What Makes You Prefer One Machine Over Another???

So many games.......so many choices.......

Recently I was on Facebook and saw some polls on pinball enthusiast pages that dealt with the usual "What's your favorite game" or "What's the worst pinball game of the 1980's" etc to start discussions. It got me thinking, what DOES make for a good game, or a bad game? Pinball is a funny thing, because one person might love the game you find abhorrent and vice versa. What kind of factors cause that? 

Shots? Art? Lights? Sound?

And why is it that in our hobby, unlike many others, we pinball aficionados obsess over the smallest things. Game might shoot great, but dammit, they got that annoying 5 note loop track or the color of the playfield is yellow and not red and so it's sucky, while that other game next to it plays similar, but has some different sounds and rules and you think it kicks total butt. 

Terminator 2

ACDC

A non pinball person would see T2 and ACDC and think it was the same game, or at the very least, would think it was made in the same year, but not us, obviously. We'd see both of those very differently, and we'd definitely price them and rate them very differently as well. Why???

Ramp...

Other hobbies/industries don't seem to be that particular. If I or most people go to buy a new car, my main concern would probably be that it drives. It's not a deal breaker if I can't get the car in dark blue when all they have is regular blue, yet in Pinball something like that can be a deal breaker. Are we just a picky bunch? Or is there more to it??? 

Balls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me know!!!!! Discuss what factors for you, cause a game to suck, or a game to be great! Comment below, here on the blog (make sure java script and cookies are enabled for your comment to come through) and for your trouble one of you will be randomly picked to win a kick-ass "STERN SHOP" T-Shirt, totally free, that I picked up while I was visiting the factory last month!!!

Ooooooh!!!

Next time we'll check out your replies. 
Until then!!!

What makes a pinball shot feel good?

What makes a pinball shot feel good?

The Screamingly Great Left Orbit Spinner on ACDC

The game of pinball centers on the physical interaction of the ball, how the player manipulates that ball, and how the ball interacts with the playfield. Because of this physical interaction (along with sound effects and scoring potentialities), not all shots are the same. Along this same line, if you ask players who are flipping the ball, they may tell you: "This shot rocks!" or "This shot sucks!!!." How is that possible? You're flipping a ball through a predetermined path on a piece of wood and after the ball leaves the flipper it leaves your control until it reaches its destination. How does that action equate to "feeling great"?

To solve this grand query, I would like YOUR opinions on this phenomenon and am also in the process of asking a slew of people from throughout the pinball universe to see what they think about the question. 

So let's see what you pinball aficionados have to say??? Use the Comment form below or the Contact form on the left. Send in your input and let's see what we find!!!

Thanks for your info!