Must buy Williams and Bally tables

[tajishima]

Since Farsight Studios lost the rights to release any more Williams and Bally tables, in your opinion, what are some of the best tables from Bally and Williams to purchase right now if you don't have them in your collection?

[tajishima]

BTW, I hope TPA releases a collection of Williams and Bally tables at a discounted price before the end of the month. Just an idea...

[Skunk]

Originally posted by tajishima:

BTW, I hope TPA releases a collection of Williams and Bally tables at a discounted price before the end of the month. Just an idea...

They won't. They are bound by contract not to.

[BigSilverHotdog]

Originally posted by tajishima:

BTW, I hope TPA releases a collection of Williams and Bally tables at a discounted price before the end of the month. Just an idea...

They announced in the pinned FAQ on this issue that they are not legally allowed to offer them at a discount.

[Skunk]

Originally posted by tajishima:

Since Farsight Studios lost the rights to release any more Williams and Bally tables, in your opinion, what are some of the best tables from Bally and Williams to purchase right now if you don't have them in your collection?

You can't go wrong with Medieval Madness, or season one in general. I'm really fond of Eight Ball Deluxe, Sorcerer, and Paragon, but I wouldn't recommend them if you're not a fan of older tables. I think Doctor Who (the original, not Master of Time) is a must-have. Addams Family as well. Banzai Run is really great, and I'm very fond of Dracula. Safe Cracker is more than a little unconventional, definitely a love it or hate it sort of table. Maybe not a must-have, but it's one of my favorites.

It's not the best table ever made, but Pin-Bot is something I consider a personal must-have, as I played a lot of the NES version when I was younger, and it also comes with the stylish Centaur. If you can't get season one in its entirety, I at least think, in addition to Medieval Madness, to consider Gorgar/Monster Bash, as well as Taxi and Attack from Mars/Genie. Then there's also Twilight Zone or even Star Trek, and at that point, you might as well just get the whole season. Like I said, it's a solid pick.

But yeah, Medieval Madness, Addams Family, and Doctor Who are good considerations at the very least.

[DemoDemo]

Here are my top 15 must have Williams/Bally tables

1. World Champion Soccer
2. Gorgar
3. Paragon
4. Banzai Run
5. Monster Bash
6. Centaur
7. Swords of Fury
8. The Addams Family
9. Scared Stiff
10. Terminator 2
11. Jack Bot
12. Medieval Madness
13. Star Trek TNG
14. Attack from Mars
15. Sorcerer

[Monochromatic]

I won’t recommend a specific table... but I’ll say this: you can’t go wrong by buying Season 1.

Season 1 contains the 5 top tables from http://www.ipdb.org/lists.cgi?anonymously=true&list=top300

Twilight Zone (1)
Theatre of Magic (2)
Star Trek TNG (3)
Scared Stiff (4)
Medieval Madness (5)
Monster Bash (9)
Tales of the Arabian Nights (10) Free
Creature from the Black Lagoon (11)
Attack from Mars (12)
Funhouse (16)
Cirqus Voltaire (18)
No Good Gofers (24)
The Machine: Bride of Pin*Bot (25)
Elvira and the Party Monsters (43)
Taxi (46)
Black Knight (56)

A total of 13 of the top 25 electronic tables. Total of 15 from top 50 electronic tables. Total of 16 from the top 100.

1 from top 200 mechanical tables.

I’ve only included the Williams/Bally tables in this list

Everyone should get Season 1. A total of 17* excellent WMS tables and 5 non-WMS tables. Best bang for buck.

*I’ve included the free Tales of the Arabian Night in this list.

[The Space Ferret]

My faves include, and in no particular order:

Medieval Madness
Scared Stiff
No Good Gofers
Monster Bash
World Champion Soccer
Fish Tales
Black Rose
The Getaway: High Speed II
Indianapolis 500

Other good ones:

Star Trek
Whirlwind
Space Shuttle
Big Shot
Dracula
T2

random others

[SteveHNo96]

Get Season 1 for sure, and also get:

Black Knight 2000
The Addams Family
Indianapolis 500
The Getaway: High Speed II
and possibly Banzai Run

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

Originally posted by Skunk:

Originally posted by tajishima:

BTW, I hope TPA releases a collection of Williams and Bally tables at a discounted price before the end of the month. Just an idea...

They won't. They are bound by contract not to.

It is probably for the best that pba is going away. Seriously, signing a licensing agreement that locks your ability to sell YOUR own product at a price you think will guarantee a sale is the epitome of stupidity. Smart people don't do that.

[Zinboy]

If you like older tables, other than the essential Season 1

Season 2:
Centaur
Central Park
Firepower
Space Shuttle
Pin-Bot

Season 3:
High Speed

Season 4:
Xenon

Season 5:
Fireball

Season 6:
Eight Ball Deluxe (perhaps my favorite table in TPA)

Season 7:
Fathom
Firepower II
Paragon
Sorcerer
Spanish Eyes
Wild Card

[tajishima]

Originally posted by Super Nintendo Chalmers:

Originally posted by Skunk:

They won't. They are bound by contract not to.

It is probably for the best that pba is going away. Seriously, signing a licensing agreement that locks your ability to sell YOUR own product at a price you think will guarantee a sale is the epitome of stupidity. Smart people don't do that.

Actually, PBA is not going away. It was mentioned somewhere (I think the last newsletter), that TPA is going to have another season. Since there won't any more Bally/Williams tables anymore, I hope to see more tables from Capcom, Data East, Stern, Jersey Jack and Gottlieb.

[Monochromatic]

Originally posted by tajishima:

Originally posted by Super Nintendo Chalmers:

It is probably for the best that pba is going away. Seriously, signing a licensing agreement that locks your ability to sell YOUR own product at a price you think will guarantee a sale is the epitome of stupidity. Smart people don't do that.

Actually, PBA is not going away. It was mentioned somewhere (I think the last newsletter), that TPA is going to have another season. Since there won't any more Bally/Williams tables anymore, I hope to see more tables from Capcom, Data East, Stern, Jersey Jack and Gottlieb.

I think he meant the whole TPA going away thing as a bitter quip. As in “without WMS tables, this game is nothing”.

[Matt Beeching]

I'd love to buy the entire collection but I simply cannot afford them in the remaining time. Season 1 is obligatory but these are the other tables I've shortlisted for purchase, though it's personal choice at the end of the day:


S2 Terminator 2
S2 Cactus Canyon
S2 White Water

S3 Fish Tales
S3 Black Rose
S3 Who Dunnit
S3 Bram Stoker's Dracula

S4 Addams Family
S4 Red & Ted's Roadshow

S5 The Getaway: High Speed 2
S5 Judge Dredd

S6 Indianapolis 500


Season 3 is proving a bit of a dilemma, arguably I should spend a bit more and purchase the complete set but it's already adding up fast. (I've also picked up hard copies of season 1 & 2 on PS4). Maybe I need to take a closer look at Sorceror, seems popular!

[ErickaUnlimited]

Originally posted by DemoDemo:

Here are my top 15 must have Williams/Bally tables

1. World Champion Soccer

Totally agree with this.

[baddog993]

My top ten list. I selected these tables as they are all easy to play and are fun tables.


Medieval Madness. Easy to play hard to master.

No good Gofers. A fun and easy table to play.

Monster Bash. Again a very easy table to play.

The Getaway: High Speed 2. A table that is a joy to play.

Indianapolis 500. Easy to play. I love how this tables looks.

World Champion Soccer. Great sounds. Great table.

Attack from Mars. A fun and not that easy to finish game of pinball. I have never made it to the end.

Twilight Zone. Lots of stuff to do in this table.

Cactus Canyon. I love the polka music that this table plays.

White Water. Great sounds and a lot to like.

My other personal favs.

Fish tales
Adams Family
Red and Teds road show
Judge Dredd
Who Dunnit.

I didnt mention the other tables because they are either older or more niche. I own all of the seasons. I love pinball.