The widebody showdown

[Fubar]

Widebodies are awesome, right? Right?! ...

Rate and review your favourite chunky bois. (And get out of the Predator thread.)

Vote for your #1 spot and let me know if I've missed any!

 

[Markedkiller78]

I’ve only played the williams widebodys. I didn’t know the difference or even realise at the time (25-30 years ago) but something always felt a bit off.

 

[Jabe]

Batman Forever needs adding, I doubt its the best but it sure is wide.

 

[HHH]

It seems a little unfair to be comparing machines from different eras nevertheless my vote is cast.

 

[kevlar]

You forgot Scooby doo, I can understand you leaving it out though because its obviously going to scoop up all the votes so not fair on the others.

 

[steve brum]

Where's WWF !
It would be my favourite later widebody

 

[Alan Syson]

I’ve only played the williams widebodys. I didn’t know the difference or even realise at the time (25-30 years ago) but something always felt a bit off.

This. Started playing 50+ years ago on EMs, Gottliebs were our favourites, far superior to Bally or Williams. Didn’t come across widebodys ‘til the 90s, they just didn’t feel right, hands too far apart. It was/is “unnatural”.

 

[Mike Parkins]

I own 5 wide bodies and love them all to bits, well, maybe not Full Throttle but I like having the Heighway collection

 

[HHH]

I used to love the widebody machines of the 70's and 80's as they always always played slower and more floaty than games like Firepower etc. which meant that you would usually get more time on the machine for what money you had in your pocket

 

[Jay Walker]

A couple that may be worth adding;

• Black Hole, to accompany Haunted House
• Cheetah, which I see as a companion to Big Game

 

[steve brum]

Cheetah is good
I own 3 wider bodies l forgot about that are good games Pink Panther Devils Dare and Superman.

 

[s000m]

I find myself gravitating towards widebody machines I'm a sucker for mechs and prefer a game packed with features over flow.

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

I was surprised when I played Embyon, never felt like a wide-body

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Ohh, and there is also the machines made by Hankin
The Empire Strikes Back
Shark
Howzat

 

[David_Vi]

Where's my Hotdoggin'?


Obviously I voted Road Show. A Widebody with flow ( soz @SpiderPin ).
When set up well I don't think it feels like a widebody. The ramp combos finishing into the blast zone is probably the best combo in pinball.

 

[lukewells]

My widebodies ranked :-
Hobbit Smaug
Indiana Jones
Cheetah
Flight 2000
Freefall
Space Riders
Future Spa

 

[Arv]

Gottlieb Spirit.

 

[roadshow16]

I voted for Paragon, but also wanted to vote for Roadshow too.

Paragon is the greatest widebody of them all, its a masterpiece. Roadshow is a widebody, but doesn't play like the other 'superpin' games in my opinion. I much prefer the flow and feel of Roadshow, I would agree with David, it shoots much more like a normal sized pin, which in my opinion is a good thing

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

you also forgot the Atari machines

 

[HHH]

you also forgot the Atari machines

To be fair he never said it was a complete list.
He just put a small and broad collection up for voting on.

 

[DAD]

Widebodies are awesome, right? Right?! ...

Rate and review your favourite chunky bois. (And get out of the Predator thread.)

Vote for your #1 spot and let me know if I've missed any!

There are loads missing from the early solid state era. Not sure it's my favourite, but I have a soft spot for Counterforce

 

[DAD]

There are loads missing from the early solid state era. Not sure it's my favourite, but I have a soft spot for Counterforce

And Volcano
"Throw me a Sacrifice"

 

[Nick]

Pick a potato

 

[Moonraker]

Hate widebodies? Do yourself a favour, never attend Special When Lit..!

Rocky
Spirit
Pink Panther
Mats God of War
Haunted House
Alien
Twighlight Zone
Currently not in the lineup but could come back at any time:
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Roadshow
Embryon

 

[Nick]

I voted for Paragon, but also wanted to vote for Roadshow too.

Paragon is the greatest widebody of them all, its a masterpiece. Roadshow is a widebody, but doesn't play like the other 'superpin' games in my opinion. I much prefer the flow and feel of Roadshow, I would agree with David, it shoots much more like a normal sized pin, which in my opinion is a good thing

Roadshow. So good it almost plays like a normal game .

I'm only poking fun but whenever I hear someone passionate about a widebody one of the first bits of praise that comes out is, it doesn't play like a widebody. Like people apologising. I know he's a bit odd, but lovely really, deep down.

I voted Black Hole. If you're gonna be a bit weird then wear it with pride. Tilt tillllltttt tiiiiiiiiillllltttttt.

(PS I don't hate potatoes - They're a nice side)

 

[Lickashot]

Currently not in the lineup but could come back at any time:
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Roadshow
Embryon

Please say it ain't so.

 

[David_Vi]

Variety is the spice of life

Although it can wreck havoc with the aesthetics of your lineup having a widebody or a b@sturd of a wide body (see Black Hole) included offers more variety than another standard game.

It's another skill to be able to tame a game like Black Hole. People groan and dread it when it's in our comps but it's usually because it plays so differently to nearly any other game. Once you adapt it's such fun. I would say it's probably the best example of a widebody playing differently to a standard game.

I do love Paragon and Hotdoggin too, both fantastic comp games. Hotdoggin is so simple it's addictive and fun for everyone.

I'm only poking fun but whenever I hear someone passionate about a widebody one of the first bits of praise that comes out is, it doesn't play like a widebody

That's only because people criticise Wide body games for being 'floaty'. So you have to tell people it doesn't feel like a widebody for them to even start to accept it

Roadshow's playing area is probably similar in size to a standard game considering you have the return lane going down the left side of the playfield to the little flipper.

 

[J.C.Rox]

Also, from memory several widebodies like Roadshow, Judge Dredd, DeGnR all have a second shooter lane on the left side so its only further up the pf appears wider, and if set up right they're not floaty really, yes the ball might have at most 2 extra inches to travel side to side but standard games will feel floaty if not set up correctly too.

 

[Lickashot]

That's only because people criticise Wide body games for being 'floaty'.

"Do they float"?
"Oh yes Georgie they float and when you're down here you float too"