Top 10 Most Anger-Inducing Pinball Machines Of All Time 

You guys forgot Fishtales. The game has amazing art, sounds, animations, but is the most brutal game I ever had the honor of kicking.

Been struck by the pinball gods lately and become addicted. Your podcast have been my favorite thing over the past few weeks. Just wanted to extent a thanks for many fun hours. I think I've watched 40 episodes already.

video starts at 9:33

#10 - 10:27 #9 - 12:02 #8 - 13:41 #7 - 15:09 #6 - 16:37 #5 - 18:20 #4 - 20:52 #3 - 24:24 #2 - 27:16 #1 - 30:41 Great video, guys!

24:11 I prefer to stay polite, but you cannot imagine how much it beaks my heart to see "guyz" doing that !

Paragon deserves to be at the very top of any "most infuriating games" list. In between the Beast's Lair and the ability to drain the ball between the two right flippers, I have expended a lifteime of rage on that machine. And the most infurating thing about the between the flipper drain is that when it happens, you have nobody to blame but yourself.

This list was spot on. And I like that you explain that an anger inducing pin can still be one of your faves. Nicely done gentlemen.

Back in the day, my go to tantrum was to knee the coin door on early SS Stern machines. It would cause them to reset.

My favorite episode to date. I too identify with pinball Tourette’s. Most notably JJP GnR when for some reason the universe will not allow me to hit the center scope to collect the applause jackpot, and I get so worked up at the agony of defeat when the lights go out and the flippers go dead! But when I hit a huge jackpot it is a similar response…just with joy and excitement. The pendulum swing is from one limit to the other. I wish I could have recorded some of my rants…it really is a form of poetry at times. Great stuff guys.

I cannot believe Jersey Jack Pirates of the Caribbean is not on this list. Full plunge on that game throws the ball directly down the middle. I refuse to play it because I have gone 3 balls (more like 6 if you count ball save) and had zero hit a flipper.

Oh man, thanks for mentioning AC/DC. It’s the closest one to me in a laundry mat so when I have some change and want to get a few games in I ply that machine. Been cutting my teeth on it for awhile and Jesus, man. I’ve had multi ball maybe two, three times. I’ve never been able to get through more than two songs. It’s so difficult.

Cool and accurate list. If I were to add one game based on observing location play I would add that Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle is an anger-inducing game watching people try to navigate the castle with orbit shots that are a bit too tight for the casual player yet so critical for mode progression.

On the Willy Wonka, I changed the right leg and made it a little higher than the left leg. You don't notice it looking at the machine, but it helped in fixing that damn down the middle from the bumpers. It still happens but a lot less. We didn't play it before we bought it, but my wife loves the movie and loved how this game looked. So we got it and she loves it other than that part. It's like when it goes over there you are like please please please don't go down the middle. We do not like bumping our pins, so we can't save it that way. She was probably a few days away from telling me to sell it, but once I did that she is back playing it a lot now. It really is a killer and not sure why they would make it to where it just goes right down the middle from there.

My favorite episode. My pin Black knight is brutal, so fustrating

For me its definitely BSD, the fact that u get the 3 multiballs and then lose it within 10 seconds... In a way so brutal no other game can do. Fuck that machine, even though its so cool at the same time. 7.5/10

JackBot - great Williams design, super fun rule set and fun to play. But the JackBot Visor drains, pop bumpers drain, and if not adjusted perfectly, the Vortex drains.

Well now I know never to buy a second hand machine from Zach lol. Love the top 10 series though.

JJP GnR …. Losing massive song jackpots makes me smash the glass with my fist

Okay Greg I thought I was the only one who loved/used "Son's of Bitches" from that movie 😂.

Would love a Top 10 90s Pins by you guys! Great show as usual.

WOW 2 episodes!!! I thought Christmas already passed!!!!

TWD has to be in the top five. Put TWD at five, Wonka at six and Star Wars at ten and the list is perfected.

100% Agree on TMNT. If you aren't on your game, you smash posts (I've replaced my post sleeves twice) or the stand ups targets next to the ramps that rocket the ball straight down the middle. The spinning Pizza disc throws balls straight down the middle. Right sling throws the ball into the cavernous left out lane. Steep ramps roll back and go straight down the middle. Turtle van lock bounces around and rejects if you don't hit it clean. The 1-2-3 combo call out seems to pop up constantly. You have 4 turtles, but only 1 is useful if you want to try for a high score. I still own it because when you are on your game and you chain left ramp - right ramp - inner loop - outer loop- turtle van the flow makes you forget for a split second that the game is constantly trying to rob you. The honorable mention on GOTG is justified too. The Nebula and Gamora cross over shots are great as is the Groot head, one of the coolest looking pinball toys IMO. Those left shots though are all tight (Yondu, Ronin, Rocket) and the over reliance on the far right scoop drives everyone crazy. What saves this pin is that cherry bomb multi ball is a minute of pure insane pinball joy along with the code update that includes all the music and call outs from the movie. Also, my wife won't let me get rid of something that has Chris Pratt on it, so it is basically bolted the the floor. Pinball anger move - I tend not to swear or hit the machine, but I turn away quick and sometimes swing my arm to punch the air. That's not a problem at home where there is nothing behind me. On location where there are people and drinks and no one has planned for a 6'5 250lb man to spin around because he sucks at pinball, it becomes a problem.

Judge Dredd for me. I own that machine and have never been able to get all 4 judges during multiball. After you drain your 2nd to last ball the mode ends! No extra time like in Indiana Jones. Impossible, but I still love it.

Nice summary guys, pretty spot on. I'd add the following games to your list as they can also be brutal and anger inducing! Black Knight, Alice Cooper Nightmare Castle, Funhouse, Houdini, Fish Tales, Creature, Simpson's Pin Party, Jurassic Park, Rick & Morty

When you said Ghostbusters....I felt that. 😭🤬🤪😠

For me #1 most anger inducing is the JJP Guns n Roses. Every game the first 2 balls are lost within 30 seconds by either slingshot bounce into the right outlane, then by hitting the AFD target next to the left ramp which goes SDTM. Third ball can start a sympathy song with no patches and no balls locked. Average ball time on my game is 86 seconds - I'm sick of posing for pictures while giving the game my middle finger

Dude IRON Man is my number #1 on this list.. I hated Moger popping up and blocking shots when you aren't trying to start him got on my nerves.. I was ready for it to leave after a month and it was gone in 3 months...the magna slings on the GB Prem/LE are made of 100% pure evil!

Man......im hurting for more SDTM...... so yall still do a show together? Me and the wife love the show and just keep watching the same ones over and over hoping for new ones! 🎉😢

This is a very aptly timed video. Recently my kids and wife let me know that they've become frightened as my profanity-laced tantrums can be heard throughout the entire house even with the door closed. As of November I got my first pin in a Jurassic Park Premium and even I'll admit I'm already a little too passionate about catching dinos. I even had to go full douchebag and buy some cycling gloves with palm protection as I've not yet developed a callous to soften my slap saves. I feel pretty dumb that I scream at a machine but to me these damn outlanes are just not fair even after lowering an outlane post as suggested in various forums. A friggin' eighth of an inch adjustment only made my outdrain go from 95% to 90%. Couple this with the constant nudge battle that only hastens ball death or results in the dreaded drainbow SDTM and I'm just kicking a nearby couch and double birding this machine that I otherwise love and can't stop playing. Then you've got this son of a bitch that's even mocking you as you drain right. Newman! And is it me or does that damn truck always seem to be facing the wrong way when you're firing a homing missile? Lastly I'd add that when you hit your shots this game is a masterpiece of pinball perfection but when you miss by mere millimeters this game is brutal with its instadrains as you clank off some dumbass post again.. and again.. and again.. But I still love it. ❤️

Totally agree about Star Wars. I help run an arcade in Utah and we have the premium edition. I've seen games last around 30 seconds. We've even had people ask for a refund because of how cheap that game plays. I've personally gotten really good at it and know that plunging at full power often leads to a ball drain. I nudge a TON on this one...

Great list, haven't played all of them so ill take your words on those. Personally Fish Tales is the one that really pisses me off ALOT! I cant stop playing it when i see it in the wild but man

Agree on TMNT. Got a NIB pro from Zach and it only lasted about two weeks. I realized playing it was just making me mad and I don’t love spending $6k just to get angry.

I remember playing the Ghostbusters pinball machine a few years ago and balked at the $1.00 per game cost alone. The game itself was awful despite the neat looking table, being the epitome of the sludge from the second movie.

Your ranking is thoughtful and reasonable. It was an entertaining list. My list is: 1. Road Show. 2. Ghostbusters( my first Grand Champion) 3.Funhouse 4.Batman Forever ( instant drains on brain drain ?!) 5. Fish Tales 6. Lethal Weapon 3 7. Dirty Harry 8. Jurassic Park 9. The Avengers 10.Deadpool My favorite is World Cup Soccer 94( scored more than 3.000.000.000 lately and Theatre of Magic( more than 2.600.000.000 and Game of Thrones as Baratheon ( more than 2.000.000.000. Dracula is a very hard pinball for me.

Walking Dead is one of the greatest pinball machines ever. Much like STTNG. Tough, but awesome. Same with Dracula. Top game.

Odd call on WoZ - maybe because I own it, but its certainly not a drain monster. It has a center post, and even the out lanes allow you to save the ball through mini games (TOTO and Follow the Yellow Brick Road modes). The only gripe I could see is relatively short ball save times. I'd put a few more game on that one for sure... I like all your other picks! I knew Greg would pick Willy Wonka. I think he's traumatized for life on that one.

Violet turned into a balloon ? Lol. She turned into a blueberry

Ghostbusters Pro has been my first and only pin. Change the settings and the game comes alive and you don’t mind the drains. My best score was 4.23 billion on 5 balls and the normal factory settings. Greatest game play feeling possible.

Thank you I would get so mad at my TMNT LE, I had to trade it for a Maiden Premium, those ramps are insanely hard I feel like the ramps are like a quarter in off its almost impossible to get in a rhythm and the whole thing is set up on combos.

Let the tears flow. Lol.. keep the videos coming guys !

I recently picked up a Genesis and oh boy that game is BRUTAL The only way I have been able to even play that game is moving the outlane posts all the way in with the fattest rubbers I can find. It has side kickers that shoot the ball AT the outlanes, and the varitarget in the middle slows the ball down and gently guides it SDTM. Such a punishing game. If there is ever a game to practice slap saves and outlane nudges on, it’s genesis.

Crazy, I've been binging SDTM on TPN, love the show, love the content. You guys don't look like how I pictured at all, was picturing suits and Rolexes LOL! Keep up the great work

I made the cut with Last Action Hero!

Walking Dead LE hands down. Sometimes you can blow it up and it lets you know it... But man this game is evil and so good at the same time!!!

May I make two mentions of my own? One is "Twilight Zone" by Bally/Midway. The number of "toys" in the center left of the table make it VERY hard to keep a ball in play. Another is a Gottlieb classic called "Central Park". The small flippers make it nearly impossible to get a respectable score.

Stern Jurassic Park for me. Very satisfying game when you are hitting your shots, but the game will make you pay for missing some tight shots.

Number 1 was easy to guess but I still own it hey did BKSOR or AIQ make honorable mention? I nominate if they didn't! Another kickass vid dam that was fun!

Love it. Have the top 3 in the garage right now - we must be masochists in this house. Great video, gents.

I can't believe you put Star Wars on the list and didn't mention the end of ball call outs by Yoda. He's one of my favorite characters from the movies, but when I'm playing this pinball machine, I hate Hate HATE Yoda. I wish Stern would come out with alternative end of ball call outs.

Absolutely loved this video guys. Lmfbo!!!! Great list. Whirlwind?

So great to see another video so quickly! Keep it up guys!

Simpson's is anger inducing because when the ball drains within 1 minute there is no ball save, and the ball drains way too easily

If you've got a friend who's never played before, Iron Man is the perfect game to introduce them to pinball... if your goal is to ensure they never play pinball again. Cheap drains aplenty, magnets that yeet the ball down the middle, a _slanted sling top specifically designed to guide the ball into the &@#%ing left outlane_ - Iron Man's got it all and then some. It's precisely the kind of game that convinces most outsiders that pinball is nothing but luck.

I was excited to watch this but can't get through the intro. Later.

I just traded my TMNT and am thinking about selling my TWD. Both fantastic games but rage tilt much.

Great video! My go to anger move is to shout profanities at the machine and slap my hands together, which makes me look like an idiot!

Apparently, I like rage inducing games, haha! Most of my favorite pins are on this list!

Agree with iron man even though it's awesome, but twilight zone has to be on this list, especially if ww is ( a later, updated version imho).

Uh oh….this list is bound to get some pinball fans angry 😡

Bought a Ghostbusters brand new in box.. it lasted 6 months before I couldn’t take it anymore… kinda miss the rage sweats it would induce

The list starts at 10:30 if you wanna skip all that crap at the beginning.

I'm not proud of it, but a couple machines have gotten a fist to the glass. I can neither confirm nor deny that those games are on this list.

A few of those games definitely have design flaws IMO. You guys made a great list.

Keep the content coming you guys are great.

The wall next to my Jurassic Park premium has the mark of my knuckle

Completely nailed it with #1!

Countdown starts at 10:25

Love these guys! Thank you

I started rewriting the Eagle’s Life in the fast lane to Life in the outlanes. The surely make me lose my mind.

Just bought a tna and love the difficulty of the game. It has made me a better pinball player. Glass off I can do 9 reactors.

Great video and great list - felt very genuine. Wishing you success with your channel!

I agree with your number one game, I own a Premium and have a love hate relationship with it. I have to say there have been times I wanted to put that machine on its side I've been so mad at it. But there's so much I like about it that somehow it's still in my collection and probably won't leave. It may just end up on it's side one day, but until that day comes I'll play it and love and hate it!

From this list sounds like Stern either has a design problem or isn't testing their machines enough before finalizing their tables. Love that Stern and Jersey Jack are still making new tables tho.

we had a pinball machine in the basement of a college house we lived in. not sure whose it was or why it was there. (1975/6 ish.). just cement block walls with two rooms in the back of the basement. well one room had the machine. the other....the perfect place to throw your empty beer bottle when you missed a shot. by the end of the semester (actually trimester) that room must have had 3-4 feet of broken glass lying in the corner. was a great time!

Okay, thank god #1 wasn't just me. Like, I'm not great at pinball but something about that machine just absolutely makes me rage, I thought I was just bad at it. And like y'all, I still love it regardless.

Thank god you guys are back

Really shocked Rick and Morty wasn't top 5 even after the code update

Also you didn't mention dialed in, where the theatre just drops it perfectly right down the middle. Sometimes the phone does too, although I love that game too

Ahahahahahaha I've played a lot of Ghostbusters at my local bar and I can't agree more. Not only do I hate the machine, I can't stop playing it.

I am not familiar with any of the games mentioned but the reasons you guys talk about make total sense, and I'm not surprised to see Stern come up as I never really liked most of their games. I have smashed my fair share and slide back and fourth and yelled enough also. The two things that got me the most was a game that didn't have enough strength in the flippers to complete any shot on the board, even when new. The other thing that pissed me off the most was when the games was set up to tilt too easy.

Movie: GREMLINS > "... while everybody else are opening up presents, some people are opening up their wrists". That movie line made me laugh. Merry Christmas 🤪

Story about grandmas cookin here My "Nanny" Is from Canada and makes this amazing "Graham Cracker" Pie its a cold pie and when she gave it to us one year I of course got the first piece because it was my Favorite for years and OMG did it taste retched. She had accidently used salt instead of sugar so its been fifteen or so years but I always ask ol Nan if she brought the salt pie lol

This is the best episode!

Well I thought I would add a couple of tables that I am pretty certain made the "owners" angry. A local bowling alley had a Wizard table that my friends and I must have played for close to a year on. It had a short circuit on the start switch that when slapped downward, would start the game and also rack up a few more on the counter. Adding insult to injury for them it had a dime slot per game.😜💸 At another's location, was a Frontier table with a similar problem, only this one would rack up multiple games by forcefully sliding the dime down the slot. Not only were the games extremely cheap for us to play, it gave us time to master both of them , that only increased the number of games played for free.😁

The chemistry between you both is special, please don't ever stop making these videos.

Vector. I hate that game so much. Random large points for people who don't know what they are doing and tilt encouraging saucers in the outlanes when the bonus is so important. I hate life whenever I have to play it in a tournament.

6:05 "I just wanna grab 'em....and I wanna choke 'em!" - Dude sounds like Ice Cube's dad in Friday :'-D

Great episode guys , happy new year

Hey y’all new subscriber here. I was thinking about getting the Aerosmith machine and am newer to pinball. At 19:06 you mentioned Aerosmith and not understanding what you’re saying is annoying about it. What are pops and what is the frustration with the Aerosmith game?

I once played a 2008 Batman that was frustrating. I don't know if this was some unfinished, or modified, cabinet. But, the left side drawbridge looked different, and some side rails were missing from the right habitrail, and the ball would always get knocked off that rail into the right outlane. So frustrating.

Stranger Things. Stand up target to SDTM!

Gregg, got time whilst Stunt Double for John Wick???? Happy New Year to you both and families...Smash 22!!!

Most anger inducing machine I have ever played is the Future Spa at the Delaware Pinball Collective... It is not unusual to have at least one player in group play to have 3 house balls.

I haven’t gotten to the end yet and if Twilight Zone isn’t on the list, I think you are overlooking a top 3 for this topic!

I love my TWD but the cheap drains out of those pops are frustrating.

The pinball machine that pissed me off the most was Space Shuttle. The right lane drained more balls than a $1000 an hour hooker. Also if you miss a shot, it bounces straight to the right outlane. Alot of times when 2 ball multiball is activated, the first ball will drain to the right outlane before i can even start multiball. I even got to the point once where i slam tilted it and walked away. I feel like this pinball playfield was strategically built to drain balls.

Stern's Star Wars pissed me off so much that I couldn't play more than 3 games on it.

Gottlieb... Arena. I've never wanted to burn a game in the parking lot so badly.

Man I wish I would have skipped the "after the credits part". Im gonna have to scrub my brain somehow 😂😳😩😭🙈🙉🍆