Osaka Pachinko and some questions about what you like...

[daem0n]

Well, I finally got around to play some pachinko here in Japan. I played Jaws, Thunderbirds pachinko and one other new machine that's a SE (I think it's Final Fight or something?). I also played an old machine called Magical carpet in an arcade and won tons of bonus rounds which led to some prizes. Jaws and the others were in a pachinko parlour. I didn't win anything...I found them very tough. On the SE you could change the characters that you wanted the reels to represent so that was cool. Jaws was very boring hitting only a few spins of the reels. Thunderbirds was fun but the music drove me nuts after a couple minutes. I find the new pachinko machines require such little skill. It's almost impossible to just get the reels to spin. I have to say I enjoy the older machines a lot more. I played some pachislo in the arcade but my money just flew out of my pocket so that was out after a couple of machines. I don't have enough strategy for the pachislos so I don't play them much.

After all of this, I just wanted to know what YOU look for in a pachinko machine when you look to buy a new one for your collections. Or even pachislo, what gets you interested? I see different categories of machines, basic, premium, etc but honestly it doesn't describe the machines too well since some machines can have huge LCD screens and be very rare but absolutely no fun while others could be very basic and a lot of fun. What are some of your favourite machines? If you saw a new machine and you were thinking of playing it...what would draw you towards it?

-Joe

[slothappy144]

Any new machine would draw me twords it! Keeping me playing is another story.
I enjoy the simple lever vintage for a quite bit of fun.

[Lddrizzt]

Theme is the primary draw for me. Or it has to look really cool.
Reading reviews and looking at videos is a must before one buys a machine.

[Chris]

I would probably agree that theme is a big draw & then probably any reviews from fellow pachi people that either have it or played it.... Thanks for the mini review though.

[tornadoclaw]

Any machine that is recommended by some of the big time collectors on this site is one I would consider buying.

[hanabi]

Again, Theme first consideration,

Long term Playability - must keep me entertained for hours!
(like the Wookie!)

Also, like to see Reviews and Ratings from other Members of this site...

[MrGneiss]

Well theme can draw me in too, like Star Wars, Garfield, etc...But what gets me exited about a certain game is how its played...

I have 3 what I would call standard modern pachinkos, like Star Wars, Aqua Nine, etc...get balls in start, video reels spin/match, bonus door opens...

But all the rest of mine have different play.....like shoot just 16 balls at a time, chance and bonus doors, all sorts of pockets that you have to get in in a certain order, fun mechanical toys in the middle of wing type machins......all sorts of stuff.

But in the end, it just comes down to if it looks Rad and its a pachinko, I want it!!!

[Sid]

Theme, Theme, Theme!!

and of course it helps if it looks Cool....

[Tulsa]

Theme is the initial draw to any machine. I'm probably not going to be interested in a Barbie themed machine, where Star Wars and Top Gun are going to make my eyes light up like a kid in a candy store.

That being said, after the initial draw, there is the play. Interaction with the game is the biggest draw. The more than can have me as the player, doing during play, the more I'm going to like the game.

[slothappy144]

Available space is a fator on the 'cutoff' point less space = more gets cut. Keepers get premium floor space while others get off to the back or stored or even sold. So theme + gameplay +looks add up to a keeper. Dull boring ugly has to go.

[tornadoclaw]

When museums run out of space they rotate collections. It has the added benefit of keeping displays fresh. By the same token, if you run out of space in your gameroom rotate the medium tier machines and keep the top teir machines in your game room all the time.