Found 11 ratings (with comment) on this game

I totally dig Night Rider! Its a really fun pin to play... It has all the quintessential playfield elements you need for challenging gameplay, IE Drop Targets, Spinners, kick whole, etc... It feels like a classic 70's EM but plays much faster and more reliable... I also dig the fact it still has chimes..... If you like the classic EM gameplay and vibe, the Bally Night Rider is the perfect SS to own. I played the EM version of NR as well, but honestly the SS version is the icing on the cake and is one of my most favorite early Bally SS to play... The backglass art captures that classic 70's Truck Driver vibe and looks absolutely amazing! Next to Eight Ball and Strikes and Spares, the Bally Night Rider is an awesome pin! Totally recommend it!

I think I like the theme/idea of this game more than I like the game itself. I can see where back in the day this game would fit in perfect at the truck stop where the big rig drivers would drop their quarters during some down time. It has the slightest hint of a Smokey and the Bandit vibe but not really.

It has all the stuff I like in an early Bally -- drop targets, spinners, kickout, pop bumpers, etc., but perhaps because everything seems pushed to the edges of the playfield I just cannot quite get into it. I do like the chimes, they seem to compliment what the game has going on well.

I really do like the potential a game with this kind of theme could have, but I think the playfield layout could be any generic Bally game so it loses some points for me in that area.

I’ve had this game now for a few weeks. It’s a simple game, 10 drop targets, 2 spinners, and a kick out hole. The game plays much faster once I waxed it, adjusted the slings, and took apart the spinners. The spinners rip pretty nice now. I’m a fan of the 4 chimes, as this was an early transition to the ss era. Pretty cool looking cabinet, and a nice back glass too. She’s not the most exciting game I’ve played, but I enjoy the simplicity of the rules, and it’s a fun game to play.

I need to change the settings-too easy to beat

Night Rider is an OK game to play if you come across one. It's a simple rule set with some drop targets, pop bumpers, spinners, etc. There is really nothing that stands out about this game. After playing it before, I would maybe play one game of it somewhere but not spend more than that amount of time playing it.

A fun Bally...that is just missing something. Drop targets, check. Spinners, checks. Nice looking lady on the backglass, check. Why isn't this game even more fun with all those attributes! It's enjoyable, but just falls too short in the lastibility to get this in the gameroom. It can be challenging, without a doubt. You will be punished for bad shots, and sometimes good ones too. Overall a great art package with a nice layout, but its missing something to put it over the top....surely not the theme?

Night Rider is one of those games that looks simple, but is never easy. Set to 3 ball and with the settings made more difficult, this can be a pure pinball challenge.

The Pros:
A skills game that is deceptively tricky with outlane drains. You had better be on top of your ball control game otherwise the slings will get the best of you. Shots to the drop targets start the side to side motion as well and you need to hit those targets to get your bonus up and running. The spinners are fantastic on this deck. Get them lit and get them spinning! Paul Faris is still in his looking like Dave Christnsen phase here, but who cares?!? The PF artwork is simple, bright and very pleasing to the eye. Grek Kmeic's pinball science is shown here in all of it's glory. Check out his interview in the Marco Rossignoli book (I can't remember which one at the moment) regarding his design maxims and his tutelage working under the man, Ted Zale. Simple, but never easy. Love the saucer at the top of the PF. We see this again in HGTR's and Paragon and a bunch of other Kmeic decks. And finally, a Booom-Chickey-Wow-Wow for the waitress. Boy that trucker looks happy to be getting some coffee. I don't know what it is about early SS games with chimes in them, but I love it!

The Cons:
Once you get a hold of this game, it can get out of hand and never seem like it's going to drain... and then it drains. The center standup is a deathshot. Don't aim for it, ever. Why don't I ever see a waitress at the truck stop looking like Ms. HotPants?

The Takeaway:
If you remember Smokey and the Bandit, you WILL love this deck. This table has to be setup right to be a challenge. But when this game is fresh, waxed and bouncy., Oh boy, watch out! Some people will look at this game as a gimme, but when properly cared for, mainteined and nastified, this is a solid game with solid play requiring your attention and skills at all times. Greg Kmiec and his team did a great job with this table. Now go gitcher' self some truck stop love...

Puttin' the hammer DOWN!

Update:
The more I play this game, the more I like playing it. This design is prototypical of modern pinball design today. For a few years after this game, excellent designs like Frontier and Barracorra took cues from this basic yet elegantly laid out design. While the rules may not be complex, the shots are varied and satisfying. Paying more attention to the layout, you have two orbits with spinners in the sweet spots of the flippers. Just like you'd see on modern games today with orbits and ramps. Target's on the outside of the shots and while more modern games we have more to do straight up the middle, this design is laid out in the way that the player will have to deal with the chaos exiting the bumpers and that oh so dangerous evil shot in the middle of the playfield. Look at attack from mars. You'll see Knight Rider is it's grandfather. I'm looking for one of these tables now myself. I don't know if I'd prefer the em or the solid state version, so it looks like I'm going to have to do some homework.

I love homework.

This game is now on my want list.

"East bound and down, loaded up and truckin'
A-we gonna do what they say can't be done..."

Update v.2:
Yeah... The rules. It's the rules. From the rando-arch at the top to the maybe the double bonus will light, or not. How many trips will you need to take to the top to get what you need for a big score. While I love the layout of this game, the rules do not have the balance or the reliability that this difficult layout demands. A real shame. Because I love shooting this game.

Put another one down to enjoy as long as you don't pay attention to your score. Scores adjusted accordingly.

Pros: Love the artwork on the woman and her assets.
Simple design with 2 spinners.
Chimes.
Both lanes end in top kickout hole.

Cons: Symetric design.
Not much to shoot for.

Nice theme belongs in a interstate diner. Trucker looks like a 70's adult film actor. Fun to play

A nicely set up one is a joy to play, especially with 10 drop targets.

Its a pinball game but there are many EM's that play much better in my opinion so it wasn't a particularly good SS game. I prefer 8 ball, Strikes and Spares etc.