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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10.000/10

8 years ago

???

Figaro

Inactive member

Laval, QC

8y 15,250 1 3 11

Wow nice gane play

Figaro currently owns this game.

8.280/10

8 years ago

TBK

Some people just do not "get" this machine. Essentially, it was the sequel to Funhouse on steroids. Its actually less complicated in terms of mechanics than STTNG (on the underside), but overall complexity is on par with TZ.
A well-oiled RS is a slight to behold when the heads start fighting. It has a deeper ruleset and easter eggs than most WMS machines, but the concept of what you are supposed to do is straightforward. The music can be annoying to some players, but I personally like the country rock and Carlene Carter. If you like Funhouse, you will like RoadShow.

Old Simple 2005 Review:
Everything but the kitchen sink game (shaker motor, multiple ramps, two talking heads) UNDERRATED

xTheBlackKnightx edited previous rating on October 18, 2015.

5 Pinsiders starred this!

8.516/10

8 years ago

DRJ

dendoc

Pinside member

Burleigh Waters

10y 74,900 1,553 17 22

One in my collection for 6 months now. Being a Lawlor game, nice rules with good depth and an interesting variety of shots. Red and Ted, Like Rudy before them, integrate their speech into the game well without being annoying. Shooting into the mouths is fun, but there are enough other ramp/scoop/target shots that the machine is entertaining for the long term. linear rules means it's hard to get through the game, but the city path varies enough not to get repetitive. Color DMD brings out the animations well. Nice machine for the whole family.

dendoc has owned this game in the past.

7.119/10

8 years ago

---

ForceFlow

Pinside Moderator

9y 236K 31,323 268 14

Fun and challenging, but the call-outs can get annoying after a while.

ForceFlow edited previous rating on August 15, 2021.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.800/10

8 years ago

BEN

benbethel

Pinside member

Flagstaff, AZ

10y 33,400 40 1 8

I currently own, in order - Bride of Pinbot, White Water, Wizard of Oz 75th Anniversary Edition, and now Road Show. I bought this on a whim at ZAPCON in Phoenix, Arizona (a really great annual show!), just because so many people were coming up and playing this, saying they've dropped tons of quarters in to it, and just had such energy and sparkles in their eyes reminiscing over this game. It was very interesting, because there were so many great games around it. So, I did some research, found that it had high ratings in the past and did the math on its ratings today - really dropped because of a few really bad reviews that I felt were unfair.

The game shakes a LOT - intentionally, and in a fun way... the audio-animatronic Red and Ted heads are just great, and that they swallow the balls and make for targets is great. I can't complain at all about this game... and I live in a pretty communal situation where I've combined 4 high rise condos into one giant place for about 10 people to live. And let me just say, this game gets played more than all other games... and probably will for a while!

With the unique characteristics and features, great lighting, easy but also challenging-at-times goals, and a feeling that you can get all the way to California pretty easily (but you really can't, at least we can't, but have enough times to captivate us when it happens), I think this is a wise investment, will keep its theme fun forever, plays to the times nicely, and will be timeless...

Great, great, great game...

benbethel has owned this game in the past.

7.736/10

8 years ago

MAY

CyberNinja24

Pinside member

Sioux Falls, SD

10y 91,900 714 11 42

I bought RS on a whim, because it was a good value and it already had a color DMD. I wasn't expecting a lot, and figured I would probably trade it right away. But, after playing a ton of games and getting a chance to understand the rules, I am extremely impressed.

I have heard others call this a "kitchen sink" game, basically stating that they threw everything into it. I would agree. Hitting your mini flipper on the left into the blasting zone across the play filed and setting off the shaker is fantastic. I love the back and forth with Red and Ted. I thought it might be annoying, but I truly enjoy it. Modes/cities are very fun with different objectives at each turn.

I owned Fish Tales for quite some time, which is rated slightly higher than RS. For my money, there's not even a comparison between the two. But, everyone has their own tastes and opinions.

Great game for the money. Highly recommended.

CyberNinja24 edited previous rating on October 06, 2017.
CyberNinja24 has owned this game in the past.

9.520/10

8 years ago

ORB

Sugoiorson

Pinside member

Baulkham Hills

9y 31,000 2 30 12

This is one fun pin, plenty to do and some great "feel good shots". Two heads are better than one.
I love the theme and the music is great.... and I am not even a country music fan.
I love the variety of shots, some being quite difficult. this Pin even has a second plunger, you gotta love a second plunger.
it has been said before that this game can get tedious when played frequently due to the fact that that the modes start the same every time.... and this is true, but it doesn't bother me.

summary- awesome game.

Sugoiorson currently owns this game.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

8.784/10

8 years ago

TOM

Egames

Inactive member

Moorebank Nsw

9y 11,000 1 1 6

love it.

Egames has this game on the wishlist.

8.000/10

9 years ago

DEB

Dbaum88

Pinside member

Roswell, GA

11y 90,050 1,274 8 78

A good "kitchen sink" game - feels like Lawlor threw everything he had into this one. I like the mini flipper hitting the blast; having the ball head to the left plunger, a la Funhouse and GnR; locking balls for multiball through a tight spinner; obligatory Lawlor shot through the bumpers to a cool ramp, etc. Layout kinda reminds me of Last Action Hero - lots to do everywhere.

Sounds are okay, a bit repetitive as you work your way across country every game. Carlene Carter fans will love it! Wish it had a bit more variety...

Oh and yes, the theme is confusing...country music, construction, trucking, ???

Overall though, a fun game by the master designer.

Dbaum88 has owned this game in the past.

8.860/10

9 years ago

TF

tonyf1965

Pinside+ Frequent

Peoria, IL

12y 81,800 939 13 23

Its destruction, not construction. The machine is fun, with lots to do. The quirky unusual theme and game play sets it apart from all others. Found it to be truly underrated. Color DMD on this, awesome!

tonyf1965 edited previous rating on July 27, 2021.
tonyf1965 currently owns this game.

9.520/10

9 years ago

CNY

TheCnyPinGuy

Pinside+ Addict

Sherrill, NY

11y 123K 3,584 10 54 2

"Time to go to work, lets fire that thing up"

I love the lighting countdown as the wheel award

have never gotten further then Las Vegas

one of Pat Lawlors best games

TheCnyPinGuy has owned this game in the past.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

9.000/10

9 years ago

GIC

goingincirclez

GIC Pinball

9y 116K 2,835 27

Lots of stuff to do on this table, and a fun theme with wonderful execution. The puppet heads are kind of gimmicky but all the cross shots, loops, scoops, locks, elevated ramps and mini-games more than make up for it. The game leads through a nice progression of crossing the country and the map on the pf is cool. Some fun loop shots but nothing that seems forced - you're able to switch things up on a whim if you choose. Obviously the shaker detonation is a highlight in itself, and the callouts and animations are amusing.

The theme is kind of silly but I love this style of B/W artwork. Table is forgiving enough for beginners and kids, but perhaps the best part is even after racking up a respectable grand champion expo score, I never came CLOSE to exposing all this game has to offer. Surprised I'd never heard more of it before... definitely a pleasant discovery!

[FWIW I self-rate my skill level as medium]
(Played at Louisville Arcade Expo 2015)

8.924/10

9 years ago

FNF

FightNightFZ

Inactive member

10y 61,300 872 3 13

For one, the guy that rated this a 2 is crazy. I could barely tell you what pin deserves a pin (maybe a stern home edition or some kids play mini pin). People bombing scores just ruins the reliability of them. Now on to the game. It is a definite family friendly, with something for all ages. There are tons of modes and the rules are deep. Red and Ted's interaction with the player is something that is still innovative today (We'll see how Smaug ends up). Easter eggs like Red singing the country song and Ted sleeping and coughing on the ball when you hit him are cool. There is a lot to like about on this pin and it's one of the reasons it is always consistently rated in the top 50. With a ColorDMD this pin really looks good. Blast Zone is a fun shot. In a 4+ pin lineup, it's a keeper.

FightNightFZ has owned this game in the past.

7.006/10

9 years ago

MAT

MikeTangoIndia

Inactive member

Kingman, AZ

10y 57,900 532 2 8

Very fun pin. TONS of stuff to do. Like others have said it gets old after a while having to start on the east coast every time. I like country music so the theme and the music doesnt bother me but to some its a total turn off. Great pin if you can get past the theme and music you will have yourself a Lawlor masterpiece!

MikeTangoIndia has owned this game in the past.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

7.858/10

9 years ago

DIK

Inactive member

9y 47,050 1,273 16

Great pin. Plays smooth, shoots are plenty. Addicting.

5.576/10

9 years ago

SAP

seshpilot

Pinside member

11y 112K 2,528 169 4

Road Show is one of those games that makes me scratch my head: what went wrong?!

Lawlor design? Check
Funhouse talking heads? Check
Great DMD animations? Check
Lots to shoot at? Check

Yet, this game is just not fun. The playfield is a mess: there's stuff packed everywhere but unlike Twilight Zone, it's not clear what you're supposed to hit. Additionally, though the game has stuff everywhere, it lacks those one or two shots that feel amazing when you hit them. There's no challenge to the shots.

Some people dog the music, but it doesn't bother me at all. If you hate country music, then it might bug you. It's actually pretty high quality sound IMO. Unfortunately, good sound, talking heads, solid DMD animation, and toys galore can't help this pin from being a lackluster design. Pass.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.520/10

9 years ago

ROX

T7

Pinside member

10y 73,150 2,002 20

Excellent Pat Lawlor game that is generally under appreciated. Love the very unique playfield design that makes this game feel very different than a lot of other games. Great use of the shaker motor, great toys, and just a very fun game.

7.424/10

9 years ago

GIL

Imagineerie

Inactive member

10y 44,550 7 190

Funhouse is one of my all time favorites. I was hoping two heads would be better than one (I always thought more head was better), but not so much. This game has some great shots and some cool features, but it wasn't nearly as much fun as I thought it would be. The theme is a little too low-brow and (unexpectedly) "Nashville" for my taste, which also effects play modes. Another issue for me is that it is a widebody machine. I don't know what it is about the widebody machines, but they just aren't as much fun to play. Maybe that's why the upcoming Hobbit game looks so boring in the videos; but I digress. I admittedly need to spend more time on the machine (if I get another chance) to really know how I feel about it.

Imagineerie edited previous rating on August 09, 2016.

3 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.276/10

9 years ago

JLH

seagull64

Pinside member

Harrisburg, PA

9y 20,000 5 7 14

A keeper. And a steal at the price.

seagull64 edited previous rating on January 19, 2017.
seagull64 has owned this game in the past.

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