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Dreadful Tables

The Wraith

The Wraith

Registered
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Messages
41
Reading through the valuations thread got me to thinking about rubbish tables, so I was wondering what in your opinions are the real stinkers?
There is mention of Popeye, Baywatch and Gilligan's Island, but are these the top three and why?

I've not played on a lot of tables, so don't have much of a clue what makes for a top pinball machine or one with awful gameplay.
Name and shame those tables, and what makes them so bad.
 
Yep, because it's always a matter of opinion.

One mans dream table is another mans turkey. I just playing Pins - some hold my attention more than others but I don't think there's such a thing as a bad pinball.
 
Baywatch isn't a stinker. It's fab.
All hate for this game is directed at theme,usually by people regardless of whether they have played it or not.
In terms of how it plays "as a game" shots, modes, flow, lightshow, combos and the like, it's arguably Sega's best and easily in league with most of the 90s games everyone bleats about daily.

I'd take BW all day long over TOM, or T2 or, to be honest, most of the WPC range.

Not played anything I really hate yet. Just games I find "less fun"
 
This is all subjective, but for me Dr Who stinks the place out! (out of the bally/Williams games) I didn't enjoy South Park (once i got past the funny quotes) and IJ (Stern) got old fast.
 
T3 - Used to play one In The Wilds when it came out. Really dull after a while - & that ping-pong ball in the backglass was always breaking down. I seem to remember that if you couldn't do this feature then you could never get to the wizard mode?
 
IJ Stern - played it at NERG - fed up after about 30 minutes. All it ever said was Jackpot JackpotJackpotJackpotJackpotJackpotJackpot
 
I played IJ (Stern) at it's release event, and thought I had just wasted 2 hours of my life queuing to play it.

I gave it another chance this year at the PHoF, and it was still as bad as I remember it, still forced to watch far too much pointless DMD animation and it gets boring after 1 go. I walked away leaving my replay credit in.
 
I'm surprised about Baywatch, I always thought it was quite frowned upon. Although I too am of the opinion that any working pin is a good pin, it certainly sounds like the consensus is that any pictures of Sterns IJ should have a few stink lines drawn in.
 
If you can stand the cheese then Baywatch is fine.

Ugh - Roadkill. Seriously, why?!? I couldn't even tell you what it is about it but I can't stand it. It was the last game I played in the wild and then I had a 10 year break. The two things can not be unconnected.

Never really felt the love for T3 when I had it. Should have been great but fell short for some reason.

Rolling stones - only played it at the SCS and it never really set the place on fire.

Playboy? Porn and Pinball two things that should NEVER EVER be combined.

Woz.......... Sorry can't get past the theme and incomplete code. Maybe one day it will be fantastic but the music alone kills it for me.

Bugs Bunny - utter turd.

TOTAN, totally over rated but maybe I need to play it more.

Roller Coaster Tycoon - such a good potential theme but no mind blowing ramp action.

BUT what the **** do I know? Even the worst pin is still worth a few goes. (It shames me to admit that I once enquired about a RS just to see if I could get over my aversion)
 
The Wraith said:
I'm surprised about Baywatch, I always thought it was quite frowned upon.
Click to expand...

I'm frowning upon Baywatch right this second >: (
But that's another story.

As for Sterns IJ, ironically it was the first game I put a ton of time into when I got back into pinball, as it was in my local, and and such it was really good practice of playing pinball itself.
But now, having played so many games since, including the incredible original Indy game, I see why many people have issue with it and it doesn't hold up to most other games.
 
Last edited:
Stern IJ sucks balls :)

BW is cool. I want one eventually.

I don't care much for Hurricane either, too much waiting around for Ferris wheels and long ramps.

It's been said a thousand times but one mans turd is another mans gem. Don't be pigeon holed In to thinking pins are **** without playing them first. If you like it and everyone else thinks its ****. F@&k em it's your game.

Happy flipping peeps
 
Any Pin is better than having nothing to play, but....

Bugs Bunny's Birthday Bash: Absolutely horrible, fit only to be a board donor for more deserving System 11 games....then burnt! :mad:

Freddy: Can't stand it, don't like how it plays uuurrrgh!

The Shadow: picked one of these up blind in a trade a few years ago - it lasted 8 weeks, the only game that says "Anal Challenge" on the playfield, have a look.... :D

BOTH IJ machines do nothing for me whatsoever.

LAH, Dirty Harry and LW3: just not my cup of tea at all.

But I love South Park, Radical and Surf n' Safari just to be different. ;)


:rolleyes::rolleyes: Flame suit now on. :p:p
 
Baywatch is no way as bad as people make out. I played a few games on one once in a pub and really enjoyed it.

Stern IJ is just bloody awful.


Bad Cats makes me want to punch kittens it's so boring.
 
ronsplooter said:
DE Time Machine and Last Action Hero are bobbins as well!
Click to expand...
Haha, bobbins. There's an expression i've not heard in a long time.

Maybe my perception of some tables will change when I get to play more. I think right now i'm suffering from a lack of exposure. But so far i've loved every one that i've played. Granted in differing amounts.
 
Maybe my perception of some tables will change when I get to play more. I think right now i'm suffering from a lack of exposure.
Click to expand...

Get yourself along to Northern Lights in Manchester this October, they'll be loads of games to play there :)
 
Cheers Ron. I'm already going on the Saturday - managed to round up some mates from work so I can get them addicted too (although I think i've already managed that).
 
First off, I agree with Carl in that there are no dreadful tables. We never see them, we're all addicted, and we'd all cheerfully empty our pockets into any game if that was the only option: in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

Having said that, these are my turds:
X Files
Avengers
Demo Man
Maverick
Transformers
Stargate
Indy (both of them)
Hook
Junk Yard
T2 and T3
and anything from before about 1984
 
The Wraith said:
There is mention of Popeye, Baywatch
Click to expand...

:mad:

Two machines that I am quite a fan of ...I may have mentioned it to one or two forum members ;) So my take on these 2 'stinkers' .......

Interesting read here about Popeye .....https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.games.pinball/Brmc4Jdbn3s

I added my views on it at the time...

I think it needs to be played in the home environment to get yr
head round the rules. That is my one major gripe with the game - it is
very poor
at communicating to the player just what the heck is happening
sometimes.

But once you get going there is much to enjoy. There is plenty going
on as
you work towards the (achievable) Wizard mode of rescuing Olive. You
are always
working on either getting the Bluto modes completed, collecting Items,
rescuing
animals etc...

Nice smooth looping shot, smooth ramp,neat elevator to the upper
pfield.

At first I thought it was kind of ugly but actually the artwork is
really cool all over, lots of nice little details. Great translite
art.

I like the DMD animations, and there are some cool little soundbites
and effects
- the animal noises always amused me when you rescue them. But again
this is
where spending time with the game at home helps.

I actually don't have too much of a problem with the upper playfield
and the
ball visibility issue. The shots are clearly marked with inserts so
although
you may not be able to see the scoop/ramp entrance or whatever you do
know where
to aim.

The upper playfield search for Swee Pea is ridiculously tricky to play
and not
the best design, but I tended to concentrate on the other shots up
there to
collect Super Animals - more great animation as they transform - or 2x
wheel
awards. Fortunately you don't have to find Swee Pea to reach the
Wizard mode.

Overall I found there was much more to the game than I initially
expected.
Completing the 'Item' multiball was always very satisfying.

Yes it has its design and software flaws - there are issues with ball
locks rules if I recall. And it probably didn't need to be a
widebody.

But I really enjoyed it. Again I know i'm in the minority but heck it
would be a dull world if we all had the same taste : )


Baywatch is one of the best Sega/DE games, said it before with the layout and gameplay people would be all over this if it were a Bally Williams. It gets a respectable rating on ipdb, and the comments on there are on the whole pretty positive.

http://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?any=baywatch&search=Search+Database&searchtype=quick#2848

I waffled on about it here , a while back when I got mine ...

http://www.pinballinfo.com/community/threads/surfs-up-in-the-shack-baywatch.2447/

And here ....

http://www.pinballinfo.com/communit...-summer-cant-stop-playing-it.3304/#post-27585

:D
 
cooldan said:
First off, I agree with Carl in that there are no dreadful tables. We never see them, we're all addicted, and we'd all cheerfully empty our pockets into any game if that was the only option: in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

Having said that, these are my turds:
Demo Man
Indy (both of them)
Hook
T2
Click to expand...

I'm going to have a quiet cry in the corner, I'd give a home to any of those.... Think I'm on my own but I love Demo Man

But earlier I did forget to vent my hatred of Transformers. Tried playing it again in the summer and it's the only game I've seriously considered leaving with multiple credits still on, just couldn't get on with it. Think as much as anything else it's the colour scheme

For some reason I also never stuck any money in 24 when it was in my local near work. Kind of regret it, how bad could it have been?
 
You're not on your own with Demo Man. It's in my collection and I still love it. It's got great flow. The rule set isn't too deep but it's easy for pinball rookies. Maybe people's minds will change once the Pinovating guys release the DM on Steroids ROMs.

For me a dreadful table is a poorly maintained table.
 
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