The first thing you'll notice is the nicely laid out playfield, and the many Addams items sprinkled throughout it. Then you'll notice the little video screen with many nice animations as you achieve different things during play. The most prominent feature of this game, however, is the multitude of voice effects Raul and Anjelica were recorded saying expressly for this game. There are sooooooooo many comments and quips here I could hardly believe it. Even Cousin Itt chimes in every now and then. "GREEEEEEEEEEED!!!" "Well played, Thing! You're really on the ball!" "Look darling, we have guests!"

This pinball cabinet is oozing with so much personality you can't help but smile as you're playing it. There are a few ramps here, a few holes there, and three flippers to utilize; two normal ones at the bottom, and one dinky one on the upper-right side. You can lock up balls in the vault and then trigger a round of quick multiball. The Swamp and Graveyard are filled with bumpers to earn you some quick points, and the hole that brings up the many windows in the Addams Mansion (uh, brain slipped for a minute on its official name-the electric chair I believe...) leads you to many different play situations. There is a great feel to this game, and after I started on it, I was hooked. "GlucoseJoe, can you hear me?"

Every time I ran across this pinball machine, I played it at least once. This from someone who just doesn't usually dig the whole pinball scene. They're good and everything, but...let's just say I have this theory that there are magnets under the plastic that pull the ball into the gutters behind the flippers and directly down the center when you're doing too well. I've seen silver pinballs that have defied the laws of physics TOO MANY TIMES to not believe in my theory. Even the Addams Family has its fair share of magnetism, but it's on purpose here, under the guise of the "Power of the Addams".

There is an area near the bottom of this machine's playfield that, when lit up under certain situations, causes the ball to stop in mid-drop and be sharply thrown to the left or right at a hard 90 degree angle, or just loop around a bunch of times before resuming a semi-normal course. The Addams Power is neat the first few times it works for you, but it kinda sucks when it works against you...

Playfield: It is very well designed, and does not suffer from too much barren space like other pinball games I've played (No Fear comes immediately to mind). There are plenty of things to do in this game, and the many windows of the Addams Mansion will take you into many time-based, high-scoring situations. Multiball is fast and furious, but usually I actually got to keep the balls going for a while, instead of like the multiball in other machines, where one or two balls would almost IMMEDIATELY drop straight down the center. There are plenty of lights and moving objects on the playfield to keep you playing.

Graphics: Well, I have to do this for a pinball game too I guess...The little screen showed many, many different animations, such as the bear roaring towards the screen when you earned those bear clicks (?), and Thing even gives you a chance at the end of the game to win another play by walking out with a wagon. It hits a bump and two numbers pop out-if they match your two, you get another go. There are many, many little animations that are funny, too, like the little dancers doing "Theeee MaaaaaaMushkaaaaaaa!!!".

Sound: Fan-tas-tic! There's so much speech in this little baby! What great sound they poured into the Addams Family pinball game! Even the little pieces of music are well done, and the sound effects, like explosions and creaking doors, all add to the experience. Wonderful job in this area; truly exemplary.

Control: It's pinball, baby! Flip those flippers and pull the springloaded ball launcher to send that silver ball flying! No control issues obviously!

Funfactor: As a non-pinballer, even I was hooked on this one. I spent a lot of time on this game, and I am still not tired of it. I still plunk in a quarter or five whenever I run across one of the machines, which are much fewer and a lot farther between, and unfortunately not maintained very well...This is a very fun pinball game, and fans of the movies will get a kick out of it.

Replayability? How's this? I wish I owned this game. How's that for replayability? How many arcade units can you say that about?

GlucoseJoe

Reviewer's Score: 10 / 10