My Pinball Expo Experiance

[JeepMonkey]

I spent four hours playing at the pinball expo today.  I thought I would write about the games I played.  Keep in mind that I am fairly new to pinball and have not played too many games.

TOM - I have played this a fair bit, and it might just be my favorite pin.  Definately top three.  Rating 9.5

RFM - I thought it would be very good, but it it was just ok.  Rating 7.0

Space Invaders - There isn't a lot going on here, but it definately palyed differently with the four flippers.  Rating 5.5

Grand Lizard - This games looked kinda blah, but was fun.  Rating 6.0

Demolition Man - I never really cared for this one.  The playfield art just seems low resolution.  Rating 6.0

F-14 and High Speed - I lumped these two together as I thought they were a bit the same.  Again ok, but didn't wow me.  Rating 6.0

Addams Family - I have only played this once, and didn't overly care for it.  Maybe it just had a lot to live up to.  I do like everything about it except for how it plays.  It is tough to catch the ball, it seems to float when around the flippers.  Rating 7.0

Twilight Zone - Fun, but not great.  Again, maybe it had a lot to live up to.  Rating 7.5

No Fear - I like that all the shots are up the playfield.  I didn't have high expectations, but it turned out to be pretty fun.  Rating 7.0

STTNG - This game had a lot to live up to, and it was a very cool game.  I think the more I play this the more I would like it.  Rating 8.5

And finally for my favorite machine of the expo...

Rollercoaster Tycoon - I didn't know anything about it.  From what little I read said that people hadn't played it but really wanted to.  I really like the different shots.  The difference between the left side (close quarter shots) and right side (up the playfield) was very nice.  The "extra" third and fourth flippers seem easier to use and were used more often that other "extra" flippers.  I really liked the theme and art, and I think the lights were great.  Rating 9.0   

[Flake]

TOM - I have played this a fair bit, and it might just be my favorite pin.  Definately top three.  Rating 9.5

Demolition Man - I never really cared for this one.  The playfield art just seems low resolution.  Rating 6.0

My brother recently purchased a TOM and I played about 10-15 games on it the last time I was at his house.  I was suprised by how fast a game it was.  Certainly faster than my DM which I thought was a fast game (but I wont be having this game for much longer).  Anyway, I concur with your opinion of TOM, its pretty cool.  Not sure its $3K cool but its a helluva lot of fun.

DM looks alot cooler when populated with a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- ton of blue LED's BTW.

[Pinball Wizard]

What pinball expo are you talking about? Not the Chicago one is it? That isn't until mid October.

[Jeff AMN]

Everybody is entitled to their opinions, but I'm just baffled that I saw RCT ranked ahead of TZ, TAF, F-14, High Speed, and STTNG.

Glad you had a good time though...

[Q*Bert_OP]

What pinball expo are you talking about? Not the Chicago one is it? That isn't until mid October.

I'd Guess PPE...Pacific Pinball Expo

[Pinball Wizard]

Oh yeah, forgot about that show.

@Jeff AMN: You have to consider that it is possible those games that you and me think would be better my have been in bad shape. I have played a High Speed before that just didn't play at all (figuratively) and a F-14 that was literally falling apart as you played each ball.

[JeepMonkey]

This was a pinball show in the Kansas City area, just north of town in Liberty.

If I had more time to play games like STTNG, AF and TZ I think I would like them better.  Being new to these games I really didn't know the rules, so that might put me at a disadvantage.

The F-14 and HS were is good shape.  They were very dark, so it was hard to really see everything.  I don't know, they just didn't wow me.

It was a good time.  I am in the market for a new pin and this answered a lot of questions about machines I had not played yet.  There was supposed to be a WMS IJ there, but the guy sold it.  I would really have liked to play it.