Quoted from Boise_D:There's nothing quite like hitting an EM spinner.
I'm also a spinner fan. I had a chance to pick up a pretty nice Grand Prix yesterday, so went for it. It looks like fun, so I can't wait to set it up and get it running.
Quoted from Boise_D:There's nothing quite like hitting an EM spinner.
I'm also a spinner fan. I had a chance to pick up a pretty nice Grand Prix yesterday, so went for it. It looks like fun, so I can't wait to set it up and get it running.
Quoted from cp1610:..even though the topic is just one em.
The 'multiplayer' aspect does come into play I suppose if someone needed/wanted to have just one. That's what pushes Surf Champ over the top, for me, in my collection of mostly single players. But if I had to keep just one and I were to be judging them all solely on single player 'play'...I would have a real hard time choosing.
This is a tough one. I love Fireball and El Dorado, but I also love spinners. Yet drop targets and zipper flippers are so fun.
1. El Dorado
2. Fireball
3. Jacks Open
4. Old Chicago
5. Card Whiz / Royal Flush
Quoted from DanMarino:This is a tough one. I love Fireball and El Dorado, but I also love spinners. Yet drop targets and zipper flippers are so fun.
1. El Dorado
2. Fireball
3. Jacks Open
4. Old Chicago
5. Card Whiz / Royal Flush
Just one? Gottlieb "Pleasure Isle".
Quoted from DanMarino:This is a tough one. I love Fireball and El Dorado, but I also love spinners. Yet drop targets and zipper flippers are so fun.
1. El Dorado
2. Fireball
3. Jacks Open
4. Old Chicago
5. Card Whiz / Royal Flush
I prefer target alpha over El dorado, but that's a great choice.
Overall, I would probably pick gottlieb wizard (the rare add-a-ball version of abra-ca-dabra)
Joker poker is pretty great too.
Great question...but tough to answer. I'm glad I don't have to pick just one.
Great topic, my picks changes all the time but seems like
*Centigrade37* makes my weekly top picks more often than not.
I remember this old thread. Was still living in Dallas and had no idea Roanoke even existed.
Back then, my favorites were: #1 Freedom prototype, #2 Old Chicago, #3 2001, #4 Dixieland, #5 Skyrocket.
Today, #1 still stands and Skyrocket has joined the top three: #1 Freedom prototype, #2 Skyrocket, #3 Old Chicago, #4 Pop-A-Card, #5 (probably Astro but need more time on it).
Them wedges are a-creepin' in! But at this point I don't see them overtaking the top three: Bally, Bally, Bally! Actually, Skyrocket is half-Williams since Harry designed it... and I'd say Freedom is too since it was largely Norm Clark's creation.
7 years ago I responded and since then I spoke with cash. It is currently my only pinball in collection.
Quoted from Shoot_Again:7 years ago I responded and since then I spoke with cash. It is currently my only pinball in collection.
Only takes one.
My response from 7 yrs ago (post#109)
still holds.
Since I no longer have Heat Wave with me anymore
it has got to be Teacher's Pet,
edging out Astro.
which are both with me in the basement.
Im with the multi-ball crowd, 4MBC for me.
Tastes have also changed from Gottlieb's to Bally's over the last 10 years.
And likely to provide a different answer 10 years from now.
Quoted from BRONX:I'm looking for a heat wave. Tough find here in Canada, anyone selling heat wave?
You missed one near Pinfest.
Quoted from BRONX:jrpinball. I couldn't make it to pinfest this year
:0(
Was heatwave in good shape ? Price??
Looked pretty nice and was cheap. It wasn't at the show, but was offered for sale nearby a couple of weeks before, with an offer to deliver it to the show.
It looked like it only needed minor work.
Nostalgia takes over. My Bally Zip-a-doo will be the last one of all my machines to leave. We bought it together and play it together. You cannot discard memories.
I'm going to say Central Park but I may change my mind, Slick Chick, Cow Poke, Sky Jump, Expressway, Ice Show, Little Joe...
I'm thinking Atlantis. Chasing that yellow light around is fun and frustrating. If it had a spinner, I would divorce my wife and run away to a desert island with this pin. Only downside is not enough " knocker action" with Atlantis, if you know what I mean. Guess I'll keep my wife after all.
Quoted from Budman:I'm thinking Atlantis.
Six months ago I would have said Abra Ca Dabra without hesitation. But after buying and fixing up Atlantis, I can't stop playing this thing. It really is a "desert island" pin.
Sorry Budman but I disagree on the lack of knocker action. Once you complete the sequence, you've got multiple opportunities for specials (drop targets, stand up target and outlane) - far more than most games. I've had games where I've completed the sequence in 3 balls and won up to 7 or 8 games (including the three on score). Granted, those games are few and far between - but the specials are out there.
Quoted from ChipS:... But after buying and fixing up Atlantis, I can't stop playing this thing. It really is a "desert island" pin.
Quoted from Budman:I'm thinking Atlantis. Chasing that yellow light around is fun and frustrating. If it had a spinner, I would divorce my wife and run away to a desert island with this pin. Only downside is not enough " knocker action" with Atlantis, if you know what I mean. Guess I'll keep my wife after all.
One collector is stranded on a desert island without enough knocker action. Another collector has discovered that a lucky hand is the antidote to loneliness.
I'll be content alone with my Strange World.
Quoted from ChipS:Sorry Budman but I disagree on the lack of knocker action.
I don't know Chip... perhaps he was referring to knocker action on the backglass art
As for the original question, I'm going with JO.
Quoted from Runbikeskilee:I don't know Chip... perhaps he was referring to knocker action on the backglass art
Sorry - I got my "knockers" mixed up!
Atlantis is definitely not a good-looking game - one of Gordon Morison's least attractive backglasses and playfields, IMO. (And Abra Ca Dabra is one of his best.) But the gameplay is AMAZING!
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:Still Lucky Hand / Jacks Open
Planing on bringing a clean Lucky Hand to NW pin show.
IMG_4221 (resized).jpegQuoted from Judoratt:Planing on bringing a clean Lucky Hand to NW pin show.[quoted image]
Nice - thanks for doing this!
Unfortunately, I can't make the show this year, but your LH will be appreciated by many other fans of quality EMs I'm sure!
Price may be a touch high but from the pictures looks to be in good condition.
A bit of a hike for me but if it's still listed next week.....hmmm. Always wanted this title.
Hot Tip listed in Chicago area.
Still El Dorado for me. I love the long shots to the upper drop targets and the 4 flippers with a mostly open playfield. Jacks Open is definitely appealing, but the play is slower and the row of drop targets is essentially a center block in the playfield. The resetting drop targets and card hands are definitely cool, but the pace of play is slower for sure. Fireball is a load of fun with the cool ball locks, zipper flippers, multi-ball, and spinning disc. I love all 3 of these machines, but El Dorado still is the best all around entertainment for me with the most satisfying shots.
Quoted from DanMarino:Still El Dorado for me. I love the long shots to the upper drop targets and the 4 flippers with a mostly open playfield. Jacks Open is definitely appealing, but the play is slower and the row of drop targets is essentially a center block in the playfield. The resetting drop targets and card hands are definitely cool, but the pace of play is slower for sure. Fireball is a load of fun with the cool ball locks, zipper flippers, multi-ball, and spinning disc. I love all 3 of these machines, but El Dorado still is the best all around entertainment for me with the most satisfying shots.
Lucky Hand is still probably my favorite but Card Whiz is definitely giving it a run for the title in my gameroom lately.
I just missed out on an El Dorado a couple of years ago on eBay. Would love to have one someday.
It changes all the time for me, but ultimately it's between volley/centigrade37/atlantis. But there's something special about Gottlieb Volley, maybe for me it's because volley tends to be alot less expensive then the other two. For that reason, the best fun per dollar would be Gottlieb Volley. A cheaper game that is just as much fun if not funner than most games
It was Buckaroo but North Star is now a favourite. Getting the centre special lit between the 5 pop bumpers is a blast.
Quoted from Dono:Williams Gulfstream... but maybe..
GTB Quick Draw/Quick Draw
Darts a 1960 Williams game. I have had this game for over 40 years and NEVER will part with it. Played it new in 1960 for 12 hours straight at the bowling alley. Fond memories of a better time!!!
My pinball machines got a lot of play over the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend. Here are a few EM observations I made as people played.
1. Jacks Open got the least amount of play. Everyone said it was hard. People moved on to another machine pretty quickly.
2. El Dorado had the most plays. An 11 year old boy got addicted to it and was trying for a couple of hours to get all 15 drop targets down. Several adults also really liked El Dorado. It's addictive, approachable, and easy to understand.
3. Fireball got a lot of game play and is lots of fun for multiple players. Stealing locked balls and failing to release them before draining adds a lot of fun competition to the machine.
Who won the gift cards Dan? Hopefully you didn't "compete"....not fair
And the thread title is a conundrum in itself.
Pinball.
One machine?
Haha....
Garrett That 11 year old kid won two of the three gift cards. He got a $20 gift card to Chipotle for getting an extra ball on Flash Gordon. He did it the hard way by getting the left drop targets down a bunch of times and then getting the ball in the center kickout saucer. After that he was focused on El Dorado. There he got a $10 gift card for Chickfila. The $15 Subway gift card was unclaimed on High Speed. The 11 year old kid was unable to get on the top 4 scores to enter his initials. The kid said that he liked High Speed the most of of all the machines. Going forward, I'll do this again for other holidays and parties. People really liked trying to win the gift cards. I did a tournament last Christmas and some people were kinda intimidated and bummed about getting eliminated quickly, so winning gift cards by achieving goals in the games seems like a better thing for all the casual player family members.
My son and I were exempt from the gift cards since we were the best players by far.
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