Williams

Road Show

Pinside Rating

This game received 513 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.982 _/10

7.982

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #88 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.265

Artwork: 7.808

Sounds/Music: 7.474

Other Aspects: 7.976

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.

7.109

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Found 290 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 290 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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9.481/10

3 years ago

MEH

ThePinballCo-op

The Pinball Co-op

9y 115K 1,752 40

If I was giving a rating for this game over a year ago, it would be a lot lower because you are forced to play the same cities over and over again. However, with the new mod that soren created, it's a completely different game. The mod allows you to change the settings of the game so ALL cities are in play, not just 2 or 3 at a time and not just East Coast to West Coast. Literally changes the rules and enjoyment of the game.

Road Show without soren code and Road Show with soren code should be two different ratings.

If you own the game, the mod is well worth it. I purchased a chip from Canada for maybe $15, swapped it out, and I've never been happier. This game is AMAZING with the chip installed.

Mod: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/new-road-show-software-mod/page/2

======================================================================

The Good:
--- It's a widebody, yet the flow is unreal and smooth. Pat Lawler really shined in this one.
--- Tons of shots, all located in the perfect spots in the game.
--- The rules are outstanding. Start modes, go to Bobs shop, multiball, blast zone, left plunge skillshot... so much stuff. This game is LOADED!
--- Shaker motor is intense.
--- Multiballs are so satisfying. Shots are simple yet challenging.
--- It's never boring IF you get the new mod. I love being able to play modes in all the cities.

The Bad:
--- The eyes can fail, and if it's in Ted you gotta remove nearly everything to get to it. Ouch...
--- The backglass isn't great, but that's subjective.
--- Super heavy. If you wanna move it around, you better bring a buddy or two.
--- The one country song. It gets annoying. I purchased a pinsound and put my own music into it, one disco/oldies and the other hard rock/metal. The game is now AWESOME, and I can swap the albums depending on mood. This has also enhanced my enjoyment of the game so much that I'll probably never sell it now.

Verdict: It's one of my favorite games of all time. The soren chip, new music, and a topper takes it to a whole new level. I love playing it and there are tons of mods available to spice up the playfield. It's awesome!

ThePinballCo-op edited previous rating on December 19, 2022.

8 Pinsiders starred this!

9.336/10

3 years ago

ROB

robx46

Pinside+ Frequent

St. Marys, PA

13y 78,550 1,124 5 23

I'm rating this game on the new official v7.0 code update, also my game has pinsound with custom tracks. Can't rate original audio because I never owned the game with it.
Having said that, these 2 things take care of the only 2 main gripes that others had about the game. The linear modes & tiring soundtrack. Both of those issues are now gone which takes what I already thought was a game with an incredible layout, tons of shots, widebody with amazing toys & features... and bumps it up to being an all time great for me.

I do like the artwork & theme. Has some great color & I appreciate an original theme like this because it just doesn't happen anymore these days. Build quality is incredible & this could not have been a cheap game to produce. About 20 games into owning it & I don't recall the last time I've enjoyed a new addition this much. & it can often be had cheaper than some other newer games. I suspect this new code will make the game more desirable though.

robx46 edited previous rating on November 25, 2020.

4 Pinsiders starred this!

7.396/10

3 years ago

DIA

mrossman5

Pinside+ Frequent

Warren, PA

6y 197K 3,175 7 253

Torn on this one. Neat main toys for sure and a good layout, but I just don't care for the theme. Probably wouldn't own one simply because of the theme.

8.754/10

3 years ago

PPP

proco

Pinside member

6y 53,550 55 32

Games played: ~10, >300 on Pinball Arcade

Layout/Toys:
Very unique ball paths with the diverting ramps and the small upper flipper shot into the blast zone.
Two rudy heads are definitely better than one.
The different skill shot options with the two plungers are very cool.

Rules:
The basic feature of starting some timed modes is only interesting because the modes feel unique in their presentation.
There are a lot of strategies to go for by shifting the focus after getting some awards (e.g. million plus or combos for EB).
Going for souveniers, red hits, blast and other side objectives leads to a good amount of decision making because all of them have a reward or aditional modes every now and then.
The magic standup is a pretty nice feature.

Display/Lighting/Integration:
The whole ruleset feels nicely tied in to the theme and this especially shows in the animations.
There is no indication of the mode rules thorugh the lights, so it becomes very important to check the display, which is unusual compared to other games with a focus on modes.
During the modes the display shows very good animations, but again, no important info.

Gameplay:
Combos to the ramps are a big part of the game, and they are very well integrated since after a combo to the right ramp it offers a shot with the upper flipper.
It actually makes a difference of when things are shot, e.g. Ted is deactivated during a mode. That is a little annoying sometimes.
The only option when using the upper flipper is not the best choice is to trust the bounces, so those have to be very consistent or else they will get frustrating.

Art:
The art packages are very disconnected. The characters look completely different on the translite, the playfield and the rudy heads.
Otherwise, with the green signs and the hard hats, it conveys the theme of "construction site" pretty well.

Sound:
Some of the most memorable callouts in pinball. They just won't get boring or annoying ever.
The music goes well with it. Unfortunately some music bits are very short and so they can get annoying when they play for more than 30 seconds at a time.

Theme:
The humor is great and along with the music this is a welcome exception to have a more relaxing atmosphere in a pinball game.
The focus is on traveling the USA, so as a non-american I can't really comment on if the city themes of the modes are fitting.
One of the few games where a shaker motor acutally makes sense.

Lastability/Fun:
Interesting game because of the layout alone.
Sometimes the rules are a bit imbalanced (e.g. miami vs. new york) and so this leads to just timing out modes that aren't worth it.

proco edited previous rating on September 30, 2020.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

8.456/10

3 years ago

OCP

Good-Times

Pinside member

Sydney

3y 41,300 340 22

A great pin! Some say the rule set is too linear, but there are multiple ways to play this game. You can chase high scores by playing all modes. You can play the map by doing miles over the ramps. You can progress weeks and chase multiballs. You basically choose your own adventure with this game. There’s plenty to hit, satisfying ramps, many opportunities for special shots, and is easy for beginners as well as satisfying for veterans.

Good-Times edited previous rating on October 14, 2020.

7.472/10

3 years ago

CCH

Frostbite

Pinside member

Scottsbluff, NE

5y 42,900 32 11 30

The is a great game! Theme has not aged well unfortunately, the cab driver call outs are funny.

Frostbite currently owns this game.

9.092/10

3 years ago

JMB

Barroso1845

Pinside+ Addict

4y 35,900 3 6

Great pin. Not that into the theme, but other than that, the overall game play and layout is awesome. Challenging shots, great multi-ball, and Red and Ted make for talkative companions with funny call-outs as you make your way across the map.

9.900/10

3 years ago

DAD

Afghan_Vet

Pinside member

Marion, IN

3y 20,000 4 21

I love everything about this game and put it in my top 5 pinball games of all time. The flow, callouts, playfied, toys,music , and artwork are perfect. The price point is perfect for me sense I'm on a budget. A list pin for a price!.

7.587/10

3 years ago

MAD

FredZZZ

Inactive member

Nantes

4y 21,150 25 1 8

I bought this game and played it for 1 year. It's a good game, but so repetitive. Anyway a special mention for the taxi cab! so funny to hear him ! a good oldie pin with RED and TED, a strong shaker but this left ramp is so hard !

8.720/10

3 years ago

ALX

Razze79

Pinside member

Stockholm

4y 23,900 1 4 14

Underrated game! Many of Pat’s signature shoots. Fun theme and suits everybody. Tricky enough.

Razze79 has owned this game in the past.

8.042/10

4 years ago

MTB

LargemouthAss

Pinside member

Mclean, VA

5y 56,050 389 6 8

Very underrated game. Mine has Soren's code so the linearity of the modes is not a problem. Great shots, good lighting for the time, decent scoring balance (although it could use some tweaks), and a pretty packed playfield. The theme is meh and Carlene Carter's song is fine but some variety would be nice. Red and Ted are pretty awesome playfield toys. Color DMD really helps this game. While some of the modes are excessively simple, the sheer number of them more than makes up for it. If the theme was better this game would demand much higher prices.

LargemouthAss has owned this game in the past.

7.858/10

4 years ago

JAY

Buckeyepin

Pinside member

Powell, OH

9y 53,550 107 9 27

I am a big Pat Lawlor fan so I was curious where his brain was after creating the TwilightZone masterpiece.
I picked up a RS last weekend and it makes an automatic first impression. A wide body full of a ridiculous amount of toys and routes. The game play is slower than TZ and approaches AF in its linear play factor. Here are my pros and cons:
Pros: -The animatronics are amazing. Ted and Red actually add to game play and do not become annoying as others suggest.
- The game play has many shots that are challenging , many modes that are hard to unlock, and the idea of going around the country is cool.
- The actual theme is humorous and it was supposed to be. This is not TZ or Monopoly. Hence the hokey call outs and kitchy music.
- any young players all skip my other games to play this one. Multi age appeal ( they all skip Judge Dredd... )

Cons: - The back glass theme is lacking. All Lawlor games have cool back glass .... except this .
- keeping this monster running can be a challenge. I’m sure this was a route nightmare.
- the music detracts for some, not others . It certainly isn’t a bonus IMO.

The truth is this: I believe this is the absolute best pin you can buy for the money. Period. You simply can’t buy a pin with more routes, modes, toys, shaker, and animatronics and compete with this pin. The theme killed the price point .... not the mechanical nature of the game. You make this same game, rebrand it with better theme and art and it sells for $6K all day long .

Buckeyepin edited previous rating on May 19, 2020.
Buckeyepin has owned this game in the past.

9.776/10

4 years ago

HSH

turbo2nr

Pinside member

5y 74,550 989 2 13

Love my roadshow! Lots to do, and a long term keeper. Most all who play it agree

turbo2nr has owned this game in the past.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

8.144/10

4 years ago

HAN

HHaase

Siegecraft

14y 89,550 3,095 4 12

One of the least appreciated Lawlor games, but still an extremely good machine, hampered (in some opinions) by an odd theme of road construction. Personally, I love the theme and this game.

As part of the "Super-Pin" generation at Williams, it's flat-out loaded with stuff. Almost to the point of absurdity. Two talking heads, lots of ramps, it's a wide-body that's overflowing with stuff. For all the hardware, you rarely get to use the 'flying rocks' second plunger. Rules are decent, trying to work across the country from East to West, but does get a bit repetitive as it's always the same sequence and start point.

The thing is, though, I think this is better than a large number of games of the era in many ways. But for some reason the community never really took to it, which at least in 2018 leaves this as a bargain compared to other WPC era games. Maybe it's just overshadowed by other Lawlor games, particularly TZ and TAF, and the comparatively simple linear rules aren't in vogue these days. Or maybe people just really don't like the Country/Western theme and music. Either way, this is a hidden gem that got lost in the shuffle, in the days of excess before Williams started their cost cutting extravaganza.

HHaase has owned this game in the past.

8.420/10

4 years ago

JLG

JodyG

Ramp-O-Matic

6y 143K 4,612 6 21 1

Road Show is a great machine that you can still get for a decent price. The machine is absolutely loaded with good mechs and a variety of shots. I am not a big country music fan, but surprisingly the soundtrack doesn't bother me. I guess because it isn't the pop country of today. Some people do not like the linear mode structure, but I do not mind it so much as you don't necessarily take the same route each time. This is also one of the few games I didn't feel the need to run out and buy LED's for. The incandescent bulbs actually look more inviting to me.

JodyG edited previous rating on June 02, 2023.
JodyG has owned this game in the past.

8.176/10

4 years ago

BOD

Crazysurfkid

Pinside member

Halifax

5y 26,800 39 5 10

Such a great pinball and theme. Hugely enjoyable visiting the various states as you cross from East to West coast.
Nice flow with some nice long (and short) shots.
Not only is the multiball enjoyable, but when you get the jackpot, you're entertained with the music of Carlene Carter.
And oh.....did I mention it's a Pat Lawlor game!

Crazysurfkid edited previous rating on March 30, 2024.
Crazysurfkid currently owns this game.

7.504/10

4 years ago

TOM

marioparty34

Pinside+ Frequent

5y 176K 1,454 123 1

Fun house with another host.

marioparty34 edited previous rating on February 23, 2020.

10.000/10

4 years ago

FVS

FlipperBismi

Inactive member

København

4y 16,250 16 32

Fun when you shoot the ball in Teds Mouth

FlipperBismi currently owns this game.

7.894/10

4 years ago

JIN

Pinasco

Inactive member

Malmö

8y 37,650 81 3 60

Normally I'm not a big fan of widebodies, but this is the third game (the others are TZ and STTNG) that feels naturally fast and uses the extra width of the table in a way that ties the whole gameplay together with very good balance and variety. No filler areas or uninspired shots here.
The sound package is good and the two main gimmicks on the playfield, the head of Ted and Red, are guarateed to make you laugh and curse at the same time. This is the way a good pinball table should entertain you !

Only real complaint from me is that those habitrails could have been made a little more attractive or theme-oriented and less intrusive on the playfield through better placement. Nothing major, but those are the things in my book that would separate a good game from a excellent game.

Overall another solid Williams game from a period where they really put out one top title after another.

9.700/10

4 years ago

KEY

Keithisonfire

Pinside member

Victoria, BC

7y 27,750 17 30

This game is up there. Not on the same level as Twilight Zone but a great table none the less.
I know people don’t like the linearity of the game, but if you’re a decent player, you won’t be stuck only playing the first few cities. Get better and get to the west coast.
Quite honestly, this game is a top 5 pin for me because it has so many modes, the talking heads are fun and unique, the backglass is nothing special but not bad.
It’s a great Lawlor pin with many of his signature shots and depth.
People just get stuck on the country music and linearity.
Get one while the prices are low, they will go up on this title.

Keithisonfire currently owns this game.

5.070/10

4 years ago

DAD

ss-pinball

Pinside member

Kalamazoo, MI

5y 68,550 515 6 31

Recently played this for the first time.

BORING.

I don't get it.
Maybe I just don't like wide bodies.

10 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.400/10

4 years ago

TKM

Daditude

Pinside Moderator

Rockwall, TX

5y 266K 10,116 23 271

The game is a lot of fun to play, but I have no interest in the theme. It has TONS of toys/gimmicks, but the talking heads are creepy. I really enjoy the call outs and humor. If it were made today, I would cost $15k+

Daditude edited previous rating on September 04, 2020.

6.831/10

4 years ago

BEN

Lobo2k

Pinside member

Ottawa, ON

4y 37,800 95 12 42

This game is really fun great shots, what seems like just a huge board for some reason and tons to do with two giant talking heads! What more could you ask for??? . Would easily buy if there was one near me for a good price!!

Having said that I rated the sound category pretty low across the board as I find almost all of it repetitive and annoying. Another annoyance is the fairly linear gameplay... but hey it's an older game and was easy better than most games of the same timeframe.

Lobo2k edited previous rating on October 09, 2019.
Lobo2k has this game on the wishlist.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.360/10

5 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 - 9 - very high

Pro's:
* Lots of short fun modes to make your way across the country
* 2 talking heads & the banter between them
* Hitting a ball into Red's mouth is a challenge on its own
* Collecting souvenirs adds a great element to the game

Cons:
* The linear nature of the game. If you do poorly it'll be the same few cities every game
* Maintenance of Ted's head
* Theme isn't popular with non pinball people

Must Have Mods: (Note I will not include things like LED's, Color DMD, Invisiglass or Speaker Upgrades unless it's really badly needed)
* Painting the radio
* Swinks construction shooter plates
* A bomb or Witches hat to cover the flasher on the blast hole
* Updated code which lets you change to random cities instead of the linear mode

What To Look For When Buying
* Faded cabinet artwork is common
* Make sure eyes on both Red & Ted work as they should
* Wear around the flippers is common
* Yellow plastic ramp isn't broken as it's unobtainable
* Wear on the blast zone, in particular the left side
* Wear on or near the fish below the scoop is common

allsportdvd edited previous rating on October 31, 2023.
allsportdvd currently owns this game.

7 Pinsiders starred this!

8.356/10

5 years ago

TWH

Sergeant

Pinside member

North Port, FL

5y 31,650 10 4 15

Fun game with allot to shoot for. I enjoy the theme and the music even though I'm not redneck nor do I like country music. Very under rated pin. So much going on in this game and the flow is really good. Two plungers with each having three skill shots, two heads to beat up, lots of drop targets, and four flippers. What more can you want? To me this is only a knotch or two under my Indiana Jones. If you traded themes this would be rated much better and IJ would be rated lower

Sergeant edited previous rating on March 28, 2019.
Sergeant has owned this game in the past.

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