Wizard!

Bally

Wizard!

Pinside Rating

This game received 73 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.656 /10

7.656

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #163 in the Pinside EM Top 100.



Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.625

Artwork: 8.082

Sounds/Music: 3.547

Other Aspects: 7.524


Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 1 of us has rated this game.

6.765

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Found 37 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 37 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 2.

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9.271/10
18 days ago
an icon, bought it when i was 20 still have it high score +500.000, have to check the exact number I engraved it on the cabinet. I love it, and still in good condition it is great to play, get the double bonus!
7.432/10
1 year ago
A classic pin. The flags are a rare feature that make the game a bit more fun. Not a lot of paths for the ball, but that's similar to all pins of this vintage. Fun to play!
8.101/10
1 year ago
Great artwork by Dave Christensen. The backglass is iconic and in my opinion, one of the best of the EM era. Lots to shoot at, love the spinner. The flags are cool and the 5000 special target is not easy to hit. I can play this game over and over and that is the bottom line to a good machine. Always look forward to playing this one.
8.113/10
1 year ago
I prefer three inch flipper EM’s from the 70’s. Enjoy Gottlieb’s, William’s and Bally pins and the variation from each manufacturer.

Picked one up a few weeks ago and went through the playfield, replaced all coil sleeves and pops and cleaned contacts. It’s on a 4 degree angle.

I was impressed with how fast this table can play! Satisfying spinner shot too. The great Bally pops can walk the ball back to the top of the playfield. Flippers are better than earlier Bally designs with plenty of power.

Get the flags flipped and collect. I like how the table design tends to put the ball into the left flipper preventing easy right flipper shots through the spinner and back to the top. Outlanes are unforgiving.

Artwork, it’s iconic for not only the history, it’s a killer artwork package and shows why Bally was on the rise.

It’s a fun game and a pretty cool layout.
10.000/10
2 years ago
The rating for EM‘s is not really balanced.
But anyhow: Wizard! is and will be the best.
7.400/10
3 years ago
Definetly neat that this is the first licensed pin. Decent game as well.
8.016/10
3 years ago
A nifty piece of pinball history. I love the rule set on this one. I enjoy flipping every flag and then trying to light all the features at once. Great artwork, and I think Bally's have the best EM sounds - especially the spinners.
I'm very glad I had the opportunity to add this one to my collection.
7.346/10
3 years ago
As a kid growing up in the 70’s, what’s not to like about a back glass featuring Ann-Margret?
7.668/10
4 years ago
It is a very collectible with a cool theme. Game play is okay, but primarily right flipper only. I think the flip targets are cool, but obviously it didn't stick as a feature with Bally. One of the good things about the machine is that is easy to troubleshoot and make repairs. I think I'll keep it a couple of more months and finish restoring and then sell it to make room
8.004/10
4 years ago
The flag flips are a fun component of this game. A great spinner and lively pops make it a fun player as well. Standup targets are ok, I tend to prefer games that have some sort of drops as well.

Not bad for an EM -- it has the feel of a Solid State in terms of speed and action (which is a good thing!).
6.465/10
4 years ago
As a child I remember playing this machine at the Bowling Alley while my mother bowled. It was a great machine and I loved playing it. As an adult I bought the machine for the memories it brought back. Lets just say, I should have kept the memories as memories, the game isn't as grand as I remember. The art work is very good, and the machine has an exciting allure, but the game play is boring and repetitive. The flip over flag design takes up a lot of valuable space that could have been used for other more exciting features.
9.577/10
5 years ago
IMHO the best em ever designed. Flipping the flags and getting the ball down the right lane to collect features from the flags and light features was a great idea. The game has the best special ever on an em. The artwork on the backglass was excellent and represented the movie very well. I played the game for hours when it came out and can remember the first time I played it.
6.882/10
6 years ago
Great Christensen artwork but really only a fair layout in my opinion. The main issue for me is that there’s really not much to shoot for from the left flipper, so you end up trying to pass the ball from left to right frequently. An iconic game from a cultural sense and for the art, it’s worth having in a larger collection but there are many better games in this era from a playability standpoint.
6.571/10
6 years ago
Wizard! is a game that remains relevant because of theme and artwork alone. At one point I thought I liked the game, and the integration of the "flag flipping" feature, but then I played Bally's Flip Flop, which is twice the game that Wizard is, and is not nearly as canonized as this "Tommy" based pinball machine. Dave Christensen is at his best here in the art department, walking the line between trippy psychedelic and hard-edged rock. Wizard is a watershed game and an important landmark in pinball history, but there were certainly games that played a whole lot better than this one did. Perhaps this was the point where the worm turned--who cares what the game plays like as long as there is a killer theme and a flashy art package.
8.746/10
7 years ago
not much to shot for from the left flipper. another great spinner game.
9.210/10
7 years ago
One of my favorite EM shots. Hit the spinner, into the kick out hole and flip over the 4 flags... Awesome feeling!
7.679/10
7 years ago
The predominant reason this machine holds its value and interest is the artwork and "flip flag" feature.
Last EM game to have the knocker in the lower cabinet.
Pop bumper spacing leads to some interesting trajectories from the left orbit shot.
It is solid EM with a competent ruleset of its day.
However, it certainly is NOT a game you would want to use in the tournament as the game score rolls over way too easily.
High end restorations easily fetch $4500.

I am not sure why people state you have to like "The Who" or "Tommy", as the game stands on its own merits.
If you only like SS, then you won't understand what the game has to offer anyway.
Perfect game partner to Captain Fantastic.
8.082/10
7 years ago
Fun and challenging. Superb backglass. Love to hear the bonus countdown.
9.872/10
7 years ago
Great game! A must have for EM freaks! Backglas is a peace of art history.
9.369/10
7 years ago
This is a great em. Very fun to play.
5.314/10
7 years ago
I like innovative mechs on playfields, so the flip flags on the right pf are the saving grace for what was a rather dull playing experience. And, even though the art is "Tommy-esque", I've seen better. Not a lot to say about Wizard!'s play other than that it plays like a regular ol' run-of-the-mill EM.

If you're a fan of The Who and the rock opera Tommy, then of course you'll want to hit start a few times on this machine just to say that you have. I wouldn't want to let it take up space in a collection where so many other really fun EMs could be.
8.718/10
8 years ago
One of the first em games i owned, and i regret selling it. A fun game, it definately kept me coming back for more. I personally like the artwork on the glass a lot on this one
9.245/10
8 years ago
An EM I want to hold on to. That backglass is just epic. The flag flipping is cool, and there's a variety of shots to make.

I'm a fan of this machine relative to its time and era.
9.036/10
9 years ago
this game has to be in top 50,verry addictif and fun.a piece off art.
after 1 year; its still a favorit and i play it almost every day!!!!!
8.241/10
9 years ago
Popular Science ranked this game as one of the "8 Most Influential Pinball Machines of All-Time"... The first to license film rights ("Tommy") this game, with it's stunning retro-hip Mad Dog artwork is an iconic time capsule of mid-70's pinball. While the game achieves aesthetic perfection, you have to review it against others of that era to appreciate the game itself which is outstanding for an EM. Simple yet compelling. Highly recommend if you can find a good field and glass.
There are 37 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 2.

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