An Ode to Fish Tales (probably the best pin ever*)

[David_Vi]

*At the mo & Excluding Road Show

Slightly clickbait title.

Since getting back into pinball I wanted to own a Fish Tales. So when I learnt @Mooseman was thinking of selling his at play expo last year I jumped at the chance. It's a game I'd barely played for real except a few games on @DanLewell s old one at Pinfest. Most of my experience was on pinballfx3, where it played brutally and in a way I hated it.

Since owning mine (if had it 9 months now, still not bored) I've installed a LEDOCD GI and afterglow. Rerubbered with perfect plays. Added mirror blades, swapped a few LEDS, Tweaked a lot of ball guides and flipper alignment.
You know me, I fiddle until a game plays how I think it should. (Even if it means I have to drill holes out to adjust a vuk).

Point of thread is to 1. Gush about fishy and 2. Discuss why I'm addicted to it and am I alone?

I have 12 pinball machines all working and playing nice yet on a nearly daily basis I fire up fish tales and play sometimes over 10 games

I know it's a simple game and people rave about deep rulesets. But I just love it.

It's such a brutal game.
I have had it at various pitches and now it's over 7degrees and somehow it plays nicer like this.

My current GC is 650mil (tournament mode 3balls) which I'm proud of considering how brutal it is. But that was a near perfect game where I got super jackpots.

I played 5 games in a row to record my inconsistent playing and none of them got above 10mil

I am convinced my fish tales is faster and more brutal than others. I don't know why but I've watched streams from comps and their Fishys seem almost floaty. On mine if you miss a shot the ball either goes sdtm at speed, or hits slings where it outlane drains without much hope of a save.
You can sometimes live catch on launch but it seems harder at different pitches. The fast cast is doable but hard.

Although it feels a little bit better since putting it over 7degrees and being waxed

It's the perfect "just one more game" pin. I don't do this with any of my other pins, even AFM.

I love watching comp streams that include a fishy as it's great to see how top players approach Fish Tales, even if they don't seem as fast as mine. It's easy to understand and makes for a great watch.
That Bowen Vs Elwin game is probably the best pinball I've seen and I don't believe Elwins scores been beated on a comp fishy?

So why is Fish Tales so fun (and frustrating)?

I'd have loved to bring it to UK Pinfest but there's already two others. Maybe another year


What I love about Fishy (or specifically mine).
-The lightning flippers are essential, somehow they feel snappier and make the game harder so it's harder to get bored.
-You can backhand the spinner and sometimes the jackpot which makes for a fun multiball when you can get the backhand off by a tiny bit and it doesn't make it all the way to the saucer
-The boat ramp for monster fish, the panic and trying to get the ball under control or giving a nudge to bounce the ball to the other flipper
-The Lock shot is satisfying every time.
-FAST CAST!
-Long cast, the shot to the right orbit is super fast but can easily lead to an out of control ball.
-Getting three jackpots then draining before you can get super jackpots
-One of the best video modes in pinball
-the music and call outs are great, the Whooaaaa when a ball is released out of the lock for example.

Notable mentions to the lightshow and dimming gi when you lock balls or enter the fish finder.

Sorry for the fishy gushing, I'm back at work after two weeks off stuck waiting for my next job

 

[David_Vi]

On the opposite end @Lecari absolutely hates Fish Tales.

Why I don't know.

 

[Lroy]

Totally get you with the evaluation of Zen’s PBFX3 recreation of Fish Tales. That instant drain 75% of the time from when the ball comes down the right orbit is infuriating.

By some strange serendipity Fish Takes was probably the first digital pinball based upon a real-life machine I ever played and now it’s also the first pinball machine I’ve actually owned. Glad it gets such a glowing review from you. Played a dozen games myself tonight - great fun.

 

[Colywobbles]

My first FT I sold almost as quick as I bought it after having a few games and hating it and the 2-300 quid I got went on something I considered far better.
However when ZeN released the game on Williams classics I was hooked “pun intended” and I literally never stopped playing that or HS2 as both are simple but addictive with that one more game temptation.
I’ve since bought and sold quite a few actual HS2 ‘s but FT has eluded me till quite recently so jumped on it when one came up.
I’m now really looking forward to playing it when it finally arrives as it’s out doing the rounds till I find room and move a couple more pins on some point.

 

[crsedgar]

That backhand through the spinner and locking a ball from the plunge is so satisfying

Then the callouts as the ball fires out of the reel , just a classic game, some of the best cabinet art too.

Miss mine but you can't keep them all.

 

[Pin Muncher]

Love FT if you wait until the end of game music is almost gone and start a new game the 1st ball will have no music just the standard sounds until you drain. There are a few playfield variations that have no fade on the fish art on the inlanes so a very distinct line on the colours green and yellow and a rare one that has part of the screen print blocked with a bit of tape probably which shows up as a patch of art missing on the left rollover switch, i love the bonus hold music that you only get if you hit the captive ball on the last ball its a fantastic game ive owned all of the playfield variants and currently have the blocked version like pic 3

 

[VeeMonroe]

@David_Vi Sir, your thread has just won the internet.

No s**t. I’ve played at least 100 pins in the last year, rated 75 of them on Pinside, and Fish Tales (which I own) is the only one I rate 10/10. I’ve owned FT since July last year, Keith Elwin’s GOAT since January, and I *still* rate FT as 10/10 and the best pin of all time.

It’s all the stuff you say. It’s fast, but unforgiving… Simple, yet unbeatable… Has a tonne of great humour, as well (I especially love the drumming fish and “Look, pa, water skiers!”).

FT 100% deserves an entire thread on how great it is.

It is, in my opinion, criminally underrated due to being about fishing, cheap (due to there being a lot of them), and not having many toys.

 

[David_Vi]

Totally get you with the evaluation of Zen’s PBFX3 recreation of Fish Tales. That instant drain 75% of the time from when the ball comes down the right orbit is infuriating.

By some strange serendipity Fish Takes was probably the first digital pinball based upon a real-life machine I ever played and now it’s also the first pinball machine I’ve actually owned. Glad it gets such a glowing review from you. Played a dozen games myself tonight - great fun.

Good to see you back on the forum! Noticed you'd reappeared,. I believe we talked a bit back when all we had was pinballfx3 how things change!

@David_Vi Sir, your thread has just won the internet

Thankyou,
It's one of those threads I regretted right after and didn't check the forum till now at 0330 . The post was written while at work and a stream of consciousness (as is often common with me ).

I think Fish Tales (especially with lightning flippers) can feel too unforgiving, even unfair at times. But once it's dialled in its a game that will make you a better player. You have to learn to dead bounce and choose shots wisely or you'll be punished quickly.

I spend so much of my fishy games trying to regain control of the ball. With sensitive slings the ball is out of control and in an outlane without a chance to nudge.

Love FT if you wait until the end of game music is almost gone and start a new game the 1st ball will have no music just the standard sounds until you drain. There are a few playfield variations that have no fade on the fish art on the inlanes so a very distinct line on the colours green and yellow and a rare one that has part of the screen print blocked with a bit of tape probably which shows up as a patch of art missing on the left rollover switch, i love the bonus hold music that you only get if you hit the captive ball on the last ball its a fantastic game ive owned all of the playfield variants and currently have the blocked version like pic 3

Interesting, never knew these things, I'm going to look out for them

That backhand through the spinner and locking a ball from the plunge is so satisfying

Then the callouts as the ball fires out of the reel , just a classic game, some of the best cabinet art too.

Miss mine but you can't keep them all.

I've read some people can backhand the lock but all I can manage is th extra ball target and thats risky.
I think it's better if you can't as it might make the lock easier.
Still would like to be able to do it though

My first FT I sold almost as quick as I bought it after having a few games and hating it and the 2-300 quid I got went on something I considered far better.
However when ZeN released the game on Williams classics I was hooked “pun intended” and I literally never stopped playing that or HS2 as both are simple but addictive with that one more game temptation.
I’ve since bought and sold quite a few actual HS2 ‘s but FT has eluded me till quite recently so jumped on it when one came up.
I’m now really looking forward to playing it when it finally arrives as it’s out doing the rounds till I find room and move a couple more pins on some point.

£300
One of those games you can hate easily until you spend time getting used to it for sure. I await the day @Lecari learns to love it

I always thought of HS2 and FT being similar games of that era. Both iconic.
When's the new one coming?

 

[Spandangler]

I love to hate it!
It was my second ever machine and I loved it. Couldn’t ever crack half a billion.
Frustrated the **** outta me. Sold it. Missed it. Bought another one. Loved it. Ploughed loadsa cash into it. Redecal, Manny cab… etc… could never crack half a billion. Frustrated the **** outta me. Sold it..
It’s a great game but always on the chopping block when I have one!
I hear ya though

 

[M4carp]

It’s the one that everyone loves here, got mine jacked up at the back. Never get tired of casting off and hitting the casters club on the fly, sweet!
Had mine 12 years and still love the flapping fishy One of the best toppers.

Also the colours always cheer me up on the cab on those West Wales rainy days which is most days normally.
I even get sunshine when I raise the playfield

 

[Gonzo]

A fabulous machine and probably top 10 for me.

Possibly the only pin that makes me dance at the end.

I can't house as many machines as some so I have 2 criteria. . . . .

Does it make me smile and is it fun. Fish Tales ticks both boxes.

 

[Deleted member 2463]

one the most boring games of all time,. Brutal? maybe if both hands tied behind your back! so easy the FRENCH demanded lightning flippers!


Neil

 

[Lroy]

@David_Vi Yeah, went radio silent over the whole Covid fiasco, missed PinFest in ‘20 (cancelled) and ‘21 (didn’t attend) but still got out and played machines in the wild when I could, managed to get the cash together for first pin and here we are. Still do play the various pinball games on Switch but not tried the new Zen PinballFX will see how it plays on Xbox upon release.

 

[VeeMonroe]

Totally get you with the evaluation of Zen’s PBFX3 recreation of Fish Tales. That instant drain 75% of the time from when the ball comes down the right orbit is infuriating.

By some strange serendipity Fish Takes was probably the first digital pinball based upon a real-life machine I ever played and now it’s also the first pinball machine I’ve actually owned. Glad it gets such a glowing review from you. Played a dozen games myself tonight - great fun.

Great choice for a first real-life pin! We played Williams Pinball on iPad when we were choosing a first pin, and also chose Fish Tales as the most fun and best value

I’d never actually played a physical pin when I bought our Fish Tales - and I don’t regret it at all

 

[Wayne J]

But FT isn't meant to have lightning flippers. It wasn't designed to have them. As Neil said, it was basically operators putting them on to make more money.

I've had this straight from the horse's mouth - Mark Ritchie, in person. As well as numerous other sources.

So no, they aren't a must.

The machine in the comp at Pinfest WON'T have lightning flippers so I expect to see scores in the billions from you all.

 

[M4carp]

But FT isn't meant to have lightning flippers. It wasn't designed to have them. As Neil said, it was basically operators putting them on to make more money.

I've had this straight from the horse's mouth - Mark Ritchie, in person. As well as numerous other sources.

So no, they aren't a must.

The machine in the comp at Pinfest WON'T have lightning flippers so I expect to see scores in the billions from you all.

I’ve had mine years, many with standard flippers but beat my PB shortly after fitting lightning flippers and average higher scores
Maybe it’s the angle I fitted them at

I know it’s meant to have standard flippers but you get people like Neil mocking you for not fitting lightning flippers so thanks Neil it improved my scores

 

[VeeMonroe]

I’ve had mine years, many with standard flippers but beat my PB shortly after fitting lightning flippers and average higher scores
Maybe it’s the angle I fitted them at

I know it’s meant to have standard flippers but you get people like Neil mocking you for not fitting lightning flippers so thanks Neil it improved my scores

I personally think there's a correlation between people who like Fish Tales and people who want to fit lightning flippers (we're going to be fitting ours while my husband is off work this month)...

 

[Deleted member 2463]

But FT isn't meant to have lightning flippers. It wasn't designed to have them. As Neil said, it was basically operators putting them on to make more money.

I've had this straight from the horse's mouth - Mark Ritchie, in person. As well as numerous other sources.

So no, they aren't a must.

The machine in the comp at Pinfest WON'T have lightning flippers so I expect to see scores in the billions from you all.

as I understood it the feedback from one big French Distro/operators after trialing a proto was the game was too easy thus they put lightning flippers on all the games that came to Europe - that was what I think Mark said at an expo talk he did a few years ago.

Neil.

 

[Deleted member 2463]

I’ve had mine years, many with standard flippers but beat my PB shortly after fitting lightning flippers and average higher scores
Maybe it’s the angle I fitted them at

I know it’s meant to have standard flippers but you get people like Neil mocking you for not fitting lightning flippers so thanks Neil it improved my scores

I actually think Lightning flippers making a game harder is in your head rather than any real difficulty change. I put them on GOTG and when you draw ruler lines on the shots it actually makes zero difference - your brain just panics that there is less flipper.

 

[Lroy]

Any chance someone can link to a video demonstrating these much referred to backhand shots to Monster Fish/Jackpot and Caster’s Club? Cheers.

 

[Lroy]

Fascinating stuff about the whole lightning flippers debate: @Sven Normansson was educating myself and @David King about this also.

I’ve only ever played FT (whether real machine or digital pinball) with the lightning flippers so don’t know any different, lol!

I believe Zen gave away FT as the free table with PBFX3 as it was Zen head honcho Mel’s first or fave table. He is in America (presumably with standard flippers) but perhaps the actual machine used for their digital recreation was the one from Hungary’s pinball museum - lightning flippers. As I believe the Zen development team is based over there.

 

[roadshow16]

Fish Tales is pure pinball. It's a brilliant game. Simple, but incredibly addictive. I've had 5. It's one I always miss when I don't have one, but I never play it enough when I do own it. I think it's an amazing game to play with mates as games don't take long. Unfortunately as I have got better, the super jackpots are such a dominant strategy that I don't go for anything else in the home environment, which is a shame as I love rock the boat and monster fish.

In competition though it's a different beast, one of the most perfect tourney games in my opinion, but has to be setup right, too steep and there is too much control and shooting the casters club becomes too easy, too shallow and it becomes floaty and horrible. Lightening flippers/normal flippers not too much difference, had both, probably had bigger scores with normal flippers, but it's all about being able to adjust.

The high score music is up there as one of my favourite tunes in pinball.

 

[VeeMonroe]

Fish Tales is pure pinball. It's a brilliant game. Simple, but incredibly addictive. I've had 5. It's one I always miss when I don't have one, but I never play it enough when I do own it. I think it's an amazing game to play with mates as games don't take long. Unfortunately as I have got better, the super jackpots are such a dominant strategy that I don't go for anything else in the home environment, which is a shame as I love rock the boat and monster fish.

In competition though it's a different beast, one of the most perfect tourney games in my opinion, but has to be setup right, too steep and there is too much control and shooting the casters club becomes too easy, too shallow and it becomes floaty and horrible. Lightening flippers/normal flippers not too much difference, had both, probably had bigger scores with normal flippers, but it's all about being able to adjust.

The high score music is up there as one of my favourite tunes in pinball.

Possibly a silly question, but can you recommend your favourite pins for Fish Tales fans?

I also just go for Super Jackpots now, although I’m not good enough that I don’t opportunistically go for other strategies (or set them off by accident!).

 

[M4carp]

Had to do this to get mine to 7 degrees, could have taken the nuts off the fronts probably but this was quicker and easier.
Its about the sweet spot I think.

 

[roadshow16]

Possibly a silly question, but can you recommend your favourite pins for Fish Tales fans?

I also just go for Super Jackpots now, although I’m not good enough that I don’t opportunistically go for other strategies (or set them off by accident!).

Not a silly question. CFTBL is the ultimate in my opinion, similar in terms of brutality, huge risk reward, similar one more go factor.

Others to consider that I would put in a similar bracket HS2, Shadow, Indy 500, World Cup Soccer, Jackbot. And for a similar feel but newer, Iron Man.

 

[David_Vi]

one the most boring games of all time,. Brutal? maybe if both hands tied behind your back! so easy the FRENCH demanded lightning flippers!

Your opinion Neil, I find nearly every Stern at PBR boring, I'd rather play Fish tales, it makes me smile and also is addictive. Sterns feel soulless in comparison in my opinion.

I guess you haven't played a fish tales that's been set up nice, as it can be hard as hell, in my time looking up Fish Tales before and after owning one a common consensus seems to be it is known as a tough and unforgiving game.

But FT isn't meant to have lightning flippers. It wasn't designed to have them. As Neil said, it was basically operators putting them on to make more money.

It's ended up being known for having them though, and more appear to have them than don't. I also think it plays better with them. The one at PBR I can't get on with because of the normal flippers, but that's probably because of my muscle memory. It just doesn't feel right or fun.

Plus the lightning flippers look the part on it, they match up with the artwork under them where as standard flippers poke out. You could believe it was designed for it even if it wasn't.

but has to be setup right, too steep and there is too much control and shooting the casters club becomes too easy, too shallow and it becomes floaty and horrible.

That confirms my suspicions! So many seem to equate steepness with difficulty but on so many games I've found they get easier when steeper. Sometimes harder to react when fast but easier to get control back.

Any chance someone can link to a video demonstrating these much referred to backhand shots to Monster Fish/Jackpot and Caster’s Club? Cheers.

I have a few videos I recorded a couple months ago trying to work out why I suck at fishy, I think there's a few cool moments in them including the backhand to spinner/jackpot. I can't backhand casters club on mine though.

I'll try get some clips

 

[Paul]

Personally i prefer Wh20, however i see FT as a sister pin.... Lots of time for it and a great game!

 

[Buddinblack]

I'd have loved to bring it to UK Pinfest but there's already two others. Maybe another year

I don’t see it on the donation thread actually… Although I know there is one one the comp list…

 

[Lroy]

Personally i prefer Wh20, however i see FT as a sister pin.... Lots of time for it and a great game!

White Water is ace, played 3 different machines in vastly differing states of repair and still had fun on all of them but admittedly the one with a weak right flipper meant the game was pretty much busted

 

[Smraedis]

I've played Fish Tales quite a very lot, and I can have games that go on for a long time, or games that barely go over a minute...
To keep the game interesting, I have different ways of playing instead of just going for multiball and jackpots. One game I'd do the standard catch as many fish on the side targets, then the next game attempt get a 50 million monster fish, and the next game get as many fish finder awards as possible.

I do prefer White Water, but the difficulty of FT keeps me playing it.