SDTM Episode 43: Top 10 Pinball Upper Playfields

Greg and Zach list and discuss the best upper playfields in pinball.

[@ezraschott1876]

10. Game of Thrones 4:48 9. Popeye 6:40 8. Black Knight 2000 8:58 7: Bonzai Run 9:48 6: Indiana Jones 10:54 5. Family Guy/Shrek 13:03 4. Simpsons Pinball Party 18:36 3. Pirates of the Caribbean (Jersey Jack) 20:20 2. Wizard of Oz 22:55 1. The Shadow 24:40

[@mokthemagicman]

Shocked to not hear the ever popular upper playfield in "White Water". You have that fun Big Foot toy blocking your shot to his cave (unless you give him a hot foot). Also satisfying shots the the whirl pool (which has a mode for as well) and the awesome Insanity Falls shot where the ball hits the glass from that ramp. The upper playfield is all about starting modes too. Very cool stuff for an upper playfield I think. A mention would have been nice but oh well. Keep up the awesome shows and keep flippin'

[@SDTM]

mokthemagicman hmmm you actually make us feel bad about not discussing it. Great points you make

[@mokthemagicman]

No my mission but I understand that there are a ton of tables to cover and sometimes crud gets missed. Love the show. Peace.

[@SDTM]

mokthemagicman believe it or not it is some how very easy to miss a pin! Even with two people discussing and arguing lol. For what ever reason certain pins, even popular ones will just evade your thoughts!!!!! (Greg) but I agree should have been put in

[@catoblepag]

I agree. I don't want to beat a dead horse (sorry STDM guys, I know you kinda forgot to mention it ;) ), but White Water has the best upper playfield ever created, in my opinion. It's perfectly integrated in the gameplay. The best feature for me is having to hit consecutive Insanity Falls shots at the beginning of multiball for the 2X or 3X Jackpot multiplier: it can hugely improve the scoring for the rest of the multiball, so making those three quick shots is crucial. It's an adrenaline rush... and it's absolutely brutal: if you screw up with the first shot, chances are the ball will block the way so you won't make the other two.

[@finstersrc30]

Guys you left out White Water, not even an honorable mention? Oh and thanks for the shout out for my Banzai Run Video clip!

[@SDTM]

Eddie Cramer damn Eddie bringing the heat! I love it haha. Our full apologies for not tagging you for your video. It was overlooked by me (Zach) in the editing process. You deserve credit because that’s the only good banzai run video out there. For that thank you buddy. As well as your bad ass restorations hopefully I can afford some day. So to us, whitewater is an upper playfield and should have been a consideration but does also feel kind of like an extension of the ramp so it was tough for us.

[@trevorcmoore]

Love watching your backlog of videos. Lots of great content. When are you ranking the data East machines :p

[@AndyHugRetro]

Glad to see Twilight Zone get a mention. Maybe White Water should be in there too. All subjective of course. Cheers guys, great video as always. Noted down 'more'!

[@John-mf1sz]

I like the upper on the new(ish) Halloween table. It looked fun from the time I saw the concept and that became reality when I could actually play it for myself. Want one so damn bad.

[@jacoblykke5797]

Great top 10. I have to mention that I just bought The Shadow. I love the pin and I love the tension when on the upper Playfield. Very nice. You are so right about it being a physical / mechanical version of Break Out. Thanks for a great show! 👍🏼

[@SDTM]

Jacob Lykke thanks again Jacob! Let us know when you get to the Finale Battle and how you like it

[@jacoblykke5797]

I'm not the greatest player (yet...!!!???) so it seems to be all to distant prospects ;-) but I'll keep at it!

[@ealadubh4800]

Black Hole in an excellent lower playfield because of how it's tied into the game. You want to shoot for it, but at the same time it's a hard little beast, and you know quickly that if you don't master it well, that's your ball gone. It's the perfect mix of risk and reward.

[@SDTM]

Eala Dubh I do like the brutality of that lower playfield

[@joelreeves]

I'd have to put Whitewater in there as well. Maybe 3rd or 4th. Fun topic guys.

[@SDTM]

Joel Reeves thanks Joel! Yeah man people not liking the exclusion of Wh2O

[@navajasrs2402]

Banzai Run might be the game with biggest delta between wanting to own and wanting to play. It's one of my favorite games ever, and I'm not sure I'd even want it at home if you gave it to me.

[@Trevdawg48]

I am flabbergasted that Twilight Zone wasn't #1. I thought that was a given. The list was otherwise perfect. Admittedly, I've never played The Shadow.

[@Riz2336]

I remember twilight zone being really cool, I haven’t played that many games with an upper playfield. Man I ran into a simpsons pinball party and the thing was so beat up the flipper on the upper playfield didn’t even work so I didn’t get to experience that one lol

[@SDTM]

Riz2336 yeah simpsons is no fun without properly working upper playfield

[@kylewhite2985]

Great list guys! I would like to suggest a top 10 ... How do I put it, extravagant? Crammed with toys? Like the most elaborate pins visually with toys and sculptures. Idk if you did the best toys but that would be a good one and another would be the most complex and elaborated rules. These really trigger my curiosity. Anyway merry Christmas if you guy didn't post till there.

[@SDTM]

Kyle White awesome suggestions buddy thanks!!! Happy holidays to you as well our friend

[@kylewhite2985]

Nice! Oh, i just saw that Episode 2 is the Top 10 Toys (individual toys), will be watching that one for sure! So it just leaves the initial suggestion of "visual extravaganza" as a whole and the complex and/or elaborate rules. Best to you guys.

[@kirby695]

Great video guys!!!

[@HaikuAutomation]

Unique, rare, fun to play, and its all about upper playfields... No Pinball Circus? If you had to mention Bonzai Run, you MUST mention this game. #10 4:50 - Game of Thrones #9 6:45 - Popeye #8 8:30 - Black Knight (not), BK2K instead #7 10:00 - Bonzai Run #6 11:00 - Indiana Jones #5 12:50 - Family Guy - Shrek #4 18:30 - Simpsons Pinball Party #3 20:15 - Pirates of the Caribbean (Jersey Jack) #2 23:00 - Wizard of Oz #1 24:20 - Shadow

[@SDTM]

Haiku Automation how many were made? I’d love to film that thing!

[@Vriess123]

@@SDTM They only made 2 prototypes, I played one at the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, extremely fun

[@PinStadium_pinball_mods]

Just a reminder as it was not mentioned in this episode for the Happy Holiday Giveaway. Zach wanted me to post this up to let everyone know that in order to win you need to be sure to also register at the SDTM link on this page: pinstadium.com/sdtm/

[@eonbree8593]

this is probably gonna sound crazy, and most likely to be me being bias for this game but. i actually like the upper playfield in lord of the rings. there aint nearly anything too it i have to admit but still. it almost has the feel of it being a tribute to how how pinball started out as. its a pinball machine that, you know. actually has "pins" in it.

[@stevewright1539]

I would have had to throw TZ in as well.

[@antonvlasjuk3079]

What a great list!!

[@peterforget946]

Shadow#1 absolutely agree!

[@patriciovelizcontardo848]

Left guy dislike everything 🤦‍♂️

[@TFRpinball]

Glad Popeye made the list. One of the better upper playfields for sure!!! I would easily swap popey and IJ on this list.

[@skippychurch2965]

No Twilight Zone?

[@SDTM]

Skippy Church it almost made the list super close

[@pierrelaroche622]

I wouldn't consider "split" playfields like Black Knight having a true "upper" playfield, it's more of a raised playfield and incorporates regular gameplay not "special" gameplay...

[@Colin-bg5qr]

How about a top 10 "feel good" shots?

[@SDTM]

colin Urban I like that thanks!

[@Mugen_4_lifeKRXR]

Bonzi run is more of a back box toy no?

[@SDTM]

Jesse Godin good point but we felt like it is essentially a vertical playfield that is controllable rather than a simple toy like on Circus Voltaire or T3

[@derekflint7692]

The Shadow is so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheSilvernutz]

Let's see top 10 best/worst video modes

[@turbografx7]

"Jimmy" offends me!! As someone who owns LOTR, I completely agree, it's just plinko really.

[@SDTM]

turbografx7 whew at least it’s a friend that’s offended. We can handle the heat from friends haha

[@turbografx7]

Straight Down The Middle: a pinball show LOL! Keep up the great work guys! Joking aside, great topic for a video!

[@CoolRobbit]

How many chances do we have to fail the ridiculous wizard mode requirements while listening to an endless MIDI loop of the LotR theme? *ONE HUNDRED TWO HUNDRED FIFTY FIIIIVE ONE ONE HUNDRED MORE*

[@SDTM]

Blue King Bar (chuckle)

[@SDTM]

Blue King Bar ha ha I can agree (Greg)

[@alanbowman7783]

Indiana Jones over World Poker Tour? I love Indy, but better upper playfield? c'mon

[@SDTM]

Alan Bowman that’s a fair argument

[@pierrelaroche622]

TZ not top 2? Not even top 10???...... hmmm very questionable boys...

[@SDTM]

Pierre Laroche I hear ya it’s cool for sure

[@Trevdawg48]

Exactly.

[@mokthemagicman]

Love you guys but that green vest has got to GO!

[@SDTM]

mokthemagicman PREACH! (Zach)

[@adams2]

IJ is barely an upper playfield b/c it's a rectangle? Aren't all regular playfields a rectangle? lol.

[@SDTM]

Adam Streeter yeah Adam you are correct. But....well....Greg is special and it took a lot for him to identify that shape, so we at SDTM are pretty proud of him.

[@cyanidechrist]

No Swords of Fury.

[@ChezArcade]

What about Motordome? JK does that even count... hahaahahh

[@eliacaneppele]

LOTR is one of the best pinball machine. Dislike

[@SDTM]

Elia Caneppele it most certainly is one of the best......but the upper playfield not so much