D&D has been a white whale of mine for a while, mainly due to the great theme and that I had heard it is a shockingly good game for the era. I was not disappointed:
Pro’s:
I’ll get this out of the way: the soundtrack is straight up awesome. No other way to get around it.
Layout is really fun! Super creative and nothing else really like it.
Rules are unbalanced on first glance, but in reality pretty balanced. Yes, the mystical Million Shot sounds like it would make it unbalanced (hit three in line drops down, shoot the shot again and hit the side ramp, repeat as much as possible until the in line drops reset when the ball drain). However, when you consider that one’s accuracy on the side ramp is going to be extremely low due to how tough the shot is, it really isn’t that bad.
Art is pretty good too! Classic backglass art, with some really great original art by Pat McMahon.
Topper is really cool, if you are lucky enough to play one with it.
Lighting is really good, with strong placement of flashers.
Con’s:
Sound quality is sadly pretty shabby, but the tracks themselves are so good that it more than makes up for it.
Not very many shots on the playfield (3-6, depending on your qualification of what a shot is). However, the game still plays really well despite this IMO.
Sadly, the build quality overall is just terrible, both in terms of cabinet and moving parts.
Overall, a really great game. Sadly under looked due to being a 6803.
Pinside rating
This game has received 42 approved Pinsider ratings. 8 more approved ratings are needed to get a rating and for it to be eligible for the Pinside Pinball Top 100 ranking.
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 2 of us have rated this game.
Found 21 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 21 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 1.
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9.074/10
1 year ago
Surrey, BC
This machine takes me right back to the 80s. Soundtrack has an incredible nostalgia factor for that era.
Overall the theme integration is amazing. I love the timed shot to advance up the dungeon levels. It's one of the most difficult shots, and therefore getting to higher levels is a real thrill.
Teleport illusions using innovative drop/ball lock mechanisms.
The outlane save mechanism works really well with this theme under 'magic' saves
Battle the dragons' flames, and loot the dungeon!
---------------
I can see why people have an issue with the audio quality.. for me, I'm happy with it.. the quality only adds to the nostalgia.
Technically the shots are somewhat limited next to other titles of this era. For me, they are good enough, that I can't really fault it on this.. but I guess we'll see how I feel in a few months. So far so good!
Cab shape would be my only complaint really. For regular folks with a standard dolly.. this was very difficult to move.. :/
Overall the theme integration is amazing. I love the timed shot to advance up the dungeon levels. It's one of the most difficult shots, and therefore getting to higher levels is a real thrill.
Teleport illusions using innovative drop/ball lock mechanisms.
The outlane save mechanism works really well with this theme under 'magic' saves
Battle the dragons' flames, and loot the dungeon!
---------------
I can see why people have an issue with the audio quality.. for me, I'm happy with it.. the quality only adds to the nostalgia.
Technically the shots are somewhat limited next to other titles of this era. For me, they are good enough, that I can't really fault it on this.. but I guess we'll see how I feel in a few months. So far so good!
Cab shape would be my only complaint really. For regular folks with a standard dolly.. this was very difficult to move.. :/
7.285/10
2 years ago
Encinitas, CA
Dungeons and dragons is a cool table with a unique gimmick that I enjoy a lot. There are no traditional outlanes, but instead only inlanes with exit holes that you need to manually block with the second set of flipper buttons on the cabinet. The constant need to close the gates at the right time to stope the ball from draining is really fun. The theme is decent for pinball, and the art is pretty cool too. The ramp shots to the back are cool, and the whole theme of sieging a castle with a dragon is good. I like the upper flipper as well, even though the shot from it is quite difficult.
7.234/10
3 years ago
Totally one of "those" kids who played D&D. Captures the 'feel' of D&D well.
A great layout and creative use of space on the PF. Inline drops in the ramps are a real challenge. The million shot is a tough one. Reflex lanes keep you on your toes. The flames on the bonus count down are sweet, sort of remindes me of Fire! in that aspect. The Blue Warrior, Red Valkyrie and the Yellow Wizard totally makes me think of Gauntlet which I also loved.. The topper with the flashers rock and is the best of the era. Incorporating Elmore's work is a true tribute to the game.
The darker feel works for the game. I think LED's would ruin the 'dungeon' feel.
You'd better have strong flippers or you'll never make the ramps, ever. Reflex saves are a challenge and can be frustrating, but a nice different touch to standard layouts.
Game is very challenging, especially in a tournament atmosphere .
A great layout and creative use of space on the PF. Inline drops in the ramps are a real challenge. The million shot is a tough one. Reflex lanes keep you on your toes. The flames on the bonus count down are sweet, sort of remindes me of Fire! in that aspect. The Blue Warrior, Red Valkyrie and the Yellow Wizard totally makes me think of Gauntlet which I also loved.. The topper with the flashers rock and is the best of the era. Incorporating Elmore's work is a true tribute to the game.
The darker feel works for the game. I think LED's would ruin the 'dungeon' feel.
You'd better have strong flippers or you'll never make the ramps, ever. Reflex saves are a challenge and can be frustrating, but a nice different touch to standard layouts.
Game is very challenging, especially in a tournament atmosphere .
7.273/10
8 years ago
Not had this game very long however i love the theme, the challenge, and the artwork is fantastic. The Topper gets a rise out of my son every time. Magic save is tricky but is a nice dynamic to the gameplay as the outlanes become inlanes essentially. Multiball is easily achieved and ridiculously fast. Very fun game. The artwork is great and the music NEVER leaves my brain. So catchy. Glad i bought it for my first pin.
7.557/10
9 years ago
A fun game to come out of Bally before they were bought by Williams. The downside of this is the HORRENDOUS build quality!!! Entire cab is made of MDF, not plywood. This results in usually beat up cabs. Another problem is the way the playfield is raised and lowered. It just sits on 2 wood rails and after many times of raising and lowering, the entire bottom of the cabinet is covered in wood shavings. Rant over. Other than the build quality the game is pretty fun. The inline drops on top of the ramp is unique and cool. The side ramp is very difficult to hit. Rebuilt/strong flippers are a MUST!!! The fun is somewhat ruined by the backwards rule set. The mystical millions is the main goal of the game, but the horrible way that the rules are set up makes this very hard. In order to lower the right ramp you HAVE to lock the ball. This makes it difficult as the ramp always starts up, this is not adjustable. Even worse, if you get to multiball, even on accident, you are not able to hit the drops. I was never able too get the million without cheating. The game is actually fun and the topper is awesome, although not worth the extra money it commands. The music and sounds are good. Its kinda ruined by the horrible sound quality. Overall a fun game and good layout let down by poor rules and build quality.
6.677/10
10 years ago
Ok so my as un-biased as possible review, as an owner and it being my first personally owned machine. I've owned it for a year now and I think I am ready to give my review.
Playfield layout is pretty good, with all the fan layouts these days, mixing it up with some old school lower targets and some nice (yet short) ramps is nice.
The game rules are simple for this modest pin and work well for a quick fun game.
You try to extinguish the dragons breath by hitting the sword, shield, and dust targets in various locations around the machine. I have blue, red and yellow LEDs as the flashers for these, the blue works really well and gets your attention, the yellow so-so and the red I may just have to put back to a regular lamp.
The main toy on this machine is the topper, but the theme itself is also cool which "makes you want to play" if your an RPG fan like myself, in fact, it "made me want to buy"
All in all, the gameplay is ok for a lower end machine. Like I said its my first, and the first I played in about 15 years or so, then I went to pinfest in Allentown in 2013 and played some old classics, Earthshaker, Whirlwind, MM. I realize I am rating this high as an owner, but I am the Dark Wizard, and it is D&D after all, so sorry.
For a game from 1987, the sound effects and music are quite good and never really annoying. The music changes frequently to keep it on the fresh side. The various sword clashing sounds are cool when hitting various targets and the evil laughter is well done.
The lighting on the game is fine, no complains, nothing out of the ordinary in either direction. The lastability... well I am hoping to get a topper soon and I think with that added lighting effect and "toy" I think I will end up keeping it, the cabinet artwork is so well done and cool looking, I see no need to ever get rid of it, its a fun quick game, nothing deep, no story, just extiquish the flame, kill the dragon, try not to loose your balls. (This is good advice even outside of pinball).
I hope you enjoyed my review, farewell adventurer...
Playfield layout is pretty good, with all the fan layouts these days, mixing it up with some old school lower targets and some nice (yet short) ramps is nice.
The game rules are simple for this modest pin and work well for a quick fun game.
You try to extinguish the dragons breath by hitting the sword, shield, and dust targets in various locations around the machine. I have blue, red and yellow LEDs as the flashers for these, the blue works really well and gets your attention, the yellow so-so and the red I may just have to put back to a regular lamp.
The main toy on this machine is the topper, but the theme itself is also cool which "makes you want to play" if your an RPG fan like myself, in fact, it "made me want to buy"
All in all, the gameplay is ok for a lower end machine. Like I said its my first, and the first I played in about 15 years or so, then I went to pinfest in Allentown in 2013 and played some old classics, Earthshaker, Whirlwind, MM. I realize I am rating this high as an owner, but I am the Dark Wizard, and it is D&D after all, so sorry.
For a game from 1987, the sound effects and music are quite good and never really annoying. The music changes frequently to keep it on the fresh side. The various sword clashing sounds are cool when hitting various targets and the evil laughter is well done.
The lighting on the game is fine, no complains, nothing out of the ordinary in either direction. The lastability... well I am hoping to get a topper soon and I think with that added lighting effect and "toy" I think I will end up keeping it, the cabinet artwork is so well done and cool looking, I see no need to ever get rid of it, its a fun quick game, nothing deep, no story, just extiquish the flame, kill the dragon, try not to loose your balls. (This is good advice even outside of pinball).
I hope you enjoyed my review, farewell adventurer...
7.086/10
11 years ago
What a weird game! Those outlane protectors take some major getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, the game becomes such an ACTIVE thing. Keeps you on your toes more than most pins. It's a really cool concept.
There are some fun shots and an extremely unconventional scoring system. Beyond that, the game is a bit sparse and thin.
There are some fun shots and an extremely unconventional scoring system. Beyond that, the game is a bit sparse and thin.
7.891/10
12 years ago
D&D is a pretty challenging game. You get used to the Magic Save feature pretty quickly, and if you get the machine playing fast, it can be hard! It has one of the toughest shots I've ever seen in pinball, and it's very satisfying when you make it (Mystical Million). The beautiful backglass by Larry Elmore just makes the game that much sweeter.
Litvinov
6.647/10
12 years ago
A last machine make from Bally Corp. before William buy it! It's a historial machine and just 2000 machines in the world make this machine a exceptional machine in the private collection. And most, this machine is very funny to play and all aspect of gaming is very high level of quality. I like the 2 strobs on top. Is most like this for all and personnaly, i like everything from big blast my eyes and speceficlay the strobs. My favorite Bally machine. Very like it.
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