Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)
Before I begin my review, let me give you a brief overview of my
playing credentials.
My collection consists of: Twilight Zone (TZ), Revenge From Mars (RFM),
Striker Xtreme (SX), No Fear (NF), Theatre of Magic (TOM), Party Zone
(PZ) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (Freddy).
New Additions: NASCAR (NIB) and Creature From the Black Lagoon (In
transit).
All of my games are set to 5 ball. All of my games have the ball save
option set to "on". All of my games are set to the recommended 6.5
degree angle. All of my game award "Extra Balls" instead of credits as
rewards.
Basically, my games are set to offer the most amount of fun for the
pinball apprentices that play my games on a regular basis, mainly my
three roommates, my neighbor and me. All of my games are clean and
maintained weekly. They are not all "collector's" condition, but they
are in good playing condition. My pins have character!
I can reach LITZ at least once per game. I can hit 25+ jumps
consistently on NF and reach "Meet Your Maker" every now and then. I
can finish the Final Nightmare on Freddy almost every time I play. I
can complete the illusions on TOM at least once a night.
Basically, I am by no means a pinball wizard, but I can have some very
fun games more often than not. I also play my pins at least one hour a
night. My neighbor comes over 1-2 nights a week and my roommates play
about 3-4 hours worth of pinball a week.
So...now that you have a general idea of our skill level, I can provide
you a review of the new Stern pinball machine, NASCAR.
Theme, Appearance and Sound: 7 out of 10
I am a fan of "flowing" pinball games. I am a fan of racing games.
Although I am not a big fan of NASCAR as a sport, I do love the driving
simulators and the XBox games that are NASCAR based. Stern did a good
job of incorporating the NASCAR theme into the game. The "raceway" is
awesome, and I love the test car. The music fits the game, and
although the display seems a little weak to me, I would give this pin a
7 out of 10. I love the color, and the playfield has a very nice
appearance. The cabinet is nice. Super nice cabinets are not
important to me. I don't play the cabinet. Everyone of us agrees that
NASCAR is a great looking machine. We had two people (myself and
roommate #1) give this a 6 out of 10. The two other people (my
neighbor and roommate #2) gave it an 8 out of 10. Hence the rating of
7 out of 10.
Toys (Racetrack): 10 out of 10
Where to begin? First off, we all gave the "raceway" a 10 out of 10 on
the Toy Scale. We all LOVE this feature. During multiball, one ball
will race around as you slap around the other balls. While the "Shoot
again" light is lit, a drained ball causes the racing ball to enter the
playfield and a new ball will be autolaunched onto the race track. We
all agree that this is by far the coolest "TOY" of all of my pins. I am
a bit concerned about the t-nuts being exposed on the track, but that
concern is immediately overwhelmed by the sheer fun factor of the
racetrack. I will investigate putting some mylar on the track to cover
the exposed t-nuts.
Toys (Test Car): 7.75 out of 10
The Test Car is a very fun toy. It reminds me of the Trunk in TOM.
You just bash it over and over throughout the game. It covers the
"Garage Shot", and after you have hit it a few times, it will raise off
the playfield to reveal the "Garage Shot". The Test Car is position in
the center of the playfield, and it an easy shot to make when the ball
is moving at a slower pace. However if you start slinging the ball all
over the place, the shot becomes a bit more difficult. One of my
favorite modes is the smash the test car as often as you can before the
timer reaches zero. I LOVE that mode! Fortunately, We did not had any
Straight Down the Middle Drains when targeting the test car. Not
everyone is a fan of the test car. My neighbor gave the test car a 6
out of 10. Roommate #1 gave it a 9 out of 10. I gave it a 9 out of
10. Roommate #2 gave it a 7 out of 10.
Toys (Pit Stop): 5 out of 10
During play, you can somehow get the pitstop activated. Basically, you
can hold the left flipper, and a diverter will move a ball racing
around the track into the pit stop area (playfield). We only were able
to get this to work once. Hence the lower rating. The idea is cool,
and it kind of reminds me of Freddy's Diverter Claw. But we are not
quite sure how to activate it on purpose. We all gave it a 5 out of
10.
Toys (Drop Targets): 6.75 out of 10
We have some drop targets on NASCAR that are very important to gettin
an extra ball. There are some other jackpots you can win, and you need
to hit the drop targets to spell "R-A-C-E". The targets are NOT easy
to hit consistently. We liked the idea of making drop targets so
important in a game, but some of us (roommate #1 & #2) didn't like the
position on the playfield. It is easy to get 2 out of the 3, but that
third one is a bitch for us apprentices! I personally love drop
targets, so I gave them an 8 out of 10. My neighbor is a fan as well,
and he gave them a 7 out of 10. My roommates were a little bitter
about not getting extra balls when they had the chance, and both gave
the targets a 6 out of 10.
Toys (Ball Lock): 6.75 out of 10.
After playing about 2-3 games, we figured out the ball lock.
Basically, you spell R-A-C-E by knocking down the drop targets or by
hitting the right ramp. After accomplishing this, you can shoot the
left ramp and hit the opening at the top. To lock a ball on later
shots, you hope to hit one of the rotating cars at the top of the ramp.
The cars are on a fan blade that rotates across the opening. You lock
the ball twice, and on the third successful ramp shot, you get
multiball. The fan blade thing is cool, but overall, the ball lock
didn't have the pizazz of the TZ or TOM ball lock. It's perfectly
fine, but we had some rather interesting "shoulda" for the lock. One
exceptionally good idea came from my neighbor. It was taking the
Gumball machine idea from TZ and the tiger saw from TOM and
incorporating it into the NASCAR. Basically, you have a toy car (hot
wheel) that is on the playfield ala the Tiger Saw ball in TOM. The
player would then put the ball into locked "position" ala TZ lock. And
then to "lock" the ball, you strike a target which will "kick" the hot
wheel into another target which would knock the ball from the pit stop
into a gumball like container, ready for some multiball action.
Well... it sounded cool to us anyway.... This added to the first day
fun, since we spent quite a bit of time "fixing" the ball lock. LOL.
Rooommate #2 gave it a 6 out of 10. The rest of us gave it a 7 out of
10.
Toys (Scanner Antenna) 6 out of 10
This is basically the talking fish shot from Soprano's. You can
activate the TOM Basement like menu on the display, and it randomly
awards a prize. We haven't played enough to describe all the prizes.
It's not a hard shot. But we all felt "blah" about. Sixes across the
board.
Game Play (overall) 8 out of 10
This is a very fun game to play. The toys are great, and the shots
range from super easy (Test Car Shot), to moderate (Right Ramp and Left
Ramp and Pop Bumpers) to difficult (Drop targets). The racetrack makes
this game. Our biggest complaint was airballs. A few times these
airballs would hop over the flipper for a drain or down the outlane for
a drain. When they would hit the track, they would simply be whipped
back onto the playfield. The scores are lower than my other machines.
We were averaging about 15-25 million per game. I did eventually crack
45 mil to put my name on the machine, but that was the exception and
not the rule. None of the reviewers were huge NASCAR fans, but we all
love the game. I am very happy with my purchase, and the NIB box
experience is all everyone has claimed and more. I have already wiped
down the game today, and I probably will wipe it down daily for a
while. I gave the overall game play an 8 out of 10. Roommate #1 gave
it a 7 out of 10. Neighbor gave it a 9 out of 10. Roommate #2 gave it
an 8 out of 10.
We don't care who makes the pins. We love the Gottliebs and Williams
and Bally machines. We love this Stern. We just like to play pinball,
and we highly recommend NASCAR. In my opinion, It's not AFM but it's
not too far off.
This NIB cost me $4500+tax from a local game store. I could have saved
some money using Ebay or a distributor in another area, but I believe
in supporting my local shops. I just wish I could get out of paying
that damned Sales Tax!
Hope you found this review helpful.
Xerico
Before I begin my review, let me give you a brief overview of my
playing credentials.
My collection consists of: Twilight Zone (TZ), Revenge From Mars (RFM),
Striker Xtreme (SX), No Fear (NF), Theatre of Magic (TOM), Party Zone
(PZ) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (Freddy).
New Additions: NASCAR (NIB) and Creature From the Black Lagoon (In
transit).
All of my games are set to 5 ball. All of my games have the ball save
option set to "on". All of my games are set to the recommended 6.5
degree angle. All of my game award "Extra Balls" instead of credits as
rewards.
Basically, my games are set to offer the most amount of fun for the
pinball apprentices that play my games on a regular basis, mainly my
three roommates, my neighbor and me. All of my games are clean and
maintained weekly. They are not all "collector's" condition, but they
are in good playing condition. My pins have character!
I can reach LITZ at least once per game. I can hit 25+ jumps
consistently on NF and reach "Meet Your Maker" every now and then. I
can finish the Final Nightmare on Freddy almost every time I play. I
can complete the illusions on TOM at least once a night.
Basically, I am by no means a pinball wizard, but I can have some very
fun games more often than not. I also play my pins at least one hour a
night. My neighbor comes over 1-2 nights a week and my roommates play
about 3-4 hours worth of pinball a week.
So...now that you have a general idea of our skill level, I can provide
you a review of the new Stern pinball machine, NASCAR.
Theme, Appearance and Sound: 7 out of 10
I am a fan of "flowing" pinball games. I am a fan of racing games.
Although I am not a big fan of NASCAR as a sport, I do love the driving
simulators and the XBox games that are NASCAR based. Stern did a good
job of incorporating the NASCAR theme into the game. The "raceway" is
awesome, and I love the test car. The music fits the game, and
although the display seems a little weak to me, I would give this pin a
7 out of 10. I love the color, and the playfield has a very nice
appearance. The cabinet is nice. Super nice cabinets are not
important to me. I don't play the cabinet. Everyone of us agrees that
NASCAR is a great looking machine. We had two people (myself and
roommate #1) give this a 6 out of 10. The two other people (my
neighbor and roommate #2) gave it an 8 out of 10. Hence the rating of
7 out of 10.
Toys (Racetrack): 10 out of 10
Where to begin? First off, we all gave the "raceway" a 10 out of 10 on
the Toy Scale. We all LOVE this feature. During multiball, one ball
will race around as you slap around the other balls. While the "Shoot
again" light is lit, a drained ball causes the racing ball to enter the
playfield and a new ball will be autolaunched onto the race track. We
all agree that this is by far the coolest "TOY" of all of my pins. I am
a bit concerned about the t-nuts being exposed on the track, but that
concern is immediately overwhelmed by the sheer fun factor of the
racetrack. I will investigate putting some mylar on the track to cover
the exposed t-nuts.
Toys (Test Car): 7.75 out of 10
The Test Car is a very fun toy. It reminds me of the Trunk in TOM.
You just bash it over and over throughout the game. It covers the
"Garage Shot", and after you have hit it a few times, it will raise off
the playfield to reveal the "Garage Shot". The Test Car is position in
the center of the playfield, and it an easy shot to make when the ball
is moving at a slower pace. However if you start slinging the ball all
over the place, the shot becomes a bit more difficult. One of my
favorite modes is the smash the test car as often as you can before the
timer reaches zero. I LOVE that mode! Fortunately, We did not had any
Straight Down the Middle Drains when targeting the test car. Not
everyone is a fan of the test car. My neighbor gave the test car a 6
out of 10. Roommate #1 gave it a 9 out of 10. I gave it a 9 out of
10. Roommate #2 gave it a 7 out of 10.
Toys (Pit Stop): 5 out of 10
During play, you can somehow get the pitstop activated. Basically, you
can hold the left flipper, and a diverter will move a ball racing
around the track into the pit stop area (playfield). We only were able
to get this to work once. Hence the lower rating. The idea is cool,
and it kind of reminds me of Freddy's Diverter Claw. But we are not
quite sure how to activate it on purpose. We all gave it a 5 out of
10.
Toys (Drop Targets): 6.75 out of 10
We have some drop targets on NASCAR that are very important to gettin
an extra ball. There are some other jackpots you can win, and you need
to hit the drop targets to spell "R-A-C-E". The targets are NOT easy
to hit consistently. We liked the idea of making drop targets so
important in a game, but some of us (roommate #1 & #2) didn't like the
position on the playfield. It is easy to get 2 out of the 3, but that
third one is a bitch for us apprentices! I personally love drop
targets, so I gave them an 8 out of 10. My neighbor is a fan as well,
and he gave them a 7 out of 10. My roommates were a little bitter
about not getting extra balls when they had the chance, and both gave
the targets a 6 out of 10.
Toys (Ball Lock): 6.75 out of 10.
After playing about 2-3 games, we figured out the ball lock.
Basically, you spell R-A-C-E by knocking down the drop targets or by
hitting the right ramp. After accomplishing this, you can shoot the
left ramp and hit the opening at the top. To lock a ball on later
shots, you hope to hit one of the rotating cars at the top of the ramp.
The cars are on a fan blade that rotates across the opening. You lock
the ball twice, and on the third successful ramp shot, you get
multiball. The fan blade thing is cool, but overall, the ball lock
didn't have the pizazz of the TZ or TOM ball lock. It's perfectly
fine, but we had some rather interesting "shoulda" for the lock. One
exceptionally good idea came from my neighbor. It was taking the
Gumball machine idea from TZ and the tiger saw from TOM and
incorporating it into the NASCAR. Basically, you have a toy car (hot
wheel) that is on the playfield ala the Tiger Saw ball in TOM. The
player would then put the ball into locked "position" ala TZ lock. And
then to "lock" the ball, you strike a target which will "kick" the hot
wheel into another target which would knock the ball from the pit stop
into a gumball like container, ready for some multiball action.
Well... it sounded cool to us anyway.... This added to the first day
fun, since we spent quite a bit of time "fixing" the ball lock. LOL.
Rooommate #2 gave it a 6 out of 10. The rest of us gave it a 7 out of
10.
Toys (Scanner Antenna) 6 out of 10
This is basically the talking fish shot from Soprano's. You can
activate the TOM Basement like menu on the display, and it randomly
awards a prize. We haven't played enough to describe all the prizes.
It's not a hard shot. But we all felt "blah" about. Sixes across the
board.
Game Play (overall) 8 out of 10
This is a very fun game to play. The toys are great, and the shots
range from super easy (Test Car Shot), to moderate (Right Ramp and Left
Ramp and Pop Bumpers) to difficult (Drop targets). The racetrack makes
this game. Our biggest complaint was airballs. A few times these
airballs would hop over the flipper for a drain or down the outlane for
a drain. When they would hit the track, they would simply be whipped
back onto the playfield. The scores are lower than my other machines.
We were averaging about 15-25 million per game. I did eventually crack
45 mil to put my name on the machine, but that was the exception and
not the rule. None of the reviewers were huge NASCAR fans, but we all
love the game. I am very happy with my purchase, and the NIB box
experience is all everyone has claimed and more. I have already wiped
down the game today, and I probably will wipe it down daily for a
while. I gave the overall game play an 8 out of 10. Roommate #1 gave
it a 7 out of 10. Neighbor gave it a 9 out of 10. Roommate #2 gave it
an 8 out of 10.
We don't care who makes the pins. We love the Gottliebs and Williams
and Bally machines. We love this Stern. We just like to play pinball,
and we highly recommend NASCAR. In my opinion, It's not AFM but it's
not too far off.
This NIB cost me $4500+tax from a local game store. I could have saved
some money using Ebay or a distributor in another area, but I believe
in supporting my local shops. I just wish I could get out of paying
that damned Sales Tax!
Hope you found this review helpful.
Xerico
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