Data East

Back to the Future: The Pinball

Pinside Rating

This game received 108 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 6.830 _/10

6.83

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #272 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 6.397

Artwork: 7.022

Sounds/Music: 7.035

Other Aspects: 6.902

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.

5.785

Your Rating?

You need to be logged in before you can rate pinball machines. No account yet? Registering only takes a sec!

Found 58 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 58 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 3.

List options

Ratings sort order

Type of ratings to show in list

Owner status of review

Exclude flagged ratings

Keyword or username search

8.700/10

5 months ago

JSA

sidetrackedbrew

Sidetracked Brewery

Morganton, NC

2y 45,800 109 8 19

Fun to play, the light show is epic. Audio and lighting are an immense amount of fun. Rule set isn’t deep enough for it to stay around long term, but for a blast to just play a few games this one is nearly
Unparalleled.

7.208/10

1 year ago

TMM

RadDad247

Pinside member

2y 35,250 10 52

Love the movies. This pin has a lot of potential, but seems to miss more than it impresses. The shots are tough at first, but can be manageable with time. A good pin to play here and there, but not likely a keeper. Hope this get remade and is given its fair due.

RadDad247 edited previous rating on September 09, 2023.

9.100/10

1 year ago

ELJ

crujones4life

Pinside member

Cedar Hill, MO

9y 99,800 4,313 10 16

Man for a BTTF fan this game is so much fun! Love the music, sounds, and light show. Keeping this one for life!

crujones4life currently owns this game.

4 Pinsiders flagged this.

5.407/10

1 year ago

CMW

RoxasUrSoxas

Pinside member

Middleburg Heights, OH

7y 62,050 125 20 59

Such a great theme wasted! The art and sound package, even by Data East standards, isn't too good. This game just feels clunky and there's really nothing drawing you in for more. Much better off playing a System 11 title with a more fun ruleset and all around better game play. The price on this game is simply theme, because the game play is just not there.

8.893/10

1 year ago

JSM

Georgiapinball

Balls Of Steel Pinball

Richmond Hill, GA

2y 58,550 102 10 26 1

This was my first pin I ever bought. I will have to say this one is here to stay. This game really is fun once you get into it.

Georgiapinball edited previous rating on March 29, 2024.
Georgiapinball has owned this game in the past.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

7.179/10

1 year ago

EKS

PanzerKraken

Pinside member

Boynton Beach, FL

2y 70,550 3,065 7 47 1

Not a popular machine, and kind of rare, but I love it despite the super simple rules. The rules are the biggest issue clearly as it's essentially a game where you can score huge points just making a single ramp shot that is quite large and easy to hit over and over. Stacking jack pots and looping ramp is kind of boring. Other rules are simple as well. But I love the theme, and out of all Data East titles, this was their best looking title overall and for once a decent sound package. You got the proper themes going, sound bytes, the roar of the delorean engine, it's just a fun overall package that is brought down by hollow rules. Still enjoy it for a mindless shooter without much to put thought to go for it.

2.603/10

2 years ago

???

gkralicek

Pinside apprentice

Unknown

5y 15,650 10 9

This game is terrible. One of the worst i've ever played. The artwork is plain awful and doesn't honour the theme at all. The game feels clunky and the rules are poor. The music and callouts could have been so much better too... Frankly i can't wait till the moment someone will remake a back to the future machine... the proper way.

5.643/10

2 years ago

ECW

Ecw0930

Pinside member

Fredericksburg, VA

4y 69,550 1,016 2 113

I mean it's ok. This is one you would play for the theme. Recognize key parts of the theme. Then leave wanting it to be more. The ramps are pretty freaking cool. The vuk and lock are cool. Clocktower is cool. Layout is a good one really.

But it's just too shallow in every aspect of it. Not enough to do with that movies. No mjf. No biff. You want there to be more. For a 30 year old pin it's pretty good. But you want more.

Honestly for it's age it's fun and it's worth spending time on!

5.741/10

3 years ago

SAP

seshpilot

Pinside member

11y 112K 2,528 169 4

What a waste! This game, no matter how much it sells for these days, is just a bummer for those who love the franchise. What could have been!

PROS:
-Not a bad layout, with decent easy shots up the ramps and down the habittrails
-The theme! Should have been a grand slam, but sadly is more like a great theme thrown on top of a decent layout with simple rules
-Not a bad game for young, inexperienced pinheads
-The score, at least some it, is presented during gameplay
-Paul Faris artwork on a real mirrored backglass

CONS:
-Seriously wasted the theme. Not enough integration and overly simple rule set. Somebody place remake this theme!
-No MJF license included with a BTTF license
-Weak audio. While the soundtrack is there, it's so 16-bit quality, it just doesn't cut it. Not enough callouts (and no Biff?!! Where "what are you looking at butthead?" Maybe I didn't play it enough to hear this)
-Weak lighting
-Terrible gimmick-factor. Flux capacitor, DeLorean miniature car, the clock tower, bolts of lightning, hover boards...none of this is there
-This era of DE pins were pretty cheaply made. The game just feels cheap compared to the same era B/W models

TAKEAWAY: If this were a pin based on any other theme, maybe I wouldn't be so hard on it, but it's BTTF!! How do you mess that up? Let the fanboys pay ridiculous amounts...it's a hard pass for me.

8.168/10

3 years ago

TJB

Tbates

Black Diamond Collectabl

Nanaimo, BC

9y 32,650 8 28 9

Theme is amazing but unfortunately the rules are too shallow. Great sounds and lights for it time but not having micheal J fox hurt it. Should be rated higher.

Tbates has owned this game in the past.

6.659/10

3 years ago

KG

kevster

Pinside member

Boise, ID

11y 42,300 225 4 23

This was my first pin. And I LOVED it. At the time. Once my collection expanded, I realized that I just never found myself going back to this one. The source material is great, but the integration of it is very poor. There's nothing here (other than music and callouts) that make you feel like you're in Back to the Future. There's no wizard mode. There's really no modes at all unless you count DeLorean Millions, which lasts a maximum of 12 seconds. There's one multiball, but the best part of that is hearing new songs as you lock balls. The MB itself is only okay.

Overall, a great first pin. Again, I loved it for a while. But once you realize the ruleset is rather uninspired, you'll be looking for something else to play.

kevster edited previous rating on August 15, 2023.
kevster has owned this game in the past.

4.760/10

3 years ago

TTM

dimthedaylights

Pinside member

Depew, NY

4y 40,550 195 8 9

This game will never leave my collection. However, it’s my least played. Let’s be honest I love it because it’s back to the future and plays Huey Lewis and ZZ Top songs. The game is quite repetitive and lacking real depth.

dimthedaylights currently owns this game.

4.996/10

3 years ago

JRH

Ikeaboy1

Pinside member

11y 27,150 34 6 4

I love BTTF, but I don’t love the pinball. The rules are criminally shallow, they could have done so much more.

5.329/10

3 years ago

CAD

cottonm4

Pinside+ Addict

Wichita, KS

10y 148K 16,560 10 23

I played it twice in our local arcade. The first play was a look see try out. The 2nd time was a waste of my money. Just can't get into this one.

7.051/10

4 years ago

CEC

JustEverett

Wichita Pinball (WPC)

Wichita, KS

6y 133K 1,750 25 71

Left ramp all day. It's such a bummer to see what could have been one of the greatest themes ever totally flop in the game play. We have a BTTF at our local arcade, and I rarely play it.

8.434/10

4 years ago

TRO

timmmmyboy

Reclaim Arcade

Fredericksburg, VA

4y 58,800 163 20 7

I bought my BTTF pin alongside a TMNT and the two are very similar in that as aging Data East games they are not complex on ruleset, but the theme carries so much nostalgia. From the artwork (slightly forgiving the Michael J Fox situation) to the music and callouts the game will bring a smile to any fan of the movies, and I appreciate that elements of all 3 of the movies were included here. For the pinball fanatics they'll find the gameplay a bit dull and clunky, but for people getting into the hobby and theme fans this is a great pin. Great Scott!

timmmmyboy has owned this game in the past.

6.316/10

4 years ago

SIR

Sirgubster9

Pinside+ Frequent

Corona, CA

4y 43,300 359 3 10 1

My wife was all set up to let me buy this one and then she looked at it and that yes turned to a very strong NO. Im guessing many many people have mentioned it but wow the artwork is just so bad. michael j fox doesnt look anything like him and the way they are standing it just gives me a super strong creepy vibe. sorry love the movie though

Sirgubster9 edited previous rating on April 02, 2024.

7.804/10

4 years ago

???

Pinchild

Pinside member

Eagle, ID

5y 54,800 737 12 44

Have many newer pins and only so much room , but this will always be in my collection.
Love the callouts!
Enjoy the colorful art.
Sound for Era is amazing.
Theme is Excellent!!!
Getting rarer by the year.
Find one and never let it go.

Well new games kept coming out and were to good so I let BTTF go in Hope's stern makes a updated BTTF.

Pinchild edited previous rating on November 18, 2020.
Pinchild has owned this game in the past.

7.106/10

5 years ago

ADM

PinDoctor82

Pinside member

5y 77,050 278 6 103

As others have said, this isn't the best game out there, but Back to the Future is a must for an 80's movie fanatic like myself. I absolutely love having this game in my collection just for its vintage charm and relative rarity. I do have fun playing it, but I can't get caught up in it for hours like I could on my other machines. I would never consider selling or trading this machine because of how much charm it has for what it is, but something tells me that Stern should try to get likeness rights and try to do an updated machine before it's too late to get some of the actors to sign on. A modern-day BTTF pin could be absolutely mind-blowing.

PinDoctor82 currently owns this game.

4.173/10

5 years ago

CUZ

mcuzz

Pinside member

8y 117K 500 137

I wish it were better, but unfortunately its just not.

6.281/10

5 years ago

DIA

mrossman5

Pinside+ Frequent

Warren, PA

6y 197K 3,175 7 253

This game had so much potential just like everyone says.

Pros:
Excellent sound quality and music
Paul Faris’ playfield and backglass art looks intricate and complicated (NOT the cabinet)
Alpha Numeric animations look ok

Cons:
Boring and flat rules
Game gets extremely boring
Call outs get repetitive
The amount of potential this game had and what it really is now is saddening
Sound effects are not great
Price is way too expensive for what it is due to the theme

I love DE, but they could have done so much more with this theme. And to put someone who has nothing to do with the movie or franchise as the main character on the play field is just wrong. The audience for this game is people who absolutely love BTTF and just want this as a cool looking piece of equipment that they play occasionally play, not for someone who actually wants to play pinball.

7.318/10

6 years ago

DJB

brenna98

Pinside+ Frequent

Wind Point, WI

10y 132K 2,244 59 54 1

Great theme and fun/simple game. I never thought I would own a BTTF. I always thought this title seemed to sell for a higher price tag based on the cult following of the movies more than the game being good. I agree that it’s a simple linear ruleset with limited objectives, but it is still very fun with decent lastability. I really like how the art ties in all 3 movies, however it sucks MJF didn’t want to be a part of it : (

brenna98 has owned this game in the past.

6.952/10

6 years ago

JIM

Dkjimbo

Pinside member

Matthews, NC

8y 55,800 1,110 3 33

One of the greatest themes in pinball history. The backglass and playfield art are fantastic for the era (in spite of no MJ Fox). The gameplay is very simple, yes AND not deep at all. It is not a game you go to if you want a deep experience but as far as a fun machine with a fantastic theme at a decent price, its a keeper. Not many around all things considered. Getting rarer all the time.

Dkjimbo has owned this game in the past.

8.560/10

6 years ago

???

80gus

Inactive member

Mackay

6y 11,400 3 1 6

Cool Theme, if your into the BTTF movies you'll love it, fun to play, unfortunately there's some so much room for improvement no hover boards, no Michael J Fox, no light up Flux capacitor ect ect.
Wild ramp and crazy powerful flippers. Really impressive lights and great music.
Parts are hard to get,

80gus currently owns this game.

7.443/10

6 years ago

ALC

comment23

Pinball Workshop

8y 67,550 595 1 9

Back to the Future is an iconic theme. This pin is good for entry level and casual players to understand rule-sets and game play strategy. That being said, many advanced pinball players will find this a bore after a couple of rounds as it follows an extremely linear rule-set.

Some people love to insult this game, but there's definitely a place in the pinball world for shallow games that are good for newer players.

comment23 has owned this game in the past.

Next 1 2 3

There are 58 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 3.

You too can add your own comment by rating this game! Click here to rate this game!

Over the years

Visualizing this game's rating and rank over the years

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!