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Buying my first Pinball Machine :)

benNinja

benNinja

Registered
5Years
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Messages
72
Location
London
Hey everybody!

TLDR: looking for advice on the list of pins below based on the list of features I've specified and any suggestions on games I haven't mentioned in the bottom list :D

I've been working on an art contract that involves me modding/maintaining a Funhouse pinball machine and have decided I want to become an owner of a different pin. So I've set myself a budget and have since been trying out pins at conventions and the pinball arcade app.

I've put together a rudimentary shortlist and am now at a point now where I want to ask the community for suggestions and any comments on what I have so far, hence this post static.xx.fbcdn.net_images_emoji.php_v9_z4c_1_16_1f642.png

The key features I'm looking for in a pinball table are:
  • Around £2000 budget
  • Additional flippers
  • Good replayability
  • Challenging
  • Nice big mess of ramps :)
  • Unlockable areas/ alternative playfields / progression (I love the way in Funhouse you have to advance time in order to get Rudy to fall asleep to unlock his mouth being open for the multiball shot and unlocking the crazy steps and left ball shooter)

Here are some things I'd like but aren't strictly vital:
  • Magnets
  • Manual plunger
  • Kickback/Additional plunger
  • Player aimed ball shooter (like Dirty Harry and Star Trek TNG)
  • Video Mode

The 'definitely' list is currently:
- Twilight Zone (missed one for under 3k)
- Star Trek: TNG (missed one for under 3k)
- Tron (if I can get it cheap!)

Here is the 'maybe' list with pins that I need advice on if they have good replay value and progression features:
- Addams Family (tried at a convention)
- Baywatch
- Bram Stoker's Dracula (tried on pinball arcade)
- Demolition man
- Dirty Harry
- Dr. Who
- Earthshaker (tried on pinball arcade)
- Indy 500 (tried on pinball arcade)
- Johnny Mnemonic
- Judge Dredd (tried on pinball arcade)
- Lord of the Rings (tried at a convention)
- Radical!
- Red & Ted's Road Show (tried on pinball arcade)
- Rollergames
- The Shadow

Pins I have tried that are close to requirements, but have decided against:
- Avatar
- Black Knight / 2000
- Bride of Pinbot (only tried on pinball arcade)
- Creature from the Black Lagoon (only tried on pinball arcade)
- F-14 Tomcat
- Fish Tales
- The Getaway: High Speed 2 (only tried on pinball arcade)
- Harley Davidson (only tried on pinball arcade)
- Indiana Jones
- Junk Yard
- Jurassic Park
- Medieval Madness
- Party Zone (only tried on pinball arcade)
- Revenge from Mars
- Scared Stiff (only tried on pinball arcade)
- Spider Man
- Star Wars
- Tales from the Crypt
- Theatre of Magic
- Terminator 2 (only tried on pinball arcade)
- White Water (only tried on pinball arcade)
- World Cup Soccer (only tried on pinball arcade)

All comments/suggestions are welcome!

Thanks in Advance!
 
Last edited:
Hello, ben,

A couple of games not mentioned re. progression/opening additional areas;

Jack-Bot - admittedly a 1986 layout (Pin-Bot) updated, but the opening visor might appeal

Bride of Pinbot - marked down by some as a 1-shot game, but the rotating box showing four successive faces to be visited is impressive, and a dot-matrix aftermarket conversion exists

Dr. Who - I've always thought this is more like Pin-Bot than Bride of PinBot, with a visor equivalent, the "Time Expander", having three levels (the last of which leads to an under-playfield subway). This is often said not to really suit as an only machine, though
 
Bally Radical. Big mess of ramps, additional flipper (I think) cool as hell art package, well In budget.
 
Jay Walker said:
Hello, ben,

A couple of games not mentioned re. progression/opening additional areas;

Bride of Pinbot - marked down by some as a 1-shot game, but the rotating box showing four successive faces to be visited is impressive, and a dot-matrix aftermarket conversion exists
Click to expand...

hey thanks for the input! I will check them out.

I have tried pinbot at a con and bride of pinbot on the app. I thought bride didn't have enough 'stuff' once you have gone through her build process. Will pop it on the list
 
Take another look at Roadshow would be my advice. Especially if you've only played it on Pinball Arcade. Assuming you're not a psychopathic axe murderer you are welcome to come by here and give mine a go (and several others too)
 
Mfresh said:
Assuming you're not a psychopathic axe murderer
Click to expand...

And that's assuming you're not either Paul, let's not even go into that picture of Martin Keown in your bathroom ;)

To the OP, my advise is to get out there and try as many as you can. Go to Chief Coffee in London, go to Tilt in Birmingham and any other locations ( or collectors) that you can. A machine may tick all the boxes but not play as you like, others that don't you may end up liking even more!
 
No Good Gofers
Sopranos
Baywatch
Addams Family
STTNG
Elvis
Rollergames

Play as many in real life as you possibly can, we all like different stuff
 
Mfresh said:
Take another look at Roadshow would be my advice. Especially if you've only played it on Pinball Arcade. Assuming you're not a psychopathic axe murderer you are welcome to come by here and give mine a go (and several others too)
Click to expand...
Haha yes, roadshow on paper was ideal for me. Unfortunately it was veto'd by my partner due to 'no more creepy talking heads please'.
Maybe she'll prefer the real thing... Where abouts are you based?
 
windoesnot said:
To the OP, my advise is to get out there and try as many as you can. Go to Chief Coffee in London, go to Tilt in Birmingham and any other locations ( or collectors) that you can. A machine may tick all the boxes but not play as you like, others that don't you may end up liking even more!
Click to expand...

I guess I'm seeking advice on the longevity of the games from people who own/have owned them. I enjoy playing the ones I have listed though feel unsure how long they will last in terms of gameplay and don't know if visiting them in bars are a good way to find out the long term-commitment details :P
 
You're over-thinking it. Realistically the first one you buy won't be a keeper and will be out the door in 6 to 12 months.
 
Unfortunately sitting on the fence you are missing out on owning a machine :(
It does not matter how long you own a machine ,there are people on here who bought a machine and on the way home sold it before playing it :rofl:
So come on dip your toe in the Ocean it's nice in here :)
But seriously if you feel you are not ready then don't buy one ! Because a pinball is for life not for Christmas :thumbs:
Good luck in the hunt ;)
 
benNinja said:
Haha yes, roadshow on paper was ideal for me. Unfortunately it was veto'd by my partner due to 'no more creepy talking heads please'.
Maybe she'll prefer the real thing... Where abouts are you based?
Click to expand...

High Wycombe. About 35 mins down the A40/M40 from Sheperds Bush
 
Having bought a TZ recently I would say be careful with buying a complex machine for a comparatively small amount of money, unless you are very confident about your ability to fix them up. TZ has a lot of things that can go wrong.
 
Best advice would be to get out there and play some pinball, that way you can decide what floats your boat, but it is really down to individual tastes, and sometimes how the particular machine is set up, sometimes the same machine can play differently (this probably doesn't help!) As long as you buy well you should be able to sell it for about what it cost you, if you don't like it then move it on and have a change, but beware it's a slippery slope!..................
 
RudeDogg1 said:
I think discounting games because you have played them on pinball arcade is not a good idea imo there's some good games on that list
Click to expand...
Hey :) Agreed, though most are because they aren't engaging enough compared to others on simulator, usually because they lack an additional flipper. I do enjoy a lot of them but they aren't ones I would prefer to actually own myself.

Durzel said:
Having bought a TZ recently I would say be careful with buying a complex machine for a comparatively small amount of money, unless you are very confident about your ability to fix them up. TZ has a lot of things that can go wrong.
Click to expand...
Hey Durzel. I would love to find a busted up machine to work on myself as a project. I do very much enjoy the maintenance on FH, yes it's not as complex as TZ but it is still something that interests me!
Tony said:
Best advice would be to get out there and play some pinball, that way you can decide what floats your boat, but it is really down to individual tastes, and sometimes how the particular machine is set up, sometimes the same machine can play differently (this probably doesn't help!) As long as you buy well you should be able to sell it for about what it cost you, if you don't like it then move it on and have a change, but beware it's a slippery slope!..................
Click to expand...
haha oh dear! out of curiosity, how much money is usually lost in couriers when sending machines to each other?
 
benNinja said:
haha oh dear! out of curiosity, how much money is usually lost in couriers when sending machines to each other?
Click to expand...
Martin usually is about £85-90, but if you ever go to pick up anything from a pinhead I usually find myself looking for a vehicle that would fit a pin in before the house number!!!
 
benNinja said:
Hey :) Agreed, though most are because they aren't engaging enough compared to others on simulator, usually because they lack an additional flipper. I do enjoy a lot of them but they aren't ones I would prefer to actually own myself.


Hey Durzel. I would love to find a busted up machine to work on myself as a project. I do very much enjoy the maintenance on FH, yes it's not as complex as TZ but it is still something that interests me!

haha oh dear! out of curiosity, how much money is usually lost in couriers when sending machines to each other?
Click to expand...

My point being games on pinball arcade play nothing like the real thing. Take bsd you can't even see the mist ball behave properly or tz power acting like it should.
 
I agree Pinball arcade sucks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
RudeDogg1 said:
My point being games on pinball arcade play nothing like the real thing. Take bsd you can't even see the mist ball behave properly or tz power acting like it should.
Click to expand...
I actually really loved everything about BSD on simulator and video reviews. Just the lack of a third flipper let it down for me :/
 
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