Bally

Creature from the Black Lagoon

Pinside Rating

This game received 849 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.292 _/10

8.292

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #52 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.12

Artwork: 8.792

Sounds/Music: 7.849

Other Aspects: 8.314

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 9 of us have rated this game.

7.997

Your Rating?

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

Found 449 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 449 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 6 of 18.

List options

Ratings sort order

Type of ratings to show in list

Owner status of review

Exclude flagged ratings

Keyword or username search

8.716/10

5 years ago

JAM

NPO

Pinside member

12y 133K 7,655 3 17

I remember many, many moons ago I made the comment that CFTBL was "ok", being a very slow game that made me want to fall asleep. That was also when I had been into pinball for all of about 4 months, and I got a good number of "wake up before you speak" comments my way. I didn't understand why people stood up for this game so much. Fast forward to December 2017 - last day of the year nearly, and I finally had figured it out.

First impression are important, and holy cow, does the translite and playfield kill it in terms of artwork. Wow, what a beautiful presentation. Music is great, love hearing the "malt shop" music on each ball. Shots feel good. You basically have 3 ramps, one VUK, and 2 scoops. Nearly all of them feel natural and smooth; none of them seem "impossible" until you have to hit the Snack Bar for the jackpot. The big main ramp doesn't seem to really get in the way, and I love shooting it during multi-ball.

The theme is an awesome mish-mash of drive-in theater and CFTBL. Move your car is always a hoot, and with an external sub, it really rocks. Peeping Tom is a fun lil' video mode and hitting the flippers together gives you a nice lil' "Mortal Kombat" ending to the mode.

The one big toy in the game is the hologram, and it is cool for what it is - a unique gimmick that isn't interactive but adds a great "whoa - that's pretty cool!" factor to the game. Repros are available at $400 a pop, and the LCD upgrade is by far superior in every way imaginable. Very hard to find it now, and if you do, expect to pay silly money ($1000+). The other near unobtainium part are the motors for both the hologram and the mirror. You can use cross-reference a motor from Hurricane to substitute. Will take a tiny bit of modification, but it can be done, so don't let that possibility detour you from picking one up.

I would say the only real bummer to the game is how shallow it is. It's all about spelling "F-I-L-M", getting MB, find the Creature, rescue the girl, get the jackpot, or go for super jackpot, and that's it in a nutshell. That being said, there's a sense of "simple is better" and "less is more" with this game. I am so absolutely glad I was able to get one. At the time of this review, routed examples are starting to go for $5200+ regularly, so the days of this being a "$3000ish" game are over. Shame, it's really fun, and I love watching my girl enjoy it. Definitely a keeper - just waiting on the reproduction PFs. Once those happen, this game will skyrocket.

NPO has owned this game in the past.

7.272/10

5 years ago

PAV

PavBall

Pinside member

Lake Charles, LA

9y 75,300 460 79

Lots of places where you lose site of where the ball is and how quick it is moving. I find that frustrating. Good feeling shots though.

8.192/10

5 years ago

MGW

mikewalsh

Pinside member

Conception Bay South, NL

6y 36,650 38 5 16

Recently played this game at a retailer, while on vacation. Wasn’t dialed in and the creature wasn’t working! But in spite of this the game was amazing! It was everything I thought it would be and more! I could easily be classified as nostalgic but I don’t feel this had much to do with my rating of this machine! It is what it is——— AMAZING! Hope this helps! Mike

8.432/10

5 years ago

LMS

Tranquilize

Pinside member

9y 84,550 3,781 35

Creature is a true classic from an age of pinball we will never see again. When this game is maintained well, it is super fun to play! The theme of this machine is one of the best or THE best in all of pinball. The sounds and the music are absolutely astounding on this machine, so much so that I have used it as a jukebox in my garage.
__________________________________________________
DESIGN & TOYS
__________________________________________________

— The game is designed well with some interesting shots and relatively easy ramps.
— There isn’t much for toys aside from creative lighting on the ramps and a hologram that rarely works.
— The bowl at the end of the ramp shot is neat, but it was probably more mind-blowing in the 90s.

__________________________________________________
THEME/LIGHTING/SOUND
__________________________________________________

— Lit ramps are super cool.
— Creature letter lighting in the back box is also a plus.
— Callouts and theme are perfect 50s 60s era
— Songs are memorable songs that don’t seem to get old, even after many plays.
— This game OOOZES style. It’s classic perfection of drive-in movie era pinball.

__________________________________________________
GAMEPLAY
__________________________________________________

— I like the K-I-S-S shot. It’s satisfying to quickly progress through this.
— The upper pops and letters are cool and challenging
— I like the ramps. They feel fast and smooth.
— Snack bar targets are dangerous, which is nice compared to other shots in the game.

__________________________________________________
CRITICISMS
__________________________________________________

— This game definitely suffers from pretty shallow code.
— Spelling F-I-L-M can be challenging at first, but it becomes easy to master.
— There isn’t much to do aside from getting multi ball, finding the creature and saving the girl.
— I found that I could master this game quickly and had really long ball times.
— The hologram somewhat neat when working, but it wasn’t made to last.

In the end, Creature is one of those games that is full of style and has some good substance. I will always play it on location, but after fixing one for a friend and playing it for a week straight, I would never want to own one due to the shallow rule set and easy game play. If you haven’t experienced the game, get out there and play it. It’s super fun!

8.632/10

6 years ago

BAM

balt

Pinside member

6y 114K 467 45 1

After I had a blast playing this game I looked up the designer and was pleasantly surprised to see it was John Trudeau. It suddenly made sense that he was involved considering how much I also like Ghostbusters. Great design, sound, and shots on this pin. I wish the creature hologram was more interesting considering how much space it takes up on the playfield. Also, if the ramps aren't perfectly clear, it gets hard to see what's going on in the upper playfield. I guess the price reflects the demand, I wish I could pick one up.

9.280/10

6 years ago

BAD

Diospinball

Inactive member

Joliet, IL

6y 74,300 1,336 9 75

This is one of my all time favorite pins. I love the gameplay, the theme/artwork, and the DMD animations. I think its brilliant that its set at a drive in, and just love all the modes and stuff attached to that. Getting to spell K I S S is really fun, and who can forget MOVE YOUR CAR! Also, hitting the left ramp in this game is really rewarding. You want to hit that multiple times to bank a lot of points and then you cash that in by going up the lane(the move your car lane). I like this game as its spaced out and I think really rewards a player who can be consistent and accurate with his shots. Just love the artwork and the backglass is both scary and sexy. It's beautiful to look at and amazing to play. My one beef with this game is that there are certain parts of tha playfield that are really dark.

Diospinball has this game on the wishlist.

8.895/10

6 years ago

PSM

Pwaka1986

Pinside member

Fort Wayne, IN

6y 47,900 73 120

Without a doubt one of the most fun machines I’ve ever played! I love the theme. The title is a little misleading since it’s not all about the creature, that’s about half of it. Most of the game is all about 1950’s drive in culture. The artwork is great! Lots of cool ramps and shots. I’m sure a color dmd would really enhance the experience for a nice mod. I tend to favor the simpler rule set games like system 11 machines and this is somewhat complex, but it’s not swimming in deep rules. I’m amazed this is ranked so low, far better than attack from mars in my opinion!

Pwaka1986 edited previous rating on December 09, 2018.

7.956/10

6 years ago

AK

AttilaK

Pinside member

Mt. Laurel, NJ

11y 46,150 94 27 55

I sold this game some time ago and miss it. I love the art package, the theme is great and very fun game.

AttilaK has owned this game in the past.

9.420/10

6 years ago

BPS

Soulrider911

FOF

Walnut Creek, CA

7y 104K 3,131 6 12 1

One of the best games ever made.

Soulrider911 currently owns this game.

7.756/10

6 years ago

MCH

Pinkitten

Pinside+ Pro!

Williamston, MI

6y 136K 3,787 14 88

I reviewed this game years ago before I really took the time to play it and understand the goals. It’s a very tricky pin to play for long, with short ball times and harder shots than they first appear. The main goal and rules are simple, spell FILM, start multiball, find the creature, spell CREATURE at the whirlpool and rescue the girl. Some fun modes and jackpots are important if you want a high score. Plus, you can play it for points, or to simply rescue the lady from the cftbl. The back glass art is cool, and the playfield colors are unusual and distinctive. This is one of the last 90’s pins I tried to find to own. I’m really happy I added one, and it’s probably a keeper along with BSD and FT, pins with shorter times, and a great challenge. I underestimated this one.

Pinkitten edited previous rating on January 25, 2024.
Pinkitten has owned this game in the past.

9.120/10

6 years ago

IAN

Captain-Flint

Poor Man's Podcast

South Milwaukee, WI

6y 42,650 251 3 16

This is my Grail... I have lots of great memories with this game, it plays fast and can be challenging. The theme is just beautiful. One of my all time favorites!

Captain-Flint currently owns this game.

9.320/10

6 years ago

SIN

Paddy-o

Pinside+ Addict

6y 60,900 144 26 1

I think this game is underrated. I would imagine that is due to the simplicity of the game. The theme on this one completely sells it. The classic 50s drive-in movie theme hooked me. Frustrations with this one include the lack of use of the Creature ramp, except when you start the movie. It is a large part of the playfield, and doesn't get the use. I would also say that the other ramp shots have very little value, which surprised me. On the positive side, the programmers paid attention to smaller details, such as the Snack Bar shot. If you aren't familiar, and have a chance to play it, click the flipper buttons if you get stuck with something useless like popcorn. The animated effect is priceless. The game is a must-own if you like one that has replay value, and the sounds don't ever seem to get old.

9.600/10

6 years ago

JDE

lostballchamp

Pinside member

Archer Lodge, NC

8y 40,150 11 17 17

This game jumped off the page after I added the miked mod and a color dmd. The animation is perfect for the theme, and the music and flashers seem to go hand in hand...the only disappointment I have is the absence of a replaceable translite which I assume is due to universal studios being stubborn with the rights.. my favorite overall game of all time, took me several years to find a nice one and I will have it till I die!!!

lostballchamp currently owns this game.

10.000/10

6 years ago

TSS

Tsskinne

Tommy's Pins

11y 138K 6,878 14

I believe this game is/was the pinnacle of game design and theme integration, I love the varied ways to score, and the hard work that is put in for the biggest jackpots. The art and layout are phenomenal.

7.517/10

6 years ago

SUS

Grayont

Pinside member

Encinitas, CA

6y 51,550 84 1 129

Creature is a pretty fun game but the rules aren’t quite deep enough for me to totally love it. The theme is awesome and the shots all feel nice. The game is quite challenging to and managing the multiball to get the jackpot and super jackpot is pretty difficult. It’s a fun classic but I feel it would get boring after prolonged play.

Grayont edited previous rating on October 05, 2021.

6.972/10

6 years ago

JDS

SwimLaw

Inactive member

6y 28,150 53 19

Played this pin a ton growing up. My grandpa used to have one up at his cabin. Overall, it is not a bad game I suppose. But man, I felt the game was brutal and entirely unforgiving.

Well built games should be easy to learn, but difficult to master. I felt this game was both difficult to learn and master. I can’t help but attribute that to poor design. The flow of the game I felt was very poor — so much so that I preferred all of his games over this one, including Popeye. :)

The gimmick with the playfield screen was cool back in the day, but it is entirely outdated now.

Maybe it requires a skill level far better than mine, but I never saw this as an overly fun pinball game.

High quality build overall, but this is not a game I would want to own based on my personal experience with it.

8.556/10

6 years ago

RCT

unlockpinball

Pinside+ Addict

8y 77,800 295 30 2

Shocking, Startling, and Amazing!! This game is very addictive. Takes a few games to figure out the rules. Simple game rules. You’re in a drive in movie and some guy starts creeping in on you and your hot date, so go out and beat him up. The “Move your Car” bit is classic. Of course you have to kiss your date to progress to multi-ball. Challenging to keep your ball in play. Unique skill shot, very challenging. Call outs and humor are top of the line.

unlockpinball edited previous rating on January 15, 2021.

9.195/10

6 years ago

AK

Coolpinballdino

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 188K 4,805 477 2

Creature is a great game it has a great theme, good artwork, and good sounds. The hologram Never gets old such a cool feature.

Coolpinballdino edited previous rating on June 20, 2020.

10.000/10

6 years ago

RVG

Harley

Pinside member

Houten

14y 26,750 4 13

Very Nice game an realy original theme. A lot of Nice shots and ramps. Beatifil Creature hologram. Love iT. :] very collectble pin word every penny

Harley edited previous rating on April 01, 2018.
Harley currently owns this game.

6.722/10

6 years ago

???

Utesichiban

Pinside member

Sandy, UT

7y 78,550 2,056 10 24

I have played this at the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas several times. I was drawn to it because of the high ratings it receives here as a top 30 pin.

Honestly, I have no idea why this pin is rated so highly. The theme seems decent but I don't see the appeal.and found it boring and kind of dumb.

Another highly overrated pin IMO.

Utesichiban edited previous rating on November 07, 2022.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.418/10

6 years ago

NAT

Medieval_Gofers

Pinside member

Ipswich

13y 73,400 208 3 79

Classic game! And very difficult to find on location, so always worth a play. This game has a very unique layout and art package that just oozes nostalgia. I love the ramps, and the way that the best ramp is only available during multiball. The hologram is awesome, it loses it's affect after dozens of games but the initial wow factor it offers is great. Music is cheesey in a good way, and although speech is a bit repetitive, nearly every callout is a Pinball classic. That being said, lastability could be a bit questionable in a small collection, as there are only a handful of modes that all occur linearly depending on how many times you shoot a certain shot. Nonetheless, good game.

Medieval_Gofers edited previous rating on January 19, 2020.

9.324/10

6 years ago

JWO

JeremyON

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 49,150 62 39

Possibly the most well implemented theme of all time. Perfectly captures the 1950's setting. What did licensing this in the '90s have to cost, two nickels? Game needs additional lighting (LEDs, spots) to illuminate the beautiful artwork. Find hologram monster? Save girl? Does it get any better? Only two ball multiball, but hard to keep multiball going regardless. Hologram can fade and be expensive to replace, but a fine game to own.

7.071/10

6 years ago

MOD

modfather

ModFather Pinball Mods

Sunrise, FL

9y 92,900 1,886 8 83

Cool game . Lots of things to cover up the ball moving around...just sayin..The ModFather

9.340/10

6 years ago

???

union76

Inactive member

Melbourne

6y 6,000 4 10

What a great machine. Deserves to be well up there in the rankings.

6.843/10

6 years ago

MLP

tabascoman77

Pinside member

6y 46,150 4 110

I like playing this table a lot. It has some really great shots and ramps and a great effect in the "lagoon" where a green hologram version of "the Creature" lurks. Love the 50's drive-in movie theming. The cons? The audio is AWFUL. Everything sounds garbled as if the sound chip was dipped in water. That and the placement of the ramps feels like you're looking at a set of ramps having an orgy. The entrances of certain ramps are hard to make out unless one knows where they already are. That, and aside from the hologram, there isn't much "story" to this board except for couples making out at a drive-in. Almost nothing here has anything to do with the actual creature, unless you're counting it being "a drain monster" which it surely can be when shots bounce back at you. Nudging BARELY helps with that, too. Still, a decent game and a lot of fun to play. It just plays fast and ends too quickly. Perhaps the machine I've been playing isn't calibrated correctly.

tabascoman77 edited previous rating on September 05, 2018.

Previous Next 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16... 18

There are 449 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 6 of 18.

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+!