Earth Wind Fire Retro (Zaccaria Table Review)

EARTH WIND FIRE RETRO

Matt on Earth Wind Fire Retro: The line of very deep saucers up the center is a welcome feature. The saucers often grab the ball or change its trajectory (you know, pinball randomness). However, trying to intentionally get into the lit saucer seems to depend on luck and persistence. Some kind of rule that lights multiple saucers would be welcome. There’s not much else interesting on this playfield, but the rollover lanes might suffice. The original Earth Wind Fire has plenty of top lanes, rollover targets, and other targets. Where are any of those?

A distant cousin to 70s hits like Centigrade or Sheriff, only without much in the way of dynamic scoring. Besides a pair of high-yielding bumpers, the targets are four roll-over targets that have to be hit twice in a single ball to score their maximum value. That’s nothing compared to the five saucers that only are worth shooting if they’re lit. Although each saucer is numbered, their number isn’t relevant. Only one is lit at a time, and sinking the ball in a lit one provides 500 points. That’s five times the value of a lit roll-over. The good news is that none of the saucers are risky. The bad news is I’ve pretty much explained the table in its entirety. It left Matt wondering where the relationship to the original EWF is at all? Cathy and Angela can’t believe everyone else is giving such a nothing table a positive mark, but Sasha and Oscar note that there is a method to the madness. Saucer #1 and especially Saucer #2 has a puncher’s chance of being released, banging off a bumper and going right back into the saucer, and since you can aim at those, this is technically a shooter’s table. Nobody is going to find Earth Wind Fire Retro to be exciting, but they might find some of it satisfying. Sasha actually changed her score a few days ago, saying she thinks it does just cross the line into borderline greatness. Needless to say, she stands alone there.
Set: Zaccaria – 40 Retro Tables
Model: Zaccaria EM
Table Type: Pick ‘n Flick
Cathy: BAD (2 out of 5)
Sasha The Kid: GREAT– (4 out of 5)
Angela: BAD
Oscar: GOOD–
Jordi: GOOD
Dave: GOOD
Matt: BAD+
Dash: BAD
Scoring Average: 2.625 – Okay
Final Average: 2.5 – Okay at Best
A Pinball Chick Team 🥶Polarizing Table🥶
Cathy ranks #11 in 3 Ball Arcade – Post Update Highest Score
Sasha the Kid ranks #9 in 5 Ball Arcade – Post Update Highest Score
Cathy ranks #2 in Time Loop Mode – Post Update Highest Score

Aerobatics Retro (Zaccaria Pinball Table Review)

This is our first time using Matt’s +/- idea for ratings. They don’t affect scores at all but rather let readers know if it’s closer to the next rating or the rating under it. Originally I was going to post a massive Zaccaria Retro feature but instead, we’re going to release these in a trickle.

And, because the full eight-person team is here, we’re using Olympic style scoring. The highest rating and lowest rating are not factored into the Final Rating.

AEROBATICS RETRO

Dave the Designer on Aerobatics Retro: Shame about the saucers. Aside from those targets and the top pops being a little far down, everything about Aerobatics Retro is in an appropriate place for the time period. It’s a proper ‘retro’ that’s done its homework and deserves props for it. If they adjusted the eject angles, this might be a winner.

We’ve already reviewed the AtGames Legend build of Aerobatics Retro. The updated Steam build benefits from having a variety of physics options (not to mention tables like this were meant to be played with five balls, not three. Someone please get that memo to MagicPixel and AtGames). Also, we all seem to agree that the saucers don’t seem to dump the ball between the flippers as often. Actually, the right saucer never did it once. Oh, the left saucer still did it enough to Angela that she’s still dumping it in THE PITS. (Dave to Angela: “wait a second, aren’t you the one who defends Jack*Bot?”) Actually, it was pretty funny. In four separate first-to-three duels, Angela only won a single game the entire time, but that one game she won, she set the world record for Aerobatics Retro on 5 Ball Arcade. She basically did it the same way Matt got #2 in 3 Ball Arcade, IE the ball fell into the saucers. So they fell ass-backwards into records. The lack of shooting angles and nearly impossible to defend-against slingshots still shoot down this plane, though Oscar and Jordi felt that there’s SOME satisfaction to be had in the chaotic rebounding. “I think three jet shapes and a slightly wider lane on each side to get back to the top would have been a better layout” said Matt. Hard to disagree.
Set: Zaccaria – 40 Retro Tables
Model: Zaccaria EM
Table Type: Woodrail
Cathy: THE PITS (1 out of 5)
Sasha The Kid: THE PITS
Angela: THE PITS
Oscar: BAD+ (2 out of 5)
Jordi: BAD
Dave: BAD
Matt: BAD+
Dash: BAD +
Scoring Average: 1.65 – BAD
Final Average: 1.6 – BAD
🏆Angela ranks #1 in 5 Ball Arcade – Undisputed World Champion
🏆Matt ranks #2 in 3 Ball Arcade – Post Update Highest Score
🏆Cathy ranks #4 in 90 Second Mode – Post Update Highest Score
🏆Jordi ranks #1 in Time Loop Mode – Undisputed World Champion

Zaccaria Pinball: Quick Reference Ratings

Writing a guide for over 100 tables is a time-consuming thing. But, we know a lot of people want to know which tables are the ones to get. Our ratings are in for all Zaccaria Pinball tables in the Solid State, Electro Mechanical, and Retro categories for Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and Steam. We’re currently working our way through Remake and Deluxe tables. None of these ratings are likely to change, but if you have further questions, you can hit me up on Twitter. The guide IS coming.

We are awarding two Electro-Mechanical tables Certificates of Excellence.
We are awarding seven Solid State tables Certificates of Excellence.
We are awarding one Retro table a Certificate of Excellence.

Please note: the Retro pack contains twenty-seven tables, sixteen of which we’ve declared Certified Turds, and one of which (Robot) we’ve determined to be the worst digital pinball table of the modern era. BUT, the entire pack costs only $2.99 or less depending on which platform you buy it on, and $2.99 for a Certified Excellent table (Mystic Star) is a bargain no matter how many bad tables you get with it. So we do universally recommend it (except Angela, who was indifferent).

These ratings apply to every platform, including playing on a digital table using Steam.