Pinside rating

This game received 71 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.717 _/10

7.717

Top 100 ranking

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

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game design: 7.86

Artwork: 7.991

Sounds/Music: 6.551

Other Aspects: 7.956

Rating comments

There are 37 rating comments for this game.

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 3 of us have rated this game.

7.521

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Ranking history

An overview of this machine's ranking over the last years. Lower is better.

Rating history

An overview of this machine's rating over the last years. Higher is better.

Found 37 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 37 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 2.

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9.614/10

15 days ago

SAG

pinballprincess

Pinside member

1y 12k 9 10

Close your eyes and relax into the ebb and flow of waves - this calming rhythm marks the beginning of a new game on Seawitch, and she is a glorious experience. This game portrays seawitches as scantily clad warrior women riding fish and living amongst the skulls of men. It is a curious theme, to be sure, but apt, as this game flows like water and magic, and one can feel like the huntress Atalanta trying to hit each shot on the mark.

The game features four flippers: the standard two at the bottom, as well as two positioned about halfway up the playfield, making an asymmetrical second pair. The upper left flipper grants close, direct hits to the middle target bank and, if you are lucky enough to survive the pop bumpers, the upper targets. The upper right is angled to propel the ball around the Rip Tide loop, a contiguous orbit that evokes the swirling of a waveform (or a rip tide current, as the name implies), although it, too, can reach the middle bank of drops.

This is not a terribly complicated playfield, and it is beautiful in its simplicity. The three banks of drop targets are the main focus of scoring in the game - they advance the bonus multiplier if a bank is completed while its corresponding X insert is lit as well as advance loop value. The upper playfield, enclosed by the loop and the middle bank of drop targets, houses a ring of targets and pop bumpers. Hitting the standups in the upper playfield boost the spinner value, making any rip on the Rip Tide loop even more sweet. Under the upper-right flipper is a small lane with a lucrative rollover that feeds back into the plunger lane.

This game is wondrous. Simple though it may seem, it is great for those who enjoy drop target-centric games, and the looped layout is interesting and memorable. A good game on Seawitch is a steady flow of well-designed shots that challenge a player's skill and amply reward success. It's a lovely table with a nice art package and, as previously mentioned, even the sound of the swelling sea.

pinballprincess has this game on the wishlist.

8.614/10

83 days ago

DJB

brenna98

Pinside member

Austin, MN

3y 83k 1,182 36 43

Seawitch is a game I knew I would love just looking at the layout. I never even got the chance to play one until I fully restored one. I traded a fully working nice condition game for a project Seawitch. It needed everything gone through anyway; so I just did everything all at once.
This game plays amazingly fast with a clearcoated/waxed playfield!! The shots are well laid out. It's all about drop targets: hit down the 3 banks advance. The orbit shot isn't a gimmy; you need to be dead on to hit the spinner and loop all the way around. Very satisfying shot when it happens! Going around the left side (for me) is more luck than anything. The right flippers just don't seem to line up right for a clean shot to the left orbit.
Definitely one of the best early Stern's made.

brenna98 currently owns this game.

5.379/10

5 months ago

APD

twinankhs

Twinankhs

San Jose, CA

<1y 16k 8 1 15

Love this game - Wish I could give it a higher rating, but Centar's creepy paranormal experience stole this position's slot. #12 on my list. LOTS of fun this game has great gameplay.

twinankhs has this game on the wishlist.

8.636/10

9 months ago

PAV

PavBall

Pinside member

Lake Charles, LA

2y 63k 356 41

Great game for four players. Very fun!

9.727/10

1 year ago

CAD

cottonm4

Pinside member

Wichita, KS

4y 49k 842 10 7

After two months of on-again off-again working on the Seawitch I bought I finally got it all set up and running. Hot Damn !! It is a fast game; It does what I bought to do. The only time the ball is not in motion is if you trap the ball with a flipper. The rest of the time is 4-flipper non-stop action.

The ruleset is not deep. You have 11 drop targets that you need to keep pounding. You have an outer orbit and you have an inner orbit.

I love the sound set.

Seawitch is not a Drain-o-matic. The outlines are friendly and you get lots of fast flipper action. But there are 3 or 4 ways it will get you SDTM.

If you grew up in the 60s and remember those old pins where you might get lucky and 15 seconds of flipper action before it was Game Over, you should give Seawitch a try if you ever have the opportunity.

EDIT: After a year of owning and playing this game for hundreds of games I am still jazzed by Seawitch action. I think of this as a pin that I would keep feeding coins to in an arcade because it gives me some fair action for my money. You have to target your shots but you don't have to be Dead Eye Dick to have a good time.

It is casual game for a casual, average, so-so player. Even with my mediocre playing skills a high percentage of the balls lost are due to my mistakes as opposed to Seawitch making cheap drains.

At TPF this year, my nephew and I played quite a few different pins. Seawitch was there. After we left, nephew said he liked playing Seawitch better than any other pin that was there. It is just a fast fun playing pin.

cottonm4 edited previous rating on May 03, 2017.
cottonm4 currently owns this game.

6.039/10

1 year ago

???

danske

Pinside member

Reims

2y 24k 2 11 15

not so good as the lightning !not sa bad but i don't really like it poor gameplay...

1.495/10

1 year ago

???

mazzzulatoro

Pinside member

Riccione

5y 19k 56

Pinball game with a few variables

2 Pinsiders flagged this rating/review.

8.226/10

1 year ago

AK

Coolpinballdino

Pinside member

2y 94k 423 46 305 2 1/0

Seawithch is a good game with good artwork and good rules and it has good shots

Coolpinballdino edited previous rating on April 26, 2016.

8.099/10

1 year ago

YOS

Yoski

Pinside member

Miami Shores, FL

2y 84k 299 19 130

An old Stern that looks kind of OK, how much fun can that be? Actually enough fun to be put on my wishlist. Plenty of action, 4 flippers, 3 pop bumpers and a bunch drop targets. The narrow outlanes provide for lengthy play times and the arrangement of the flipper actually allow some passing. Very unique layout that makes for a nice flow and a great pinball experience. One of the very best layouts and fun games of its time. I hope to add it to my collection one day.

Yoski currently owns this game.

8.780/10

1 year ago

DAD

chrisjens2

Pinside member

7y 56k 850 27

Great old Stern, my second choice next to Fathom!

9.620/10

1 year ago

LSD

Lysurgeon

Pinside member

Marysville, WA

3y 35k 275 7 8

I love this game, so fun!

Lysurgeon has this game on the wishlist.

7.500/10

1 year ago

SAP

seshpilot

Pinside member

5y 90k 1,541 120

The artwork may be my favorite on any game to date. It blends the theme perfectly and the violent sirens on the playfield and backglass are beautiful. I love the colors of the cab. Over the past 35 years, the light blues have yellowed to a seafoam green, which is one of the coolest colors ever. Bob Timm, how did you only do 2 games??

I'll have more to post once my restore is complete, but from what I've played so far, I like!

UPDATE: ultimately a major letdown for me. I just did not like the way this game played. Sold it within months of a MAJOR restore. The upper shots are ridiculously hard to hit. The geometry of this game is just poor sadly. Could/should have been a great game. :(

seshpilot edited previous rating on December 14, 2016.

9.474/10

2 years ago

ZAC

L_satan

Pinside member

Minneapolis, MN

4y 46k 415 26 14

VERY fast playing game. Tough shots, but achievable. Makes me want to play, play, play. A top design by Mike Kubin.

L_satan currently owns this game.

8.926/10

2 years ago

ROB

rcbrown316

Pinside member

Webster, NY

3y 69k 3,133 20 10

Had a meteor and developed a taste for classic sterns. That's gone now. I just bought seawitch and 2 other games that are way newer. This game kicks both of their asses as far as I'm concerned. As stated by others it starts off kinda slow but the programming changes the sound effects on the targets the more you hit them and this baby really starts to crank. gameplay speed varies from normal to lightning fast which I feel makes it very unique. loop shot is tough to hit on either side but is hugeky rewarding when you hit it, especially on the right side with the spinner. I bought it at a reasonable price but I am going to sink some time and money into this one. I think it's worth it and there aren't that many out there.

rcbrown316 currently owns this game.

8.506/10

2 years ago

DLS

leaffan67

Pinside member

Toronto, ON

5y 52k 434 24 28

Fast game but if you can get it humming.... Wow. For the era, there is a lot going on.

leaffan67 currently owns this game.

7.582/10

2 years ago

DMS

Elevatorman

Pinside member

St. Louis, MO

3y 79k 1,355 22 143 0/1

I just got this and it needs a shop job but it still plays super fast and a 100%.I played the heck out of it,probably 30 games,what a good time.Almost 35 years old and it's fun!
Drop target shots everywhere,around the PF shots are tough.
No speech but the sounds are pretty good.

Elevatorman has owned this game in the past.

8.017/10

2 years ago

JEF

helicopter

Pinside member

St Marys, OH

3y 32k 241 2 10

Pretty simple ruleset but still fun. A good shooters game where 3 sets of drop targets are the main focus. Sounds are very good with the ocean background noise. Play is very fast for a pin of this era. Pretty rare pin and would recommend owning.

helicopter has owned this game in the past.

7.707/10

3 years ago

RUS

Applezz

Inactive member

Essex, MD

3y 13k 43 1 6

Fun game I find myself going back to frequently.

7.206/10

3 years ago

ROB

RobKnapp

Pinside member

Colorado Springs, CO

7y 90k 2,577 13 174

Beautiful pinball fun play

8.289/10

3 years ago

RPG

RussG

Pinside member

5y 30k 32 13 19 0/1

Sea Witch is a beautiful machine when taken care of. A waxed playfield and properly maintained flippers add to speed and flow. Can be a very fast game but it's enjoyable.
3 banks of drop targets is a nice effect. The riptide is a satisfying shot to make that play all the way around.

Great artwork on the playfield and the backglass.
Looking forward to more games on this early SS Stern.

RussG currently owns this game.

8.308/10

3 years ago

???