Not sure I understand what a "ping" is other than a test whether a host is available over the internet
Great Pinball GamesParagon is the "Greatest" pinball ever made. Some will agree, but we would all arrive at a "Great" title based on SOME sort of criteria.
1 - Art. Is the game pleasing to the eye ? Is it a theme or image that attracts the player to the machine. In the days of manufacturing - this was VERY important. The player had to be attracted to the machine, and the machine had to be relevant to that period in time. Playboy is a classic more because of the brand, but the art is simple and you know exactly what it represents. Is it a "great" pinball ? Do we measure it by it's takings ? If so - it is a Great Pinball.
2 - Gameplay. This should be the main criteria for any era - it HAS to entice you back. You have to "want" to return to the game more than crack open your next stubbie. You have to be watching someone else play that game with one eye, so you can play next. When you get home from work, peer into your gamesroom and feel the tingle down your back when your eyes pass over that machine. For me - Addams Family and Theater of Magic. Just ONE MORE game..
3 - Collectiblity - Not to be confused with rarity. Gottlieb "Raven" is rare. Gottlied "Spirit" is collectible. A collectible game may have a reference to something of importance. A band / musician / Movie. "Collecting" the Star Trek's, or all the band related themes. It could be a fascination with an era or manufacturer. Bally "Medusa" is collectible - part of a series of early 80's Ballys with a common fantasy theme - Viking, Paragon, Medusa, Fathom..
4 - Sentimentality - "I wagged school to play X all the way through high School". These games are great because they represent a period of time that you remember fondly. Maybe you met your partner playing the game, or you won your first free game. Does not need to be any particular machine other than one that has "a" memory attached to it. "Spirit of 76" is a great game because I remember playing it at "Arthur's Fish and Chip Shop" as a child. Nothing special about the game other than the memory.. (not entirely true as the game is simply awesome!)
5 - "X Factor" - The Ringmaster in CV, Zipper Flippers in Nip It, The Hologram in CFTBL, the In line target bank in EBD.. Something about a pin that may be unique - but I just HAVE to see it again.
For me - a "Great" machine has to have these criteria - and because each criteria will be different for each individual player, a "Great" pinball is really a unique choice. This is one of the reasons why I love pinball - Everyone has different criteria, experiences and memories.
