# So Fun, They’re Scary: Elvira Table Reviews on Pinball FX

**Source:** Kineticist  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2025-10-31  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.kineticist.com/news/elvira-table-reviews-pinball-fx

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## Analysis

A review of two Williams/Bally pinball machines—Elvira and the Party Monsters and Scared Stiff—released on Pinball FX by Zen Studios. The reviewer praises Scared Stiff as a faithful, high-quality recreation worthy of purchase, while recommending Elvira and the Party Monsters as a nostalgic option best purchased on sale. Both machines are positioned as accessible entry points for new players, though Scared Stiff offers greater depth for experienced pinball enthusiasts.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Elvira and the Party Monsters was designed by Dennis Nordman with support from Steve Ritchie and Jim Patla — _Kineticist review article, opening section on machine design credits_
- [HIGH] Greg Freres adopted a cartoonish comic book art style for Elvira and the Party Monsters and Dennis Nordman's following two machines — _Kineticist review, art history section_
- [HIGH] Scared Stiff is one of the final standard machines ever produced by Williams/Bally — _Kineticist review, Scared Stiff introduction_
- [HIGH] The Pinball Arcade release of Scared Stiff was infamous for being too easy to control, but the Pinball FX recreation retains the difficulty of the original — _Kineticist review, Scared Stiff technical analysis section_
- [MEDIUM] These are likely to be the final releases of the year for Zen Studios — _Kineticist reviewer speculation at end of article_
- [HIGH] 2025 was an alright year for Zen Studios overall, with two pretty good originals (both Tomb Raider machines), three good Williams tables (Elvira, Pin*Bot, WHO dunnit), and two great Williams tables (Taxi, Scared Stiff) — _Kineticist review, year-end summary_

### Notable Quotes

> "This nostalgic favorite from the late 80s finally found its way to Pinball FX and will appeal to anyone who grew up with this machine at their local arcade."
> — **Kineticist (reviewer)**, opening
> _Sets context for Elvira's target audience and appeal_

> "One unfortunate casualty of this release is how easy it is to 'nudge catch' balls that exit the left ramp, making the left ramp very easy to loop compared to the real table, which requires it to be made on the fly"
> — **Kineticist (reviewer)**, Elvira technical analysis
> _Identifies a specific gameplay fidelity issue in the digital recreation_

> "Scared Stiff is a machine that has a diehard fanbase and one that I'm sure this recreation will appeal to; it certainly did for me."
> — **Kineticist (reviewer)**, Scared Stiff conclusion
> _Acknowledges passionate fanbase and reviewer's personal endorsement_

> "Everything about this recreation plays true to the original, and I've enjoyed my time with this machine a lot over the years, so I'm very glad that we finally got an even better recreation than the one that came out over 10 years ago."
> — **Kineticist (reviewer)**, Scared Stiff final assessment
> _Affirms Pinball FX version surpasses prior Pinball Arcade version_

> "With many of the Williams tables that were released in Pinball Arcade having finally been preserved on a newer platform, I'm hoping that 2026 brings more Williams tables we haven't seen before; I'm still holding out hope for Mousin' Around and Radical! but understand that they're rare tables"
> — **Kineticist (reviewer)**, 2026 outlook
> _Indicates desire for preservation of rare/rare Williams titles on modern platforms; acknowledges scarcity challenges_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Dennis Nordman | person | Designer of Elvira and the Party Monsters and subsequent machines |
| Steve Ritchie | person | Provided design support on Elvira and the Party Monsters |
| Jim Patla | person | Provided design support on Elvira and the Party Monsters |
| Greg Freres | person | Pinball artist who adopted cartoonish comic book style for Elvira and Party Monsters and Nordman's following two machines |
| Elvira and the Party Monsters | game | Williams pinball machine from late 1980s, reviewed for Pinball FX release |
| Scared Stiff | game | 1996 Williams/Bally pinball machine, reviewed for Pinball FX release |
| Pinball FX | product | Digital pinball platform by Zen Studios hosting the reviewed tables |
| Zen Studios | company | Developer of Pinball FX; celebrated 25th anniversary in 2025 |
| Williams | company | Original manufacturer of Elvira and the Party Monsters and other tables reviewed |
| Bally | company | Manufacturer of Scared Stiff (1996) and co-credited on Williams/Bally machines |
| Pinball Arcade | product | Earlier digital platform that hosted Williams tables; comparisons made to Pinball FX versions |
| Taxi | game | Williams table released on Pinball FX volume 9; referenced for nudge-catch fix implementation |
| Pin*Bot | game | Williams table released on Pinball FX in 2025 |
| WHO dunnit | game | Williams table released on Pinball FX in 2025 |
| Tomb Raider | game | Two original Zen Studios tables released in 2025 |
| Mousin' Around | game | Rare Williams table the reviewer hopes to see on Pinball FX in future |
| Radical! | game | Rare Williams table the reviewer hopes to see on Pinball FX in future |
| Kineticist | organization | Review publication/reviewer analyzing Pinball FX releases |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Digital pinball preservation and recreation, Williams/Bally classic machine design and mechanics, Pinball FX platform quality and fidelity to original machines
- **Secondary:** Accessibility vs. depth for new vs. experienced pinball players, Zen Studios 2025 release strategy and future roadmap, Comparison between Pinball Arcade and Pinball FX versions
- **Mentioned:** Rare Williams table availability and preservation challenges

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0)

### Signals

- **[product_launch]** Elvira and the Party Monsters and Scared Stiff released on Pinball FX; marks preservation milestone for classic Williams/Bally titles on modern platform (confidence: high) — Both machines released simultaneously on Pinball FX at $10 each; Scared Stiff replaces prior Pinball Arcade version
- **[product_strategy]** $10 price point for individual tables; reviewer recommends waiting for sale on Elvira but endorses full-price purchase of Scared Stiff (confidence: high) — Reviewer states 'I would personally wait on a sale for this one' for Elvira but 'Whether on sale or at full price, Scared Stiff is worth looking into'
- **[product_concern]** Pinball FX Elvira suffers from unintended nudge-catch mechanic making left ramp too easy compared to physical machine; reviewer expected fix after Taxi volume 9 (confidence: high) — Reviewer notes 'how easy it is to nudge catch balls that exit the left ramp, making the left ramp very easy to loop compared to the real table, which requires it to be made on the fly; I thought this would've been fixed after Taxi from volume 9'
- **[product_concern]** Elvira FX enhancements (animated figures, cauldron) add visual clutter; Scared Stiff enhancements are praised as more subdued and appropriate (confidence: high) — Reviewer states Elvira enhancements 'don't add much value, as they make the table feel even more cluttered than it already is' while Scared Stiff enhancements are 'comparatively subdued—refreshingly so'
- **[product_quality]** Scared Stiff FX recreation praised for retaining difficulty and randomness of original; restores all dialogue removed from Pinball Arcade version (confidence: high) — Reviewer notes 'this recreation thankfully includes the random nature of the crate kickout that requires nudging skills' and 'all the dialogue is retained here, keeping the original machine's slightly raunchy nature alive'
- **[market_signal]** Williams tables migrating from Pinball Arcade to Pinball FX represents significant shift in digital pinball preservation; indicates licensing or business transition (confidence: medium) — Reviewer references 'having finally been preserved on a newer platform' and compares Pinball Arcade version unfavorably to Pinball FX recreation
- **[community_signal]** Scared Stiff has diehard fanbase; both tables positioned as appealing to new players and experienced enthusiasts respectively (confidence: high) — Reviewer states 'Scared Stiff is a machine that has a diehard fanbase' and notes both appeal to different audience segments
- **[product_strategy]** Zen Studios likely concluding 2025 releases with these two tables; 2026 projected to prioritize previously unavailable/rare Williams titles (confidence: medium) — Reviewer states 'These are likely to be the final releases of the year for Zen Studios' and expresses hope for rare tables like Mousin' Around and Radical! in 2026
- **[business_signal]** Zen Studios celebrated 25th anniversary in 2025; reviewer acknowledges this milestone in context of ongoing platform support (confidence: high) — Reviewer notes 'Zen Studios' 25th birthday that occurred a week ago at the time of this writing' and expresses hope for continued platform support
- **[content_signal]** Kineticist providing detailed technical and design analysis of digital pinball recreations; establishes standards for fidelity assessment (confidence: high) — In-depth review comparing digital versions to physical machines, identifying specific mechanical differences and gameplay implications
- **[historical_signal]** Elvira and the Party Monsters established cartoonish comic book art style via Greg Freres that influenced subsequent Dennis Nordman designs (confidence: high) — Reviewer notes Freres 'adopted a cartoonish comic book art style for this machine and Dennis's following two machines'
- **[market_signal]** Rare Williams tables like Mousin' Around and Radical! face difficulty in digital preservation; geography (Zen Studios in Hungary) compounds sourcing challenges (confidence: medium) — Reviewer notes tables 'are rare tables, and that Zen is located in Hungary, making them even more difficult to look for'

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## Transcript

Like what you're reading? Get pinball news, analysis, and deep dives delivered to your inbox. This nostalgic favorite from the late 80s finally found its way to Pinball FX and will appeal to anyone who grew up with this machine at their local arcade. Designed by Dennis Nordman with some support from Steve Ritchie & Jim Patla, Elvira and the Party Monsters was the formative machine for pinball artist Greg Freres, who adopted a cartoonish comic book art style for this machine and Dennis’s following two machines. While the machine is a product of its time in its sound design and art style, its design sensibilities and even its humor are still accessible to newer audiences. Most of the scoring on Elvira and the Party Monsters comes from two sources: the multiball, which starts after locking 3 balls at the skull locker, and the monster slide left ramp. Repeated shots to the left ramp will eventually light the ramp for 1 million; then, repeated shots will collect ELVIRA letters and eventually qualify the timed 3 million shot at the skull. ELVIRA letters can also be lit on a timer by completing any set of lanes or targets. During multiball, shooting both the left and right ramp will award a jackpot and then award 250k points per ramp for the rest of the multiball. Other targets around the playfield increase end-of-ball bonus, with the left targets eventually lighting the 1 million at the center hole, the BBQ targets lighting a mystery award, the JAM targets lighting boogie bonus, and the gravestone pizza targets increasing the right orbit value. All in all, simple rules that don’t take themselves seriously whatsoever, befitting the machine’s wild party theme. This Pinball FX recreation is authentic to the original release in many ways, right down to the difficulty of the bumper feed and recovering balls that don’t quite make it all the way into the skull locker. The sound design is especially noticeable in this recreation, with realistic sounds for balls exiting the skull locker or the party punch right ramp, all helping to make the table feel closer to its real-life origin. One unfortunate casualty of this release is how easy it is to “nudge catch” balls that exit the left ramp, making the left ramp very easy to loop compared to the real table, which requires it to be made on the fly; I thought this would’ve been fixed after Taxi from volume 9, when they implemented restrictions against this. However, this is a minor gripe that will affect only the most competitive Pinball FX players. Is Elvira and the Party Monsters worth the $10 asking price? That’s up to you to decide. This isn’t a machine I’ve had much nostalgia for outside of playing it on Pinball Arcade back when they had the Williams rights, but I know this table has its fans just like any other, and the attention to detail on this release can justify the asking price. I would personally wait on a sale for this one due to its age and simplicity, but if you’re really into this wild machine, give it a purchase. Scared Stiff, I can thankfully say, is well worth the $10 asking price. One of the final standard machines ever produced by Williams / Bally, Scared Stiff has the polish expected of a late-era Bally machine and is one of the most accessible machines they released. I don’t see this one much on location near me, but the few times I’ve played it for long periods of time, I’ve always enjoyed it, and I’m glad this table is finally seeing a release on modern software. In some ways this table feels like a sequel to the previous Elvira machine, but in plenty of others, it's proud to be its own thing and go in a different direction, adjacent to Elvira’s roots as a horror hostess. The objectives of Scared Stiff are easy to learn but hard to master, in the traditional pinball fashion. There are six Tales of Terror listed above the flippers, including two multiballs and four shots that need to be hit a certain number of times: the left ramp, the top lanes, the bumpers, and the leaper targets. After completing all six Tales, the player can shoot the crate for a chance to become Scared Stiff by alternating ramp & crate shots, with a 5M award and lucrative monster multiball for completing the stressful timed mode. Additional depth to the rules is provided by the spin the spider feature: shoot the right ramp to light the spider hole, then select an award by stopping the spider’s tail with the flippers. Figure out which awards work the best for your play style and current game status, and blow up the score! There might even be a surprise for collecting all the spider awards. This is an excellent recreation of the 1996 Bally machine, which thankfully retains the difficulty of the original release. The Pinball Arcade release of this table was infamous for being a little too easy to control, but this recreation thankfully includes the random nature of the crate kickout that requires nudging skills to recover from consistently and restricts extra balls to 2 per ball in play. Also, unlike the Pinball Arcade release, all the dialogue is retained here, keeping the original machine's slightly raunchy nature alive. I haven’t been able to find the strength for the skill shot into the top hole quite yet, but I’m sure I will after enough play time on it. Scared Stiff is a machine that has a diehard fanbase and one that I’m sure this recreation will appeal to; it certainly did for me. Everything about this recreation plays true to the original, and I’ve enjoyed my time with this machine a lot over the years, so I’m very glad that we finally got an even better recreation than the one that came out over 10 years ago. Whether on sale or at full price, Scared Stiff is worth looking into. Both machines come with enhancements: one with negligible enhancements, and the other with enhancements that further improve the table. Elvira and the Party Monsters has a variety of figures around the playfield, including one of Elvira in her cauldron, where the left instruction card would be, while Scared Stiff has Elvira sitting atop the entrance to the Bony Beast ramp and fully animated figures above the slingshots rather than the toy figures from the original. Both machines also include original art on the table side blades to help make the machines feel more immersive. The Elvira enhancements, while appreciated, don’t add much value, as they make the table feel even more cluttered than it already is; the Scared Stiff enhancements, by contrast, are comparatively subdued —refreshingly so for a table this colorful and vibrant. Though these two tables are being sold separately, I’m reviewing them both here as they both released on the same day. Both machines are very good for people brand-new to pinball who want a taste of the Williams/Bally house style, but Scared Stiff offers more for players who have been in the scene for a while and want to improve their play. Regardless, I’ll be playing both machines consistently and giving them the following ratings: These are likely to be the final releases of the year for Zen Studios. 2025 was an alright year for them overall, with two pretty good originals (both Tomb Raider machines), three good Williams tables (Elvira, Pin*Bot, WHO dunnit), and two great Williams tables (Taxi, Scared Stiff). With many of the Williams tables that were released in Pinball Arcade having finally been preserved on a newer platform, I’m hoping that 2026 brings more Williams tables we haven’t seen before; I’m still holding out hope for Mousin’ Around and Radical! but understand that they’re rare tables, and that Zen is located in Hungary, making them even more difficult to look for. But as the final release of the year, these were more than fitting, especially given Zen Studios’ 25th birthday that occurred a week ago at the time of this writing. Happy birthday, Zen team, and I hope you continue to maintain the digital pinball scene on consoles & mobile for years to come.

_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v4)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 3924c493-d934-47be-ae04-b016cf7a6c40*