Stern Pinball's Ghostbusters Pro (V1.05) Gameplay

This past Thursday Stern Pinball released a new revision to Ghostbusters. This new update included some balance updates, new speech that also includes a "Family Mode" and some new features like the "River of Slime hurry up shot" Sadly I wasn't able to show off much of the game because of just how hard the one my friend Dave has setup. I've seen a lot of people complain about the metal wire ramps they put into the game and it's something I also noticed on the machine I played at Pioneer's Lounge. When the ball hits the edge of the metal on the ramp, it won't deflect, but it'll loop around going down the left or right drain. Most of the time I'm not quick enough to nudge the table, but I've had the game promptly drain for all three turns with this. It's something I'll have to check message boards to see if other people are complaining about but until then it just further adds to the challenge of the game.

Also, I was a special guest on the Anime of Yesteryear Podcast! Dustin and I talked a lot about Japanese arcade games, Japanese arcades and the main topic, Initial D. Dustin was able to rescue an original Initial D (Stage 1) machine from being scrapped and he talks about his journey trying to fix it with getting everything to properly work. Make sure you check it out!

Anime of Yesteryear Podcast

Stern Pinball's Ghostbusters Pro (V1.04)

Hey folks! At the Allentown Pinfest my good friend Dave got himself a Game of Thrones Pro and a brand new Ghostbusters Pro pinball machine! Since he wanted some help trying to setup the new Spike system on Game of Thrones with an update I decided to try my hand with Ghostbusters 1.04 code that fixed some of the game braking bugs that where found early on.

The game is super fast and challenging, and ton of fun. Ernie Hudson's calls are great and they even have it set like FunHouse where he'll give each player a nickname and he'll stick through it through the whole game. (Kid, Rookie, etc)

As always whenever Stern Pinball updates the game with new rules and features we'll be sure to share it with you! Hopefully next time, I'll get a better game and show off more of the modes. ;)

Ghostbusters Pinball NYC Launch Party!

Hey folks! Here's a special look at the New York City Ghostbusters Pinball machine launch party! Even though I didn't qualify I had a great time! Special thanks to everybody for their hospitality!

Stern Pinball's Ghostbusters Pro Edition!

Hey folks, Nick back once again and I'm going out of order with the videos since we've got something special for you! The first Ghostbusters pinball machine in New York is here and I've got a video of it! This game was designed by John Trudeau who also designed Creature from The Black Lagoon, TX-Sector and most recently at Stern Pinball, Mustang and WWE Wrestlemania. Ernie Hudson is the host of the game and they made sure to include classic lines from both of the original Ghostbusters movies, so thankfully no sound-alike voice here!

One of the major thing to do in the game is, you guessed it, busting ghosts. In the middle of the playfield every 20 ghosts you catch you get something different. From the Tobin's Sprite Guide at the scoop that will give you multiple rewards, Storage Containment Multiball and even a mode called "Loopin' Supers" where the game's left ramp is lit for a limited time and you have to try to loop the shot for tens of millions a shot!

Right now the game is really fun. I enjoy the layout of the machine and the new original HAND DRAWN ART from Zombie Yeti is fantastic. I look forward to checking out the game as the code progresses!

No Fear Pinball Review!

Here's a look at Williams No Fear pinball machine from 1995. This game was designed by none other then the "Master of Flow" and "The King of Pinball" Steve Ritchie! The game plays like a dream game from Steve. There's no pop bumpers in the game to be found and it's non stop speed with tons of ramps and loops for combo shots as well as an upper right flipper you can use to jump the ball over and over again for tons of points.

This game has always been my Achilles Heel. Pretty much every time I play it the game is over really quick. The ramps and lanes are very tight and I mostly hit the posts causing the ball to go wild and down the outlanes. This time however I actually was able to score a billion points on it by combining the multiball along with the Payback Time hurry up mode, that I didn't even know the game had in it, but since it's a Steve Ritchie design it's got to have a Payback Time mode since it's in Terminator 2 as well as in Terminator 3 from Stern.

It's a fun game and worth checking out over on The Pinball Arcade. Give it a whirl and get taunted by the skull!

Dave's Pinball Collection (March 2016)

I recently bought a brand new camera so to test it out my buddy Dave invited me over to play some games in his basement arcade! Since the last time I took a video Dave sold off many of his arcade games so he could make room for even more pinball machines. When I got there he recently finished rebuilding the upper flippers on his new Big Guns machine as well as putting the finishing touches on a beautiful Champion Pub he's getting ready to sell. It's the nicest one I've ever seen, even though I think I've only ever seen five of them in person.

Also since the last video Dave added in a near mint Data East Lethal Weapon 3 and a home use only Corvette. The game had less then 200 plays on the counter and it looks like it just came out of the box. The man he bought it from even had all the original paperwork inside of the game that you can see at the end of the video. I got a game of me playing it but I didn't do as good on it compared to the first time I got to play it!

Enjoy today's video!

Stern Pinball's Game of Thrones (V1.21)

Here's our first look at Stern Pinball's newest title, Game of Thrones! Legendary designer Steve Ritchie returns with another fast action game that he's been known for. This one in the video here at Modern Pinball NYC is the pro model. The Premium and LE have a couple of other added features like a mini playfield on the top left of the machine as well as a miniature Iron Throne toy you can lock the ball in for a multiball mode. Stern originally didn't have the toy Iron Throne included in the pro model, but after some fan comments over on their Facebook page they smartly decided to include the toy over the top left ramp.

Just like the books and the HBO series your quest of the game is to rule the kingdom as one of the houses in the series. At the beginning of the game you can select one of the houses that each have a unique trait that adds to the gameplay. Some will add balls during multiball, others increase bonuses and one will even add the other traits to yours. There's a "Winter is Coming" hurry up mode and my personal favorite mode, "Arya Becomes an Assassin" where each shot you hear her name off somebody she plans to kill, it's a really neat touch. The actress who plays Arya and also The Hound are the hosts of the game with some great voice samples taken from the show as well. "I demand a trial by combat!!"

Sadly it's not all sunshine and rainbows with Game of Thrones. There's one thing that is VERY distracting and that's with the LED lighting. Now while some people have had problems from the beginning with LED's in pinball machines, I haven't. Some folks will complain their too bright and don't look like the original bulbs I like how they look. Also for the operators they last longer, use less power and also don't heat up like an EZ Bake Oven and keep the plastics and blackglass in better shape. The problem with Game of Thrones is that the playfield is a very bright yellow color. So when you get into the multiball mode and you score a jackpot you've got every light going crazy and the yellow of the playfield makes it look extra bright. With games like Star Trek, The Walking Dead, WWE and Kiss the playfield's where darker colors and I think it made the lighting less harsh. I want to see how it is on the Premium and Limited Edition versions since they use a dark blue color.

Other then that the game is shaping up to be a fun one. This 1.21 fixed some bugs with the 1.2 software update but of course, some folks found some scoring glitches like being able to max the spinner into the millions a spin. Like all of Stern's game's we'll keep you updated with any new code updates. Sadly Modern Pinball swapped out their Avengers Limited Edition so I won't be able to get any video of the game's new update they put out this month, but if I ever do see it again I'll be sure to get some impressions on it.

Banzai Run Pinball Review!

Here's one of the final videos I took on my last visit to my buddy Dave's basement arcade. His newest game he got for his collection is a beautiful Banzai Run from Williams that was released back in 1988. This game was co-designed by Larry DeMar and Pat Lawlor, his first design with the company. Pat had worked on a few prototypes before finally settling with the game's Supercross setting.

The game is well known for it's two tier playfield and it's also the game's major setback. There's A LOT that can go wrong with this game and for that reason it's very hard to find out in the wild. Even when I visited the Pinball Hall of Fame two years ago two of the workers where having a debate of whether or not they should even power the game on because they knew they'd be spending more time fixing it then operating it. I chimed in saying that even if they had the game on one dollar for three balls I'd still play it. For a game like this that's really hard to find and play one that's in good condition I'll pay a little extra to play it, same goes with other notorious games to fix like Haunted House and Black Hole.

Since the game came out in 88' it's pretty simple. Your goal is to become king of the mountain by defeating the other four racers in the game. On the lower playfield you need to complete four groups of target banks. Then if you can hit the ball at the top a little biker magnet will take the ball into the upper playfield. You then have to complete all four shots to "defeat" the other racers. If you're able to do that you can earn the game's two ball multiball mode. You might think it's only having two balls might make it lame or easy, but keep in mind, if you get into multiball BOTH playfields are active! I've only seen people get the jackpot a handful of times, but if you wanna see how it's done make sure to check out the video PAPA Pinball did with Bowen Kerins who makes it look REALLY easy!

Thanks for checking out the video! For all our friends in the US we hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Red & Ted's Road Show!

Here's another one of the batch of videos I shot when I visited my buddy Dave. This time we're taking a look at 1994's Red & Ted's Road Show! This widebody machine from Williams was lead designed by pinball legend, Pat Lawlor. This game has not one, but two talking dummy heads, Red and Ted. Just like Rudy from Funhouse, Red and Ted use Williams' patented "Pinmation" technology where the eyes on the head will "track" the ball in the game. It seems that Williams still holds this patent because even up to games like The Simpson's Pinball Party other talking head toys have to move at random and can't really interact with the ball. Data East was planning on making a Mad Magazine machine with an Alfred E. Neumann talking head but the game never made it past the prototype phase.

This game was touted off as being so large in scope with so many modes that players wouldn't be able to see the whole game without having to use the buy-in feature. I've done it before, but it was with extra balls turned on, but even still the game's got a lot to do. Your goal is to tour around the United States on Red & Ted's construction crew visiting landmarks and collecting souvenirs that can later be traded in to add to your score. Red's voice is provided by country singer, Carlene Carter who also provides a song that plays during the Multiball and Wizard Mode. Ted was voiced by Tim Kitzrow who many folks might know is the voice of Midway's own, NBA Jam!

The one thing to note with this video is I shot this a couple of months ago. Well before Bowen Kerins amazing video he did over at PAPA TV where they actually went cross country with a Road Show pinball machine to a bunch of different locations! I had no idea about the "Magic Stand Up Target" that is under the top left flipper. All you have to do is not flip the ball and it'll hit a little target right in front of the right flipper and it'll count for many modes in the game!

The game is a lot of fun and well worth checking out. It's available over on The Pinball Arcade, so make sure to check it out!

Bally's Gilligan's Island

As a child of the 1980's if you wanted to play video games the TV had to be on channel 3. Growing up channel 3 was TBS Superstation so I got in a lot of classic TV reruns like The Brady Bunch, The Munsters, The Addams Family and Gilligan's Island. I had no idea this game even existed up to a few years ago. I never saw this game when it was originally released, only here at the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.

Gilligan's Island from Bally was released in 1991 and it was the first game developed by Bally/Williams that used a Dot Matrix display. However since this game took longer to create Terminator 2 came out first with Gilligan coming out a few months later. Some folks confuse this thinking this was the first ever Dot Matrix display game but Data East's Checkpoint has the honor of being the very first game released with the display. Although Data East used much smaller displays then Bally/Williams was using. They later went up to the normal sized displays but of course in the 90's everything had to be bigger and better so games like Frankenstein, Baywatch and Batman Forever used the super sized displays and also touted off having six player games,

Now you think I'm delaying the review...well I am. Other then the game being Bally's first DMD game the whole game is pretty boring and lackluster. It tries to play out like an episode of the show, you the player are Gilligan and you have to help The Professor to create a Lava Seltzer to give to the volcano god, Kona. The game has a cool little rotating wheel on the left ramp that will divert the ball around, but other then that the game is just very slow and other then collecting the stuff to make Lava Seltzer there's not much to do.

I had a chance to play this game shortly after Tim and the crew at the museum cleaned the game up and put it back in the lineup. Even with the game all cleaned, polished and with new flippers the game still played VERY slowly. The game you watch me play is actually my second time trying to get a video of and I just decided the heck with it and went with what I had. Many people consider this game Bally/Williams worst game of the era and I tend to agree with them. It's hard to believe that they where making this and T2 at the same time. Even without the T2 theme that game is still WAY more fun to play with trying to get the multiball, trying to re-lock the balls and shooting for the game's Super Jackpot. What do you do in this? Collect all the stuff and keep shooting the ramp for millions.

Not the worst, I'd still rather play this then a lot of the 90's era Gottlieb machines.

Data East's Last Action Hero Pinball

Hey folks, Nick back again with another pinball video! Today we're checking out 1993's Last Action Hero! After Terminator 2 was a smash hit it seems like everybody was waiting for the next big Arnold flick to make a game after. Data East was working on a really cool and unique two player Total Recall machine but it sadly never made it out of the prototype phase. You can find some pictures of it online.

Last Action Hero is what 90's pinball is all about. Tons of music, tons of modes and a lot of gimmicks. The game's got a shaker motor built into it as well as the game's main toy a fully working crane ramp that moves from side to side. The problem with this is the shaker motor can actually mess up the crane from shaking too much. I've heard stories of folks having to shut off the shaker, also with Road Show..which we'll get to soon..

The game's alright for a Data East. It seems like they where learning from what Bally and Williams where doing with mode based games. It feels like after The Adams Family every game had a scoop shot to start a mode and a ramp to light the scoop again. It's much better then their mid to late 80's licensed games like TMNT or Back to the Future where the game is pretty much just shoot one ramp and score a lot of points, but for my money I'd rather play Terminator 2.

Video Roundup!

Woah, sorry about this folks! I've been busy looking for work and I've been neglecting the website. Since I've been behind I wanted to post some of the videos that I haven't uploaded here to the site yet. I knew Pokken Tournament would be something to have up right away so I actually missed out on a couple of videos I have up on our YouTube channel!



First up is a look at the first ever Long Island Retro Gaming Expo. In the video you'll see YouTube's own Pete Dorr who was a vendor at the event with a lot of great stuff. This one proved to be really popular, after speaking with the guy that ran it he thinks they had triple the amount of people they expected. Hopefully next year we'll get a bigger space to accommodate everybody!

Next up I've got two older/newer pinball update videos to share from one of my trips to Modern Pinball!



First up is the 1.64 update of Metallica Pro. This was one of the games Stern surprised everybody with a 4th of July update so I wanted to see what was new and sadly I did horrible so I wasn't able to see what they added. Since I took this video the guys at Modern took out all of the normal bulbs and replaced them with much needed LED's. You can really see the difference and it makes the artwork look so much nicer!



Finally we've got a look at the 1.28 update of The Walking Dead Pro. It's been a LONG time since I've gotten a video of this one on the site and since then Stern's really given the game an overhaul. There's a ton of new ways to score points it's not even the same game that I played when it first came out. Since the updates a lot of people have been kicking themselves for not getting in on the LE of the game. If you want to see somebody that can actually play this make sure you check out the brand new tutorial that PAPA just put up on their YouTube channel. It's over half an hour of Bowen Kerins just destroying the game. He's able to get my whole game's score on two shots using modes and multipliers! It's well worth watching!

Tomorrow I'll be back with a new updated look at the lineup of games at Modern Pinball NYC! They're getting ready to welcome in Stern's new Game of Thrones and you know I'll be there with a video showing it off!

F-14 Tomcat: Pinball Review!

Since it'll be coming out on The Pinball Arcade very soon I thought we'd take a look at the original game from 1987! It's Williams F-14 Tomcat! From lead designer Steve Ritchie this game lives up to it's tagline, "It's fast. It's furious...and it fights back!" Just like every game that Steve designed your in for something that's going to beat the hell out of you. I was shocked that I actually started the multiball on camera but sadly couldn't cash in the jackpot.

The game seems simple. You need to spell out TOM CAT in order to light the locks. Depending on how the game's set up, you either have to spell it out only once, or in my case with the way Dave had it set, I had to spell it out all three times in order to light all three locks.

Since Steve designed it you can tell he made it really rough. There's a really fast kickback on the left that if your not careful the ball will run down the drain. Just like a lot of other 80's Bally/Williams games you can get into multiball, but it doesn't last long, so trying to maintain good control is key to this game.

It's well worth checking out, can't wait to see it over on Pinball Arcade!

Stern Pinball's WWE Wrestlemania (V1.11)

Here's a look at the first game running off the brand new Stern Pinball's Spike hardware it's WWE Wrestlemania! This is the pro model that includes all of the current superstars while the 400 limited edition Legends of Wrestlemania include all the past stars. (I make a note of it in the beginning..)

Sad to say there's really not that much to this game. Pretty much you just keep shooting up to the top to defeat other wrestlers and you get bonus points. Some shots that say REF will give awards like Ref Scoring and a Ref Knockout Multiball. Other then that during my time with the game, I didn't see much.

It's a stark contrast to playing KISS that has a mini wizard mode already included with the early code. Like with all Stern made game's we'll keep you updated with any further revisions.

Stern Pinball's KISS Pro (V1.02)

"You wanted the best? You got the best! The hottest band in the world....KISS!!"

Here's an early look at Stern Pinball's newest game, KISS! This game's lead designer was John Borg and it does have a game flow similar to Metallica but it seems like they're going for rules like AC/DC. The video was taken on Version 1.02 of the game. Recently there was a code update to all three of the new Spike System games, (WWE Wrestlemania, Woah Nellie! Big Juicy Melons and KISS) but the update was to help the system be more stable and to fix GI lighting problems some folks where having, so right now this is the most current version of the game.

When you start up you can pick a city with the left flipper button and a song with the right. As of right now we have no idea what selecting a city actually does. Some folks think it might be like AC/DC where you're rewarded if you pick a song with the city they had the concert for, but right now Paul will just yell the name of the city when you go to launch the ball. The song selection works like Mustang and AC/DC. Some songs have a lot of shots that score fewer points and others have less shots that score a lot more. There's also some flashing shots where if you try to hit them all in order you can raise the value for your shots. The game also has a scoop shot like Mustang so after your finished with your shots, you shoot the scoop and you can start another song. 

The right ramp will light a band member's instrument that you have to hit in order to collect them for the Wizard Mode. The two main features are the Starchild area where the ball bounces around and you build up for the Starchild Multiball. Then of course you've got The Demon himself, Gene Simmon's noggin on the right. There's two targets you have to hit in order to light the lock, it's a lot like Whitewater. However under Gene's head is something you can't see they call "The Demon Disk" this mini spinning disk makes it so the ball comes out at random rather then straight down. If you can light the lock and shoot past the disc you can lock the ball for Demon Multiball. In the Pro version of the game the balls are ejected out of Gene's mouth but in the LE and Pro models they have a mech inside to hold all three balls so they come out like in Transformers. *Be careful for owners of the game...if you're in multiball the Gene mech in the pro does not like it if you get more then one ball inside. Also, adjust his head so he doesn't spit the balls down the middle of the playfield.  

As you can see in the video I did horrible with my first two games and didn't even crack 10 million points. After playing though out the day I was able to get Grand Champion on the game at 144 million. I also made it up to the "KISS ARMY" Wizard Mode. There's also another mode called "Rock City" but I don't think I had what I needed to actually get it, or it may not even be implemented into the game yet. 

Overall I'm very happy with how this game is shaping up. I had a lot of fun with it with the very early code. The game's got a nice flow to it and the music they picked was really good, even if it's the "KISS Klassics" rerecorded versions without Peter and Ace. I'm looking forward to sharing with you the new updates whenever they get released! 

Be sure to check back in for a look at WWE Wrestlemania! (Which I have to record a new video intro for..)

Stern Pinball's Mustang Pro V1.4

Hey folks! We've got this week's video for you! During The Big Lebowski party I had some time to check out the newest code revision to Stern's Mustang. It's been a while since I recorded this game, pretty much because I knew an update was coming and the current code, I felt was pretty awful. So how's this new version?

It's a step in the right direction for the game. They've made a lot of different tweaks to the code, many I'm not exactly sure what they do. Some of the major new features was they brought back the "Creature Feature" bowl. Now you can ride the ramp and go into the bowl and it will work like a roulette wheel. It's a lot like Bally's Cactus Canyon. They've also added in a new multiball mode which honestly, I had no idea how I accessed. The one thing I've been seeing is how they really want you to go in order for your shots in all the modes. In a mode like "Crusin'" you've got to hit the flashing shots from left to right. If you can do that the points will multiply higher then if you're just shooting at random.

The one thing I saw to gain points is by building up your gears for the Gearshift Multiball. Normally people will go with the first selection because knocking down the GEARS targets once will put you into multiball, but if you go with a different selection when GEARS isn't lit you'll start to build up your numbers on the gear shift in the middle of the playfield. You can cash this in at the Mustang Store scoop shot when you get to 4th gear, but if you want to risk it you can go up all the way to 6th gear. If you're able to get up to 6th gear and cash in the multiball it's worth TONS of points.

Overall it's still hard to tell with this game. I don't really like the shot layout and the game doesn't have flowing shots that other games like Iron Man and Star Trek have. Still they are listening to the fans and I look forward to see what will be added in the future.

Atari's Hercules!

Here's yet another look at the largest ever mass produced pinball machine ever from Atari in 1979, it's Hercules! Gerard had taken a video the week they got it in and I didn't know that and he had his video up well ahead of mine, so here's my look at it.

The one at FunSpot is in the best shape of a Hercules I've ever played. The slingshots, pops and flippers have plenty of kick to them so you can make all the shots. They've also put in new LED frosted lights so the game has a very nice look to it. Unlike the last few versions of Hercules I've played where the pops don't work, half the bulbs are out and you can't even make a few shots with the weak, sticky flippers.

The game is more of a novelty then a good playing pinball when you considered what was coming out at the time. It's an attraction piece that get's a lot of attention. Make sure you take the trek up to FunSpot to play it for yourself!

Gottlieb's Goin' Nuts

Here's the final video from 2014! When I was at the Pinball Hall of Fame this year they finally fixed the ball launcher on Goin' Nuts! Last year when I took the video the game didn't work correctly but I was able to get part of one game using my phone. So now here's a full fledged video using the HD Camera and the new tripod!

Goin' Nuts is a very rare game from 1983. Only ten where produced before they pulled the plug on the project. The game is even inside of an old Q-Bert's Quest cabinet and it never had it's own. The game is really unique in that it's a multi-ball only game. When you start the game it automatically launches three balls into the table. You have to try to keep all three in play to build up time and points. When you go down to one ball the single ball timer begins to countdown and you have to hit the top captive ball or the right lane in order to get back into multiball.

It's a shame that this one never made it into full production. For an early 1980's Gottlieb table, it's a lot of fun. Check it out over on The Pinball Arcade because that's the one of the only places you can play it!

Stern Pinball's The Walking Dead (V.1.19)

Here's an all new look at Stern's latest game, The Walking Dead. This one here at Modern Pinball NYC of course is the standard "Pro" edition. The day before I filmed this Stern made an announcement they where going to be running a premium edition model. It seems the 600 limited editions sold out and now their going to finally run a full featured one. I much prefer the LE's art package of looking like the hospital doors in the first episode ("DON'T OPEN DEAD INSIDE") to a color version of the actors on the sides.

Speaking of the actors none of the actors of the show have any dialog in the game. Not even clips from the show. It's all people doing southern accents which, for me takes a lot away from the game. Even if they only had one from the show it'd still be better then somebody doing a poor imitation of Darrel from the show.

Since the game was designed by John Borg a lot of people have been comparing this to his other games like X-Men and Metallica. The ramps feel like steeper versions of Metallica and the middle C-Block Prison is just like Sparky, complete with the magnet so it doesn't send the ball straight down the middle of the flippers. There's also a bash toy of the Well Walker from the second season of the show many fans have dubbed, "Wellverine" The two big problems with this toy are you need a really solid hit to rock it in order to register a shot and the right arm covers up the last few letters in PRISON which can be a pain if you don't know how far you are into spelling it to start up the multiball mode.

Right now the game feels kind of sparse to me. You can do different modes that correspond to the different shots like the right ramp being the Arena from season 3 and the left ramp is the CDC from the first season. You just combo the ramp over and over again to build up points and naturally you want to stack them with the Well Walker or Prison multiball. You also get some "Multi-Kill" modes that build up points faster but due to the sound being down I had no idea how I started them.

I'm still looking forward to see what the team will do with further software upgrades, so until then we'll keep you posted on how the game's shaping up. It's kind of bland now, but so where games like Star Trek and Spider-Man so lets see what will happen in the future.

Sega Pinball's Twister

FEEL THE POWER OF THE WIND!!! No..wait. That's another game! Well anyway from 1996 designed by John Borg based off the Bill Paxton classic here's a look at Sega's Twister! The game of course takes a lot of elements from the Williams' classic Whirlwind. It's got a fan on top of the backbox that will turn on whenever the spinning disk is active on the playfield. This is the first game that John Borg had this in. It's the exact same as a game he'd make a few years later, Lost in Space where the balls will stack on top of the magnet on the spinning disk and spin like crazy to start off the multiball. It was later brought back in the X-Men Limited Edition games.

It's been a VERY long time since I've played a good working Twister. The first time I found the game was in one of the arcades at Universal Orlando and even when the game was brand new the techs there didn't take good care of the games so it never played well, the same goes for the rest of their pinballs. Since Sega had in with Universal Studios you could play most of their games at Universal theme parks. Now they stopped offering pinball all together. (The two Shrek's might still be there, but after that pinball's dead at Universal..)

One of the things I hated about Lost in Space was how easy it is to get the multiball. You get one just for plunging the ball into the pop bumpers. In Twister the main multiball is easy to get. You can either hit the drop target that opens up the scoop shot or yes, even bouncing enough times in the pops will open the shot for you. The Chase Multiball and Cow MultiBull have to be earned by shooting enough times up the main ramp or through the orbits to build up speed.

Sadly the game suffers from what every Sega machine suffers from. They use too many of the same sound samples. So if you play this game get used to, "EVERYBODY UNDERGROUND NOW!!" "IT'S COMING!!" and "CHECK IT OUT!". It's annoying but not as bad as Independence Day which has Will Smith constantly shouting "WOO!! ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!!"

I'd put Twister up at the top for my favorite Sega games. I still like ID4 even though the lines repeat way too much and I love the third mini flipper on Starship Troopers. With Mary Shelly's Frankenstein I've never played a fully working unit so I can't really comment on it but according to IPDB it has the highest score of all of the Sega made games. But if you ever do see a good working Twister or if you head over to Wunderland make sure you give it a play!