Considering a change around if I can get one of the above. I am VERY attached to my j-park and not totally convinced I want to do it but just looking for some input really. Which game would you lean toward? Pro versions.
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Turtles Vs Stranger Things
- Thread starter huggers
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OP
OP
Dunno if I am tbh mate, just thinking out loud really. Shallowness definitely an issue in my little setup
Turtles for me as it's really hard which I like for at home. I also have AFM so Stranger Things was a non starter for me although it's a good game based on my limited time on it. I've only played an LE version of STh though so not sure if you lose too much with the Pro as that game is all about the immersion for me.
Tough one as they are very different games, Turtles has some real value in the co-op & 1vs3 modes as well as the Half Shell Challenge. It’s a hard game but does keep you coming back for more.
Stranger Things is atmospheric, has some good varied modes, game time normally longer than Turtles.
More than welcome to try both here if you’re ever in the Medway towns at all
Stranger Things is atmospheric, has some good varied modes, game time normally longer than Turtles.
More than welcome to try both here if you’re ever in the Medway towns at all
I think a decent player will progress through Stranger Things in a reasonable amount of time, none of the shots are particularly difficult. It suits me though as I'm not that great a player and it's really atmospheric and I like the theme.
Turtles has more varied and difficult shots having a third flipper so pulling off combos is more rewarding. Judging off your posting history I'd say Turtles would suit you more and give you a greater challenge.
Turtles has more varied and difficult shots having a third flipper so pulling off combos is more rewarding. Judging off your posting history I'd say Turtles would suit you more and give you a greater challenge.
As a not great player - I have played Stranger Things a few times (at Neil's and at Blackpool), but own a Turtles. I really enjoyed Stranger Things - as others have said it's really immersive, I loved the 'ultra violet' mode when the lights change and shooting the alien thing is really fun! But personally I prefer Turtles, it is a very fast, very challenging game but always makes me feel good (maybe just because of the theme?) even though it is hard. I can play it over and over without getting bored, and each time it feels satisfying. I also love that it has teams and co-op mode - which is great when friends have come over, too. (Everyone absolutely loves the theme and is drawn to it, despite it being difficult!) Somehow Stranger Things felt 'easier'? (maybe that's deceptive, not sure!)
I don't know if I played the pro version of Stranger Things or not so can't help there. I have a pro version of Turtles and I don't feel like it's really missing anything vs the more expensive editions really.
I'm biased, but as much as I enjoyed Stranger Things, I'd definitely go for Turtles.
I don't know if I played the pro version of Stranger Things or not so can't help there. I have a pro version of Turtles and I don't feel like it's really missing anything vs the more expensive editions really.
I'm biased, but as much as I enjoyed Stranger Things, I'd definitely go for Turtles.
I completely agree with this.. have just sold the Turtles LE and currently have stranger things LE on loan. Turtles is an amazing game for solo or multiplayer and is a real test so never gets old. I’d love to meet anyone who has got to the final battle on a solo game. Had some fantastic nights with friends on the co operative mode. Theme is great and extremely funny and to date is my favourite pin. From the first ball to the last always had fun. Although I would have to go premium as a minimum just for the moving and talking krang if nothing else
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I reckon you'd tire of ST pretty quickly. Turtles would hold your interest longer but it's an odd game. Interetsing layout but scoring very low which shouldn't matter but does detract and rules seem a bit odd.
Having loved IMDN and JP, you'd kick yourself if you didn't follow up with AIQ or GZ, either of which you WILL love. Guarantee you won't be disappointed with either of these.
Having loved IMDN and JP, you'd kick yourself if you didn't follow up with AIQ or GZ, either of which you WILL love. Guarantee you won't be disappointed with either of these.
Good advice and there’s a new A:IQ available on here right now I believe!
OP
OP
Cheers for all the replies. Greg dude you were the one that pushed me a little to get Jpark after my Maiden love affair and you were bang on! Can't remember what other game I was considering at the time but glad I went the way I did. Had a very generous temp swap offer from someone of another game that is definitely on my radar as an Elwin purist so that's superb.
I've gotten to final battle several times solo and beaten it at least once (253M). Bear in mind I only had this one pinball for a whole year so did play it a lot and learned all the tricks on the machine to progress through the game. Agree it is very hard to do. Cowabunga multiball however I never achieved. Just needed 1 more April hurry up but couldn't do it... Has anybody else got to Cowabunga MB?
Agree completely with Greg's comments. Really like the theme aspect of ST but shots feel uninspiring and gameplay a bit grindy. Turtles is a real challenge and fun as others have said with great modes/playability but not a deep ruleset. Nowhere near a comparison to Elwin's games on this.
I've played ST, JP2 and TMNT.
ST feels weirdly similar to AFM/MM to the point where the first time I played an ST Pro, I had muscle memory of the shots from playing loads of AFM/MM on the iPad. I like Stranger Things, the TV show, but the pin doesn't have the same charm as AFM/MM and it felt pretty repetitive by the third demigorgon. I've played the Pro and Premium versions of ST and prefer the Pro version because the projectors on ST look terrible in full sunlight - the Premium version is designed to be played in the dark. I've never really got into TMNT; the theme doesn't appeal and the playfield seems messy somehow.
I highly rate all the Elwin machines I've played - they're among my favourite pins of all time. I can go as far as to say that I'm unwilling to pay for a modern Stern *except* for Keith Elwin designs - because he wasn't designing in the 90s, and I simply can't get the same gameplay anywhere else.
As such, if you like one Elwin, I'd definitely consider going for another. I prefer Godzilla to A:IQ and I marginally prefer JP2 to Godzilla, but I think Godzilla is probably the objectively best pin out of the three. I've only played a Godzilla Pro and a Jurassic Park Premium, and the Godzilla Pro is excellent - although I'd add cosmetic mods for the awful plastic stand-ups.
ST feels weirdly similar to AFM/MM to the point where the first time I played an ST Pro, I had muscle memory of the shots from playing loads of AFM/MM on the iPad. I like Stranger Things, the TV show, but the pin doesn't have the same charm as AFM/MM and it felt pretty repetitive by the third demigorgon. I've played the Pro and Premium versions of ST and prefer the Pro version because the projectors on ST look terrible in full sunlight - the Premium version is designed to be played in the dark. I've never really got into TMNT; the theme doesn't appeal and the playfield seems messy somehow.
I highly rate all the Elwin machines I've played - they're among my favourite pins of all time. I can go as far as to say that I'm unwilling to pay for a modern Stern *except* for Keith Elwin designs - because he wasn't designing in the 90s, and I simply can't get the same gameplay anywhere else.
As such, if you like one Elwin, I'd definitely consider going for another. I prefer Godzilla to A:IQ and I marginally prefer JP2 to Godzilla, but I think Godzilla is probably the objectively best pin out of the three. I've only played a Godzilla Pro and a Jurassic Park Premium, and the Godzilla Pro is excellent - although I'd add cosmetic mods for the awful plastic stand-ups.
Had 2 of the 3. Thought sthgs had potential but was more of a site machi e. Jp was just too damn hard and turtles seems like it works for me. Would love to try a sthgs premi as I think it would make more sense.
Having played ST Prem and Pro, they're basically the same machine, but ST Prem has all the artwork replaced by projections. This works great for conveying the theme in a darkened room, as the graphics change on the projectors as you move through the game, but in a well-lit room it looks like someone forgot the artwork!
Pins are SOOOOO subjective. I am a rubbish pinball player and absolutely love JP2, but keep drawing a complete blank on Turtles. I assume I'm not good enough at pinball to appreciate Turtles, but - if that was the case - why would I enjoy JP2 so much?
OP
OP
Because it's the GOAT
Ha. I've currently got it ranked 6th on Pinside: https://pinside.com/pinball/community/pinsiders/veemonroe/ratings
My Top 5 are: MM, TNA, AFM, FT and GZ Pro (although I'm not 100% sure about GZ).
D
Deleted member 2463
one thing to bear in mind turtles has a very limited set of modes compared to STh - and STh based on one of the most legendary and long lasting games of all time - Attack from Mars.
Whilst turtles is a great challenge I doubt 20 years from now someone will be making a pin based on the layout. From a ball and flippers POV on both games pro/le is not that big a choice with the pro being the sensible option for most. I can see turtles leaving the Domino arcade one day but less so STh and I have AFM!
if you played STh at fun-land beware that game is a prototype machine and doesn’t play quite the same as the released game but I aligned the projector so the display is much clearer now.
regards,
Neil
Whilst turtles is a great challenge I doubt 20 years from now someone will be making a pin based on the layout. From a ball and flippers POV on both games pro/le is not that big a choice with the pro being the sensible option for most. I can see turtles leaving the Domino arcade one day but less so STh and I have AFM!
if you played STh at fun-land beware that game is a prototype machine and doesn’t play quite the same as the released game but I aligned the projector so the display is much clearer now.
regards,
Neil
@Neil McRae how could you tell it was a prototype what were the differences?
As for the original thread question - I got both in le when they were first released. Thought I would love turtles because theme is important to me and like many here I grew up in the 80s and loved the original cartoon. I just couldn’t get on with the shot layout and it frustrated me. Must say though the co op mode was great fun and my kids definitely enjoyed ganging up to play dad. Turtles is gone and I don’t miss it at all.
Stranger things is still here and I still enjoy it as much as when it arrived. In a home environment the atmosphere it creates is fantastic especially when you have the uv kit topper cleland sound rom etc
I'm sure @huggers knows this, but the modes thing can be a bit overstated IMO. Everything I read before buying Fish Tales suggested that the modern Sterns were superior for home play because the extensive modes and deep code meant there was always something to do. I've now owned LoTR for two months and FT for four, and my rating for FT is still rising but my rating for LoTR has decreased slightly - and LoTR is supposed to have some of the most complex programming of any pin.
Enjoyment of a pin is about layout and shot quality, as well as programming IMO. I enjoy the tension and drama of a long game of LoTR, but the individual shots - with one or two exceptions - are as boring as f**k.
Yes. The layout of STh is influenced by AFM and MM, which are regarded as being some of the best pins of all time. I think the layout of TMNT is a confusing mess; I haven't found it fun to shoot AT ALL on any of my plays (at Funland). Personally, due to the layout issues (which are apparently not just my opinion), I wouldn't touch TMNT with a 200ft barge pole. You'd do better with pretty much any other Keith Elwin design or even Led Zeppelin (although I can't comment on the Pro version of that one).
That explains a lot... in particular, why I enjoyed the Pro version at Chief Coffee more.
Turtles is a great layout, I don't see why it's confusing? It's unique and once you learn the shots it has great flow.
I don't see how two ramps, a middle loop and center ramp is confusing considering you could say Godzilla has lots going on and isn't a fan layout.
I didn't like turtles for the first week of owning it, it was frustrating as hell but now I might even prefer it to Road Show.
Turtles and Fish tales came within a week of each other and I find them both as fun to play as each other in different ways.
The only thing I don't like about turtles (other than steep learning curve with the tight shots) is the scoring is a bit unbalanced and low. The low scoring makes you feel like you haven't achieved much.
I don't see how two ramps, a middle loop and center ramp is confusing considering you could say Godzilla has lots going on and isn't a fan layout.
I didn't like turtles for the first week of owning it, it was frustrating as hell but now I might even prefer it to Road Show.
Turtles and Fish tales came within a week of each other and I find them both as fun to play as each other in different ways.
The only thing I don't like about turtles (other than steep learning curve with the tight shots) is the scoring is a bit unbalanced and low. The low scoring makes you feel like you haven't achieved much.
My impression playing the Premium version at Funland is that there is a lot of ‘visual clutter’ on the playfield, and it limits my view for the purposes of tracking the ball and - thus - learning the game. There are big plastic ramps curving around and a bunch of toys (on the premium) attached to the top of the playfield, and every ball just disappears into this morass of stuff. It’s the same thing that I find profoundly annoying about Twilight Zone (so, this is 100% a subjective opinion).
I admit, having stood on my son’s small stool, the fact that I’m only 5ft 4” does constrain my view at the top of the playfield at the best of times, but I like to understand and anticipate the path of the ball. Godzilla Pro has a lot more flat loops and open wireforms, which makes it easier to understand the flow of the playfield and, thus, quickly learn the shots.
As you say, it‘s probably a good game once you’ve worked out what you’re doing, but it is very off-putting in an arcade. I guess it would need to be the GOAT for me to put in the effort to learn when I could just play something that was both immediately accessible AND offered long-term challenge…
I certainly wouldn’t buy it unless I’d spent a tonne of time playing at someone’s house (or I was a massive fan of the theme). I’d buy something that I’d enjoyed upfront AND which had a reputation for depth.
The other thing is that there aren’t any shots on TMNT (such that I’ve seen) that are intrinsically exciting. STh is immediately engaging because the Demogorgon is such fun. It’s got the same chemistry as shooting the saucer in AFM or destroying the castle in MM. I love JP2 Premium because almost every shot feels satisfying. There’s a great combo off the third flipper with the control tower and the spiral ramp, the T-Rex is satisfying to shoot and the raptor cage is also very enjoyable to lock a ball in. By contrast, there isn’t really an obvious initial target to shoot or obvious combo in TMNT - it just feels like a bunch of random stuff.
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The ramps and combos on turtles are satisfying, they're fast and hard to pull off and always feel great!
Also that under the flipper shot on the left is difficult but feels amazing.
Multiball with spinning pizza holding all the balls, a great pinball moment.
Plus you can play on a team, or co-op which makes it fun with friends. I wish more pins had this feature.
Now that is a recommendation...!
D
Deleted member 2463
LOL wut?! where are these Stranger Things premiums that are basking in sunlight?
