I have admit that when I first played a Williams Funhouse, I was not impressed at all.  I even recall rating the game very low on Pinside.com and attacking it for being overly difficult and crowded in the center.....I was quickly reprimanded by members of course.  Are these points about Funhouse valid? Well.......yeah, but I think at the time I was more frustrated with the game because I was new to it and well, dammit, it was difficult.  I constantly asked myself, "Why in the hell did people like this machine so much and rate it so high?"  Something about this machine had to be redeeming, right?



Continue reading Banana's Pinball Top 10 - #5 Funhouse

Banana's Pinball Top 10 - #6 Monster Bash Posted on Dec 20th 2012 at 04:33:25 AM by (singlebanana) Posted under pinball, singlebanana, Top 10, Monster Bash

At #6 on my Top 10 pinball machine countdown is none other than William's Monster Bash.  Monster Bash is the total package, great gameplay and great theme.  I can actually remember growing up and watching the old black and white Universal Monster movies on late night television, dressing up as Dracula year after year for Halloween (you know, when kids use to dress up as monsters), and who can forget 1987's Monster Squad, which I saw in the theater. 

The classic monster theme is further entwined with, and enhanced by, a rock n' roll theme.  The purpose the game is to collect all of the band members, Dracula, The Creature, Frankenstein's Monster, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolfman, and The Mummy, by hitting specific shots on the playfield, and putting the band together for one big MONSTER BASH! The Creature joins after repeated shots to the left saucer, Frankenstein's Monster by hitting the left stand up targets under the Monster's table, Bride of Frankenstein by traveling down the left and right ramps, The Wolfman by shooting the right and left loops, The Mummy by hitting the pop bumpers and lighting the right scoop, and Dracula by completing the right stand-up targets and lighting D-R-A-C-U-L-A. Completion/Collection of each character starts that character's mode and lights specific shots on the playfield for additional scoring bonuses; modes can be stacked.


While assembling the band, you can also work to collect each monster's instrument by shooting the ball into the Mosh Pit.  Instruments can also be collected by finishing each associated monster's mode.  Once all six instruments are collected, "Monsters of Rock" mode lights for additional scoring. The "Mosh Multi-ball" feature can also be lit by ripping the center spinner 6 times.

Monster Bash is a fun, loud, and exciting pin.  The call outs are some of the funniest out there and are integrated well with the shots and objectives.  Another of those high priced pins due to it's popularity (in the Top 5 on most pinball enthusiast's lists), Monster Bash is rarely found now on location, but it can't hurt to check out your area: http://pinside.com/pinball/map/where-to-play.  However, if you do run across one out there, be sure to throw in some quarters and enjoy.  Wolfman certainly has nards, and so does this pin!

Banana's Pinball Top 10 - #7 Diner Posted on Nov 30th 2012 at 05:04:31 PM by (singlebanana) Posted under pinball, singlebanana, Top 10, Diner

Coming in at #7 on my Top 10 list is Williams' Diner.  In the mid-80's, Williams made some of the most incredible System-11, original concept pinball machines ever created.  I might be biased, since these are the machines I played during my late childhood/young adult years, but I guess every list is biased to some degree.  Diner is a restaurant themed pin where the object of the game is to wait on, some fairly non-PC by today's standards, customers. Customer's call out their dishes (an appetizer & an entree) and they are served by hitting the two banks of drop targets in the center of the machine, which are located in the middle and to the right.  Once you have served all 5 customers, the "Dine Time" jackpot is activated and you must make the release shot and collect the value on the backbox clock, which can be up to 12 million points (increased during the game by continually ripping the left ramp)! 


The backbox area is one of the most innovative and fun features of this game.  The artwork is great and depicts a classic streamline diner.  The customers located on the playfield that you are serving, also appear in the diner windows and actually bounce around as the machine moves.  They are actually plastics on springs that are located behind the backglass and help to give the backbox a sort of 3-D effect.  As previously mentioned, the clock plays a big role in scoring for this game and is also a prominent and fun feature on the backbox.

Another great feature in the game is the cup and saucer shot located at the back of the playfield.  If you are able to spell out D-I-N-E-R by shooting the right ramp multiple times, a timed cup shot activates for the right ramp.  During this time, a ramp diverter moves and instead of your ball traveling around the ramp in it's normal fashion, the ball spins out in the cup for a big score. (**See 2:25 of video)



Multi-ball is another fun and high scoring feature of Diner.  For multi-ball, you must also complete D-I-N-E-R via the right ramp shot to light the LOCK. What is really interesting is that completing D-I-N-E-R gives the player the option to either lock a ball, or shot the cup shot depending on preference; once you active one of the features, the other one disappears. After lighting the LOCK, the left ramp raises and ball must be shot beneath the ramp in order to capture it.  After plunging your second ball, the object is to start multi-ball by making the release shot to the left of the right ramp.  During multi-ball, make the Rush 1 (same as release shot) to light Rush 2 (located at the kickout hole to the right of the right ramp). Making both Rush shots results in a super scoring bonus.

The left ramp can be shot multiple times for cash register bonuses and to light the extra ball.  Many tournament players will continually rip this shot, since it is fairly simple to make and provides decent points and very low-risk shot.

Not only is Diner a fun machine to play, but the artwork and stunning incorporation of the theme really pull it together as a complete package.  Diner is a great machine that after much careful consideration, deserves a spot on this Top 10 List.  It is an older machine, but if you can find one, PLAY. IT......or better yet, BUY. IT.  You won't be disappointed.

"Order Up!" 


 

Banana's Pinball Top 10 - #8 Attack From Mars Posted on Nov 21st 2012 at 03:04:06 PM by (singlebanana) Posted under pinball, singlebanana, Top 10, countdown, Attack From Mars

Coming in at #8 on my Top 10 pinball countdown is a highly sought after machine from 1995, Bally's "Attack from Mars."  Attack from Mars (AFM) is a fun, flashy, and brilliantly themed pinball machine, and is in no way related to "Mars Attacks," the film which came out a year later.  Being a fan of the monster films of the 1950's and 60's, AFM is a not only a well-constructed machine, but also one that is comical and keeps you involved in the game.  It's no surprise from the title, but the game centers around Martians attacking the Earth.  As the player, you take on the role of a military agency moving from city to city (France, Germany, Italy, England, and the U.S.) in an attempt to destroy all of the Martians and their saucers and thwart the alien invasion (aka achieve "Total Annihilation").


One of the best features of AFM is that it is a good game for all levels of players.  The main shot in the game is the center drop bank/saucer area.  Continually bashing the drop bank causes it to eventually lower and allows you to shoot at the saucer stand-up targets.  After multiple hits to the saucer targets, the center drop hole is opened and putting a ball through it, captures the ball, and destroys the saucer (a great display animation and a super light and toy feature - *see video below*).  Scoring is also very high in this game and even the poorest score looks very grand to the more novice player.

AFM also has several modes that can be activated by multiple shots to left and right ramps, the left and right loops, and a shot to the scoop when lit.  Another fun feature of AFM is the "achievements" that light up at the bottom of the playfield (near the flippers), as you activate them.  These include: super multi-ball, super jets, 5-way combo, total annihilation, Martian attack multiball, and conquer Mars.  Completing all of these achievements gives you a huge bonus called "Rule the Universe."


One of the most fun modes in the game is the Martian Attack mode.  This is activated by completing the M-A-R-T-I-A-N stand-up targets located all around the playfield.  Once all are lit, a shot to the right scoop actives this mode.  During "Martian Attack," the small, rubber martians located around the playfield begin to bounce up and down.  To make them stop, you must hit the stand-up target in front of them.  Destroying all four of them actives the Martian Attack 2-Ball Multi-ball.

AFM is loads of fun and a machine that will keep you pumping in quarters.  It is a highly prized machine for collectors, and as a result, is not only difficult to find on location, but is very expensive to purchase (I've seen them sell for anywhere between $5,000 - $10,000+, depending on their condition).  If you ever have the chance to play one, do not pass it up.  A sequel to AFM, "Revenge From Mars" was created in 1999, and was one of the last made by Bally/Williams before closing their doors.  It was released as part of the Pinball2000 series and included a monitor over the playfield onto which color animations were projected.

Banana's Pinball Top 10 - #10 High Speed Posted on Nov 9th 2012 at 04:06:56 AM by (singlebanana) Posted under pinball, singlebanana, list, top 10

As many of you on the site know, along with collecting classic video games and systems, I have a big interest in playing and working on pinball machines.  I bought my first machine on August 6, 2011, an electromechanical pin called Spanish Eyes (1972) and I've owned a total of 9 machines since.  Many of them I have fixed up, played for several months, and sold.  I recently picked up one of my favorite machines, Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993) and am currently restoring a favorite from my childhood, Taxi (1988), a machine I picked up in February earlier this year.  In April of next year, I will be driving up to Pittsburgh to attend, maybe play in, Pinburgh 2013. http://papa.org/pinburgh2013/

Anyway, while my Vectrex Interview Series #3 is in the works, I thought I might do a Top 10 list of my favorite pinball machines for those who might be interested.  I'm a member of Pinside.com, a great source for pinball collectors and enthusiasts, and through their rating system, I have been able to keep track of the pins that I have played (currently 112!)  Though I've rated the machines on this site, the categories for ranking don't necessarily reflect my favorite machines.  Though I recognize the flaws in some of my favorite machines, they are often not such that it takes away from my enjoyment of them.  Sure, the artwork might not be the greatest on some, but the features, the experience, or even the nostalgia may outweigh what others might see as imperfections.


Coming in at #10 is a machine I played quite a lot growing up, High Speed.  High Speed is an early alphanumeric solid state machine that was made by Williams in 1986.  The game was designed to simulate a high speed chase from the cops in which the ultimate objective is to escape their pursuit.  The game's designer, Steve Ritchie claims that the concept of the game is based on the true story in which he was once chased by the police in his 1979 Porsche 928 and charged with reckless driving.  What I really appreciate about High Speed is how the concept is well integrated into the design of the machine.  Ramps and loops are designated as freeways and when you plunge the ball, you hear the sound of an engine reving and a car peeling off.  The machine even has a red light topper that flashes during the pursuit and police call outs simulating a call into the station and instructing you to pull over.  High Speed also has a side ramp, which presents a greater challenge, since it can only be reached using the 3rd flipper located in the upper right playfield.


What makes High Speed especially attractive is the history of the machine.  It wasn't the first machine to have sound (Gorgar - 1979), but it was the first to have an original musical score.  High Speed was the first Williams pinball game to use alpha-numeric displays and was the first game that allowed players to enter their initials for a high score, which was very revolutionary since it gave players an incentive to pump in more quarters.  Over 17,080 units were produced, so it's a fairly common title to find; however, due to its popularity and age, they are typically in pretty poor condition.  High Speed was basically remade in 1992 as The Getaway: High Speed II and had the same basic playfield layout, but included a metal Supercharger centrifuge ramp to left center, an animated dot-matrix display, and ZZ Top's "La Grange" as the score.