Ultraman: Kaiju Rumble Collector's Edition (which also comes in Standard and Bloodsucker Edition) was released in late 2021. The initial response to the game was curiosity and cautious excitement, yet that changed when the game was released. Since 1966, Ultraman has been entertaining audiences of all ages in Japan. The shiny, spandex-wearing superheroes are some of the most unique heroes to come out of Japan, but the franchise only achieved cult status in America.

When Spooky Pinball announced in 2021 that Ultraman was getting its own pinball machine, I had to scratch my head. After all, outside of a dedicated group of hardcore tokusatsu fans, who would show interest -- and would Spooky give the series justice?

It's got the look!

The game itself is visually striking, thanks to artwork by Matt Frank. The audio features both English and Japanese dialogue, accompanied by a soundtrack by Count D.

The speaker grills feature a unique split view of Ultraman and the playfield does feature two upper decks, four ramps, four flippers, and one hell of a multiball. The topper is fun, but not overly dynamic and exciting.

Could use some speed...

Despite how great this machine looks, Ultraman: Kaiju Rumble is one of the slowest games I've ever played. The shooter rod has no power behind it, so expect hitting the ball a few times before it reached the playfield. Once on the field, it doesn't get much better. Perhaps it was the machine I played, but everything about the mechanics was simply too slow.

When you think of pinball, you rightfully think of a fast-paced game. Yet none of that is here in Ultraman. I barely got through one game before calling it quits. The multiball is the saving grace in this game, sending out 3-5 balls at a time. You can easily rack up a high score thanks to the generous (and fun) multiball.

Spooky Pinball is a good manufacturer.

They acquire great IPs and create unique and fun games. This is likely an anomaly for them, and hopefully, with future code updates, the game will improve. Hopeful buyers can still find this game in stock with most pinball dealers, but the aftermarket on this game doesn't look promising.

The Standard version sells for $7,000, the Bloodsucker edition sells for $8,000, and the Collector's edition sells for $9,000 -- yet collectors are already selling their machines at cost or for a minor loss.

If you're looking to buy this game as an investment piece, it might be in your best interest to pass it up. If you're a tokusatsu or kaiju collector, this may be worth it for you. But outside of hardcore fans, this machine just didn't live up to the hype.

Are you a pinball fan? Tell us your faves in the comments!

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.