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Your top 5 pins of 2022

PAX

PAX

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Dec 28, 2020
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Thetford
Alias
Paul Woollard
So what have you fallen in love with this year, rediscovered, just discovered or been in love with for a long time?
For me:
5) Junk yard - had a blast playing this at The Pinhaus, great fun
4) Rush - the machine at Pinfest took a good deal of my money. Some great shots and it just drew me in to keep having another go
3)World Cup Soccer - possibly due to the fantastic example at Pinfest and playing several 4 player games. An absolute blast
2) IMDN - playing a pin occasionally at a venue is great but owning one and getting really in tune with it is something else. Getting the upper loop shot and ramp shots dialled in - fantastic. Turn up the volume and rock the s**t out
1) Godzilla - oh dear! Predictability gets smacked in the face. Simply a stunning pin. Shot after great shot, easy enough to feel like your actually achieving something, deep enough to make you think you'll experience something new with each game - a masterpiece.

Here's to 2023 opening up even more great pin experiences 👍
 
5/ super hoops - only played the one at pinfest, but kept going back to it the whole weekend
4/ wwf royal rumble- again at pinfest, a game I’ve never played, and kept walking past it that weekend as it didn’t appeal to me, until Saturday night when most pins were busy, so gave it a go and instantly fell in love
3/ rush- first time playing it at swavesey, and got hooked instantly, even with having no love for the band or the music
2/ baywatch- played the real pin a couple of times, and it did nothing for me, but I’ve recently been playing it a lot on my vpin, and can’t get enough of it
1/ Batman 66- I’ve recently been to the pinball office, where I finally got to play it properly, and had a blast on it, great fun
 
5) Batman, on loan from Gonzo, already love it and will play it Christmas Day.
4) WCS94, after bringing one back to life, it’s had so much love from everyone, it Just keeps giving.
3) WH20, recently put the bling back into my one, love it even more now
2) Stranger things, I was struggling for another pin so my Mrs said this was hers, she played it at The Pinball Office for hours.
1) Twilight Zone, this is a joint decision Alfie and I would make sure this never leaves the home.
 
Nowhere to play near me so only what I have been buying which again were not near me so had to collect apart from Halloween, all new to me this year. Going oldskool👾

5- Taxi Find this easy though and mine plays super fast and is steep. Still fun, Oohhh Taxi!
4- Future Spa Not easy and looks great, super wide sexy pinball.
3- Eight Ball Deluxe Just another game…….. quit talkin and start chalkin’
2- Halloween Once the code is finished will be one of my favourite pins, hard game 🔪
1- Pinbot Had Jackbot for years, this is so much better and can be tuff but so 😎
 
5) TX Sector - another ‘I finally got to play this in real life at Pinfest’
4) Dialed In - played for the first time at The Pinball Office. I love this modern Earthshaker/Whirlwind-inspired pin.
3) Alice Cooper’s Nightmare Castle - my favourite from the Pinball Office
2) Alien - absolutely loved this at the Rochester Pinball Club
1) Genesis - I finally got to play one of these, in real life, at Pinfest. And it was amazing.
 
1) Big Buck Hunter……Choices 2-5 not required……

In all seriousness, I would say:

1) Big Buck Hunter (I just love it, puts a smile on my face)
2) Grand Prix (a real surprise)
3) Baywatch (played it on holiday, which might have helped, but loved it)
4) Fish Tales (fun game, so much so I got one)
5) Star Wars (still loving that game)
 
I‘ve lost count of the pins that have came and went this year but got to admit there’s been far too many.
So taking into consideration the list is only the games I currently own, play the most and wont be going anywhere soon my top 5 are.

5. FT - still on honeymoon but reminds me of HS2 for the one more game and simple rule set
4. TFTC - this has been the hidden gem find this year! Super loaded, awesome all metal ramps which the GOAT himself Edwin has taken inspiration from and its a horror theme!
3. DP - what’s not to like? Retro sound and animations, great call-outs and for me a theme to die for.
2. GZ - What is this infidel saying! Well let me explain.
I own GZ LE which has the most beautiful art I have ever seen on a pinball ever a Zombie Yeti + foil A combo of perfection. Layout is butter smooth, polished rules and loads of cheesy fun.
So why is it number two? I often forgo a GZ due to the length of the games as its very forgiving and no brutality whatsoever. No cheap SDTM drains or out lanes ones. An almost perfect pin let down by game times.

And in 1st place bought on a whim and bearing in mind I own a GnR CE and its not in my Top 5.

METALLICA !

WOW WOW & WOW nothing to fault here! I loved GOTG layout and this feels so much like it gameplay wise. The Premium/LE is super loaded and can be brutal giving you a one more go feel which speaks volumes for me. Music suits pinball and although I was not really a fan of the band id love to go see em some point now.
 
I've tried to play a wide variety this year, and get out and about as much as I can. Not owning any pins makes putting time on any machine tough, but with visiting venues and entering comps I've played a lot of different pins. This is my top five.

5. AFM - It's great, always want to have one more game, and this year I finally managed to Rule The Universe. Always play this game whenever I see it.

4. Diner - Fun game that I always try and push myself to do better on each time I play. I particularly love @Lecari Claire's Diner

3. Godzilla - Finally starting to have a bit of an understanding of the rules, thanks to people like @Genotime and @robotgreg giving me tips. Good fun game and the highlight was putting over 550mil at the UK Open (didn't count for anything in the end though).

2. Stranger Things - I didn't like this pin at first, seemed pretty flat and uninspiring, but having put more time on it I'm really enjoying it. Still pretty useless at it, but starting to see more and more with each play.

1. Batman 66 - For me this has that classic 'just one more game' appeal. I always play it when I see it, and always enjoy it, even if I have a rubbish game. Love the humour, the theme, the call outs, the shots etc. Played a few different machines this year, and have enjoyed every one.
 
I've only played my own. So that's easy.. Ish.
I wouldn't part with TAF but when I got a Centaur again I realised how much fun it was.
So..
1.Centaur
2.Addams family
3.Roadshow
4.Cosmic Gunfight
5.Bride of Pinbot (mostly cos I've always fancied one.. Could have been a T2 here cos fancy one of those too 😁)
 
Tough to rank 1-5, I change my opinion on games depending on what mood I’m in, how tired I am etc. JP is either my favourite game that’s never leaving or I’m super frustrated by it and it’s the next to leave! Today its ****ed me off so has been banished to the bottom of the list 😂

This will seem like a boring Elwin/ modern Stern love fest to some but those are the games that I seem to enjoy the most at home. On location I prefer something a bit easier because I suck when I can’t set up a game how I like

1 - Godzilla - yep the boring, predictable answer! At first I thought it was a bit easy, I thought it was fun but wasn’t sure it had longevity but once I started going for completion in every city rather than go straight for Planet X/KotM it really grew on me. Only down side is games can be super long.

2 - Stranger Things - I changed my opinion on STh more than any other game. When I first played it I didn’t enjoy it at all and didn’t get the point of it over AFM or MM. Then I watched the series and it made me give it another go and I felt completely different about it. It’s my only 2 flipper game so adds more variety than anything else. I love to play it when I don’t want to think about rules.

3 - Avengers Infinity Quest - I knew I’d like AIQ because I’d had the other 3 Elwins and really enjoyed them but I didn’t realise I’d like it as much as I do. Flow and combos are crazy!

4 - Iron Maiden - sold to fund AIQ, got rid of it too soon, don’t regret it as I’m enjoying AIQ but definitely need one back! Something about repeatable, alternate ramps that I love, probably partly why GZ and STh are top of the list

5 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - they’re heroes in half shell! Whenever I play TMNT I have fun. It’s not the best game, it’s not Elwin level rules but I still love it
 
In no particular order:

1) Metallica (love the band, very fast paced pin, Sparky still makes me smile - oh and lots of multi balls too!)

2) Elvira HOH (Always loved horror & B Movies, easier shots but lots of modes to progress too that aren’t so easy, funny too and the whole pin looks gorgeous)

3) BM66 (Nice deep code with absolutely loads to do, great use of the lcd display and good call outs too, a really fun pin)

4) Iron Maiden (One of the best pins for different ways to play - go through the modes - which are all like mini games themselves rather than ‘shoot this flashing arrow 6 times; eg: shooting down planes then chase the ace pilot or breaking the chains to help Eddie escape a hanging. Modes not for you? Let’s go for the power features, great goal that leads to Cyborg multiball but also builds a potentially massive power jackpot - DONT COLLECT IT just yet, get your 3x multiplyer running first!
Or loop jackpots, takes a very skilled player but another way to play & build a big score…. I could go on, best pin ever….maybe.

5) Godzilla (It’s good but there’s so many other good pins out there too that this could probably be knocked out of my top 5 quite easily. Love the theme, the sounds and the film clips, not a massive fan of any of the modes though really as there’s always some shots involved that are just a bit too tricky for me - I struggle with the left and right spinners for a start!)
 
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Most of mine are similar to last year:
1. Creature from the Black Lagoon - I just love the music, the theme, the call outs, everything... Can't get enough of this! So excited to now have one of my own.
2. Diner - still enjoy it a lot - it puts a big smile on my face everytime I play. There's just something about the theme, the customers and stirring the cup that I love!
3. Junkyard - this one definitely grew on me, once I could hear the call outs and the humour I really enjoyed it, so very excited to now own one!

(Do I have a thing for games with bowls in them? Apparently so!)

And two that are new ones to me:
4. Congo - I wasn't a big fan of this initially but since borrowing it from @Jmac (and watching the film) I now absolutely love it - the call outs, the volcano, Amy, the angry grey gorilla in the mini playfield.
5. Pool Sharks - I played this at a friends and just loved it, just something about this really grabbed me. The theme was really fun and I couldn't stop playing it! It's stuck in my mind a lot since then :)

I'd also give an honorary mention to Alien, as playing this at a friend's it was really atmospheric and a lot of fun, and I kept wanting to play it over and over. A pinball game has never given me the chills like this one did, especially going into multiball - great fun, though not sure how I feel about the ethics of it all... And of course Dogball, which I love but haven't had the chance to play too much this year, but it always has always made me laugh and smile when I have!
 
Limited exposure for me, just my own and the line up at Swavesey....

5. Diner, love the system 11 games and this one was a peach to finally get a few games on. Everything a pinball theme should be, fun, bright and catchy.

4. Special Force, bought as a fun project to fix and flip, kept as a fun game, big surprise...fast, brutal with one more game apeal.

3. BK2K. Some hate it, I love it. Been played more than any of the pins I own. When it's not played it's a mighty fine ornament ;)

2. AFM, is it possible to get bored on this pin, I didn't!?

1. Flash Gordon, this game has everything you need and nothing you don't. Fast, brutal, fun and it's bright red!!
 
Ok here go's. This wont be in order because if I do that i will constantly change my mind during writing this, it will take forever and ill give up 😂

1. STAR TREK LE.
Theme is a big draw for me when it comes to pins and I can honestly say star trek does absolutely nothing for me hence walking past it on location many times in the past. My friend has an LE and told me to put a few games on it....man does that pin shoot and flow good!!! Not to mention the cabinet armor lights! It really was a huge suprise for me this year. Awesome game!!!

2. AIQ PREMIUM / LE.
I'm not an amazing player and to be honest I'm still not 100% sure what I'm doing on it but everytime I get the chance to play it I find it keeps me coming back for more. I love the shots on this pin and that captain marvel loop is so satisfying. I don't own one but this is definatly on my wish list.

3. SOPRANOS
Love the TV show and everytime I get the opportunity to play one I just can't say no. Pretty rubbish art work and i feel it could have been so much more but I don't care, its simple enough and just good fun. I had the opportunity to buy a really nice one earlier this year and I passed on it, im kicking myself now.

4. TMNT LE.
I brought one over a year ago and for the first year I probably played it 50 times, I think it had 29 plays on it when I brought it. It literally is a work of art, easily one of the best looking pins out there but I just wasn't that bothered about playing it, it scored low and it frustrated me so much as I didn't think I was a good enough player to justify owning it. I was contemplating selling it but now Im so glad I held onto it. I found a new love for it after having friends over for beers and playing co-op mode, it really brings this pin into its own and is so much fun!! I now often find myself turning this pin on for a quick game and find myself playing 2 or 3 games, turning it off then turning it back on for a few more.

5. GUNS N ROSES LE.
Put quite a few pounds in this at pinfest! Couldn't stay off it! Im a huge fan of the band, with the music, tour footage and the light show whats not to visually love about this pin? Well....playfield issues maybe 🤔 But....I loved it and I can't wait to get the opportunity to play one again.
 
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