Data East
The Who's Tommy Pinball Wizard Pinside Rating
This game received 233 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.744 /10
The Who's Tommy Pinball Wizard
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 7.91
Artwork: 7.402
Sounds/Music: 7.449
Other Aspects: 7.726
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 7 of us have rated this game.
Found 116 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 116 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 4 of 5.
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Marinha Grande
Espoo
Paris
7.560/10
11 years ago
Austin, TX
I played this a few times at the local arcade and can't say that I really enjoyed it. Then I joined a pinball league and this game was selected which forced me to practice on it and learn more about it. I was surprised by the depth and features that Tommy offers and found the game play enjoyable especially the multiball. What I didn't like about it was the sound and music package. I'm not familiar with Tommy the album except for the hits played on the radio but I found the callouts and the voice used for the songs to be really annoying and grating after a short time. It has the lower quality DE music and sound which doesn't help anything either. Anyways a great game if you can handle the music,sound and unappealing artwork.
8.444/10
11 years ago
Owned this game for 8 years. Never got old to me. My wife hated the noise. I finally had to quiet things down and get rid of her, I mean, the game. An all time classic that belongs in every pinheads collection for a couple of years. Top 20 for fun and music.
8.572/10
12 years ago
I have owned this game for 10yrs now and still really like the looks of the pin from the yellow cab to the pinball topper topper that shows your reflection with the pinball wizard arrows poiinting at you. Like many people have said before, the blinders are one of the coolest toys put into a pinball machine. A game of Tommy is an adventure that seems much better if you are familiar with the Tommy 'history'. I would have preferred the Who to actually do the audio over the braodway version but that is my biggest gripe. Challenging modes, a tough right ramp and the need to smash a mirror makes this high on the 'fun-a-bility' chart for me
Adelaide
8.564/10
12 years ago
N/a
The music is taken from the musical, not from the album of the Who - but still well-done. Plenty of variation "assignments" to be completed - after owning it for half a year, I still didn't play the "pinball wizard" mode.
Easy multiball. Unique feature: play "blind" like Tommy mode, when the flippers are blinded and you have a 3-ball multiball.
Easy multiball. Unique feature: play "blind" like Tommy mode, when the flippers are blinded and you have a 3-ball multiball.
Hoppstädten-weiersbach
8.429/10
12 years ago
Played this at a pinball event, unfortunately I could barely hear the music but I know The Who! I was sold when I got "blind" mode, a plastic skirt swings out over the flippers so you can't see whats going on... pain in the arse but really clever and cool!
8.939/10
12 years ago
This is a game that hits on all cylinders. The shots are fun but challenging, the music is top notch, DMD animations are superb, and the blinders are a great playfield addition. I like everything about this game (with the possible exception of the cabinet color)!
Litvinov
7.429/10
12 years ago
I own it so it may be bias, but thats only cause I have got to play it more than other machines and like any pinball the true worth only becomes apparent after multiple times spent at the flippers. The main feature of Tommy and why it rates as high as it does in MHO is the heritage it delivers. This table really captures the feel of an older style and time of pinball and delivers it in a modern interpretation. So while I mark it down for points in regards to lack of toys etc it really is all about Pinball past and in this regards it does a bang up job. Also the music and catchphrases are superb and simply add tons to the whole play experience. Experience is the word because you don't just play Tommy you live it, it is over the top, creepy and sometime a little weird, but than again anyone who has seen the movie will know that is exactly what it needs to be.
Okay time for an update. After owning this machine for four years, I think I can give a true honest account of the game. First of all I don't truly believe you can compare Data East from the mid 90's against Bally/Williams from the same era or todays STERNS. There is just a slight sub-par quality of build and sound when held up against other manufactures. That being said Tommy suffers these comparisons much less then say Jurassic Park or Last Action Hero.
Two things that still stand out after all these years are The Music and The Modes. Tommy is really Data East answer to the Addams Family and it is therefor no surprise that like TAF it nails it's theme and fun factor. I know that many Pinsiders mark down the music and callouts due to the fact that they based on Broadway Play and not the movie and I tend to agree that this is a fair call. Imagine that TAF was based on the broadway musical rather the the movie, it simply would not have the same impact. That being said, really all it would take to achieve a smooth transition from the musical to the album/movie would be a new back glass and updated sound files (after market mod anyone). Otherwise the theme does stick true to the movie/opera as far as modes, playfield etc...
Okay so heres the deal, Tommy is a fun game with great depth in the soundtrack/call outs and a really nice presentation (back glass is the exemption). I would strongly recommend it to a bigger collector as a great table for sub $2000 or to a real WHO fan but.... and its a big but... Tommy is not best in class in even one category and as such simply does not stack up to the best of the best. Its a great game to get you started in 90's pinball heritage, but once you immerse yourself in the best from this era, you will soon forget it and move on...
My Tommy is soon to be moved on when my Addams Family returns from a complete restoration project and really it is fitting. The Tommy was bought for my now wife (girlfriend at the time) as a substitute for an Addams Family that I could not afford at the time. And while she loves it for sentimental reasons, I know any feelings of loss or sadness for seeing it go when the Addams arrives will soon be swept away. I guess that sums up Tommy - Easily Forgotten
Okay time for an update. After owning this machine for four years, I think I can give a true honest account of the game. First of all I don't truly believe you can compare Data East from the mid 90's against Bally/Williams from the same era or todays STERNS. There is just a slight sub-par quality of build and sound when held up against other manufactures. That being said Tommy suffers these comparisons much less then say Jurassic Park or Last Action Hero.
Two things that still stand out after all these years are The Music and The Modes. Tommy is really Data East answer to the Addams Family and it is therefor no surprise that like TAF it nails it's theme and fun factor. I know that many Pinsiders mark down the music and callouts due to the fact that they based on Broadway Play and not the movie and I tend to agree that this is a fair call. Imagine that TAF was based on the broadway musical rather the the movie, it simply would not have the same impact. That being said, really all it would take to achieve a smooth transition from the musical to the album/movie would be a new back glass and updated sound files (after market mod anyone). Otherwise the theme does stick true to the movie/opera as far as modes, playfield etc...
Okay so heres the deal, Tommy is a fun game with great depth in the soundtrack/call outs and a really nice presentation (back glass is the exemption). I would strongly recommend it to a bigger collector as a great table for sub $2000 or to a real WHO fan but.... and its a big but... Tommy is not best in class in even one category and as such simply does not stack up to the best of the best. Its a great game to get you started in 90's pinball heritage, but once you immerse yourself in the best from this era, you will soon forget it and move on...
My Tommy is soon to be moved on when my Addams Family returns from a complete restoration project and really it is fitting. The Tommy was bought for my now wife (girlfriend at the time) as a substitute for an Addams Family that I could not afford at the time. And while she loves it for sentimental reasons, I know any feelings of loss or sadness for seeing it go when the Addams arrives will soon be swept away. I guess that sums up Tommy - Easily Forgotten
8.690/10
12 years ago
Not a huge Data East fan and I can't stand musicals...yet I love this game! Tommy is simply one of those games that has a great feel to it. The sound and lighting come together perfectly to compliment certain shots and moments in the game. For example, during multiball, you'll hear old school pinball chimes - how cool! The music, and not just the song Tommy, will get stuck in your head for days to come (I've got the music during the Christmas mode stuck there now).
Really, the only cons to this game, are the lack of any cool toys (in the proto-type, the airplane that sits in back dropped balls for multi-ball) and that some of the modes just feel unexciting. However, I've never been one that needs a good toy to enjoy a machine.
This game is a top ten in my book.
Really, the only cons to this game, are the lack of any cool toys (in the proto-type, the airplane that sits in back dropped balls for multi-ball) and that some of the modes just feel unexciting. However, I've never been one that needs a good toy to enjoy a machine.
This game is a top ten in my book.
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