Surfer/Surf Champ is a really nice EM. The colours on this one are still very much alive, and Nino really nice job on getting that ball swirl out from the PF. Just looking at how much of it there was (especially around the right hand side slingshot area) and what it looks like now - alot of work, but the results speak for themselves. The "old" PF is on its way back again.
I think the theme has a lot to do with it, but the layout with the Drop Targets in a difficult space next to the Pop Bumpers makes it a challenging game. A direct flipper hit to the topmost DT will be obscured so you need to use the pop bumpers.
I did own a Surf Champ, it was a challenging player (getting all the DTs down in one ball). Like you said above, the top DT is impossible to hit directly - that "blasted" spinner was in the way. That was my only gripe about the game - just my 2c worth, but I thought the spinner didn't really add any value (it could only be lit for 100 at best), and was in the way of the top DTs. Other than that (which is minor gripe I suppose), a really fun and challenging game.
