1980 BALLY XENON PINBALL MACHINE - Fresh, Top-Shelf Restoration! 

It does make me wonder where some people are comming from with regard to their reviews.. You cannot directly compare the performance of a classic E-Type Jaguar to a brand new XK Jaguar, this however does not detract from the fact that an E- Type jag is a gorgeous car.

The same is true of those comparing these early 80's solid state pinballs to their more modern day counterparts (i.e. TZ, Addams family etc.)how flawed is that?

The first use of female voice synthesis is spell binding. Also having multiball option, the up and over tube shot and with the sexy voicing that matches the game as it progresses, superb.

Undeniably it doesnt compare to the technical capabilities of the more modern machines, but I say give me the sexy Xenon E-type over the modern TZ XK's anyday.

My rating is based on the machine taken into consideration when it was released.

Having said that it surely holds its own when placed against any more modern machine.

Given the choice if Xenon was next to a more gimicky (yes i know im on thin ice by saying gimicky when Xenon has a tube shot option) modern game, I would take the xenon anyday.

Some of us dont want a game that is popular by living off the back of some corporate endorsement, some of us want a great game with great (no I mean FANTASTIC) artwork and a VIBE unique unto itself, a game that is challenging without having to take an eternity to master; some of us dont want the gameplay interupted with loads of computer generated ditties thrown in.

That is why my rating is so high.

The only reason I have put the play rating as 9 and not 10 is - well, no reason actually, it should be 10 too, but in the spirit of fairplay I'll give it a 9.

I just imagine how much more could have been done if a widebody Xenon were ever made, 2 tubeshots, 3X multiball.....What am I talking about, you cant perfect perfection and its rude to modernise Classics, you wouldnt put a roof on stonehenge. When you line Xenon up against other machines that were released in the same time period, it stands head and shoulders above all the rest; and does the same thing when next to the modern games too..Now thats something SPECIAL.

Anyway... as for the pure sexy artwork, need I say anymore apart from the fact that I waited nearly 30 years, from when I first was bowled over by Xenon in my youth in the arcades, to the present day with my being a proud owner of my own Xenon; and guess what shes just as sexy as she ever was.

Wait long enough and the girls of your dreams will be yours, I have my wife and I have my mistress Xenon too lol. Good life.

The Pros: This game looks and sounds fantastic. Congrats to Faris and Ciani on a job incredibly well done. When multiball is up and running, it sounds like people are making the beast with two backs from the pop bumper sounds. The falling into the BG is a beautiful effect. The tube to the lock is a simple and effective means of getting the ball from one end of the PF to the other.

The Cons: Can be a bit simple at times... but still is a classic playing table.

The Takeaway: This is what happens when you give very creative people license to work as they deem fit. Greg Kmeic did a great job on this game and it may not feel as good as other games made at the time... It's all done very well. The whole team came together on this deck.

Xenon is a perfect example of the true definition of the word ICONIC - the amount of people not even into pinball that upon just showing them a picture of the pinall respond with 'ohh god yes i remember that' and a flood of memories of that era ensues; it never ceases to amaze me.

The second word, and this word gets thrown around too frequently now however, in the case of this pinball it is most cetainly no underestimation to descibe it as a true CLASSIC.

Sure the gameplay is nowhere near capable of the depth of the more modern games, but for its day, brilliant. Even now in the next century, with this table being over 30years old, its still holds its own and is a really cool game with a great vibe to it, play is always challenging and fun.