
7 — Terminator 2: Judgment Day
7 — Theatre of Magic
6 — Black Hole
6 — Cactus Canyon
6 — Scared Stiff
6 — Victory
6 — White Water
5 — Big Shot
5 — The Champion Pub
5 — Creature from the Black Lagoon
5 — Funhouse
5 — Harley-Davidson Third Edition
5 — Tales of the Arabian Nights
4 — Black Knight
4 — Central Park
2 — Goin' Nuts

 

[smbhax]

Added numbering to the results list, the numbering also indicates ties of whatever parameter you're sorting by.

 

[smbhax]

Since Tee'd Off and Haunted House hit the PS3, I've been able to add them to my own ratings. I gave TO an 8--I think it does a great job of always giving you something interesting to shoot for. HH got a 3 from me, since it seems to boil down to point-blanking two small sets of drop targets with reversed flippers--bluh. : P

 

[Slam23]

Nice list! You see the usual suspects at the top, that could be read as though Farsight did a good job on recreating them or that they are popular tables regardless. On VP I was hooked solely on DMD-style tables, early/late 90's. Because of Farsight I discovered that there can be a lot of fun to be had also in older tables. EM's are still not my cup of tea though, that's hardcore pinball with too much of a random/chance variable in my opinion. Gorgar is also high on my list, there's definitely some strange satisfaction in playing that one.

 

[Flotilla]

Why do so many people seem to dislike Haunted House? That's one of my favorite cabinets!

It doesn't have any fancy toys or multiball, but I'm in love with the stage layout.

 

[Zorgwon]

Why do so many people seem to dislike Haunted House? .... It doesn't have any fancy toys or multiball, but I'm in love with the stage layout.

I gave it a 3 because it seems muddled to me. The small playfields force me to play there and the 8 flippers are just too many.
I like the similar BH which has a clearer layout although the flippers are also too many. BH is an all or nothing table where things either work or don't. I think I gave a 7 for it.

Small playfields are popular on virtual pinball. The most played tables on TPA don't have them, though.

 

[Sumez]

I generally really dislike small sub-playfields. The lower on BH is terrible, but the rest of the table is pretty nice. Haunted House seems to me more like Gottlieb trying to create something unique for the sake of attention and sales, rather than trying to create a good table. It's the exact opposite of a streamlined Steve Ritchie table with great flow.
I feel the same about Genie. Once in a while you will hear "old schoolers" preferring older tables to the 90's DMD extravaganza because of their simpler, more straight forward pure gameplay with less pointless bling. But Genie is like a perfect example of a table (and a huge one, at that) drowning in excess bling, and no focus on keeping the game itself exciting. Much worse than even the most crowded Stern tables.

Not saying Haunted House is bad, I just don't think the subplayfields do anything good for it.

 

[morenoquinteiro]

Why everyone seems to hate Dr. Dude? I played a couple of times and it looks pretty cool.

 

[night]

Why everyone seems to hate Dr. Dude? I played a couple of times and it looks pretty cool.

It is cool.

 

[Sumez]

It's rad

 

[Mechanix77]

I didn't get into pinball until last year, and Gorgar and Centaur are two of my absolute favourites on TPA. It should have nothing to do with age.

Ahhhh, now I see why you flipped out on me earlier. lol

As for who gave them each low rankings, I was one of them. I gave them the lowest I could. I'm not a "Hater" of them, I just don't get any enjoyment from them at all, and that's how I rated each table. I'm not a fan of EM tables whatsoever, but I gave "Big Shot" a pretty decent ranking cause it's fun to play every now and then.

I use to hate Central Park, but I've really gotten better at it and enjoy it now that I spent more time on it.

I know I hate Gorgar to no end, but I continue to give "Centaur" a chance. I just can't dig it. I honestly don't see what the big deal is besides the artwork? Another table I despise is "Firepower". Again, no fun whatsoever to me. My older brother loves it. When I asked what specifically he loved about it, he said "The table sucks, but I love it cause I grew up with it".

I just can't use that type of logic. (Or lack thereof)

 

[Tann]

Very nice idea! Thank you!

Here's my rating (PS3 version, only the first season pack). Some tables (SS, TZ) have a bad rating because don't "feel good" in TPA, moreover on PS3.

My Pinball Arcade table ratings
——————————
10 — Cirqus Voltaire (besides the lunar physics, it's just a fireworks)

9 — Medieval Madness (classic)
9 — Tales of the Arabian Nights (love the sound design)

8 — Big Shot (so crisp and realistic)
8 — Gorgar (same)
8 — Monster Bash (a little boring after a while)
8 — Star Trek: The Next Generation (good and hard)
8 — Taxi (one of the most dynamic table, but look weird on PS3)
8 — Theatre of Magic (a little too repetitive)

7 — Attack from Mars (nice, but I don't get into it)
7 — Elvira and the Party Monsters (very punitive)
7 — The Twilight Zone (laggy on PS3)

6 — Black Hole (fun... but boring)
6 — Funhouse (far too easy on TPA)
6 — Harley-Davidson Third Edition (too many bugs on PS3, irritating sound design)
6 — No Good Gofers! (laggy on PS3)
6 — Ripley's Believe It or Not! (laggy on PS3)

5 — Genie (no comment)
5 — The Machine: Bride of Pin•Bot (the right ramp is far too easy!!!)
5 — Scared Stiff (easy as hell... ruined table)

4 — Black Knight (no comment)

3 — Creature from the Black Lagoon (the worst table, very bad table design... you CAN'T play wildly)

 

[morenoquinteiro]

I know I hate Gorgar to no end, but I continue to give "Centaur" a chance. I just can't dig it. I honestly don't see what the big deal is besides the artwork? Another table I despise is "Firepower". Again, no fun whatsoever to me. My older brother loves it. When I asked what specifically he loved about it, he said "The table sucks, but I love it cause I grew up with it".

I just can't use that type of logic. (Or lack thereof)

There is no logic at all. And that's the beauty of it. It's like getting in love with a girl, you can't explain it. I'm with your brother in loving Firepower that much. She is my babe.

Check this website someone made as a homage to Firepower. So beautiful. So intense. So "Firepower".

http://www.firepowerpinball.com/

I just love the noise that Firepower has, that "broken refrigerator" noise, sounds so organic, sounds so... I don't know, like a device on the outerspace. It has a touch of mistery, a touch of something high-tech, which is low-tech today, 'cause it is the high-tech from the 70s. The low high-tech charm. The future of our past, so fragile, still so powerful.

Don't ask me to put logic on this. Besides, the names sounds so badass. FIREPOWER!

 

[Mechanix77]

There is no logic at all. And that's the beauty of it. It's like getting in love with a girl, you can't explain it. I'm with your brother in loving Firepower that much. She is my babe.

Check this website someone made as a homage to Firepower. So beautiful. So intense. So "Firepower".

http://www.firepowerpinball.com/

I just love the noise that Firepower has, that "broken refrigerator" noise, sounds so organic, sounds so... I don't know, like a device on the outerspace. It has a touch of mistery, a touch of something high-tech, which is low-tech today, 'cause it is the high-tech from the 70s. The low high-tech charm. The future of our past, so fragile, still so powerful.

Don't ask me to put logic on this. Besides, the names sounds so badass. FIREPOWER!

Did you just bust a nut to "Firepower"? LOL

I remember someone else on here (Maybe you?) said they loved the music so much, they wish it could play all day at their job. lol. If I had to hear that crazy noise all day, I'd have a mental breakdown!

Hey, I may not understand it, but that's ok. It means something to someone (even if they don't even like it) and all that's all that matters.

 

[Kolchak357]

I like Firepower too. I like the way they make you work to get multiball going. Good test of shot skill. But I wouldn't want to listen to it all day at work. Who said that? They are hardcore.

 

[Mechanix77]

I like Firepower too. I like the way they make you work to get multiball going. Good test of shot skill. But I wouldn't want to listen to it all day at work. Who said that? They are hardcore.

To me, no game is harder to get Multiball than F2K.

I can lock up all 3 balls, but that's as far as I've gotten. lol

 

[Naildriver74]

Did you just bust a nut to "Firepower"? LOL

I remember someone else on here (Maybe you?) said they loved the music so much, they wish it could play all day at their job. lol. If I had to hear that crazy noise all day, I'd have a mental breakdown!

Hey, I may not understand it, but that's ok. It means something to someone (even if they don't even like it) and all that's all that matters.

My wife will throw stuff at me if she's around. I've got multiball twice but it was a marathon

 

[Kolchak357]

To me, no game is harder to get Multiball than F2K.

I can lock up all 3 balls, but that's as far as I've gotten. lol

Yeah, that is super tough. I don't think I've ever started multiball on the real pin, and I played it a lot back in the day. The first time I got it on TPA it was a fantastic feeling.

That is what moves those 2 (FP, F2K) up in the ratings for me.

 

[smbhax]

Liking Firepower is totally logical! It's got a variety of good shots, gives you a reason to hit all of them, keeps you on your toes with those dangerous targets right in the middle, and rewards you with a blisteringly fast multiball. Oh and it's got a nice spinner. I'm curious what those who don't like it don't like about it. Too intense?

Dr. Dude, on the other hand, has three annoying shots you have to hit multiple times each just to grind your way to an anemic two-ball multiball in which you then have to grind another irritating shot repeatedly just to register a single jackpot. Also the theme is really obnoxious. : P

But Genie is like a perfect example of a table (and a huge one, at that) drowning in excess bling, and no focus on keeping the game itself exciting.

Genie is one of those tables where you really have to understand the rules to find the focus and the excitement--read the rules and you'll find that the way to survive is to take careful advantage of every feature on the table to keep alive by earning extra balls while maxing and then cashing in the bonus; get to the point where you need to make an EB shot or max bonus shot and you'll probably get some of that adrenaline pumping!

 

[Sumez]

You might be right, I guess I'll have to look into the rules on that table.