Favorite SW tables so far?

[tenorhero]

Well now that all 10 SW tables have been released which is your favorite?

I'll list from top to Bottom.

1. Masters of the Force - I've been getting more consistent with that left orbit and even though this table is frustrating at times, it still holds the top spot for my favorite SW table. Just love the challenge.
2. Han Solo - Great modes so many different MBs even though some are short. I find this table challenging as to finish all the modes to get to General solo is a challenge in itself. Was surprised by this table.
3. Starfighter Assault - visually impressed with this table. Something about this table really grabbed me when it was released. I still play it. It's a fun table even though it's one of those marathon tables and easy to keep the ball in play.
4. New Hope - Despite the grinding of Yavin MB, if you disregard that the table is fun, and I think challenging to complete compared to EP 4/5
5. Empire Strikes back - First of the 3 tables released and still fun.
6. Return of the Jedi - fun plus the tweaks Deep did with the active slings makes you play the nudge game as the ball can easily end up in the out-lanes.
7. Boba Fett - Challenging. It would be at #4 if the others before it weren't fun.
8. Droids - The last several tables I consider ramp spam to much revolved around hurry-ups and ramp shots. Droids is the better of the 3 IMO. Missions are challenging enough. Nice flow but hampered by too many ramp shots.
9. Clone Wars - Tough choice between Droids and this. I just find that it can be fairly easy to grind the hurry-ups. Plus the mode where you shoot into the ship and hit the lanes takes too long to really score points. That mode was boring and every time I start it I just let the timer go down.
10. Darth Vader. I think the only alluring part to me are the missions and they are challenging. But it's so much easier to score points by the numerous Hurry-ups and the fact that you can stack these hurry-ups with the MB's takes away from the missions. The MBs are easy to start. Most disappointing table IMO.

[Ramikadyc]

1) Han Solo – This one quickly became my favorite. At first glance it seems accessible and, with its magna saves, forgiving. But you quickly discover that you can't make a dent in it unless you put in the requisite effort and execution to complete its modes. The smattering of features and mini-games makes the table very dynamic, and while like pretty much every other table it has a couple modes that are more profitable than others, most of the modes in general offer great ways to rack up the points—which is perfect, considering its Wizard Mode is based around your scores in every mode. You just gotta love multiball modes to love the table. I love multiball.

2) Starfighter Assault – I love how large this table is, how the table is presented, and how the features tie into each other. It's complex and has an RPG-like aspect embedded in its experience and commendation system. The multiple mini-games and alternate modes keep things fresh, and the near-constant activity of capital ships encroaching and retreating with X-Wings and TIE Fighters dogfighting above the playfield keeps the games exciting and (for a game of pinball) immersive.

3) Boba Fett – This table can be punishing, but the fast pace and hurried nature of the modes combined with its layout and demand for accuracy keeps things exciting, even when they become chaotic. It's a difficult table to become adept at, but it's Boba Fett, so its worth it.

4) Empire Strikes Back – The first table I played, it'll always have a special place on a list like this. Large playfield with mode availability and pacing toggled by the orbits, taking down an AT-AT, wielding a lightsaber... Great all-around table.

5) Return of the Jedi – Small playfield with its features packed tightly together and a ball that bounces around laughing at physics. Very exciting, if somewhat frustrating at times. Games are fast-paced, and the modes are great fun. And there's quite a few modes, so there's always something different to focus on.

6) Masters of the Force – I want to love this table more than this list would imply I currently do. It's such a difficult table, demanding precision shots at every point to even hope to earn a worthwhile score, the skillshot is literally the most specific skillshot I've ever seen on a Zen table, the LIGHT/DARK targets are just begging you to hit them without a care and drain your ball... I really don't dislike those things, as they speak to the difficulty of the table and the skill required to learn it, which makes for the best tables in my opinion. No, the reason I can't love this table like I want to is simply because of the left ramp. I hate it, I hate how touchy it is, I hate how it doesn't seem to matter how careful and specific I am when I fire at it. It's just not a fun shot to make, and when I hit the ramp I feel relieved more than I feel accomplished. I absolutely love and adore the main missions, but I've only seen half of them, because so many force you to hit that ramp before you can progress. And I hate that left ramp. But man, I really love the look of the table.

7) A New Hope – Another table that I really want to love, but have a difficult time doing so. Like Return of the Jedi, the ball doesn't give a damn about being predictable when it hits the top of an in- or out-lane or especially when it hits the slingshots. But unlike Return of the Jedi, both left and right drains are fair game, and the only way to stop it without a bang-back is to light the FORCE targets—aiming at which and hitting tend to send the ball in unpredictable paths, and many times down the out-lanes. Other than that aspect, I really do like the table. I love the pacing and the speed of the ball moving around the table, I love how complex the table itself is with regard to toggling the ramps on and off and rotating the center loop, and I enjoy the mini-games. But the ball is just too damn unpredictable when focusing solely on managing it for me to get into it. I recognize that I need more time with it, though, and so I haven't written it off.

8) The Clone Wars – I've played this table a lot, and I always do so as an afterthought, to change things up. And I always leave feeling underwhelmed. Things just don't feel right to me, like it lacks that bit of "pop" that makes hitting the ball and watching it run around feel satisfying. I'm not a huge fan of its presentation either, with the really bright lights of the designs in the middle of the playfield, as that often causes me to lose track of the ball itself, and can be downright blinding if my room isn't lit well. I don't hate this table at all, as it can be very fun at times, but I don't love its modes and features either like I do with the other tables previously listed.

9) Darth Vader – Really like the presentation, really hate how boring it feels. It gives off a very ponderous vibe to me, often moving at a turtle's pace, even during the modes and missions, and the shots often get pigeon-holed to that cross-habitrail (or whatever it's called). It's just not a very fun table to me.

10) Droids – I haven't spent enough time with this table to really know if I like or dislike it. I've played a few games and I left unsatisfied, but I also didn't play them with the intent to "get into" it. One thing I don't like that isn't going to change with time spent on it is the audio mix: some things are just too damn loud, while others too quiet. Otherwise, it seems interesting and I doubt I'll end up hating it, but I just haven't put in the time.

[OriginalEther]

Edit - played the new tables. See the post below for my views on them

1. Empire Strikes Back
2. Clone Wars
3. Masters of the Force
4. Boba Fett
5. Han Solo
6. A New Hope
7. Starfighter Assault
8. Droids
9. Return of the Jedi
10. Darth Vader

The rankings of tables 4-7 is near interchangable.

[Steve-O]

Against the group

LOL I have to say my fave is Darth Vader. Why? Because to me, it is the least confusing of them. Prolly because I am 50 years old.

[OriginalEther]

Ok, while I've played one table on the new pack far more than the others (Han Solo), I think I have a pretty good idea of how to view them

1. Masters of the Force
2. Han Solo
3. A New hope
4. Droids

Maybe I'll feel differently if I'm failing away at the last mission to get to the wizard mode, but I can't complain much about Masters of the Force. It's tough, but seems very fair. Biggest complaint is the holocron is too easy to start, and gets old real quick.

It was hard to choose between Han Solo and Episode IV, which is funny given how the tables are almost complete opposites. I was prepared to rank Episode IV slightly ahead of Solo, just because Episode IV has more replay value (spamming Yavin MB to get a quick high score); I'll probably never play Han Solo again, just because it takes forever to do everything. But Episode IV seems to be otherwise more about just trying to keep the ball in play instead of making shots, as the table seems to try to do everything it cause to drain your ball no matter what.

Driods...I just couldn't get into.

[mmmagnetic]

Masters of the Force has a brilliant playfield. It´s not the one I find the most fun, but it´s stunning how complex and intricate it is. Reminds me of Twilight Zone or Ripleys Believe It Or Not in a way - every inch of the table filled with ramps, shots, toys and mechanisms.

Little details like the flippers illuminated from the inserts below them or the mini-display make me wonder what a real life machine made by the Zen team with a limitless budget would look like. I love elements that are ridiculous like that and yet borderline realistic (like the holocron mini playfields).

A New Hope is probably the one I enjoy playing the most, I love the circular design a lot (reminds me of Fish Tales).

[Captain B. Zarre]

And yet no one has mentioned the left loop yet?

Anyway, from 1 to 10, here are my favorite Star Wars Pinball tables.

1. A New Hope - lots of replay value and many different video modes / minigames to activate. Great play field layout too, looks like a George Gomez design from afar
2. The Empire Strikes Back - This used to be my favorite table in the collection. Deep stack-based ruleset with many multiballs.
3. Masters of the Force - An all-time classic for me. Love the 3x Super Jackpots in multiball and the missions that remind me of Fear Itself
4. Darth Vader - I admittedly love this table. Very flow-oriented design with multiple stackable hurry-ups and multiballs. Dissapointed in how you can't stack hurry-ups with missions though
5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - there's that flow again! While there aren't as many modes as in say Darth Vader or New Hope the main missions fit perfectly with the lightsaber battles. Also a pretty high-scoring table
6. Boba Fett - I like this table for it's original idea but it just seems a bit rushed with unbalanced main mission Jackpots and very little multiball.
7. Star Wars: Starfighter Assault - Sorry but I just can't get into it. Too many shots to activate too little-scoring missions. I do love the Squad missions though, very cool idea that should be done for other tables.
8. Return of the Jedi - IMHO it feels like they forgot about the movie and just tried to design a boring table with little-to-no excitement outside of the Death Star and the Speeder Mode.
9. Star Wars: Droids - I do love the flow and combos on this table but advancing Droids to boost values in a mode you almost never reach seems pointless. Replace them with hurry-ups!
10. Han Solo - This is a prime example of how not to do a ruleset. I don't want to shoot a ramp 21 times to begin an extremely short multiball, I want them to come naturally!

[OriginalEther]

Amazingly, I don't find the left loop that tough to hit. Far tougher, IMO, to hit the left cross ramp or even the kickback targets.

"Masters of the Force has a brilliant playfield. It´s not the one I find the most fun, but it´s stunning how complex and intricate it is."

Yeah, after having now played it a while now, that statement's pretty accurate. Unfortunately, I've found that the Jedi multiballs are really the only things worth trying to do; I just don't find the others worth the hassle/difficulty. Wish the missions were a little easier to start; that center orbit not an easy shot either.

Had one of my worst rage moments on this table last night. Finally made it to the 3rd dark side mission. Experienced a new variant of bumper failure - never got more than 2 hits a shot - only then to have the telekinesis ball take a weird bounce and curve straight the middle. #^@$%#%#.... Andrew Simon Simpson entered his initials for the local highscore on that one.

[djb5f]

This is hard to list as I like pretty much all of them, so I will also put them in tiers:


1) Boba Fett - just awesome, great flow, great missions, awesome character
2) Empire Strikes Back
3) Starfighter Assault
4) A New Hope
5) Masters of the Force

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6) Droids - could be 1st tier if not for game-breaking bug on Mission 5
7) Han Solo
8) Return of the Jedi
9) Darth Vader


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10) Clone Wars - not original trilogy content
11) Rebels - same as above