EM / SS Pinball Comparison
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The table below provides a very general comparison of Electro-Mechanical and Solid State pinball machines. Like all generalizations there are many exceptions. During the change-over from EM to SS in the late 1970s the new machines were not that different from a look and play point-of-view. The goal here is to capture the common cases of comparison between a 70s EM and a 90s or later SS machine.
This table summarizes an RGP discussion started on 11/29/2011 by Kirkd2.
| Category | EM | SS / DMD |
|---|---|---|
| Ball Time | Short, design is about 30 seconds per ball | Games tend to be longer |
| Speed | Slower, playfield slope about 3.5 degrees (1) | Fast, playfield slope about 6.5 degrees |
| Randomness | The ball is wild | Typically have shots that return the ball to a flipper |
| Game play | No memory from ball-to-ball for multi-player machines | Player state tracked from ball-to-ball |
| Objectives | Easy to understand, difficult to master | Deep rule sets |
| New Players | Easy to see game objectives | Often overwhelmed |
| Sounds | Mechanical bells, chimes, and score reels | Broad range of electronic sounds, including voice and high-quality music |
| Lights | On, Off, When-Lit, and blinking | broad range of light shows and attract modes |
| Theme | Original themes | Licensed themes |
| Artwork | Original artwork | Cut-and-paste from stock theme artwork |
| Playfield | High-quality multi-color screen printing | Lower-quality dithered color screen printing |
| Maintenance | No diagnostics, need to trace problem on schematics | Built-in diagnostic modes |
| Repair | Rarely need parts replacement other than maintenance | Transistor replacement on driver boards |
| Longevity | Could still be working 100 years from now | Electronics will eventually fail |
(1) Later EMs can have fast play if they are set up and adjusted correctly.