The latest machine in the London Pinball workshop is Gottlieb's 1975 4-player machine entitled "300". This is a bowling-themed game that makes nifty use of backglass animation for scoring the bonus.
The game is mildly fun to play, with the most satisfying shot being the spinner straight up the middle. I wish the designer (Ed Krynski) didn't put a pop bumper right behind it, though, because I find that most often the ball comes sailing right back through the spinner, thereby cutting short the number of spins that should be achieved with a hard shot.
The "mystery" hole that scores one, two, or three bonuses is kinda neat. And the pachinko/bagatelle-style lanes down the right side of the playfield are kinda cool to maneuver through while trying to maximize the bonus.
The backgalss animation is cool, but I wish it did something a little more. I constantly find myself trying to get all 10 balls loaded, but doing so accomplishes nothing. It would have been nice if maxing out the bonus lit the playfield special or somthing.
And speaking of the playfield special, as far as I can tell, the only way to light it is by the "chance" rollover at the top of the playfield, which is only lit at the beginning of each ball.
Artwork is typical Gordon Morrison and looks really good. It's a pretty game, for sure.
Overall, not a bad player. It's fast and entertaining for a few games, anyway.
10 сен 2024
