Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Arcade Collecting => Pinball => Topic started by: LLUncoolJ on August 14, 2009, 03:17:16 pm

Title: Prettiest machine?
Post by: LLUncoolJ on August 14, 2009, 03:17:16 pm
Taking functionality out of the equation, what is the best looking machine in your opinion? Total package...backglass, cabinet, playfield, etc.

I will disqualify myself from saying ToM because I just brought one home sunday and haven't been able to stop looking at it.

I love Pirates of the Caribbean...that one would look fine sitting next to ToM.
Themes that I love that the machines use well and are nice looking: TSPP and DE Star Wars

Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Jeff AMN on August 14, 2009, 03:32:54 pm
Some of my favorites:

Strikes and Spares
Black Hole
Haunted House
Twilight Zone
Lord of the Rings
Bride of Pinbot (art is okay, but light show is fantastic)
Paragon
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Cirqus Voltaire
Fathom
Silverball Mania
Big Bang Bar
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: pinballwizard79 on August 15, 2009, 08:14:13 pm
Silverball Mania, for mother ---smurfing--- sure.

Others..........

Centuar, Space Invaders, Fathom & CV


Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Jeff AMN on August 15, 2009, 11:54:26 pm
Believe it or not, there's still a Space Invaders on location near me. it plays well, and it's 100% functioning, but there's plenty of wear on the playfield.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: shardian on August 17, 2009, 08:21:00 am
Theatre of Magic is a very pretty game.

For me though, the prettiest eye candy game by a landslide is Funhouse.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: ChadTower on August 17, 2009, 09:43:59 am
I love Funhouse as a game but the artwork is too busy for me.  I would have preferred something simpler that makes the game flow more easily detected.

My exposure to the full set of games is still pretty limited, at least in terms of knowing them well, but I love these for art:

Fathom
Haunted House
High Speed
Knockout
Superman
Farfalla

To go the other way, there are a ton of strong players with horrible art.  Laser Cue and The Shadow are like that.  Genesis too.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Flake on August 17, 2009, 11:03:06 am
Have never seen one in person but CV looks utterly amazing in the pictures on ipbd.com.  Others in this category (games I've only seen pictures of) would be Silverball Mania, Black Hole and probably even Black Knight (this one may be questionable but for whatever reason I really like it).

For the games I've actually seen and played in person I really like Cyclone.  But for now TSPP probably takes the cake.  I just love the Simpsons and the themes of that show are incorporated well into the game.

Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: THE POKER BRAT on December 02, 2009, 10:55:57 pm
gotta love those early bally and williams 1980's games,..there is so much funky art on the playfield and glass,..and the sounds..like firepower,..sounds like a cross between ROBOTRON & the otherone thats in the plastic round cabinet,....(i keep forgetting)
anyway,..heres a video to oogle at...( that covers all years)
Lyon's Classic Pinball Visit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyBjG2a7_M8#)
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: THE POKER BRAT on December 02, 2009, 11:01:29 pm
ok,..heres one guy that loves those classic bally games,...im so jealous!
Bally Man's Basement Pinball Collection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSOy0SlnMu0#)
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Zero_Hour on December 03, 2009, 12:47:58 am
For me, Total package - backglass, playfield, and cabinet art -   
Paragon
Tales of the Arabian Nights

Fathom & Seawitch are both nice, but the cabinets leave a bit to be desired, IMO.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Malenko on December 03, 2009, 01:43:09 pm
Tales of the Arabian Nights

(http://www.ipdb.org/images/3824/image-31.jpg)

prettiest game Ive seen, and fun to boot! I really like how the oil lamp rotates (at least I think it was the oil lamp, been a while)
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: shardian on December 03, 2009, 01:55:52 pm
Tales of the Arabian Nights


prettiest game Ive seen, and fun to boot! I really like how the oil lamp rotates (at least I think it was the oil lamp, been a while)

I was underwhelmed by this title.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Malenko on December 03, 2009, 02:07:11 pm
I was underwhelmed by this title.

prettiest, not most fun to play :)

Im not a pinhead so my options are pretty limited. I've played more virtual pinball tables then real ones :(

(http://heffa.net/images/myStuff/Pinball/TalesOfTheArabianNights/ToTAN1.jpg)
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Zero_Hour on December 03, 2009, 03:59:04 pm
Arabian Nights.. man... it's got all the elements but it just doesn't pull it together.

...and you figure out really quick that you can wish away all the modes. 


If there were a way to disable the wishing for gems (modes), the game would be a much better player.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: ChadTower on December 03, 2009, 04:05:03 pm
I do like smacking the genie.


That deserves repeating.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Xiaou2 on December 03, 2009, 10:06:42 pm
I Agree.  Totan is one of the prettiest pins Ive ever seen/played  (The play field,
not the cabinet art... which is only so-so imop)

 Love the theme and music / sfx.

 The Lamp spinner is very cool / fun.
 
 The Genie shot is kinda lame.  Its simply too easy, and not really all that
rewarding Imop.

 The flow of the ball is pretty good.

 The pop-up spike gates are also really cool.

 
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Namco on December 04, 2009, 05:35:24 pm
Here's my list:

Spectrum
Medusa
Big Bang Bar
Fireball
Centaur
Cirqus Voltaire
Revenge From Mars
Indiana Jones (Stern 2009)
Hook

Innumerable others would follow this, but I'll keep it down to 9.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: ChadTower on December 04, 2009, 08:42:07 pm

I never saw the appeal of Centaur.  You can't even tell what is supposed to be going on.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: RayB on December 17, 2009, 12:26:19 pm
That playfield art is a mess. Too busy. There's stuff EVERYWHERE, making it one big multi-colored pattern. THat's just bad graphic design, no matter how well drawn the individual elements are.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Xiaou2 on December 17, 2009, 09:54:42 pm

 Which game are you referring to Ray?

 I can tell you that the photos of Tales really does not capture the spectrum of
the machine in person. 

 Also, you have to remember, that the pics shown is Unlit.  Its So much different and
better Lit, as it was designed to be seen.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: Namco on December 18, 2009, 04:18:50 am
When I first heard heard about the idea behind Centaur, I thought it was stupid. I wasn't that impressed when I saw it in Future Pinball either, but when I saw it in person, I couldn't take my eyes off of it. There 's just something about the contrast of it, the mix of white, black, & chrome illuminated by the red, blue, green, and white lights that is breathtaking in person. Call me crazy, but I really dig this more than the crazy kinetic mix of color and shapes on something like a Theatre of Magic or Medieval Madness.

(http://fredgolden.net/images/centaur_800.jpg)


Centaur Gameplay (unedited) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N63dEAoyzbQ#)

Backglass (http://fredgolden.net/images/centaur_backglass_1280.jpg)
Playfield 1 (http://fredgolden.net/images/centaur_playfield_1_1280.jpg)
Playfield 2 (http://fredgolden.net/images/centaur_playfield_2_1280.jpg)
Playfield 3 (http://fredgolden.net/images/centaur_playfield_3_1280.jpg)
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: shardian on December 18, 2009, 10:38:08 am
Okay, I'll admit it does look pretty good in that photo.

That looks damn good! Don't know if I'm a fan of the slow and clunky gameplay, but it makes me want to crank some death metal and start playing.
Title: Re: Prettiest machine?
Post by: DJ_Izumi on December 19, 2009, 07:11:00 am
Arabian Nights, I've only played it on Xbox 360 but I hate it.  The table feels crowded and cramped and it's just not fun.  Or maybe I hate it because I can't get a leaderboard position higher than 1400th where as I'm at 148th for No Good Gofers and 100th for Medieval Madness.  (308mil on Medieval Madness! :D)