Bally
Doctor Who Pinside Rating
This game received 364 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.837 /10
Doctor Who
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 8.11
Artwork: 7.455
Sounds/Music: 7.236
Other Aspects: 8.048
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 7 of us have rated this game.
Found 191 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 191 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 5 of 8.
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1.135/10
9 years ago
Boulder, CO
Great example of why licensed games suck; if you;ve never seen the show then most of the rules and references don't work at all. Hardcore Dr Who fans only
8.640/10
9 years ago
I might not be a fan of the show, but I love this pinball machine. The ability to pick one of the Doctors and have a certain playfield feature affected in some way is brilliant. The time expander is a cool way to lock balls for multiball.
Wantirna South
9.156/10
10 years ago
An rather fun game to play once you figure out the rules. I love that you get to pick a doctor before a ball launch, adds some unique strategy that you don't see in too many pinball machines. The multiball is great fun with tricky shots to make. Time Expander is a cool gimmick with three(!) levels. Scoring can be a little bit unbalanced, you best be good at the loop shot if you want to have ridiculous scoring. But even so, It is still fair as the playfield value won't stay the same for long, even with the 6th Doctor selected.
7.783/10
10 years ago
Dr. Who's unique ability to select a Doctor "character" at the beginning of each ball is a novel way to vary strategy and gameplay. It's a great feature: effectively user-selectable rules for each ball.
I have been a fan of the old Dr. Who series (before 1990) and I believe this machine is a good representation of that era. The voice work by Sylvester McCoy always makes me smile, and the rendition of the Dr. Who theme is great. Unlike many, I am not annoyed by the Daleks' voices. They are spot-on, because the Dalek's voices are supposed to be annoying!
In general, I like the gameplay, too, with two exceptions: the pop bumper position is mostly useless, just a delay along another shot, and the video mode pops up too often, takes too long, scores too high, and isn't much fun.
On the other hand, the battles with the daleks in multiball are a great thrill, as long as the the Time Expander device is working correctly. And shooting the 3-shot W-H-O combo is always fun.
All in all a good solid WPC machine with novel features and a slightly polarizing theme. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I am very fond of it.
I have been a fan of the old Dr. Who series (before 1990) and I believe this machine is a good representation of that era. The voice work by Sylvester McCoy always makes me smile, and the rendition of the Dr. Who theme is great. Unlike many, I am not annoyed by the Daleks' voices. They are spot-on, because the Dalek's voices are supposed to be annoying!
In general, I like the gameplay, too, with two exceptions: the pop bumper position is mostly useless, just a delay along another shot, and the video mode pops up too often, takes too long, scores too high, and isn't much fun.
On the other hand, the battles with the daleks in multiball are a great thrill, as long as the the Time Expander device is working correctly. And shooting the 3-shot W-H-O combo is always fun.
All in all a good solid WPC machine with novel features and a slightly polarizing theme. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I am very fond of it.
Leicester
8.616/10
10 years ago
If more people knew what Dr. Who was I think this pin would be much more appreciated. Really fun ruleset with picking your Dr before each ball. Takes a bit to figure out what to hit on the playfield but when the rules are learned this is a unique game.
Also has a fun multiball...and the DALEKS! Maybe the most annoying villians of all time are out in full force.
Also has a fun multiball...and the DALEKS! Maybe the most annoying villians of all time are out in full force.
9.108/10
10 years ago
This game is an overlooked classic. The 3 stage mini playfield is clever and works perfectly for the game, the multiball with the machine screaming "Exterminate, Exterminate" never gets old. The 7 doctor selection gives players a wide range of strategy. Plenty of good shots from all three flippers. If you're a fan of the TV show it ties in nicely.
8.132/10
10 years ago
This is sometimes an overlooked machine because of the theme. An I am very much a Dr. Who fan in general of the New and old. But still I like it because it is challenging and I love the 3 level time expander. Mine has the Dalek upgrade that moves when he talks for any Whovian this is the icing on the cake. The rule set could be a little better but overall it is a challenging game that once you get the hang of it you can't stop. Cant go wrong with this overlooked classic.
8.488/10
10 years ago
Doctor Who has a slightly confusing rule set. The book that came with the Pin takes about 20 pages to explain what you should shoot for. Dang. I kind of like 6 lines of instructions on a score card. But the theme is great, and Barry Oursler did an outstanding job. It's a keeper in our house.
9.400/10
10 years ago
One of my favs, love the time extender, the theme was well done and the sound is great. Like the choice of Doctor and the offerings and even if some seem worthless. Gets played a lot at a friends, keeps drawing me back which is always a good sign, hoping to purchase my own some day.
7.616/10
10 years ago
I consider this game an "under the radar" game, because I had heard of this game long after hearing of other games of this era. And I gotta say, I question why I decide to call this an under the radar game. It's actually pretty good. The time expander is a nice toy, and multiball, sonic boom loops, and video modes are all fun to do. But, that's about all there is to do. I wish the rulesheet was at least somewhat deeper, because that starts getting tiring after a while. But, still good for a few games every once in a while.
8.889/10
10 years ago
Villejuif
Love that pin. The Time expander mini play field is really cool (but probably not so easy to fix!).
The initial strategic choice is a very nice feature - even if some doctors are nearly useless.
I like the sound tract... "Exterminate!!"
Overall, an under-rated pin that has lots to offer and is still inexpensive. I will get one soon or later !
Edit: now I got one. Several months later the magic is still there. Game is ultra addictive!
The initial strategic choice is a very nice feature - even if some doctors are nearly useless.
I like the sound tract... "Exterminate!!"
Overall, an under-rated pin that has lots to offer and is still inexpensive. I will get one soon or later !
Edit: now I got one. Several months later the magic is still there. Game is ultra addictive!
8.036/10
10 years ago
Very fun game, with a great theme. I love how people rip the sounds or theme, and have never seen an episode of Doctor Who. Those who actually know what Doctor Who is will agree that this game has an amazing theme with great music, and YES, the screaming Dalek makes the game better!
8.006/10
10 years ago
Time expander mini playfield is great, sonic booms very satisfying, great video mode relative to other pins (but I still hate video modes, and this game relies on it a little too much). Terrible sound recording, but great music if you're a Doctor Who fan.
8.643/10
10 years ago
Upper Hutt
Doctor Who is a great well-rounded pinball that is easy to pick up and play and with enough depth to satisfy high score chasers.
It is great for a small collection because it easily satisfies guests: shoot down the middle at the locks, the targets and the daleks to start multiball. Of all my machines, guests consistently love the multiball of Doctor Who. And it also satisfies more experienced players: rewarding combos and points multipliers to set up big multiball jackpot scores.
It's quite a brutal game, the outlines aren't forgiving in the least and the stock lightning flippers make it even tougher. But it's great for building up flipper skills. Once you go back to a game with regular flippers at a regular distance, you'll find them too easy.
The only downside is that the game sometimes feels a little repetitive. There is really only one strategy that pays off and the points-based gameplay isn't much incentive to venture outside of it: Pick doctor 1, shoot the pops to build transmat and score ESCAPE letters to light video mode; complete video mode waves to earn doctors 6, 7 and 3 and an extra ball; shoot a few loop ramp loops to max out the playfield multiplier, score sonic booms and earn another extra ball; start multiball.
It is great for a small collection because it easily satisfies guests: shoot down the middle at the locks, the targets and the daleks to start multiball. Of all my machines, guests consistently love the multiball of Doctor Who. And it also satisfies more experienced players: rewarding combos and points multipliers to set up big multiball jackpot scores.
It's quite a brutal game, the outlines aren't forgiving in the least and the stock lightning flippers make it even tougher. But it's great for building up flipper skills. Once you go back to a game with regular flippers at a regular distance, you'll find them too easy.
The only downside is that the game sometimes feels a little repetitive. There is really only one strategy that pays off and the points-based gameplay isn't much incentive to venture outside of it: Pick doctor 1, shoot the pops to build transmat and score ESCAPE letters to light video mode; complete video mode waves to earn doctors 6, 7 and 3 and an extra ball; shoot a few loop ramp loops to max out the playfield multiplier, score sonic booms and earn another extra ball; start multiball.
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