The worst pinball machine ever made? | Thunderbirds by Homepin | Review, gameplay & tour

Gonzo takes a look at The Thunderbirds pinball machine which has been voted the worst machine ever made in the Pinside top 100
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[@bradwilliams1691]

The Thunderbirds pinball machine is a great looking machine. It's only problem is that it was completely lacking in challenges. It's clearly made for the "not so serious" pinball player or a fan of the Thunderbirds.

[@BallenvanStaal]

Great unbiased video, thanks! Really REALLY weird to hear the machine play the Creative Commons tune that I was using on the intro and outro of my early KZbin pinball videos. Sounds very off.

[@Mikere5]

Hi guys, Thanks for the positive and unbiased review. Many (most?) of the Pinside commenters have never even seen a TAG let alone played one - that site typically attracts the pitchfork brigade that love to pile on whenever they get a chance. Also, NOT being made in the USA makes it a target for ridicule by many in the USA hence the "worst pinball machine ever made" TAG (see what I did there LOL). There is a service bulletin on the Homepin website for the ball falling into the cabinet. It actually can fall off the subway ramp not the lift mechanism as you experienced. Sorry you didn't activate The Mole as that's my favorite toy! Also, the side cabinet armor is powder coated metal. The only plastic is the lockdown bar. That machine looks like the switches were installed the wrong way around in the factory, an assembly mistake by the looks of it? Flipper buttons are $2 each to replace so I really don't understand all the fuss around these - just replace them if they aren't to the customers taste. Some will be pleased that we now have a metal lock bar and new flipper buttons for TAP! This was our very first effort making a pinball machine - I think we did a reasonable job all things considered and, if you knew some of the back story, it's actually amazing this machine even got finished! Thanks again for your positive review.

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

No worries Mike. I always take things as I find them and certainly wouldn't be influenced by any outside noise. The game definitely had plenty going for it and I did like the ramps.

[@ArtVandelayOfficial]

​@@GonzosPinballFlipperama Mike is a con artist, many people were fleeced by him He's banned from multiple major pinball sites for good reason He's also a racist and anti LGBT with documented hate speech The game is junk and a laughing stock too

[@ArtVandelayOfficial]

Notice how he instantly attacks the forum,country and users and plays the victim We've all been through it with Mike ad nauseam

[@Mikere5]

@@ArtVandelayOfficial ...and with very good reason. That site is virtually unmoderated and it's a disgrace that people can say anything they want including slander and outright lies with zero moderation - disgraceful!

[@ArtVandelayOfficial]

@@Mikere5 If it wasn't moderated why are you banned for life All your hate speech was screenshotted and recorded, it's well known You even had anti American signage on your website,very nasty indeed

[@askburlefot2645]

Thunderbirds appears to be a fine game. I like it!

[@acidburn7683]

Flipper gap looks wide to me. I really enjoy your videos. I would like to see more close ups of mechs in action etc with you using your hands to activate switches with a ball to show off all of the features as I feel sometimes we don’t get to see everything.

[@Ukpinball1]

That's definitely made in China that is for sure

[@bradwilliams1691]

It was originally made in China but, then moved over to Taiwan.

[@LarryCook1960]

It was constructed in China, but designed by an Aussie with 3 decades of experience with pinballs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJ-zmXSkZ8SVoM0

[@ed150arcade2]

Pinside top 100 is very subjective. I have a Gottlieb Cue Ball Wizard in my collection and it's near the bottom like Thunderbirds. It's so not the worst game ever made. Everyone that comes over, plays it quite a bit. I bet if you can get somebody to do the necessary fixes in the game, color DMD it, and rehash the code, it would probably play really well. Cool video. Cheers 🍻

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

Thanks Ed, I do agree about the pinside top 100. I agree with much of it but some of my favourites are well down the rankings

[@ed150arcade2]

@@GonzosPinballFlipperama completely agree 💯

[@LaserSharkPhotoablations]

cue ball is a solid machine, for me its the best of the pool themes and out of my lineup is the one i describe as "pure pinball". not complicated but always challenging.. . little love for the mid 90s gotties. :(

[@GoodwinsPlace]

It looks like it has some issues but lots of good in there too. Imagine having that out on location and someone lost the ball in the pool the second you leave. 🙈 The middle ramps always feel a bit awkward and not natural to hit a clean run without it bouncing off the sides, and the return looked a bit tricky to get out of if it didn't go all the way. Music was strange, might be licensing but you'd want it to be almost annoying how the theme is repeated on loop rather than some random REM type. Great video as always. 👍

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

Thanks Craig, message me on the forum when you get the chance please mate

[@antray8481]

Don't know if it is the worst, but it doesn't look good. Ball barely seems to be able to make it up the ramps and feels very clunky with no flow. Also clearly has a bunch of qc issues.

[@SasmakToy]

Thunderbird 2 could have used some panel lines molded into it too. Those trees though! Haha looks like whatever they found bulk. Are the blue ramp rails plastic?

[@tracytron7162]

Man I wish I had the space for this thing and the money for one XD

[@justimagine2403]

FAIL.. any time you have to pull the glass... let alone the playfield to fetch a ball. Fail. Pass on this machine.

[@0utdoorscience]

I’ve actually rated 19 pinball machines worse than Tony’s Thunderbirds. It’s quite entertaining, really. The ball didn’t drop through the swimming pool on any of my games, but it did get caught repeatedly on the right-hand switch. I’m amazed you didn’t mention the flipper buttons though - they are a REALLY strange shape (kind of like you’re sticking your finger in a deep hole).

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

We did actually mate but that was in the section that got muted. You're absolutely right though.

[@bradwilliams1691]

The ball doesn't actually fall through the swimming pool - it comes up from under the swimming pool for a multiball.

[@jjj-ox3be]

Fun video

[@Pinballroomcville]

He could have lead with the missing ball info when the ball went missing!

[@garypauljohnson9884]

Absolutely smashed this first go at Electric Circus, Nuneaton. Following two visits I sucked liked a $10 Ho! Ho! Ho!. Merry Xmas all and keep pulling them Twangers into 2023 😎

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

Same to you too Gary, we'll definitely keep twanging

[@YouSeeSorrows]

The Pinside Top 100 is in Fahrenheit

[@junior_pinball]

Hercules being that low is insane. Its a cool game. Thats all said

[@everythingamazing2379]

top 300 something of about 5000? how is that the worst ever made?

[@ArtVandelayOfficial]

Part of that low rating is because of the creator He is very hated on that site and for good reason The game just happens to be terrible as well

[@michaelturner4457]

Playfield is too busy

[@yournamehere6002]

Yeah, but it looks really cool.

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

Absolutely

[@yournamehere6002]

@@GonzosPinballFlipperama Sometimes aesthetics trump functionality.

[@DaveTheTrain]

Even the flipper buttons are fking awful

[@TYNEPUNK]

i worked with homepin, but not on this one, talented bloke.

[@Videogamehistorian00]

I've played one, I think it's just boring. I really think it's worse that it was marketed towards pinball enthusiasts who typically like difficult games in a home environment, which Thunderbirds definitely is not.

[@Fenshiro]

From what I can tell, it has zero flow. What does this game sell for?

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

I'm not entirely sure but it's cheap

[@cyrusoverland8461]

My friend owns one and I have played it many times. If you have a lot of space in your Gameroom, then why not own one of the worst games ever made? A rules update might help but the layout of this game is horrible. What a waste of a good theme.

[@markpopplewell7667]

This machine is decent and i just can't understand the hate, theres not many around and i have played it. Most haven't. There are definitely worse.

[@nellysmoss76]

I’ve played it , I like it , the art is cool and it’s pinball, people want wayyyy to much. Mike did a good job.

[@iresean]

Its sad mike never finished this game and failed to deliver toppers. Avoid homepin and its products

[@Mikere5]

Every game paid for was delivered, yes, late but delivered. Toppers have been ready and available for more than a year now and many have them installed on their machines so that comment is incorrect.

[@larrysweeney12large]

I haven't played it, but it can't be worse than Hercules, can it?

[@NotYetiAlready]

I can’t even play an entire ball of Hercules. It’s SO boring.

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

I've never seen one but when I do I'll let you know

[@larrysweeney12large]

@@NotYetiAlready definitely

[@larrysweeney12large]

@@GonzosPinballFlipperama cool, I would love to see your reaction

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

Now you've got me curious

[@BlackwoodCompany]

The score display needs to be fixed.

[@moobutt]

The Chinese are allowed to finishes on the playfields that aren’t allowed in the states and europe.

[@Ukpinball1]

made in China