30 replies to this topic

[TheManFromPOST]

Golden Age Of Pinball

There have been many periods described as the ‘Golden Age Of Pinball’
Time where designers, artists, and programmers produced games that were popular with players

Which is your favorite era

[tiltjlp]

Golden Age Of Pinball

There have been many periods described as the ‘Golden Age Of Pinball’
Time where designers, artists, and programmers produced games that were popular with players

Which is your favorite era

Since you didn't include Purely Mechanical in your poll, I went with Woodrails, which I guess would cover the early commercial flipperless games, as well as the early EMs of the 50s and 60s.

[Rick2006]

I had to vote for "Other" Because my favorite game of all time is the
1960's Pin "Majorettes (Gottlieb 1964)"

My first pin that I played in the 1960's

[lupo51ca]

I had to go with Bally/Williams WPC (1991-95) There were so many new games being released and new things being done.

[ta2686]

I always thought that the best tables came from the second generation SS tables. Better themes, not a lot of clutter on the playfield, better flow to the games overall. Many tables from that era I would consider classics and I would prefer to play today over a lot of the more modern tables.

[Tomcat Leader]

I still like the sounds of a good 70's EM with the chimes and buzzers. I do like the newer tables with the sound effects and all, but hearing bells on a pin takes me back to being a kid again. I played tables like Wizard!, Fireball, Lawman and Orbit and graduated to Supersonic, Kiss, Flash and Xenon. (just to name a few.)

[Joe]

I had to go with Bally/Williams WPC (1991-95) There were so many new games being released and new things being done.

more like 91-99

[templarjh]

That is a tough one; I can name favorites from all those eras. Queen of Hearts, in particular, was years ahead of its time. The 60s and 70s are packed with great EMs. All my younger friends love the newer DMD games. This might be a question of what you grew up with, so it was 2nd gen. SS for me. Same addictive quality as the video games of the time.

[faralos]

I don't really have a specific era, I like certain flipperless ones I find in odd stores here in Pa. Also I like skeeball too just for the memories they bring back. But i guess having to choose it would be the mid 70's thru the late 80's. Data East and Gottleib were still in existence, but not really liking the quality of their pins, I stayed with Bally and Williams, loving each new pin that came out!

[ynneBBenny]

I think the era that is voted for depends on the age a person grew up and frequented the pinball parlours.
I grew upplaying Bally, six million dollar man, kiss, strikes and spares, playboy, etc.
What is the difference between first and second generation SS machines?

[TheManFromPOST]

I think the era that is voted for depends on the age a person grew up and frequented the pinball parlours.
I grew upplaying Bally, six million dollar man, kiss, strikes and spares, playboy, etc.
What is the difference between first and second generation SS machines?

programing improved, better sound effects
1st gen, 1976 - 1979
2nd gen 1980 - 1984 (?)

[ynneBBenny]

programing improved, better sound effects
1st gen, 1976 - 1979
2nd gen 1980 - 1984 (?)

Oh com'on the Playboy woof whistle is still cutting edge sound effects to this day surely!

Edited by WWW, 01 November 2010 - 09:14 AM.

[faralos]

yeah but the first gen Playboy Pins had scratchy sound and just bad quality all around! it played nice but the sound was not really the greatest! and maybe it's the design, but it always seemed a slow pin to me.

[Rockin and Rollin']

The period covering the 1960's -1970's. Strictly pre-electronic(digital) displays. So many great machines, and they were coming out one after the other. Don't get me wrong, I like the modern machines with all the bells and whistles, but give me a well drawn out table anyday that didn't rely on "effects".

[Sabbat]

i voted 2nd generation SS

[Greywolf]

1965-1977 EMs all the way, but I have a soft spot for the 1G-4G Solid states as well....

I didn't much care for the 1978+ that Gottlieb put out. They went with the cheap plastic spinner that didn't spin well, and you could tell how badly they wanted to STOP doing EMs.
I wish the EMs weren't so problematic for operators (hell, PINBALL was problematic; at least on an EM if something broke you could actually fix it and maybe even make it better).

But my rant on operators is for another post...

[oh, 1G-4G, and they don't necessarily match up with each other between manufacturers. My classifications only...]

1st gen solid state: Atari, Bally with Chimes, Gottlieb with chimes, Williams with Chimes
2nd gen solid state: Atari from Superman forward, Bally from Lost World thru Nitro Ground Shaker, Gottlieb from Genie thru Volcano, Williams from World Cup thru Phoenix
3rd gen solid state: Bally from Silverball Mania to Flash Gordon, Williams from Flash thru Alien Poker. Gottlieb from Devil's Dare thru Super Orbit
4th gen solid state: Bally from Eight Ball Deluxe thru Fireball Classic, Williams from Black Knight to Space Shuttle, Gottlieb from El Dorado: City of Gold thru about Tag Team Pinball

Edited by Greywolf, 01 November 2010 - 06:46 PM.

[ced]

I voted 91-95 , it's my generation...

+1 with WWW.

ced.

[druadic]

1900 - 1940. No higher for me.

[DedRok_V]

Had to go with 1st gen SS, seeing as it was a big change going from EM to SS.
What a time to be a kid. + thats also when the vids turned up on the scene.

[kristian]

Very tough... but I voted for 2nd gen SS... followed closely by 1991-1995 Bally/Williams era.... both these eras gave us the best machines ever.

Good poll (for a change).