Data East ..I cant knock them

[spacejam0]

Before buying my  "Tales from the Crypt" about a year ago I was a bit wary of Data East machines after reading many bad reviews on them (not so much on this site).
I have to say that of the 5 machines I have owned while it may not be the best player of them all, but I still really enjoy it and it's the only machine I have that has never had a single fault.....not even a blown globe.
Rock on Data East!!!!

[studley67]

i tend to agree,i have a few,they are more reliable than williams/bally.LOVE my lw3.

[Cow Corner]

I like that one...tftc..... but I can't say that about the majority of data east pins, so many of them just don't do it for me in gameplay or theme.
They certainly have fans for sure.
Dunno about reliability compared to other manufacturers in regards to general upkeep and maintenance as I have never owned a DE machine.

[studley67]

they dont have the infamous RESET issue

[Caveoftreasures]

I have a whack of DATA EAST and SEGA machines, and I firmly believe they are priced well and top value for money. Some of the best games ever made.

Its only when u play a machine a dozen times can u really get a feel for it. I have stayed away from the cokkie cutter collection because I found them to be massively overpriced and sometimes a snoozefest. I can see why some people would want say a dozen $2 grand machines versus say 2 x Cookie cutters at $9 grand each, but each to their own and as long as u enjoy playing something, thats what matters.

I think from a design point of view, NO ONE in the pinball industry makes SUPER POP BUMPERS like Data EAST and SEGA do. This is a really exciting feature of a great pinball machine ! Bally/Williams for the later models make some of the pretty'est models with great insert colours etc. Variety is the way to go.

[studley67]

brett,what is a cokkie cutter?is it a machine i have to surrender my c..k to own.?

[Cow Corner]

they dont have the infamous RESET issue

Cool, that's a plus for sure.
I have played stacks of DE pins, they seemed to be the most sited pins in Brissie back in the mid to late 90's.
Well I always seemed to come across them in pubs and fish n chip shops etc and I always threw a few bucks in for sure, I couldn't walk past any pin without tossing some coin in. Still can't.
I just prefered titles like cftbl,ij,drwho,ft,wh20 that were also sited at the time. These pins made massive impacts on me, I just had to keep playing and playing and playing..... many times until I was skint....before then it was f14 tomcat...damn that pin sent me broke a few times... . I paid no attention at the time as to who made them etc and it really matters little to me now, I just really loved playing them..still do.
I understand that we all have different opinions when it comes to these whacky toys.

[studley67]

 %.%they are still sending us broke,we didn't learn first time round.

[pinnies4me]

My sister's Star Wars went four years or so with three young boys constantly trying to break it and it never missed a beat - not a single issue. Different thing for the day I brought it over for them. Flipper issues, traced to those dodgy fuse clips. Replaced the lot while I was about it, and never opened that machine for them after that.

Some DE titles are real classics - JP, Tommy, TFTC, Rocky, GnR all come immediately to mind- they seemed to have a golden era in 1993/4. Outside that period classics are not so common, and certainly after and particularly after they were sold there isn't a game in my opinion that seems to meet the overall playing experience of many B/W titles.

[Caveoftreasures]

The question is, do u buy one Bally/Williams for $9 grand, or do u buy 4 x excellent Data East /Segas ? for the same price. I went the Data East/Sega route. I dont think any B/W plays better than a data east/sega, just different, not better. They are all top fun.

I know one fellow who only collects Bally/Williams and will not have anything under any circumstance in his house except high end B/W. His collection is apx 10 machines and it must owe him $90 grand. ( 9 x B/W machines for 90 k or 35 data east/sega machines for 90 K.)   It wasnt a hard decision for me since I have Williams and Ballys as well. I love Pin2000 espescially, but my mate loves his Bally/Williams and it has cost him dearly, but he is happy with that decision. Will he ever get his money back ever, time will tell for all of us. Hopefully pinnys will always stay well priced and in demand.

Thats all that matters. As long as u are happy with a good mix of any pinball.  They are all great fun. I love the Williams widebodies, pure class.

[Strangeways]

Unfortunately, Data East games are not seen in the same light as Bally Williams, but I'd match rather own a Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Tommy and Guns N Roses than a Medievel Madness or Cactus Canyon. Gunners BURIES Cactus Canyon and a Jurassic Park is just as entertaining as an Addams Family. Tales from the crypt is just as funny and playable as Scared Stiff.

Data East games are more reliable than Bally / Williams, but you look at a title like Circus Voltaire, Twilight Zone and Theater of Magic, and you struggle to find a comparative Data East.

"Bang for Buck" - Jurassic Park is one hell of a title.

[Caveoftreasures]

Good points Nino. Spot on. I will have to think of a Data East that could kick some Bally/Williams butt when i walk in the garage next, but my mind is tired so tomorrow it will be.lol

I still feel the widebody play of say Star Trek Next Generation is just so VERY NICE. Batman Forever for a widebody is fun, but not as fast with the Star Trek flow. 

[DataEast Fan]

I dont mind em 

One of them i've had for 13 years and it hasn't missed a beat.

Cheers Mark.

[pinmadd]

I find Data East pin's to be slower/longer ball times, weaker sling's,flippers, 

 GnR & Tommy will never leave my collection tho   

[Cow Corner]

Unfortunately, Data East games are not seen in the same light as Bally Williams, but I'd match rather own a Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Tommy and Guns N Roses than a Medievel Madness

  I wan't what your smoking!