BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA

[smartbomb2084]

Picked up one of these recently. Only played it a few times back in the day when it was new.  Opinion so far is that it is a little chaotic but with more play familiarity will breed predictability.  The soundtrack is pure melodrama at its best.  'Mist Multi-Ball' is definitely cool.

So what kind of negatively polarized opinions do the denizens of this forum have to offer up about this particular title?

Bring it on. The children have left the room.

[Q*Bert_OP]

The only negative things about BSD are:

1. Non-family friendly theme = difficult to resell to anyone except a horror lover or pin collector
2. Almost always faded and hard to find parts for
3. Extremely repetitive game play

If you don't already have it, install a Pinball Pro subwoofer...this game sounds great with one...especially the coffin lock sounds...

[studmuff]

Better than owning any Gottlieb game out there. 

[smartbomb2084]

This cabinet is extremely faded.  All the red color is gone.

Saying this game suffers from repetitive gameplay is weak.   EVERY game ever made is repetetive.   You can reduce any game down to a half dozen shots.   Unless all the posts and ramps move their positions you are shooting the same things over and over ad nauseum.

Who is Keith Johnson and why should anyone care what he thinks?    Even Larry Demar's opinion isn't respected around here.

[Krupa]

Saying this game suffers from repetitive gameplay is weak.   EVERY game ever made is repetetive.   

Maybe, but with a limited number of shots and no real modes BSD is more repetitive than most.  At least most DMDs.  The gameplay is basically just trying to stack the 3 multiballs over and over again. Having said that, I own one, love it, and don't care that it's repetitive. With the lightning bolt flippers my ball times generally don't last long enough for me to get bored. And trying to kill Drac during multi-multi-multi never gets old.  But I can definitely see why some don't like it and why you can pick them up so cheap. It's a really tough game with not a lot of bells and whistles.

[studmuff]

Better than owning any Gottlieb game out there.  

Yeah, cause Family Guy is such a prize.  

Yeah and like Stargate is such a prize.  Then again I don't remember any DMD Gottlieb games having a second or third run.

[pinballwizard79]

I think dracula is cool & dark. The fat red DMD is nice, magnetic ball travel is tight & the moaning woman sounds effects are cool. If I had room & money I'd totally get one

[Jeff AMN]

The moaning woman sound is a bit over the top, I feel. It doesn't ruin the game, but it's kinda...odd. The game is fun and it has its fans, but I've never been too interested in it beyond playing it on location or at someone else's house. There's been one for sale locally for an eternity, but I've never felt too inclined to go grab it.

[studmuff]

Play whatever you like, but I think it's pretty well known that Family Guy was a flop.

I haven't owned Stargate in years, but that was a pretty neat game.  I'd imagine its run of 3,600 far outpaces Family Guy as well.  

Very few games got second or third runs until Stern pioneered that philosophy.  It was an interesting marketing trick.

 

Hey Jim,

I was just messing with you.   I do like Family Guy though.  It has a lot of great humor but then again I'm a fan of the show.  As far as a flop, I don't know if I would call it a flop.  Cirqus Voltaire was considered a flop at the time (they were selling at closeout for about $2000 NIB) yet it's a very popular game now.  I'm not saying Family Guy a top ten game but I don't think it was a disaster.

Different strokes for different folks.

[smartbomb2084]

After rebuilding the flippers, tweaking, and waxing this game it plays a lot better now than when I first got it. I have been playing it for a couple of weeks and have become fond of it. I still have not gotten all three Multi-Ball features stacked up in one game.

This game is mean and ruthless. Slap the ball around aimlessly in this game and be prepared for torture and frustration.  This game is a keeper for me.  It is just too merciless and difficult not to have around.  You can't always get monster sized scores while playing it like can be done on other games... yet.

I must admit to a little 'cheating' though. In an attempt to ease the 'Drain Pain' factor of this game I have raised the 'Ball Save' timer from the factory 2 seconds to 6 seconds.  This has definitely helped keep angry players from kicking in the coin door.  Myself included.

"THERE IS NO LIFE IN THIS BODY"  Not true, this body is full of life, the evil kind.

[Q*Bert_OP]

This game is mean and ruthless. Slap the ball around aimlessly in this game and be prepared for torture and frustration.  This game is a keeper for me.  It is just too merciless and difficult not to have around.  You can't always get monster sized scores while playing it like can be done on other games... yet.

I must admit to a little 'cheating' though. In an attempt to ease the 'Drain Pain' factor of this game I have raised the 'Ball Save' timer from the factory 2 seconds to 6 seconds.  This has definitely helped keep angry players from kicking in the coin door.  Myself included.

"I feel like a blundering novice!" (I hope you get the reference)

[smartbomb2084]

"A MOMENT'S COURAGE AND IT IS DONE!"

[EightBySix]

Hehe, just read this - very timely. I'm typing this in a caravan during a stormy night on the cliffs at whitby - the place where Dracula's ship was supposed to have been wrecked by the harbour.