Video Games

Family Guy Pinball Review

4 stars out of 5

Audio (5 stars out of 5)
Playfield (4 stars out of 5)
Replayablility (4 stars out of 5)
Gameplay (4 stars out of 5)

First off I must make a disclaimer and state that I am a HUGE fan of the Family Guy TV Show. I can quote you just about every episode backwards and forwards and every other way. I just love the irreverent humor. Now, would that translate to me enjoying Family Guy pinball machine? I'm really happy to say it does.

Stern (the maker of the pinball machine) has a real winner here. It's an incredible integration of the TV show's story lines and characters into the design of the playfield.

The comedy in the audio & animations will leave you in stitches. It is by far the funniest pinball game I have ever played. I lost some of my concentration while playing it, because I was laughing so hard. It's the kind of game you could enjoy just watching someone else play. The sheer countless variety of audio clips is astounding. They squeezed every joke they could fit into this machine. I hope they still have some leftover for the show.

A small word of warning; If adult humor is something you find offensive, you might want to stay away from this game or the show. You'd probably be shocked at some of the things that are mentioned. If it doesn't then you're probably already a fan of the show.

The gameplay is much more difficult than I ever thought it would be. I know just looking at the pin, the word difficulty doesn't spring to mind. But it does take a little while to get used to the rules of the game.

From a visual standpoint the art work and over all quality could be better. I don't like the simplistic art on the translight. I know the cabinet art is drawn in a cartoon style but I think they could have dug a little deeper on this one.

I really enjoyed the design of the playing field. It was open, but it wasn't lacking in any shots. There is jus a great balance of shots, with enough ramps and targets to keep you busy.

Have a look at the current listings on Family Guy pinball machines.

Family Guy Pinball Clip

Cool Clip of the Family Guy Pinball Machine. Looks like a lot of fun, doesn't it.

family guy pinball

Gottlieb Pinball Classics for the Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii came out Gottlieb Pinball Classics. I got to admit that looking at video footage, it does look pretty cool. I haven't played it yet, because I don't own a Wii.

Its been my experience that the video game pinballs just don't carry the same novelty that real life pinball machines do. You can't recreate the experience of playing the real thing at some loud smoke-filled bar or pool hall when you're laying back on the couch. When your legs are laying on top of a coffee table, I'm sorry but you're not playing pinball.

The whole purpose of pinball is to get your hands a little dirty. That's why pinball games will always be the working man's video game. Anyway, you can decide for yourself.

In case you want to look at the real stuff, here are the honest to goodness Gottlieb Pinball Classics

Gottlieb Pinball Classics, Nintendo Wii Gameplay

Medieval Madness Pinball Review

5 stars out of 5

Audio (5 stars out of 5)
Playfield (5 stars out of 5)
Replayablility (4 stars out of 5)
Gameplay (5 stars out of 5)

Medieval Madness is one of the few pinball machines that has universal appeal. It has really cool effects with the exploding castle. It has hilarious audio, and straight forward, but satisfying gameplay which all ads up an incredible pinball game.

I find myself repeating most of the hillarious lines while I played the game. It also has really beautiful artwork. The drawbridge and castle design was great. I love the satisfaction of defeating each of the castle lords.

If there is on knock on the game its that, mechanically, it's a fragile machine and I've played over ten different machines and each one of them had at least one problem, such as hitting the trolls and not scoring any points and the castle gate not operating or scoring correctly.

Novice players will find it easy and forgiving enough to play it over and over and the expert players will find it extremely entertaining. I have met people who absolutely hated pinball games but they just seem to have a real affection for this game. I have to admit that it's not incredibly challenging for the professionals, but since when are pinball machines made to cater just to the pros.

Make sure to check out the current listings available for Medieval Madness pinball machines.

Monster Bash Pinball Review

4 stars out of 5

Audio (5 stars out of 5)
Playfield (4 stars out of 5)
Replayablility (2 stars out of 5)
Gameplay (5 stars out of 5)

Monster Bash is a pinball that it's a little bit on the shallow side but you have to excuse it because it's just such darn fun.

The pin may not be for the traditional purists of pinball, due to all the gadgets and toys in the game. But no one can deny how addicting it is.

There are a ton of different voices each funnier than the next. All the monsters are cool to look at and instantly put a smile on your face. I especially love the audio effect when you drop the quarter in the slot and you hear the voices of the monsters. Its just a nice little touch. If there is one thing this game has in spades, its charm.

Monster Bash's sound integrates perfectly with the lights, kind of in the same way as an arena rock band. I also love the artwork. The designer Kevin O' Connor does great work and this one might even be his best.

The main drawback for the game would have to be that it's relatively simple. I think the makers of the machine really catered to a younger audience on this one. Not that there's anything wrong with that. However, it would have been nice if the game made me sweat a little bit. Some of the shots feel like they could be made even if I was blindfolded.

Check out the current listings on Monster Bash pinball machines for sale.

Monster Bash Promo Video

The original promo for the Monster Bash Pinball Game

Monster Bash Pinball Promo Video

Playboy 35th Anniversary Pinball Review

2 stars out of 5

Audio (2 stars out of 5)
Playfield (2 stars out of 5)
Replayablility (2 stars out of 5)
Gameplay (2 stars out of 5)

Can't you just tell when a company does absolutely nothing for a product except slap a famous name on it? To celebrate the 35th year of Playboy, Data East thought they could cash in on the famous "Playboy" name and it just did not work.

The game came out in 1989 and the moment anybody played it, you could tell it wasn't going to hit the arcades when the year hit 1990. I actually played it at a friend's house. He was able to get the machine at a dirt cheap price (I wonder why).

All Data East did was take a generic, cookie cutter playfield and took a photo of some hot women in lingerie next to Hugh Heffner and slap it on the backglass. This is by far the most engaging thing about this pin.

It was obvious Data East spent so much money on the name, that they did not have any money leftover to put into the actual game.

1989 wasn't the greatest year for pinballs. This game is certainly evident of that era.

The Shadow Pinball Machine Review

5 stars out of 5

Audio (5 stars out of 5)
Playfield (5 stars out of 5)
Replayablility (5 stars out of 5)
Gameplay (5 stars out of 5)

The Shadow pinball machine represents something that's very rare: The game is FAR superior to the movie. It's usually the other way around. You have companies that spend so much on getting the license for the game that they forgot to actually make it a good game. They figure that just buying the name alone will make people want to buy their game. But this is not the case with The Shadow.

First off, the game has to have one of the most intense sound tracks of any pinball machine I have ever played. It actually feels like you're in one of those monster cathedral-like movie theaters. The sound just engulfs you. They also throw in, very subtly, lines from the movie.

The pin just oozes elegance. It has a beautiful dark theme and layout. It genuinely feels like you're in one of those old film noirs from the 40s and 50s. The art deco style of the playfield is just inspiring.

The gameplay offers many tricky shots that you want to keep trying out. The pin has an outstanding flow.

The playfield has many different toys to play around with. There are really fast outer/inner loops, a very cool magnet that traps the ball. The upper play field alone is worth the price of admission.

This pinball game is not for the novice. The ball moves incredibly quick and you need to have cat-like quickness to keep up. But if you got the stomach for it , defeating the game will feel extremely rewarding and it will make you come back for seconds.

Check out the current listings on The Shadow Pinball Machines for sale.

The Shadow Pinball Original Promo

This video was from 1994. It is the original Promotional video for The Shadow Pinball Machine.

The Shadow Pinball Promo Video

The Sopranos Pinball Review

2 stars out of 5

Audio (4 stars out of 5)
Playfield (2 stars out of 5)
Replayablility (2 stars out of 5)
Gameplay (2 stars out of 5)

When you put The Sopranos name on an item, there certainly comes an expectation of how good the product should be. The Sopranos pinball machine, unfortunately does not quite live up the mighty name.

As a fan of the show, you're going to enjoy the bells and whistles of the game. When you hear "woke up this morning - got yoself a gun" you're going to get a little adreline flowing. The sound effects are really impressive and gives you a great taste of the show. But unfortunately the gameplay does not help contribute the seedy underworld theme.

I think Stern is capable of SO much more than this. But frankly, I think they rushed this pin out. They were so focused on the look and sound right on the game, that they didn't notice that the gameplay was uninspiring.

While I was able to get some flow going and the ball life appeared to be above average I personally just could not get into it whatsoever (and I'm a big Sopranos fan). It's really unfortunate too, because the idea is great. The Sopranos theme would match perfectly with a pinball game under the right circumstances. This is just not one of them.

The playfield doesn't seem to match the style of the cabinet and the backglass. The safe looks like it was made out of legos. The safe is also very unpredictable. A lot of the times when you hit it dead smack in the center you wouldn't get credit for it. These were just some of the things that made me go hum?

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Pinball Review

5 stars out of 5

Audio (4 stars out of 5)
Playfield (5 stars out of 5)
Replayablility (5 stars out of 5)
Gameplay (5 stars out of 5)

One of the most beloved pinball machines of all time has got to be Star Trek: The Next Generation pinball table produced by Williams in 1993. Star Trek: The Next Generation has always been one of my favorite television shows, so when I saw this table at the arcade, I was immediately drawn to it.

The back of the game displays a full color picture of some of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Prominently displayed are Jeordi, Troi, Riker, Data, Dr Crusher, Warf, and Captain Picard. The deck prominently features the enterprise as well as several other ships. The gameplay is heavily enhanced by the sound effects that are in this game. Music as well as incidental sounds are taken from the show.

At the end of each round, a small video plays to reward us for playing, and tally our current score. Perhaps the most innovative feature of this game are two user operated cannons that let you shoot your ball with increased accuracy. The game is wider than some other pinball machine, a feature called wide body.

This really increases the playing area greatly, and makes it more fun. There are a whole bunch of different Star Trek related challenges within the game. You can fight Q or the romulans for instance.

Overall this is a great game both for beginners and for experts. More than this, it's the perfect game for any Star Trek: The Next Generation fan. Of you are lucky enough to see this at an arcade, check this game out. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Check out the current listings on Star Trek pinball games

A small sampling Star Trek Next Generation Pinball

Found a nice little video on youtube that shows the Star Trek game in all its glory.

Star Trek TNG Pinball Game

This is an example of ST TNG Pinball

4.60

Theatre of Magic Pinball Review

5 stars out of 5

Audio (5 stars out of 5)
Playfield (5 stars out of 5)
Replayablility (5 stars out of 5)
Gameplay (5 stars out of 5)

Theatre of Magic has everything going for it that a modern pinball machine should have, with the exception of difficulty. If you're looking for grueling and challenging pinball experience this is not it. If you don't care about that, Theatre of Magic is nothing short of stellar.

I have played as many as 8 hours straight on this game and I just can't help going back for more. It's even gotten to the point that if my wife sees me going to the basement, then she just knows that its going to be a while before I'm leaving the house.
The machine seems to have endless amount of innovative features. Its got all the bells and whistles, including the automatic Magna-Save, which everybody goes crazy over. I remember the first time I played it, the game seemed like an entirely new genre. It was also my first introduction into the gravity defying effects that later pinball machines copied.

The three-mode multiball is fairly easy to achieve even for the newest newbies. I think the ruleset is plenty deep for the majority of people. The Audio is very tough to beat. It's just so crystal clean. It's got plenty of verbal instruction to guide you along the way as well a slammin' music track. It may sound corny but it does give the game a magical feel.

The art is just top-notch for its incredible use of color and the great attention to detail. It has an inspiring looking backbox, cabinet and vast playfield. The flow in this game is extremely fast. The objective are very satisfying. The incredible light effects of a Pink Floyd concert.

Let's just say Bally threw everything but the kitchen sink on this one and it paid off.

Take a look at the current listings for Theatre of Magic Pinball Machines.

The original promo for Theatre of Magic

It may be a little corny but it did a really good job of showing all the great features of the game.

Theatre of magic Pinball Promo Video

Twilight Zone Pinball Review

Audio (5 stars out of 5)
Playfield (5 stars out of 5)
Replayablility (5 stars out of 5)
Gameplay (5 stars out of 5)

Twilight Zone is regarded by many as the best pinball machine of the modern era. The pinball helped usher in the golden modern era (90s) of pinball gaming. There is a good reason for it too: It's an incredible machine.

The art is nothing short of magnificent. There are very strong colors and a luminous backglass. The overall look is loaded with detail as it ties the theme of the machine perfectly.

There are so many features in Twilight Zone that I'm not going to bother getting into them. It's strange but, due to all these features, it's not the kind of pin you will instantly fall in love with the moment you play your first game. There are just so many different modes and aspects of the game that it can get a little intimidating. But you just have to keep playing it and understand the depth of the gameplay to truly find out how great the machine is.

This is the kind of game when you're not really sure what to do when you first play. That's the real beauty of it. Bally took the time to create a pinball machine that will have infinite replayability.

The playfield has a ton of different things to play around with. Oh, and did I mention that the game uses magnets to move the ball around, instead of just flippers.

The game is incredibly respected by the hardcore pinballers. So who am I to disagree? As prefect a pinball game as I've ever seen.

Check out the current listings on Twilight Zone Pinball Machines.

1993 Twilight Zone Pinball Promo

The original promo for the Twilight Zone Pinball Machine.

Twilight Zone Pinball Promo Video