claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.034
Fathom (1981) receives B-range reviews from SDTM hosts despite iconic art and era-appropriate innovation.
Fathom's backglass is ranked #1 in their top 10 best backglasses
high confidence · Greg Bone states the backglass scored 'number one' in their top 10 best glasses list
The inverse in-lane/out-lane design (out lanes run back to flippers, in-lanes cause drain) is innovative for the era
high confidence · Hosts discuss this as a notable feature similar to Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones designs
Fathom features approximately 15 drop targets total across the playfield
medium confidence · Zach counts roughly 15 drop targets visible, noting 'we got say 15' drop targets
The dual blue/green bonus track system makes the game feel like 'two games within one'
high confidence · Hosts describe the split bonus mechanics as making the game feel bifurcated
Fathom's restored condition (with new playfield, plastics, artwork) commands premium pricing that doesn't match gameplay value
high confidence · Greg states 'prices that it fetches especially for a restore' are not aligned with play quality, suggesting high secondary market prices for aesthetic reasons
“It's one of the classics class of 81 yeah so it should be an A+ right I don't know we're gonna we're gonna find out”
Greg Bone@ 2:06 — Sets up the review's central tension: high reputation vs. actual gameplay assessment
“The game feels almost like two games within one okay right...you're building up separate bonuses the whole time”
Zach Meny@ 6:42 — Core criticism of Fathom's ruleset design—the split blue/green mechanic fragments play experience
“I'd rather have a meteor honestly...give me stern meteor over vallys fathom isn't that crazy”
Zach Meny@ 31:35 — Zach expresses stronger preference for Meteor (similar era) over this 'greatest pinball machine ever made,' indicating personal taste diverges from community consensus
“It's not one that I'm like ooh I want to shoot fathom because it feels good...it feels fine but for the time it's fine”
Zach Meny@ 18:49 — Summarizes lukewarm enjoyment—adequate for era but not compelling enough to seek out
“The playfield really tells us the whole pinball tells a story you're not really sure what that story is no but I ambiguous”
Greg Bone@ 15:52 — Appreciates the thematic storytelling and artwork's ability to convey narrative ambiguity
“I think the notoriety comes from Dart...I think a lot of it does you're right”
Zach Meny@ 22:14 — Suggests Fathom's reputation is primarily driven by exceptional artwork/aesthetics rather than gameplay depth
competitive_signal: Hosts establish Fathom as historically significant and design-innovative but not competitively appealing against other 1970s-80s titles in modern collector context
medium · Zach: 'there are some older pins that I like the rulesets better like a meteor...this one just seems a little too split at times for me'; Greg maintains higher rating (B+) but acknowledges personal preference divergence
design_philosophy: Fathom's spinner shot design (non-orbit, mid-playfield) lacks the satisfying flow of comparable games; Zach prefers orbit spinners for continuous ripping during play
high · Zach: 'it's not a mid play field spinner but it's kind of a it's not a mid play field spinner but it's kind of a it doesn't feels good if it were on an orbit that's agreed'; 'I'd rather have spinners that are in orbits that continue all the way around'
design_innovation: Fathom's inverse in-lane/out-lane design and dual drop-target bonus track are recognized as innovative for 1981, with inverse lane mechanic appearing in modern games like Pirates of the Caribbean
high · Hosts identify these as notable mechanics; reference to Pirates of the Caribbean using similar inverse lane design; discussion of bonus track innovation
design_philosophy: Fathom's split blue/green bonus mechanic creates fragmented play experience that feels like 'two games within one,' limiting flow-based engagement preferred by modern players
high · Zach: 'it feels sometimes a little too split I feel like it's almost two games at once where I'm playing a blue game and I'm playing a green game'; Zach: 'I don't enjoy it long term as I thought I would'
mixed(0.45)— Hosts respectfully acknowledge Fathom's historical significance, iconic artwork (A+ rating), and innovative mechanics for its era, but express measured to lukewarm enthusiasm for actual gameplay. Zach is notably more critical of playflow and enjoyability (B- to C ratings on gameplay), while Greg is slightly more appreciative of the overall package (solid B to B+ ratings). The tone is appreciative but not enthusiastic—both recognize why others love it without personally connecting to long-term replay value. Greg anticipates negative community reaction to their near-C cumulative score.
youtube_auto_sub · $0.000
“I think it is solid it's a solid B...there are some older pins that I like the rulesets better like a meteor”
Zach Meny@ 21:48 — Final gameplay assessment: acknowledges quality but prefers comparable-era alternatives
“Yeah well what what are you I'm gonna be solid beat it's a three point zero six I think you're you're gonna get some hate mail”
Greg Bone@ 32:15 — Anticipates negative community response to near-C rating of iconic game
event_signal: Hosts mention TWIG (major pinball tournament) coming 'soon' in 2019 with significant preparation underway, indicating major community event planning
medium · Greg: 'twig puppy yeah share the video by temperature category is gonna be a big big big ceremony big for 2019 coming soon yeah we're putting a lot of working we're prepping right now'
market_signal: Restored Fathom machines command premium secondary market prices driven primarily by aesthetic/artwork appeal rather than gameplay value—prices exceed what gameplay quality justifies
high · Greg: 'I look to this machine because the prices that it fetches especially for a restore warrant looks good I wouldn't say that it plays to that price standard'; 'a lot of it is the aesthetics of it'
competitive_signal: Hosts debated internal methodology for rating classic (pre-1990) games: whether to evaluate against era standards or modern standards. Settled on era-appropriate comparison while allowing legitimate cross-era gameplay comparisons
high · Zach: 'we had a lot of argument on how to rate these older games...how do we rate it for the time period do we rate it compared to today...we stayed more true to the time period'; Greg acknowledges valid comparison to modern titles
sentiment_shift: Community consensus (Fathom as 'one of the greatest pinball machines ever made') conflicts with hosts' measured B-range assessment, with Zach expressing stronger preference for comparable-era alternatives like Meteor
high · Greg anticipates 'hate mail' for near-C rating; Zach states 'give me stern meteor over vallys fathom isn't that crazy'; Zach rates enjoyability as C despite respecting design
licensing_signal: Hosts discuss potential for modern underwater-themed pinball (potentially unlicensed like Fathom) and note it could appeal to contemporary audiences, suggesting underutilized theme category
medium · Greg: 'I would love to hear you see more things like this...I don't think it's license or I don't think it has these pretty free yeah that'd be actually becoming me because he grabbed a lot of the old timers'