Totem

Pinside rating

This game has received 12 approved Pinsider ratings. 38 more approved ratings are needed to get a rating and for it to be eligible for the Pinside Pinball Top 100 ranking.


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Found 8 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 8 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.192/10
3 years ago
Totem is a blast to play. Hitting the upper playfield bullseye for an extra ball after dropping the three banks of drop targets is very satisfying. Obtaining the 'Special' is very challenging. Ripping the vari-target is awesome. Collecting your bonus in the kick-off hole is great. Overall it is a very straightforward and fun pin that will keep you coming back for more.
6.621/10
4 years ago
Very tough system 1 game to get a special on .Very nice artwork with well balanced scoring. Totem is sort of a grind to get your good scores. Overall a good system 1 but it just doesn't have much of a thrill to it and those slings will scalp you to the outlanes
7.549/10
5 years ago
Great backglass! Great sounds! Not a fan of the flippers! Looks like they were installed wrong! Great attract sounds!
4.746/10
6 years ago
I tried to like this game since I usually like quirky titles, but I just didn't find much to enjoy here. Gottlieb put in a lot of different things to shoot at but nothing felt good, which isn't helped at all by the asymmetrical flippers. Overall, not an enjoyable pin.
6.552/10
8 years ago
Totem is in the top half of Gottlieb's System 1 heap, certainly not the best though. Interesting scoring strategies with the drops tied to the rollovers. Once the targets are down you'll be fighting with the standups behind them. The left vari-target is a killer, avoid it at all costs lest you'll be fighting against a drain. The off-set flippers are unusual and take some getting used to. The game marks the dawn of Gottlieb's “Multi-Mode” sound (meaning it plays more than three blips/bloops) and does a bit to give the game character...as much as possible. The art is a fantastic mix of colour and native artwork (although I'm told the native heritage depicted is a mish-mash of subcultures). Bright art from Gordon Morrison makes Totem's style a winner. Design isn't far behind, but the interesting approach to layout may wear off quickly.
6.283/10
10 years ago
Not a big fan of that game. No artwork appeal and of course the curse of the asymmetrically-placed flippers... Some innovations deserve to be forgotten. Even the drop targets are ugly.

On the plus side, the bonus multiplier given for the outlanes is an interesting compensation. Scoring is well balanced.
7.634/10
11 years ago
First off, I need to own up to my bias towards this game. This came for Christmas when I was 7 years old, and I was the happiest kid on earth, so clearly the game holds a special place in my heart. I'll try to be reasonably objective, though.

First off, the art of the game. The backglass is pretty intense, definitely colorful and interesting enough. One of my friends finds its racist depiction of Native Americans a bit appalling; in conversation, another friend said it was "typical for the 50s or early 60s," at which point I had to tell him the game was actually from '79. That said, it definitely has its appeal, and I think it fits the game well. It's just got that X-factor; a certain likeability, and plenty of character. The sideart is nothing special, but doesn't really detract from the game in any way. The playfield is appropriately colorful, and the bonus and bonus multiplier totem poles are incorporated appropriately. All of the scoring notation on the playfield is well-done and unobtrusive.

Totem's gameplay and feature set is pretty typical of Gottliebs of its era; most of what they did on the game could've been done with an EM, and other than the sliding-scale target (I think they call it a vari-target), none of the features are particularly original. That said, the gameplay is fun. Due to a lot of points being in the bonus and bonus multiplier, you have to focus on hitting the vari-target at least a couple times per ball to get the bonus multiplier up (losing the ball down a sidelane increases this, too.) Also, getting the ball through all of the rollover targets at the top drastically increases the points given for the drop targets. So, given the technology they had to work with, the gameplay is relatively complex, and the rule set reasonably deep.

Overall, a really enjoyable game. It didn't push the envelope, and it won't redefine how anyone thinks of early SS games, but it's good fun, and good to look at! Also, the girlfriend likes this one quite a bit.
8.359/10
12 years ago
I recently bought Totem which is a game I've been looking for since I started this hobby. I used to play it a lot on Virtual pinball but finally have the real thing.

This is the most interesting sys1 game for me. Asymmetrical flippers and well-balanced playfield with lots to shoot for to left and right. You need bonus multipliers for big scores and there are many strategies to get them, even draining ball via outlanes ("lucky loser's reward").

I love the artwork in this game. Great choice of colors.
There are 8 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 1.

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