This review is mostly going to contrast The Addams Family and Twilight Zone, as the *common* debate seems to be which is the number #1.  Well, in my humble opinion, it is easily TAF, and I’ll explain in a long winded way why, which I’m sure no one will care about enough to read anyway.  I am not here to bash TZ.  It is a great game, but it is NO TAF, and is clearly built off TAF in every way.

I'm not looking to p**S anyone off, as I know there are a lot of people who place this game as the best ever.  I'm just amazed at some of the below.  As some of you might know, I recently received one of these.  I have had a TAF for about 4-5 months now, and played both "back in the day", but played TAF much more even then.  

People complain Lawlor games are all the same.  They are not, but there are similarities, drop holes part way up the PF to one side, and a few other things.  However, as with these two games, TZ might as well been called TAF II, and a weaker version at that.  If this wasn’t made by the same guy, TZ would have broke very copyright law imaginable for a pinball machine.  I understand TZ was a celebration of past success to some point, and as such, there are audio from all games, but the gameplay is exactly like TAF.  Slot machine / electric chair, cellar / piano, mansion / door, end with question mark, independent three ball mulitball of the main goals, high/low regular/short upper flippers, two ramps, common loop etc.  Of course, many games have similar features, however the fact that so many are the EXACT same is why I’m pointing this out.

So the windows operate the same, you have two places, as noted, to hit to light a window, only difference being on TZ one is random, one lights the flashing window (as with both in TAF).  You re-light these via ramps – same more or less.  The games themselves in TZ are weaker all in all then TAF, and this is of course subjective opinion.  There are two separate modes to hit the clock, same shot, shoot it multiple times....  there isn’t enough stuff to make another mode???  Here we go:
Slot machine / tunnel hunt:  shoot slot machine over and over verses try to hit all three drop holes on TAF, TAF better.

Seance / Spiral: I like the magnet holding the ball in spiral, but Seance is more fun, and you get the magnets going in the PF.  Seance wins.

Thing Multiball / Fast lane:  One shot, time counts down, getting it gives countdown reward, and initiates a two different sequences.  TAF shot is easier to hit once in control of the ball, however the time countdown is faster.  TAF wins this again purely on the music and increasing volume of hitting in my book... “and that’s not all!”

Cousin It / Clock Chaos / Clock Millions:  Although there are two clock modes/windows, I like trying to shoot them, and I like the speeding up of the music in Chaos.  However, I like the challenge of banking shots off the bookcase in TAF to hit cousin it.  I think I would give this one to TAF for originality of the shot, but they are both close in my book.

Town Madness / Mamushka: everything you hit scores points for a certain time.  I like the sounds in TAF, however I like the people screaming in chaos more in TZ.  I would give TZ the edge in this one.  Yes, standard type of mode for many games, but again, pointing out ALL the similarities that make these two the same.

10M TZ / 9/6/3M TAF: again, another common mode in games, and I guess somewhat different in these two as TAF has three, and TZ’s can be obtained from a skill shot.  I point this out though, as both are windows, and can be obtained through the regular lit window way as well.
Extra ball: of course, common, but none the less, another window in each.  Obviously this is a staple though.

“?” question mark when all windows lit: again, light all windows, obtain “?”, start all over.  Same thing.  Tour the mansion compared to lost in the zone are somewhat different you might add, but again, they both do the “go through all modes again” idea.  TZ lights everything and gives you a timed play with all 6 balls, and then goes dead, which I have to say is VERY fun to play.  TAF lights the windows of the non-“things to do” modes, and goes through the rest one after the other.  They are both fun, however the tour lasts longer, and is hard, I find, to complete without draining.  Would be nice if there was a little something at the end for doing it (maybe there is, I have done this a couple times, but nothing special happened).  I’m not sure who I would give the nod to here, one short but very exciting, one longer, but fun to try to do before draining.

There are more windows in TZ, and more actual modes with mini objectives, however as a whole, they don’t, nor do the lights and music associated, excite me as much as the fewer TAF ones....  I mean Skill shot... WTF?  Hit a ramp......  “This shot requires skill, super skill”.  Hit the left ramp is the best skill shot they could come up with here???  Oh yes, hit the relatively easy shooter lane skill shot for an extra ball after, still too easy.  Why not a combo ramp/target, such as right spiral and piano, or something that, oh you know, TAKES SKILL.  The Camera awards are a nice touch, but could the sounds/music be more boring?  Perfect segue into my next topic...

Sound / Music: TAF by the landslide, bar none.  I still think TAF has the best music/sounds of any game made, albeit the limitations of the voice recordings dates this machine, but the music and sounds are what really drive you and keep you excited in this game.  As in music (songs), there are “hooks” that reel you in, and make you like a song, and there are many musical hooks in TAF that really add to the overall experience.  TZ is so light with respect to this it leaves me wondering why.  Everything else of TZ was an attempt at a better TAF essentially (yes it was!), but the sounds and music was a clear let down.  They both have their theme’s music, but TAF has all these other mode sounds/music which has nothing to do with The Addams Family, and is great.  TZ’s is rather mundane, all things considered.  There is nothing better for me than turning the lights off and cranking the sound.  My wife actually likes the TZ more because she can’t hear it as much upstairs.  You aren’t p**sing off my wife TZ, shame.

Jackpot – hmmm similarity again?  You betcha. Come from around one side of the loop, shoot the upper flipper for a side target – piano TZ / train or left ramp TAF.  Both are fun, and compound differently, and can be reloaded, but there is no finer sound than hearing Rual Julie scream “Triple Jackpot!!!”  TAF wins this easy.  Not to mention the sounds, and complete spazzing of the lights upon hitting jackpot.  Not to mention further you have the magnets in The Power going as well, which is flat out neato.

Mulitball – another staple, lock two balls (or 1-2 in TZ) and hit something to start.  The door DMD animation is ok, but it’s NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, compared to the “Now you’ve done it.... SHOWTIME”.  I don’t care how many times you have played this game, and watch this part, with all the lights going crazy, and the booming thunder, it always brings a smile to my face.  TAF by a loooong shot.

There are the differences, which of course there would be (umm....right?), which aren’t always game flow oriented, and do not do enough to make TZ seem like it was not built solely off TAF:

Powerball: obvious popular difference, and very well so, it’s fast, it’s fun, it’s not even a pinball!  Love it - “Put it back... it’s not yours”.  Wow, something TAF didn’t have, or have a similar object/mode too.  Good job...

Shooter skill shot:  Reduced shot in TAF into the hole in front of Thing.  TZ, reduced speed shot, but with the three stage bar awarding more points and “bumpers” the closer you get to the hole, then rocket out into the PF.  I like the skill shot in TAF, but I would definitely give the nod to TZ here for originality.  Ranks up there with the Taxi skill shot for that.  However, it does seem very easy to continually get “yellow/10M/3 bumpers”.   TAF’s skill shot, once you get good at it, becomes easy too.  Ok, so there are two “gameplay” differences.

On an off note, just to throw a jab at new Sterns, can’t they learn that lane changer skill shots, have no skill, and try to get a little creative....  I know this is a tangent, but why are games 20 years old still looking more ahead of their time then current Sterns?  I applaud them for keeping the pinball dream alive, but can we apply a little effort please, and stop making Lamborghinis that drive like golf carts.  This is for the most part,  I do like a few, quite a lot.  Neither here nor there anyway with regards to the point in all of this.

The Power: cool, but after a while it just doesn’t do anything for me.  I mean, I like playing it, but I don’t look forward to it, or strive to get it.  I like that it awards a window for winning it, that is a nice touch.

Thing Hand / Gumball Machine: the definitive toy in each.  Both cool in their own respect.  I am so used to both, but I think the hand is more interesting to me, but this is a moot point.  This doesn’t matter, as they are both very cool toys, and both fit the theme, and work into the actual game, which is something I wish new Stern would learn to do instead of just gluing actions figures all around the PF.  I can say that anyone who comes over and plays, who doesn’t know pinball is always more thrilled by the hand, likely because it is hidden until they invoke it.  I don’t know, both are great.

Ball draining:  I read a few reviews on IPDB that said that TAF was a drainer.  CLEARLY this person has never tried TZ.. I sometimes feel like I need to take a break and play 10 min on an old EM for a little ball time....  The slot machine might as well be under the pop bumpers, as you more or less pull the arm, and see what happens, drain or game continues.  Percentage seems so close some games.  Not to mention the ball drains in the middle a lot.  It you don’t get it right into the camera/hitchhiker, it rolls out straight at the right lane drain.  I think this is a legitimate complaint, as I can more or less get LITZ every day I play for a good chunk of time, but there are so many games that seem to start out with skillshot/rocket/bumpers/drain, skillshot/rocket/bumpers/drain, skillshot/rocket/bumpers/drain.  I don’t find you can control the ball as well as in TAF, but again, I have owned that for longer.

I do like that the slot machine drop hole as it is narrower than the eclectic chair, making it more of a challenge.  I love the artwork on both, but I like the TAF PF more.  The Mansion is really cool to me.  I like the widebody design more, much more, so much so that I feel like my TAF (or any other pin) is cramped if I play after the TZ.

Extraball buy in: more of a feature for actually making money I’m sure, I feel dirty when using it, but when you are one window from LITZ, it sure is hard not to hit.

I don’t know what else I missed.  I like the magnets in the spiral, cool addition.  I like loading the gumball.  I like TZ, a lot.  But I love TAF, and the more I play other games, the more I think that this is clearly the best pin ever.  Don’t confuse this with a bitching about the TZ.  I state this only to make my point that *I* think TAF is better (between the two), and the TZ is TAF II game play wise.  

I find it hard to believe people call this deep, or too complicated, but mention nothing about TAF in this way, as they are both so similar.  There are more things to do in TZ, but I think the instructions are straight forward...  I mean the cards say hit the lit holes, reload via ramps... if you did nothing else but continued to do that, you would get LITZ.  I think with TAF, its more newbie friendly, as getting the first multiball is relatively easy, and has a big theatrical payoff.  My kids love it, but will not play TZ for long, as they can’t achieve anything worthwhile to them.  TZ is an experienced players game, that has been said, but I still think, considering how it was clearly built off TAF, could have done more, and been better.  I’m not trying to push my belief, there are many great games, and this is one.  This is just my opinion.

And you do own both games, so that is a very fair opinion.
Thanks for the comprehensive write-up!

Pete

BTW I want both of these games someday!

Interesting opinions. I owned TAF and liked it very much but I sold it because of this:

Quoted Text

I mean the cards say hit the lit holes, reload via ramps... if you did nothing else but continued to do that, you would get LITZ.

You say that about TZ but it was even more true of TAF. In TAF all there is is:
-Hit ramp, then hit chair
-Hit bookcase over and over to start multiball
-In multiball, hit ramp over and over
-The thing flipper is used to hit the swamp which only gives you points, yawn

In TZ there is so much more:
-Hit left ramp to lite the piano, hit the piano with the small flipper. Similar shot to the Thing flipper shot, but more fun than hitting the swamp since it does more than just give you points.
-Hit right ramp to lite slot machine which gives random door panel. Strategy enters here, do you want a random door panel, or the currently lit one? This will determine what you will want to shoot, piano or slot.
-You've got ramp and lock shots to build towards camera awards
-There's hitchhikers that lead to fighting the power on the miniplayfield (such a fun diversion!)
-There's the normal multiball which is more difficult to start than in TAF, but therefore it's much more rewarding.
-There's the powerball, which is just crazy awesome and unique. This leads to a second mutliball mode, powerball multiball. Getting jackpots in this is zany, totally unique in pinball (not just shoot the side ramp like in most Lawlor pins).
-No Thing!!!! This was the second reason I sold my TAF. While Thing was an amazing toy that got people to spend quarters, at home, it gets tiring really fast.

The two areas that TAF beats TZ is the pop bumper placement and the skill shot. TZ has a poor skillshot. You're rewarded by having the ball sent to the pop bumpers which may randomly drain the ball down the left outlane. This is the only downside to TZ that I can think of.

TAF is great but I see TZ as a natural progression from it. It has taken what was good about TAF, but added more complexity and depth. This isn't good for pin newbs, but it's great for collectors/home owners.

Yes, TAF has the same ramp/lit hole, however what I’m saying is the modes are much more fun, IMO, and the sounds and excitement of it all, adds to a much better experience.  

I don’t know about strategy with random/lit window selection.  I think everyone more or less tried to grab whatever they can when lit or given to them, and play that mode, and get to the LITZ.  I can’t recall ever deciding to aim for the pop bumpers to cycle the window choices for strategy.  As for the piano shot, I think the graveyard shot is more fun, and harder than the piano, and the fact that thing flips adds to that, makes it better.  I have not owned it for as long as you though, and I’m sure all pins have aspects that get tiring, so I’ll have to see.

There is of course more to do, but that’s expected in a game worked of the gameplay of another.  

I said I like the powerball, its great, and TZ is great.  I just firmly believe this is TAF II, but that TAF still provides a better all in all experience.  Again, this is IMO, and I’m looking forward to all the conflicting opinions   TZ is a progression, but I think, as far as fun modes, and definitely sound and music, if does not equal TAF.

Of note, MPAumsements, when shipping me the TZ, noted that I had a TAF, and said they can’t get them at all as no one parts with them, and offered me cash on the spot of it.  Given the 5,000 units difference, that’s quite a statement alone...

Quoted from Atomicboy

On an off note, just to throw a jab at new Sterns, can’t they learn that lane changer skill shots, have no skill, and try to get a little creative....

Off the top of my head:

LOTR - you can choose your skill shot via the plunger.
TSPP - multiple skill shots none are lane change
Monopoly - multiple skill shots

So not ALL Sterns use the lane change as a skill shot.

I respect your opinion on TAF. Haven't read the whole thing in detail. My opinion is the exact opposite. I won't write a book on it, though I bought a TAF and couldn't sell it fast enough. Loved it in the arcade. Wanted one badly. Finally decided to pony up the money. After one night of play, I knew it had to go. Too easy and too repetitive. Too easy to complete the wizard mode -- multiple times. Many of the "modes" are simply awards. I could go on. Alright game and I enjoy playing it once in a while, but I certainly don't miss it.

I've had TZ since I starting collecting and that's over 10 years. I love the game and it will never leave. Great theme, great music, great lights, awesome multiple ball, awesome toys, etc.

Duane

Haven't owned either so my judgement is based on playing them at multiple locations on TOPL nights... really didn't care for either for the longest time ... recently warmed up to TZ and would like to own one at some point ... still not a fan of TAF

Duane,

I noted a few Sterns that I do like, and yes some do not have the same old lane changer skill shot, but many do, and they do just glue a bunch of action figures to a game to liven it up.  

I don't want to change the subject of this post, but take my F14, glue a bunch of GIJoes to it in random spots, and you more or less have a better version of IM.

Again, I don't want to bash Stern, as without them it would be whole different game right now, but I think there are some easy improvements to get past the issues most people do have with their new games.

From what I have read TZ was the game where Pat Lawlor was given full rein on the design as a reward for his enormous success with TAF.

Usually designers will have a certain percentage of their ideas vetoed.

Naturally there will be similarities as Lawlor has a very distinct design philosophy which is clearly apparent in FH as well. The difference is that the product evolved and new mechanisms were designed and later products patented. In fact the clock was designed for FH but was axed due to it taking them over budget.

I like TZ due in part to the theme but TAF is a good game as well.  Plus ideas like the Powerball, Gumball Machine, Clock, Powerfield make the difference for me

I thought I read TAF was the first game Lawlor had complete control over?  I may be wrong.  I like them both too, don't get me wrong.

TZ has more "things" for sure, I just don't think it changes the fact that the gameplay, again as a whole, not as lively and fun, IMO.

Quoted from Atomicboy

I don't want to change the subject of this post, but take my F14, glue a bunch of GIJoes to it in random spots, and you more or less have a better version of IM.

I'll take the bait. Comparing IM to F14 is like comparing a Porsche to a Volkswagon. Both German cars, but radically different.

IM is an absolute blast to play and has amazing flow. F14 has no flow whatsoever. With F14, the game is shallow as can be. It's a System 11 and I certainly wouldn't compare it to IM. Not in the same league at all. F14 is fun for about 2 games -- at least for me. IM keeps me coming back. Would love to own one some day.

I now have 4 Sterns in my collection of just over 15, the best are Bally or Williams. I absolutely love what Stern has produced. Without a doubt, the best of Stern is easily as good, if not better than the best of Williams. In my mind, the best of Stern are (and not in order): LOTR, TSPP, Spiderman, Iron Man, and Elvis. Other greats include POTC, Family Guy/Shrek. All amazing games.

To each his own, but to compare F14 to Iron Man is beyond ludicrous.

Duane

Well, maybe I haven't spent enough time playing Sterns.  I like LOTR, TSPP, I am not a fan of Spiderman movies, but I like the game, but above that, I am not that impressed with their games, compared to WPC ones.  I don't like all the photographed PF's.  

I appreciate your opinion, they have good games, but I would definitely say the best WPC games are far greater then the best Stern has put out.

I still prefer my F14 over IM, sorry.  Faster, more fun, one trick pony, but fun getting there, and great light show.  IM has bored me everytime I have been to SB lately, and I haven't touched it the last two times I was there at all.  I don't like all their useless toys, the make most games look, to me, like they are trying to attract a very young croud.  

It doesnt matter which one you buy......All Lawlor games are the same......BORING