Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Pinside rating

This game received 646 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.863 /10

7.863

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #106 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.



Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.913

Artwork: 7.794

Sounds/Music: 7.42

Other Aspects: 8.023


Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 8 of us have rated this game.

7.758

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Found 355 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 355 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 15.

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8.860/10
64 days ago
I waited over 7 years into this hobby to finally play (and own) T2. This game is a smooth/flowy shooter. My favorite series of shots is hitting the skull drop-down target to expose access to the skull VUK, getting the ball into the VUK to the habitrail, leading to the canon, and letting the canon take aim for a very satisfying shot at the hunter killer ship targets. The ball locks are well placed. Backglass and playfield artwork are beautiful. This game is well built. Having the pinsound board with original soundtrack and callouts is a big upgrade.
5.703/10
4 months ago
This was a favorite of mine when I was a kid. Of course I think much of that hype was due to being a kid and really being into the T2 movie. Replaying this now, it was one of the most boring semi-modern pins I've played. It wears down quick and it's way too simple. It has good shots but that's it. It's very basic and it really rides on the hope that the theme will pull you in. I think there's far more they could have done with the playfield on the IP here but it's so minimal. I think this is one that could use a remake or a full reimagining because I think this whole thing should be dropped for a better layout and design. I think the worst thing for me is that the playfield is almost entirely just lit items. There's minimal integration of the theme and lots and lots of sticker inserts and things to light. It's dull. I just can't get into this anymore. Terminator 3 is much more fun to play but I think T2 could be so much better. What is here just gets old really fast.
8.940/10
5 months ago
Terminator 2 is cool. My high score is 111,000,000. When I got that, I got the video mode during the m-ball. My score on it said A1,Fb4,6B3 for some reason. Any ideas about that?
8.128/10
5 months ago
This is an all time classic.

The layout has the Steve Ritchie flow and every shot feels great. The cannon is an iconic feature and one of the best pinball toys of all time. Making the ramp combos during payback time is one of this game's highlights for me and it reminds me much of the Lady Justice round on Metallica. The game is also not that easy to play which increases replayability. The return from a failed left ramp shot can be very dangerous.

The rules have definitely aged but they are very straightforward which makes this game more understandable for beginners. This machine has one of the best classic multiballs ever. It is on par with the one on High Speed II: The Getaway. Collecting the Super Jackpot can be brutally challenging but when you do so it is one of the best moments on any pinball machine.

In terms of animation this one was one of the first games using the DMD and for that it is excellent. The artwork is good and perfectly fits in with the theming. Actually the theming is the only thing I don't really get with this machine. It seems the focus is more on fighting the HKs and whatnot but that's not really what the movie is about. But it kind of works as the game doesn't go that much into detail.

Overall this is a classic and fun game with a lot of (still) enjoyable moments. As it is quite challenging I think it is a game that can be enjoyed by players of various skill levels.
8.643/10
5 months ago
T2 is my second dmd game. My first was Stargate, which got a lot of attention until I brought T2 home. I still really like Stargate, but there's something about T2 that makes it stand out. I've played it way too much but I'm no where near tired of it.
7.948/10
6 months ago
A fun game with an easy multiball to start and it gets progressively harder, I liked the gun hitting the targets but it does get a bit repetitive. Getting a flow going on the ramps is good and the loops are not to dangerous. I didn’t like the wider gap with a post between the flippers. I would put a thicker o ring on if I owned one.
9.500/10
6 months ago
In a way that no other pin has, T2’s gameplay immediately pulled me in because of its difficulty in some areas and not in others. It’s great & easy shots include the skull and ramps, but the real fun comes in with the long orbit shots, the strangely located ball lock, and every bodies favorite ballgun. For being the first machine to have a DMD game AND ball gun, it remains many peoples (including myself’s) favorite versions of these gimmicks. But what really elevates this game from great to amazing for me is the jackpot multiplier. I won’t try to explain it here, because PAPA pinball already made a great video on it, but it might as well be the best one I’ve experienced. So satisfying to hit again and again to multiply, then try for the super. Challenging and fun. The cherry on top of this game is the theme integration. Arnold talking to you is so freaking awesome, and the T-800 with the 3-D hands effect is amazing, especially when it all goes dark except the red eyes and say “I’ll be back”.

Legendary pin, somehow underrated, go give it all your quarters.
9.340/10
8 months ago
very neat&addicting pin...lots of fun shots/modes...including the cannon, video mode, & T2's head...had tons of fun playing it with Lyman in the early 90's on our lunch hours before he up&left to work in the pinball industry...although a lunch hour of playing pinball with him was actually Lyman for 50+ minutes and me for 5 to 10 minutes...lol...I was frustrated by that at first...but eventually grew to appreciate it for the teaching experience that it was...I learned so much about how to play pinball from Lyman...RIP my friend...
8.620/10
10 months ago
Its a great game thats easy to play but has challenging features.

The hurry-up is the best in pinball.

Great replayability!
8.156/10
10 months ago
After playing many T2’s in varying conditions, I believe that it’s a solid game.

Pro’s:
Layout is overall very solid, with all shots flowing well and being a truly great layout by Steve Ritchie.

Probably some of my favorite multiball rules in any pinball machine. They were later reused by other games (notably Batman Forever to an extent, and STTNG also used them to an extent, though Ritchie also designed that game). Finding the super jackpot timing is either fairly easy, or fairly hard depending on the model, but to be able to get multiple in a row is pure euphoria on the same level as Vacation Jackpot/5X jackpot on White Water or Touring the Mansion for the first time on Addams Family.

Rules are overall fun, and modes like Payback Time are challenging to score high in but are rewarding.

Sound is overall strong, and has some classic tunes like the Main Theme, Multiball Theme and Jackpot Theme.

Artwork is just plain iconic. Very much a staple of any Arcade in the Early 90’s next to Addams Family or Twilight Zone.

Light show is fantastic, particularly during jackpots.

To have played this back in 1991, this would have been jaw dropping, considering how unique the cannon would have been, along with featuring DMD animations that were unique for the time. Williams very clearly put a ton of effort into this game, and was strongly anticipating it’s success.

Con’s:

Multiball is definitely overpowered, unless you spam the right loop all day.

If the cannon isn’t working right, the game is ruined.

While the art is solid, it’s nothing extraordinary like some of Watson’s earlier work.

Overall, a very solid game, though missing that piece to make it a hit out of the park.
8.168/10
11 months ago
A classic that along with the Addams Family to me ushered in the golden era of modern pinball boom from the 90s that revitalized the game. It's a very simple game, most of the rules are to hit the same targets over and over for continual points, or alternating shots for increased bonus points, with each lane just escalating. No major objectives for the game really but the simplicity of the time is to be expected. As a kid with such a hit movie, stuff like this was just amazing. Hearing Arnold's lines, blasting that HK with the ball launch. Just pure nostalgia goodness.
7.521/10
11 months ago
Good concept, but it isn't long before you get all the shots figured out and the game is just rince and repeat after that. For money I would like some with a bit more variation and replayability.
8.264/10
11 months ago
The best sequel in the franchise translates into a pretty fun pinball machine, it’s freaking Terminator 2 and Ah-nold himself is doing the call-outs. It has the right amount of flow and stop and go action and rules are straightforward. Loading the cannon to shoot down a hunter-killer is a great gimmick. Stick around for the flasher light show after your last ball drains, I love that part. The one draw-back for me is the music, it’s not bad just doesn’t add anything really and maybe they didn’t have rights to the movie soundtrack but it just doesn’t fit. Fortunately you can fix that yourself
9.028/10
1 year ago
The game flows so well, lots of fun and challenging. Arnold is always there to encourage. The ball cannon is intense. Gun handle grip for ball shooter. I'll be back, to play again
8.228/10
1 year ago
An easy to understand ruleset, but hard to master. I really like the flow of the shots. This machine is the first one ever with a video game. Unlike other games it is pretty rare to get to video mode as it requires a few tricky shots to get it.
8.496/10
1 year ago
looks really nice, can be easily modded to look even better however i found gameplay a bit sluggish, too much open space on the playfield
7.691/10
1 year ago
Good for a few games but gets repetitive quickly. This is a popular game but I think its popularity is based more on the theme than the gameplay. Its fun...but I wouldn't buy it.
8.240/10
1 year ago
Amazing theme done fairly well. Just a fairly repetitive rule set and strategy of gameplay.
5.707/10
1 year ago
Kids like game and is ok
7.652/10
1 year ago
Back in the day, this pin was a blast – the first one I saw with added games and animation on the dot matrix. The gun launcher was also a great idea!
8.316/10
1 year ago
Love loading and shooting the gun for multiball. Game has plenty of different shots to explore without the playfield seeming too cluttered. Callouts are short and simple, but it fits the source material (Arnold's dialog in the film wasn't Shakespeare. lol)

Overall I have a lot fun with the game and it keeps me coming back
9.740/10
1 year ago
I don’t have many pins but out of the 5 I have, this one gets the most plays. It’s easy to understand, cool to look at, fun to mod, and fun to play. The only one my wife will play. Not sure if there is such a thing as a great deal nowadays, but if one can be picked up at an affordable price, I would pull the trigger.
7.840/10
1 year ago
T2 is a straight forward game, great for a quick game but can turn into more games, as it can draw you in.

I enjoy the ramps and locks and cannon.

I enjoy the old school vibe and it is Terminator 2 themed!

However, it's no where near a top tiered, deep, modern game. It has more of a simpler time feel to it. Which is not a bad thing but I wouldn't want this in a single pin collection.

I enjoy shooting it and I do so often, but if it was the one and only I think it would get tiresome.
9.420/10
1 year ago
Very fun game! Easy to understand. The gun is easy to get a shot at and achieve multiball.
8.204/10
1 year ago
Fun game for sure. The gun mech is fun. The game is shallow but T2 is an excellent theme and this game did it justice. The Arnold callouts were great. It blew my mind that he did them (or if it isn't him, that they got someone who sounded just like him).
There are 355 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 15.

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