Devil Riders Retro (Zaccaria Retro Review)

DEVIL RIDERS RETRO

Sasha on Devil Riders: I think that a rating of THE PITS should be reserved for a table that’s either unplayable due to poor mechanical design or one where no amount of skill can overcome luck. Everyone might not like Devil Riders’ scoring system, but you can rebound on it, and you can defend against the gobble holes with the nudge. Both those facts are true whether you’re playing with Zaccaria’s arcade or simulation engines. I don’t happen to like Devil Riders and I’m guessing I won’t like gobble holes going forward, but THIS as one of the worst tables ever? Please. Readers should refer to Clown Retro for what a worst table ever contender should play like. This is just an ordinary 1950s bad table.

Fun fact: This was Sasha the Kid’s first table with gobble holes. These days, Visual Pinball’s EM selection is her jam, but when she first played this on her AtGames Legend, she was not a happy camper. Now in the old days, gobble holes could be tied to specials and extra balls. As a reminder, for whatever reason, Magic Pixel put out a collection of old-timey pins without old-timey scoresheets. As a result, there’s essentially seven tiny drains that score if lit. Lighting the gobble holes only requires a single bounce off the corresponding bumper. We think Sasha’s wrong about the amount of skill that can go into games of Devil Riders. Yes, you can grab rebounds and aim. You mostly won’t be able to since the rails leading to the flippers are bouncy as all hell. But assuming you do grab a rebound, all that does is get you above the bumpers. The gobble holes and the bumpers block anything to actually shoot at. It’s not the scoresheet that’s wrong. It’s the layout. The Kid got this one wrong. It IS Plinko, but Plinko that walks like a shooter’s table. Sasha’s counter argument is that the shots to get above the bumpers are tight enough that they’re “ghost targets” and satisfying in their own right. Agree to disagree.
Set: Zaccaria – 40 Retro Tables
Model: Zaccaria EM
Table Type: Woodrail
Cathy: THE PITS (1 out of 5)
Sasha The Kid: BAD (2 out of 5)
Angela: THE PITS
Oscar: THE PITS
Jordi: THE PITS
Dave: THE PITS
Matt: THE PITS+
Dash: BAD
Scoring Average: 1.25
Final Average: 1.16
💩Certified a Turd💩 by The Pinball Chick Team
🏆 Cathy ranks #1 in Time Loop Mode – Undisputed World Champion

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Author: Indie Gamer Chick

Indie game reviews and editorials.

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