Williams

Tales of the Arabian Nights

Pinside Rating

This game received 887 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.497 _/10

8.497

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #29 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.452

Artwork: 8.727

Sounds/Music: 8.094

Other Aspects: 8.51

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.

9.051

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Found 491 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 491 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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9.420/10

5 years ago

???

skyrex

Pinside member

8y 51,650 188 9 16

Enjoy this every time I play it. Would like to find a quality example for my home.

skyrex has this game on the wishlist.

8.480/10

5 years ago

JIM

Dkjimbo

Pinside member

Matthews, NC

8y 55,800 1,110 3 33

JPop's best. such a loaded game! The fireball magnet toy sometimes works/sometimes doesn't...seems hard to keep that working right. If this came out in modern day if would be a JJP title....way to much packed in to satisfy Stern bean-counters.

The layout is fantastic, one of the top 3 of the era for me. Sounds are just ok. It is a bit simple and shallow as far as code goes but it probably only feels more noticeable to that end since the layout and mechanics are so jam packed and varied.

9.576/10

5 years ago

JBM

Jomo33

Pinside member

5y 41,400 23 256

Solid high-flow game. Just really fun to shoot. Not into the theme, art, music as much as other 90’s Bally/Williams classics, but still a big fan. This layout would make a great re-theme option.

Jomo33 edited previous rating on April 01, 2023.
Jomo33 has this game on the wishlist.

8.800/10

5 years ago

CUZ

mcuzz

Pinside member

8y 117K 500 137

beautiful game all around, a lot of fun to play.
ramps a plenty on this one, magnets add a nice touch.
rules are a little shallow, but what a looker!

8.920/10

5 years ago

DDH

ImGoing4Broke

Pinside member

Montevideo, MN

8y 37,400 5 15 26

Played it for the first time today..... It's moving to the top of my wish list!!!

ImGoing4Broke has this game on the wishlist.

9.356/10

5 years ago

ZBW

ZenBallWizard

Inactive member

7y 22,250 34

Great theme and execution!

9.300/10

5 years ago

GXV

Gxv5

Pinside member

Cleveland, OH

7y 34,250 17 10 9

Addictive!

Gxv5 currently owns this game.

8.336/10

5 years ago

KOJ

koji

Pinside member

Surrey, BC

6y 112K 2,653 14 65

I really wanted to like Tales of the Arabian nights. For me, it is a killer theme, and overall of course, the artwork and sound package is beautiful.

After an opportunity to play the actual machine for some time now. I was a bit let down. Perhape my hopes for the game were not realistic, but when you read the comments for it here, you would think it would have more lasting appeal.

Great game of course, just don't buy into the hype. It's no MM or AFM, but it's a good above average modern pin, and the art and audio are enough to still pay for the space in any good collection.

koji edited previous rating on April 07, 2022.

9.840/10

5 years ago

STF

stf_dnx

Pinside member

Miami, FL

6y 32,300 136 3 24

Before I played it, I was kind of sceptical about this pin. Not a big fan of the side and translite art, genius and lamp seem to be weird on the playfield.
But the truth is, the magic works! It really does! You'll just forget you in front of a machine. You will feel like a kid when you see something incredible and it has to be magic, because there's no other explanation. Love it!

stf_dnx has this game on the wishlist.

7.756/10

5 years ago

JDM

jsyjay

Pinside member

Unknown City

10y 73,900 327 3 29

Again, an absolutely beautiful game from J-Pop with some amazing toys and incredible ramps. If the rules were updated it would be a top 20 game for me but as is it might just scrape the top 50. There isn't enough to keep an above average player interested after you've reached the wizard mode a few times. Third best J-Pop game for me behind Cirqus Voltaire and World Cup Soccer.

9.840/10

5 years ago

ANP

arqpuebla

Pinside member

San Juan

8y 36,300 208 10 6

Loveeee it!

arqpuebla currently owns this game.

8.143/10

5 years ago

???

EyePin

Inactive member

Unknown

5y 3,750 1 7

Very pricey relative other games I find a lot more enjoyable. Very beautiful playfield, artwork and lighting. Didn't draw me back for another play. A nice machine but seems overrated?

8.132/10

5 years ago

DPF

dontpanicflip

Pinside+ Frequent

6y 68,400 157 2 28

Amazing game I want added to the personal collection! The layout is insanely fun, and the theming is really fun (if a bit outdated). The genie is beautiful when lit up and you really FEEL his anger when you’re fighting him to save the princess.

dontpanicflip edited previous rating on December 04, 2018.

9.200/10

5 years ago

JAM

JMcDonald

Pinside apprentice

7y 43,900 288 14

Awesome game! It's unreal to me that a game like Iron Maiden is currently ranked higher. This game has real flow with an extremely unique layout and use of diverters. Not only does it have great flow, it has innovative (and molded) toys. JPop became a legend because of crazy fun games like this. If anything, I only wish the rule set were much deeper.

9.460/10

5 years ago

???

FarFromHeaven26

Pinside member

Unknown

6y 42,050 319 7 28

Physically, one of the most beautiful games ever produced. The rules aren't terribly difficult nor are they simple either. The theme is fantastic.

8.556/10

6 years ago

WXW

Lawlor_and_Order

Pinball 518

7y 81,400 38 112

Popadiuk had quite a string in the 90's, from World Cup Soccer to Cabaret Voltaire, but I think this is the machine that really established him as an auteur -- a designer whose work you could recognize just by playing the game, without knowing for sure he'd designed it. Arabian Nights is "themed but not licensed" - inspired by the classic work of literature, but also clearly drawing inspiration from the arabesque Hollywood movies of the 30's and 40's and maybe a few Warner Brothers or Scooby-Doo cartoons. (I consider World Cup Soccer to be of similar ilk -- licensed by FIFA perhaps, but almost creating a new back story for Stryker. I digress.)

My quibbles with "Tales" are mostly in the areas where Popadiuk games tend to fail -- their toys break, and when the machine isn't tuned or the magic lamp spinner or magic trunk or goal keeper isn't working, the games tend to be a chore to play. I'm also not a huge fan of his skill shots, which tend to be short and trinary.

But finely tuned and maintained, this game is tops: medium-depth rules-set, an achievable but not too easy wizard mode, balanced scoring, sequential goals, and a sort of whimsical interpretation of the theme, all in a two-flipper game.

Add on to that one of the best pieces of backglass art of the modern era, it's a lovely and fun machine.

I have a magic wish to make: that the ROM set to this game be expanded using modern capacity and programming, to incorporate more tales; we've got another 990 or so to work with.

Lawlor_and_Order edited previous rating on March 19, 2018.

9.220/10

6 years ago

NAT

Nath1977

Pinside member

La Pocatière, QC

6y 20,000 41

WOW, Nothing negative about this pinball. Pure fun, a keeper.

Nath1977 edited previous rating on March 06, 2019.

9.296/10

6 years ago

LAU

chatplume51

Pinside member

Chalons En Champagne

10y 30,550 108 3 19

this game doesn't has deep rules but atmospheris specialso you want to play again and again
this game is too easy if you take jewels with your wishes
very beautiful pinball

9.320/10

6 years ago

RC

Robhorror

Pinside member

Québec, QC

8y 50,650 3 15 53

WOW, very fun and magic machine. Great flow, a lot of toys, the ramp is awsome, not too easy and great for all the familly.

Robhorror edited previous rating on March 06, 2019.
Robhorror has owned this game in the past.

9.120/10

6 years ago

???

Pinball_Blizzard

Inactive member

Savage, MN

7y 26,000 1 3 8

“In ancient Baghdad, a most beautiful princess was imprisoned by the evil genie, Saleem Bagazai!!” It’s beautiful. It’s pretty. Can we just get that out of the way? This is one of the most gorgeous pinball machines ever produced and if you are in the market to buy one, the price will reflect this. When fitted with proper LEDs it looks even better. This title is from the golden age of DMD pinball in the mid 90s. Some of the most collectible machines were created during his time period. The local bar I frequented in the 90s had this machine and I spent countless hours on it. The vocal cues, toys, long spiraling and winding ramp returns make this game very enjoyable. The ruleset is not very deep. Beating the game does not have the extreme level of difficulty as modern pinball machines, so I am not sure how well the replay value would be in a home collection. Despite the accolades the backglass has received, it has always been my least favorite part of the game. I have seen alternate translites that I have preferred better. Magnets, spikes, spinning lamp and Genie bash toy, all great things that add to the fun of this machine. Music, animations, lighting and sound effects are well done. Any pinhead would be proud to have this machine in their collection, thus why it is becoming more of a rarity to see it on location. “Fly on your magic carpet!”

2 Pinsiders starred this!

7.548/10

6 years ago

CAB

regulardaddy

Inactive member

Saskatoon, SK

9y 23,550 20 10

I dont get this game. Played it at a convention because I had heard it was awesome. I had to wait forever for the two guys ahead of me to finish their game. When it was my turn I found out why: nothing happens in this game! It was practically impossible for the ball to drain and super easy to get extra balls. I just kept playing and playing, my score slowly going up as I didnt know how to get good points. As I recall people started waiting for me and eventually I felt bad and just left. It was a beautiful exercise in pointlessness.

9.380/10

6 years ago

CEB

alwaysrockin777

Inactive member

Morada, CA

9y 30,900 40 13 7

Hard to beat is terms of visual appeal. Damn difficult game when set up right - almost like it should have been a widebody, but got squeezed into standard size. Very rewarding for careful play. Plenty of shots and goals to choose from. Excellent game.

alwaysrockin777 currently owns this game.

9.536/10

6 years ago

MRB

XxindiCAddictxX

Inactive member

Fontana, CA

6y 17,250 4 11

great game

XxindiCAddictxX edited previous rating on January 13, 2018.

9.132/10

6 years ago

JDS

SwimLaw

Inactive member

6y 28,150 53 19

Arguably, one of the best machines ever made. I think there are few machines that can match this game. For me, this was quintessential pinball. The theme, the mystere, the layout, the really cool genie with the light up eyes. The artwork was second to none. The entire game was just superb.

To be fair, shooting the lamp could get a bit repetitive and the game rules weren’t overly in depth, but overall, this was and is the pin everyone wants to play, and then play again beachside it is just so much fun.

Edit: Played it again at a friend's house and updated my rating. I want this pin.

SwimLaw edited previous rating on December 01, 2017.

8.303/10

6 years ago

JER

Cyberdome25

Inactive member

Weert

9y 23,800 10 10

Pretty looking game, although I don't like the backglass. Cabinet and playfield art are stunning.
Lot of fun shots. Great ramps, love the magnets and ballsave cages. Vanishing the ball under the playfield is a cool feature. Can get a bit boring after playing it over and over if this is your only pin or in a very small collection.

Cyberdome25 has owned this game in the past.

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