Having been a huge pinball fan all of my life, with a particular love for classic Williams tables, it has always been a joy to check out these collections since they began coming to Pinball FX. While the nature of each collection has varied quite a bit, in my mind the tendency has been for each to generally have one less popular table, one older classic, and then one “banger” that seals the deal. In the case of this specific collection though, while each of the tables is quite good, I would say it’s missing the oomph of that clear exciting table to bring it all together.

The one table in the pack I was unfamiliar with, WHO dunnit, was actually a nice surprise, though I'd still say that overall it’s probably the weakest in the bunch. The concept is a good one, where you’ll be working through suspects and collecting clues in order to identify the culprit in a variety of crimes. That said, while the layout and flow of the table is at least distinctive I can’t say I was really a fan either. The other two, Taxi and Pin-Bot, are obviously the feature tables, as both are well-known and pretty well-respected. That said, I wouldn’t consider either to be a clear whizbang candidate as they’re known for their overall design and theming, and not necessarily pulse-pounding play. 

Taxi was never particularly a favorite of mine, though very playable, but it always struck me as pretty tough to get rolling with. The ramps and features are laid out pretty well, and if you can get rolling it’s quite doable to get each of the game’s oddball fares to join you, but I always found it to be one of the classic tables where simply keeping the ball in play could be a challenge. 

Though Pin-Bot is the oldest table in the bunch, it’s also the most iconic by a fair margin (though, truthfully, I personally prefer The Machine: Bride of Pin-Bot). Its playfield remains very open and distinctive, and I actually really love the added enhancements that were added to this table specifically, so I’d consider it the featured attraction. Just lacking the bells and whistles of more modern tables, or exciting multiball craziness, it makes for a much more sedate big seller than usual.

In the end, I’d say that for true pinball aficionados there’s no question that this is worth picking up. On the prestige of Pin-Bot alone, there’s no doubt that it includes some important pinball history within it. That said, for more casual pinball fans who just enjoy exciting tables and arcade action, this is a weaker option than most, with no table clearly standing out as competition to the likes of other featured tables like Attack from Mars, Medieval Madness, or others that have been featured over the years.