I love EMs. You got some good drop target games. Now you need a killer spinner game (Williams has a few). The sound of the score reels and chime box trying to keep up with a ripped spinner is magical

Grand Prix, Hot Tip, and Aztec are also pretty sweet spinner games. Hokus Pokus has three spinners

Prospector has two spinners in the middle of the playfield that are really fun to rip to build up your bonuses.

EM'S FOREVER.........started playing pinball when there was only EM's in early 70's then @ 77-78 the "digital" scoring came out and no more chimes and bells and start-up sounds were gone, just boop and bop sounds, and made the machines sound flatt, although the scoring was right there ie if you knocked down 2 targets on one shot you got credit for both targets as well as the spinners, that didn't happen with the EM'S, but it felt like the fun wasn't there anymore,....see if you can score a Gottlieb's Big Shot great game and keep hitting them

I think when it comes to enjoyment factory it's hard to beat EM or early SS in terms of cost. While newer machines are filled with bells and whistles, at the end of the day most playfields are the same size (43 x 21) and in modern machines for the most part ramps and toys are just replacing other shots as opposed to being 'add ons' since space is set in stone. Paying 7-10k for a new machine when some of these EM's can be had for $500 if you don't mind fixing them and it's a no brainer

I've taken a similar path. Restoring EMs is really enjoyable for me. Short, hard to master games really work with my brain for whatever reason. 2" flippers forever!

Started out with 3 solid states over 20 years ago and then bought a couple of ems and enjoyed them but opened the hood and was overwhelmed by the hundreds of switches and miles of wire. But the more I worked on them. learned to read and understand schematics the more I loved them. Now I just collect and play ems and especially woodrails. I grew up with bells and chimes and remain addicted.

EMs are absolutely terrific, and your lineup is killer! It's going to be hard to compete with what you already have. There's something even more visceral about them.

Hell yes!

I restored a Bow and Arrow playfield for my buddy and its a blast, dual spinners directly into the pops!!! Get outta hereeeeeee!!!

DanMarino, it has been very cool watching your "sickness" grow over the last year or so. As you know I'm a Time Zone fan too! Wouldn't mind me a Fireball one day too! My first pin was a Sapce Time and the first time I lifted the playfield, it was a tad overwhelming but also utterly facinating. I love how they were designed with a 10 year lifetime in mind yet still run decades later!

When you see someone state "and I like working on them as puch as playing", they are totally hooked on EM's. Like many of us

What kills early SS games for me is the very early digital sounds. I prefer the chimes and bells as well.

The simplicity of the EM playfield coupled with the intended short ball times make them the ultimate challenge. The margin of error can be quite small depending on the table design. And there are times you almost instantly know you screwed up hitting the flipper button just a hair too early or a hair too late and will result in a drain.

And many are also very cool works of art in themselves.

The line up has changed a bit since this pic. Gold Strike was cool but not a keeper for me but a great table layout. And the Gridiron was replaced with a 4MBC.

I love EM's.
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Shhhh, EMs are supposed to be a secret. Please leave some wedgeheads for me

EMs are so appealing in so many ways. They’re fun to work on, to play, to restore, they’re more affordable, they don’t take huge lengths of time to play, they’re generally readily repairable once you understand them, and, contrary to what many may think, there’s a lot of diversity among them. Once you restore/fine-tune them the way you like, they can be fast and a blast.

I did start with EMs, but early on I once got a SS. Three things went wrong with it in the first couple weeks I had it (I found out later it had a bunch of hacks on it) and I couldn’t fix it, so I quickly sold it. I decided then and there that it was only EMs for me, and I’m glad I did!

I just bought my first EM yesterday.
It was called Nags. Wish me luck.

That’s a valuable pin! And a very cool one!

Sell the Fireball, get a Four Million BC would be my advice.

One of my all time faves. Well done.

You should attend Pintastic New England. There are several 100%-EM collectors who bring games to show off (and some to sell).
.................David Marston

The York Show (White Rose Game Room Show) is generally mostly EM. That’s why I make the trip from Michigan every year.

Probably my favorite EM. Wish mine was working.

Only reason I let mine go was because it went to a local friend who loves em’s, and I can still play it often. Building up both the silver and gold collections and then cashing in, is just a ton of fun.

No they aren't. I"m lost on them.

if you love EMs, Rob Berk has been bringing some beautiful examples to Expo the past few years (I think they are his). Not only are they beautiful, but they are wonderful players.

I do like the games that are quick and mean more than the more modern approach.

I have a Gottlieb 4 Square that is pure pinball fun.

I also like early solid state machines quite a bit.

I also have to get my "project machine" Gigi working. It has been sitting way too long. . .

Early SS? Joker Poker gets my vote.

Say what? Since when do any of the games he brings to a show even work correctly?

Good advice

Nice games!
You need a Williams Grand Prix for the spinners.

Selling yours?

Thank goodness. I'm still enjoying the Night Rider. It's got the perfect balance of drops and spinners for me. So many games are heavily focused on one or the other. You need to shoot both to do well and I like the variation.

I've had my eye out for one for that same reason.

Kinda been a struggle for me to figure out which to chose escpecially when you have limited space.

And through the years it's funny how your prefernces may change, mine have. Had no idea I was a Bally fan at heart until the last year or so.

Thinking about letting the Aztec go but torn about what EM to replace it with.

As an art package the Old Chicago just does it for me. Like Wizard, just top notch work of the era from Mad Dog. But I've never palyed one.

Grand Prix has my interest as well. I do love the spinner on the Aztec but the table design makes it a very tough game with some very short ball times. Never played a GP.

Night Rider has the drops and spinners and the over the top buzzer?!! Seems like a good layout. The artwork is ok and fits the era. Haven't played one.

We shall see what the "for sale" ad gods in my area bless me with, hopefully soon

What is some of your guys favorite "single player" Gottlieb's & Williams pins with spinners?

IMO the biggest mistake people make in this hobby is to focus on
and collect only one type of pin. Based on the chatter here, often NIB
Sterns. There were decades of really good and very unique pins made
and exploring them is a big part of the fun.

Congrats on discovering the joys of EM's. LOTS to choose from!
My personal faves here are ' Aztec, Fireball, Capt Fantastic and
just about any Gottleib made in the 1950's and '60's.

Fun Land, and the rarer add a ball version Fun Park are pretty good spinner wedge heads.

I have a Buccaneer and it is good, but I think the add a ball version Ship Ahoy is the one to get.

I used to stay away from em's because of the stigma - slow playing, not exciting....then we did pinball league at a guy's house who had nothing but em's and within a month I had 2.

Sold Aztec (shouldn't have, fun game), still have Grand Prix, Old Chicago and Alladin's Castle, as well as the ss version of Night Rider.

You misspelled Liberty Bell.

You could have a nice Aztec back if you'd consider letting one of those EM's go

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Uh oh!

And you are dangerously close to me! I could be there in 45 minutes!

I'm not joking around, PM if you are even remotely tempted.

Find a Golden Arrow if you can.

i might be remotely tempted in BUYING it, but i hate letting games go.....

We all do, that's why we're here.

To each his own. For me, it’s very gratifying to take a hopelessly sluggish/stuck stepper, take it apart, clean, lubricate, reassemble the components, adjust the switches, and watch it work like new.

I love seeing an EM topic with the little flame next to it