![]() ![]() Even after playing every “real” table Zaccaria has to offer, I still don’t think the little Italian silverball company ever topped this early effort from 1977.Does anyone out there have any idea what could be causing this: Sure, there’s not tons of flexibility for players, but every single shot is a genuine thrill to hit. Fine-tuned scoring and proper risk-reward balance married to fast-paced kinetic energy. Either way, when do you ever see a table where the outlanes are the most thrilling element? It turns what is already a really fun, energetic table into one of the most satisfying of its kind you can get in modern digital pinball. Sometimes, you’ll need to save it manually. The ball will bounce off the post at the base of the outlane and be put back into play. But, whether or not a special opportunity is active or not, you have a chance to save the ball. If the ball drops down the outlane, you get a free ball. If it’s the second or fourth light, the special for the outlanes lights-up. Using the spinner, you change which of the five lights for the top saucer are lit. Normally, I’m not a fan of open inlanes, but in Aerobatics, they’re arguably the key element in a table that has no true primary shot. Mind you, extra-balls earned off specials are limited to one per turn, but I can’t stress enough how much a weight-off it is in any Zaccaria EM when you finally see that EB light turn on. This is especially highlighted in the outlanes. ![]() When to nudge and when not to nudge, and which direction to do it. “Wait, you were able to circumvent 95% of the table, put up a near world-record, and you’re calling THAT a masterpiece?” Yep, and here’s why: there’s no Zaccaria electro-mechanical table where the art of the nudge matters more. 12,750,100 points later, I’m #2 on the all-time Leaderboard. In fact, while writing this very paragraph, I decided to test that theory by playing the 5-ball arcade mode on Switch and aiming specifically ONLY at the saucers, no matter what. Hell, that goes for the three drop targets as well. The advance-bonus shot on the right wall? You can put up mighty scores using it without ever once taking direct aim at it. ![]() In fact, it’s absolutely viable to alternate between shooting the two saucers and letting the crowding of the table and the inevitability of missed shots run its course. Okay, so it’s not a deep experience, and there’s arguably no primary target OR even really a genuine driver for the table. What makes Aerobatics the one for me is every shot is exciting. If it had been that way, Angela and Oscar would have gone MASTERPIECE in their rankings, Jordi would have bumped his rating up to GREAT, and Aerobatics would be in the conversation for the best EM conversion in all of digital pinball. Having to shoot the spinner to try and light the first step in the specials would have added some much-needed depth. Let’s say you have one of the other three lights on. Actually, I think the main weakness of Aerobatics is that the top light resets at the start of every ball. Plus, it starts every single ball with the left special highlighted already, so you have a chance off-the-serve to turn it on. But, I genuinely enjoyed shooting the top one more. ![]() IF there is a driver for Aerobatics, the left saucer would probably get the credit. ![]()
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