Bally

Indianapolis 500

Pinside Rating

This game received 227 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.010 _/10

8.01

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #81 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.119

Artwork: 7.674

Sounds/Music: 7.586

Other Aspects: 8.165

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 6 of us have rated this game.

7.395

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Found 102 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 102 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.979/10

3 months ago

BJD

roffels

Pinside member

Minneapolis, MN

10y 85,300 1,992 3 20

I played this game often when visiting my parents, my dad bought this because he was a huge fan of the theme. I think if you're a big fan of Dennis Nordman's layouts, you'll enjoy this one. The playfield design is very reminiscent of Elvira and the Party Monsters.

I never really connected with this game. It's definitely worth playing on location, but not something I'd want to return to often. The orbits are screaming fast, the ramps are satisfying, but that whole middle-section of the playfield with the stand-ups feels kind of weird and bricky. But it's 1990s Bally game, so it's not without it's charm. The "Wrong Turn" mode has that classic pinball humor. The game is challenging. And it's satisfying to hit the "Turbo Bobby." I couldn't care less about the theme, but I imagine it's a treat for anyone that grew up watching indy car racing, and can be enjoyed on the games' own merits.

roffels has owned this game in the past.

9.680/10

3 months ago

WJK

1979wade

Pinside member

11y 52,050 115 18 11

Maybe Nordman’s best game?!? Once I was able to get
my Indy 500 setup and dialed in, I was surprised how fast and fun this game is!

1979wade currently owns this game.

9.280/10

10 months ago

???

Aerious

Pinside apprentice

Unknown

<1y 5,000 6

My first game was over so quick, this pin is fast! Once I'd put some time in and adjusted to the speed, it's a lot of fun. Fast flowing shots, fun ramps and a catchy soundtrack. Filling the turbo with the multiball is a great challenge.

8.688/10

1 year ago

UWU

Thegamerskunk

Pinside member

1y 26,050 57 2 35

Fast-paced fun with something happening 24/7 with satisfying shots! Not to mention the BANGER that is the Main Theme!

Thegamerskunk edited previous rating on December 04, 2023.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

10.000/10

1 year ago

KMO

Indy500Girl

Pinside member

Knoxville, TN

1y 17,750 10

Indianapolis 500 is the game that started it all. It being my pinball obsession, my addiction. I first played the game at Pints & Pixels, an arcade bar in Huntsville, Alabama. The bar had all the games on free play, so it was pretty awesome to let that ball roll baby roll without stopping to add more coins. Indy500 is an older machine, but it made me feel young! I am young, but it made me feel like a kid again. Yeah! That’s it! Like a kid again. So if you’re in Huntsville, or Indianapolis because that city has a lot of Indy500s as it should, then put on your racing helmet and flip flip flip hooray for Indianapolis 500 pinball machine!

Indy500Girl has this game on the wishlist.

6 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.740/10

1 year ago

RPD

rdonohue13

Pinside member

Indianapolis, IN

13y 44,900 175 19 38

Been playing this game for a long while and havent seen all of the wizard modes. Several paths to get to them for sure. Super fast, lots of modes and ways to score. Having the real announcer do all of the call out is awesome.

rdonohue13 currently owns this game.

8.616/10

1 year ago

WWW

Cwest

Pinside+ Frequent

Granger, IN

4y 36,150 122 4 12

I've owned this game for around a year. It is a beautiful machine and very well laid out. Some shots can be tough but learned with some experience. The light up targets can be a bit clunky if you hit them hard but do provide a good and unique look. I love the use of real drivers narrating the game blending in racing and pinball in the comments. The pit stop is a very cool feature and love the multiball. This is a great game.

Cwest currently owns this game.

9.620/10

1 year ago

MMH

mannymasy

Pinside member

Málaga

10y 57,800 971 1 27

de mis maquinas preferidas, rapida y adictiva, tema muy bien integrado.

mannymasy has owned this game in the past.

7.143/10

2 years ago

RRR

drwasabi

Pinside member

2y 13,250 10

Local place put one of these in last night after a complete rebuild. Played like it was brand new. Very fun. Especially when it's on free play

8.383/10

2 years ago

C P

Skatewake

Pinside+ Addict

2y 99,550 505 9 64 3

I thought this was a fun game to play.

6.800/10

2 years ago

???

blacklightprod

Pinside member

St Charles, MO

2y 35,400 108 30 35

It’s okay

8.845/10

2 years ago

PIP

pipo

Pinside member

Zaragoza

4y 16,000 42

As much as the game does not tire me, very fun and fast machine

8.532/10

2 years ago

HG

tondelshark

Pinside apprentice

Veendam

3y 12,250 10

Very fast en challenging game.Constantly in a multi or two ball mode, so no time to recover.
I think that's what i like most of Indy.

The light ups keeps me bothering all the time, it is a nice feature but when they do not work properly you
miss a good feature in the game.
I repaired them and adjusted them so the slightest touch gives an award, hopely i make a victorylap on the light ups one day!!

9.520/10

3 years ago

???

Fennydude

Inactive member

Canton, MI

6y 6,750 3 6

I was completely shocked at how much fun this game was to play. Love the multi ball and fast play.

Fennydude currently owns this game.

8.980/10

3 years ago

STR

Straker

Pinside+ Addict

3y 57,300 2 14

My opinion: when evaluating/rating this game, I humbly believe one needs to consider it was built in 1995.
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) -- it is a game ahead of its time and underestimated. It is an extremely fun game/pinball machine, very fast and makes you want to keep playing.

The theme integration is amazing --- simply for incorporating callouts from three people associated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) .... Paul Page, Bobby Unser and Tom Carnegie.
Also, everything about racing -- specifically during the Indy 500 race is factored into the layout, speed, kinetic action and flow. Although not mentioned very much, the turbo in the top left of the playfield is amazing and adds greatly to the game.

The artwork is simple, straight forward and colorful. The lighting design is very good and really comes alive during certain shots. The only downside to the cabinet artwork is that it can fade easy over time. For cabinet artwork replacement, I am aware there are high quality decals available and possibly RadCals in the future (time will tell).

The game design is deeper than one would expect -- since you have 200 laps to complete a race and many goals/traps occur while attempting to reach that goal. It is a very fast game/action and the multi-ball portion makes things more interesting.

The integration of the voices, lights and kinetic action are very well done.

There are times when the ball(s) are captured and there is a slight pause in the action, but that is OK...it still works and does not detract from the gameplay. Some of the shots are limited, but again, other flipper shots/combos make up for some the weaknesses.

Overall -- While I have rated other machines higher than this one, I am comparing/rating it to machines built in 2017-2020. For auto racing themed pinball machines, it is outstanding.

8.296/10

3 years ago

DIA

mrossman5

Pinside+ Frequent

Warren, PA

6y 197K 3,175 7 253

Quite a big fan of this game. I don't care for the theme, but the amount of modes and the deep gameplay make up for it. Would love to own one someday.

10.000/10

3 years ago

HBG

gold1

Pinside+ Pro!

Geelong

9y 41,900 287 6 7

This machine is fun,difficult,fun,addictive,great to play,fun,fun,fun. And underrated compared to other machines up the top 100 list.

gold1 currently owns this game.

7.837/10

3 years ago

PPP

proco

Pinside member

6y 53,550 55 32

Games played: ~10, >100 on Pinball Arcade

Layout/Toys:
Good layout with some fun ramps and loops.
The turbo is a fantastic mech. Compared to that the spinning car in the top right feels like a stylish shaker motor and gets annoying quickly.
The light-up targets are a nice idea but not any different from normal targets in the middle of the playfield.

Rules:
The modes themselves are all very different and have good presentation.
The loop combo gives an incentive to keep going for multiball. Depending on the machine setup this can become a very dominant strategy.
There are multiple goals instead of wizard modes but ultimately only the one from the modes is exciting.

Display/Lighting/Integration:
The animation fit well with the theme.
Lights are just ok. They are pretty hard to see sometimes, they are redundand (e.g. 3 separate lock inserts) and could have been used better.

Gameplay:
The flippers feel a bit unusual at first but after that it becomes an incrdibly fun game.
The pop bumpers are rarely used so for most of the game the ball is not just bouncing around. This makes the game feel quick and in the player's control.
Also since there is no plunge into the bumpers, but instead a skill shot to the left ramp, each ball starts quickly and goes straight into gameplay.

Art:
Backglass looks pretty good, cabinet as well.
The playfield has these paint bucket filled areas, so kind of meh.

Sound:
The commentary style callouts are pretty unique and fitting for this theme with a good amount of them in the game.
Music is good but a bit too cheerful when playing for more than 5 minutes.

Theme:
It's car racing. Not that exciting, but easy to understand.
It should have a bit more focus on the race itself instead of pit stops, souveniers and all that stuff.

Lastability/Fun:
Completing the race is challenging but fun, so it won't get boring quickly.
The only time this game is not the best choice is when the music would annoy me instantly.

proco edited previous rating on January 24, 2023.

8.576/10

3 years ago

RBM

RobbyIRL5

Pinside+ Frequent

3y 73,300 973 18 31 2

Love this game. Probably not a popular theme for all, but great flow and great commentary.

RobbyIRL5 currently owns this game.

7.772/10

4 years ago

MCH

Pinkitten

Pinside+ Pro!

Williamston, MI

6y 136K 3,775 14 87

Fun, fast and brutal. Punishes missed shots more than most pins, but doesn’t feel unfair, just demanding. Two steep ramps are fun to shoot (Dennis Nordman staple of that era), and the fast orbits and flow does fit the race car theme. Good call outs, ok video mode. Game really focuses on the laps and position, not mode variety. The shots are a bit limited, and the scoop at the top, fed by another scoop and upkicker just below to the right is a little odd. For example, the lower scoop can give awards like “lite extra ball,” then immediately kicks the ball into the upper scoop and awards it. Strange. The game features speed, nice theme integration and short games that make you want to try again. It’s a really nice addition to a larger collection.

Pinkitten has owned this game in the past.

8.276/10

4 years ago

STB

dergroover

Pinside member

4y 38,550 41 28

Really fast table with good integration of the audio into gameplay. I do like the PIT-stop, the car-spinner (=similar to a shaker) and the "Turbo-maneuver" which is similar to STTNG (shoot left orbit and than using right upper flipper for turbo shot). If playfield-scoring is 3x than this maneuver brings a lot of points :-) Multiball-start with all the lightning effects is very satisfying.

In total 12 missions with a lot of DMD animations (I do recommend a ColorDMD) and 200 laps to go wants me to come back. Installing LEDs and some additional spot-lights in the lower part brings this table into the year 2019.

dergroover edited previous rating on December 19, 2021.

9.079/10

4 years ago

JMA

Jackpotjared

Pinside member

West Bloomfield Township, MI

8y 111K 1,158 2 22

This game is fast, fun, and very brutal. To me, all these factors make Indy 500 a great game!

Jackpotjared has owned this game in the past.

7.146/10

4 years ago

JIN

Pinasco

Inactive member

Malmö

8y 37,650 81 3 60

A racing game that actually matches the theme with real fast shots and loops. I'd say there is more hardcore "play" to this title than fun stuff and gimmicks. 'Corvette', just to mention one, being an example of the latter.

The whole idea to play for laps and position works very well here - although I would also, like many have stated earlier, expect a game like this to have a little more depth or modes.

The call-outs from the two commentators are brilliant, but the music is rather onesided and gets a little annoying after a while.
From a cosmetic point of view, the game looks kind of tame- especially considering Theatre of Magic being released that same year, and Scared Stiff the following year.

In spite of this being a much more demanding game than Getaway or Corvette, I'm still not sure it's the most entertaining game of those three. In a larger collection or in the arcades this is some real nice motorsport pinball action. Especially as
a break from attacking marsians or mad medieval knights. However I'm a little skeptical of lasting power in a smaller collection with this one. Indianapolis 500 has game and tons of it. But it somehow lacks a little in personality.

9.240/10

4 years ago

TEW

stbaxter

Inactive member

Mirrabooka

9y 24,650 2 5 12

Indy 500 is a great game, and I wasn’t expecting it to be..
Love the flow of the shots, and love the toys.
Good art , dmd animations.
The rules are good too.
Very different than most other pins.

stbaxter currently owns this game.

8.000/10

4 years ago

TEZ

allsportdvd

Pinside member

Brisbane

13y 101K 2,330 21 45

All my reviews are going to follow a simple formula for those reading.
Number of shots to make - Pro's - Con's - Must Have Mods - What To Look For When Buying

Number of shots - 6 - average

Pro's:
* Very fast and challenging game, tough to get a high score
* Very cool toys, the turbo in particular
* Great Animations
* Commentary matches the theme really well

Cons:
* Not a huge variety in shots
* Only 1 shot from the upper flipper
* No wizard mode but tough to finish the race
* Parts really hard to come by

Must Have Mods: (Note I will not include things like LED's, Color DMD, Invisiglass or Speaker Upgrades unless it's really badly needed)
* Adding a GI light in the top scoop worth doing
* Cliffy for Turbo scoop (though this does cause more bounce outs from the hole)
* Mr Tantrum race track decal and pylon

What To Look For When Buying
* Cabinet fading is common
* Both ramps are unobtainable
* Wear in the Turbo Scoop
* Broken red lighted targets

allsportdvd edited previous rating on July 15, 2021.
allsportdvd has owned this game in the past.

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