Williams
Bad Cats Pinside Rating
This game received 110 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.584 /10
Bad Cats
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 7.264
Artwork: 8.307
Sounds/Music: 6.603
Other Aspects: 7.706
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 3 of us have rated this game.
Found 62 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 62 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 2 of 3.
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9.402/10
7 years ago
Springdale, PA
I believe this to be one of the greatest Pinballs out there..Simple but fun ..Fun ..Great artwork..Backbox animation..Great shots to make and not even a multiball..A must have for any collection
8.388/10
8 years ago
Not a deep game by any means but simple fun none the less. The theme is entertaining and the art is second to none, with so much going on its almost like a Highlights magazine cover. No multiball to shoot for, so its all about dropping the targets, lighting BAD CATS, going for the jackpot. Racking up points the old fashioned way is just as fun too. Even though not a deep game, there is enough to shoot for. The linear target to boost the fish bonus takes a bit of accuracy (x10 nets you quit a bit), the seafood wheel is fun to watch (the way the insert lights rotate counter to the wheel never gets old), hit the tiger ramp repetitively for quite a few points and of course shoot the center ramp for the Meow Meow Meow Meow! The animated back glass adds the right amount of retro charm as well. A good pinball game.
8.480/10
9 years ago
Last of 1 ball play. Love this machine due to cat theme. Pretty simple game also not alot made. Cant compare to now a days games but still fun to play. Meow
6.720/10
9 years ago
This is one of those games that can only truly be enjoyed if you don't take pinball too seriously. I really do like the game but that is moreso based on campy coolness and nostalgia as well as the whole python artwork package. As far as gameplay goes, there's a lot of stop and go with the spinning wheel and the garbage can. Rules are horrendous with a last ball only 20 million shot as well as the typical system 11 progressive jackpot. The typical game of bad cats for a mere mortal will be under 20 million but a lucky (?) 5 shots up the left side ramp will give you a distorted feeling of accomplishment if achieved. With all that being said, i think it's a fun time. Just don't use it for competition. A fun, campy time if you're just slapping the ball around and enjoying the whole ambiance of it all. 3.5 out of 5 stars on my personal rating scale.
6.179/10
9 years ago
Not "Bad Rats"
Pros:
- Simple layout with great shots. Signature Oursler left ramp, nice strategy with the Fish Bone-Us & trash can
- Great mirrored + screened back glass with funny animation
- Cool 50's style soundtrack with some classic sound bytes. Dan Forden you are a genius!
- Can't stop hearing "meow meow meow meow.... woof"
Cons:
- No multiball!!! It would've been nice to see something like in Police Force where "there is no Jackpot" but this game skipped out on it altogether. Shame really.
- "Maximum" Fishbowl Jackpot of 8m is nothing compared to the ridiculously overbalanced 20m shot on the final ball.
- Seafooooood wheel rewards extra ball a little too frequently
- Agressive bulldog kickout can sometimes send the ball flying to the drain
- Can't stop hearing "meow meow meow meow.... woof" (yes, this is also a negative)
Pros:
- Simple layout with great shots. Signature Oursler left ramp, nice strategy with the Fish Bone-Us & trash can
- Great mirrored + screened back glass with funny animation
- Cool 50's style soundtrack with some classic sound bytes. Dan Forden you are a genius!
- Can't stop hearing "meow meow meow meow.... woof"
Cons:
- No multiball!!! It would've been nice to see something like in Police Force where "there is no Jackpot" but this game skipped out on it altogether. Shame really.
- "Maximum" Fishbowl Jackpot of 8m is nothing compared to the ridiculously overbalanced 20m shot on the final ball.
- Seafooooood wheel rewards extra ball a little too frequently
- Agressive bulldog kickout can sometimes send the ball flying to the drain
- Can't stop hearing "meow meow meow meow.... woof" (yes, this is also a negative)
7.728/10
10 years ago
A nice game to play and game play stays with the theme of the game very well.. Back glass is awesome.. Sounds can get on your nerves if you play a lot of games but when you come back the next day they make you smile.. Great pin for all ages of people, kids and cat lovers will love it
7.725/10
10 years ago
Meow, meow, meow, meow! Get used to hearing that...fun game, with a unique theme. I think it may get old after many plays but always worth a few quarters if you see one. The spinner in the middle is pretty cool. Rules are pretty simple.
7.054/10
10 years ago
Bad Cats has a great, fun theme with some really cool artwork. The back glass is fantastic and some of the sounds are really cute, but I found what little flow it had repetitive. Ramps can be tough to hit and usually thud off the rubber post at the base of the Tiger Ramp and Fishbowl Ramp. This pin would have really benefited from stand-up targets at the bases of the ramps. The 2 banks of drop targets were a nice touch, but I just didn't feel like it was integrated into the game all that well, the right bank of targets just seemed to get hit by luck. I thought the Fishbone target plunger was a unique cool feature, but would have liked to seen more variety of rewards.
Scoring was somewhat unbalance; Jackpots could get beyond huge in comparison to regular game scoring. Parts are almost impossible to come by and cabinet fading is very common. It did look beautiful decked out in LEDs. This could be a great game in the right collection, especially in with other system 11's (Although I personally found most System 11's to be considerable better). In my case this was sandwiched between 4 modern DMD games all in the top 30, so the competition was tough and Bad Cats showed it's age.
I should mention that my Bad Cats played great, but it was a player, and I really prefer near mint pins. That might have been a small turn off from the beginning.
Scoring was somewhat unbalance; Jackpots could get beyond huge in comparison to regular game scoring. Parts are almost impossible to come by and cabinet fading is very common. It did look beautiful decked out in LEDs. This could be a great game in the right collection, especially in with other system 11's (Although I personally found most System 11's to be considerable better). In my case this was sandwiched between 4 modern DMD games all in the top 30, so the competition was tough and Bad Cats showed it's age.
I should mention that my Bad Cats played great, but it was a player, and I really prefer near mint pins. That might have been a small turn off from the beginning.
6.451/10
10 years ago
One or two shot game, sadly. Classic Oursler looping. The vari-target is a great concept. Love the doghouse, sound effects, 80's porn music, and all the artwork in general. Great to play on location, or for kids/wives.
Besançon
6.861/10
10 years ago
Good flow to the actual play, but that's about it. Doesn't measure up to others from that time period.
6.982/10
10 years ago
I LOVE CATS. That's the reason I love this game, and the reason I will keep it. Bad Cats is a work of art, and said art is the best on any pin, ever, by a long shot. The animated backglass is great.
With that out of the way, I regret to say that the game underneath that art is not the best. The 20 million point shot makes it unbalanced, so all that's worth going for is that and the jackpot. Unfortunate, as the playfield layout is really pretty good, and unique. I enjoy playing the game, but I find myself wanting to beat my head against the wall when I actually focus on score with this one.
A fun game, but I'd soil my trousers with rage if I ever saw it in a tournament.
My previous (higher) review follows:
Bad Cats may be the most visually appealing pinball ever, in my mind. I love cats, and I love Python's artwork. The backglass animation is fantastic, the sounds are absurd (read: fantastic.) I may be biased, but this is likely my favorite theme ever on a pin.
The gameplay seems like it is just SOME pinball (fun but nothing special) at first. Then, you realize there's actually a fair bit going on there, with Williams' version of the Gottlieb vari-target, the odd little pass through under the center ramp, the couple kick-out holes. There's more going on than meets the eye. It's not revolutionary, but it's different from the norm, and continues to grow on me.
With that out of the way, I regret to say that the game underneath that art is not the best. The 20 million point shot makes it unbalanced, so all that's worth going for is that and the jackpot. Unfortunate, as the playfield layout is really pretty good, and unique. I enjoy playing the game, but I find myself wanting to beat my head against the wall when I actually focus on score with this one.
A fun game, but I'd soil my trousers with rage if I ever saw it in a tournament.
My previous (higher) review follows:
Bad Cats may be the most visually appealing pinball ever, in my mind. I love cats, and I love Python's artwork. The backglass animation is fantastic, the sounds are absurd (read: fantastic.) I may be biased, but this is likely my favorite theme ever on a pin.
The gameplay seems like it is just SOME pinball (fun but nothing special) at first. Then, you realize there's actually a fair bit going on there, with Williams' version of the Gottlieb vari-target, the odd little pass through under the center ramp, the couple kick-out holes. There's more going on than meets the eye. It's not revolutionary, but it's different from the norm, and continues to grow on me.
7.990/10
11 years ago
I smile when I play Bad Cats but I know it has more to do with the quirkiness than the game itself. It's a fine playing game but not one of my favorite by any means.
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