Gottlieb

Waterworld

Pinside Rating

This game received 71 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 6.624 _/10

6.624

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #282 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 6.952

Artwork: 6.477

Sounds/Music: 6.246

Other Aspects: 6.47

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 4 of us have rated this game.

6.044

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Found 44 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 44 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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6.820/10

4 months ago

WPG

guymontag451

Wedgehead

Portland, OR

13y 92,800 1,006 25 170

Waterworld is full is cool toys and mechs, but the art is pretty bad and the rules aren’t great either. I really always want to enjoy this game more, because I really love the movie as a guilty pleasure and want the pin to feel the same. I love the jet ski guy who revs up when you hit the orbit shot, and I like where they placed the hurry up shot on the right behind an isolated standup target. The center mech is also very impressive, although the gameplay just gets old. A mediocre pin that could’ve been much better.

4.247/10

1 year ago

MEH

ThePinballCo-op

The Pinball Co-op

9y 115K 1,752 40

I bought this game never having played it before. I was surprised how inexpensive it was given that it's a DMD game, but I quickly realized why.

==========================================

The Good:
-- When you start the game and it tests the ship and does the little light show, it really draws you in. You think you're about to play one of the best games ever made
-- The skill shot for a multiball is fun
-- The Deez multiball is a neat gimmick

The Bad:
-- Everything else. The layout is terrible. What the heck am I even aiming for? The scoop and only the scoop?
-- The rules
-- The layout
-- The art
-- The lighting

==========================================

I played the heck out of this game for a solid hour or two and then gave up. I couldn't get into it as much as I tried. This is the kind of game I'd love to have on location because of the ship and skill shot and light show at the beginning. It will draw noobies in. People who like pinball will hate it though.

The makers of this game tried though. There are map sections to collect and trading in your dirt for items, but none of it really matters in the end. The whole game you're just trying to start multiball -- which is random -- and then getting jackpots. I had it on location for league, and nearly everyone at all times got some variation of 300 million to 400 million points. All the same, all the time.

I don't ever want to play it again. Dominos Pizza was bad, Party Animal was bad, and this is somewhere near those two.

7.167/10

2 years ago

WUF

wolfy

Pinside member

Winston-salem, NC

14y 80,850 1,087 15 113 1

Fun pin great theme for me. Like the call outs and the music is above average. Not a lot of shots but what it has are fun. Underrated based on where it is.

wolfy edited previous rating on September 17, 2023.
wolfy has owned this game in the past.

7.256/10

2 years ago

EJH

ehex9

Pinside member

Saint Albans Town, VT

3y 46,650 5 7 179

I think this is one of the better Gottlieb games from the 90's. I liked the movie and the game.

8.070/10

2 years ago

LEW

sleepygtr

Pinside+ Frequent

13y 67,550 336 8 31 1

Been looking for this game for a long while after playing one and missing out on purchasing it the first time. Finally got a nice example. VERY pleased to have this in my collection as it’s a good and reliable Sys 3 game. pretty underrated i think - the toys and gimmicks are supremely cool from the "just below the glass" wire ramps, the Deez, and the left flipper thru the hurry up turning right across the playfield to the harpoon left - SUPER cool and unique. It must be the awful movie license as the game itself Is interesting and fun! The rule set seems very similar to Stern Star Trek and ahead of its time. Only 1500 made and trust me, VERY difficult to find one without significant wear next to flippers.

sleepygtr edited previous rating on March 24, 2024.
sleepygtr currently owns this game.

8.180/10

3 years ago

BWP

Dr_Blake

Pinside member

Buffalo Grove, IL

3y 25,900 6 3 8

There was a very limited production of this game. I played it at the Pinball Expo and it keeps me interested. Some games I play a couple tries and move on. If your thinking about being an owner, play the game, and if it keeps you playing over and over again, then she is the one.

Dr_Blake has this game on the wishlist.

6.724/10

3 years ago

JAC

Bedrock84

Pinside+ Frequent

Visalia, CA

5y 50,800 8 15 19 4

I bought a Waterworld, because its been a longstanding tradition that when my wife and I find it on tv...we watch what's left.....hour...20 minutes...whatever. Anyway, it sits in a line up with FH, AFM, IJ, JP and others....but it still gets played by friends and family regularly. Its easy for new players to learn techniques like trapping, post passing, etc. There are actually some cool shots that most aren't aware of like tip of left flipper thru the hurry up on the right across the playfield to the harpoon left. Waterworld isn't a top 100 pinball machine, but it's WAY better than the #311 ranking it holds at the time of this review.

Bedrock84 has owned this game in the past.

7.216/10

3 years ago

TKM

Daditude

Pinside Moderator

Rockwall, TX

5y 266K 10,116 23 271

I love sci-fi movies, so I'm a bit nostalgic in that area, but Waterworld just doesn't do it for me. It's not necessarily a bad pin, but the fun factor isn't there. If it's a first pin or a "room-filler, " I understand...but I don't think many serious collectors would find it to be a keeper.

6.767/10

3 years ago

???

qbert1021

Pinside member

Oakville, MO

4y 31,400 1 11 42

Not a bad game, but not a great one either. The Atoll is a nice toy, and all the other standard features of the era are present. The artwork and theme did not age well however.

5.886/10

3 years ago

T H

Pjitegior

Pinside member

Bergen

4y 23,750 147

Gottlieb had seen better days, but the "Sink The Deez" 6 ball multiball is kinda cool.

Pjitegior edited previous rating on March 07, 2023.

7.752/10

4 years ago

PAL

Lathroum

Pinside member

Baltimore, MD

5y 43,150 361 1 8

Has a really cool ball lock for "Sink The Deez". Good play value for an inexpensive DMD game.

Lathroum has owned this game in the past.

6.326/10

4 years ago

JLG

JodyG

Ramp-O-Matic

6y 143K 4,612 6 21 1

I really wanted a Waterworld for a while and finally wound up owning one. The rules are surprisingly deep once you understand how they work. But at the end of the day...the game just didn't grow on me. It is still a great value DMD game, it just wasn't a long term keeper for me.

JodyG has owned this game in the past.

7.394/10

4 years ago

CAH

ReadyPO

Pinside+ Frequent

6y 197K 5,907 129

Waterworld the movie that is better than its reputation. Waterworld the pinball is also better than its reputation. The best feature is the Deez/Atoll spinning toy. It also includes a swinging ramp and a jet ski toy. The Dennis Hopper call outs are good, but not much to the background music. Overall, I find it fun to play. Certainly not at the very top but also not at the bottom.

6.408/10

4 years ago

ADM

PinDoctor82

Pinside member

5y 77,050 278 6 103

I found one of these in a local arcade and I got a few games in. It wasn't all that fun compared to other games that came out around the same time. The lighting wasn't all that great and at times it was somewhat annoying. The shots didn't feel all that rewarding either.

10.000/10

5 years ago

ELF

Axaios

Pinside member

Χαλκίδα

5y 67,600 367 8 14

One of my favorites. Very rare just 1500 made. It's a pin for high skilled players, very fun with interesting game play.

Axaios currently owns this game.

4 Pinsiders flagged this.

7.424/10

5 years ago

DOC

TractorDoc

DPS

Ashland, OH

7y 245K 2,923 33 106

I actually liked the movie.

I was drawn to the game for that reason. One of the biggest negatives for me is the theme/movie is not carried over into the machine very well.

Getting past that I've found WW to be a fun and fast playing game. It takes some time to learn the rules and shot sequences but they start to make sense after awhile. The Atoll/Deez is a unique ball lock and target to shoot at in general. Not a big fan of the music, but I do like Dennis Hopper's call outs.

The price point on the game is low compared to a lot of others -- some will say that is for good reason but if you give it a chance Waterworld can give you a lot of pin for your dollar.

TractorDoc has owned this game in the past.

7.191/10

6 years ago

DIA

mrossman5

Pinside+ Frequent

Warren, PA

6y 197K 3,175 7 253

Not a horrible game. Art is not good except for the cab. I like the minimalist design on the cabinet. Music isn’t that good either. Rule set it decent but gets stale pretty quick. Disappointing that it is only a manual plunger and not a manual+automatic like other gottlieb games like stargate and big hurt. Having the auto shooter would enable ball save on the multiballs which usually go sdtm anyway. The rotating boat is neat. What’s the point of having the figure on the left orbit? It has no purpose. Overall a decent game.

mrossman5 edited previous rating on May 29, 2018.

8.416/10

6 years ago

AK

Coolpinballdino

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 188K 4,800 477 2

For some reason I really like this game i always like locking the balls in the boat.

Coolpinballdino edited previous rating on May 12, 2018.

8.120/10

6 years ago

MJS

Matesamo

PinballRI

Warwick, RI

7y 117K 1,292 112 1

I very nice game with some cool gimmicks, nice shots, and good flow. It’s dissed a little because of the movie it’s based on, if it was an original property it would be higher rated. It’s a good “bang for your buck” machine with a lower cost but still plenty of features.

Surprising deep ruleset, one of the pinsiders here posted a guide to the game and once you understand the depth of the game it really opens up. I went into the settings and turned off the option to get "Sink the Deez" after hitting the dive hole, the only way to get it now is to get three goals lit in a row on the crossboard on the playfield. Makes it a tougher get and a great reward for good play.

Matesamo edited previous rating on November 03, 2017.

6.553/10

6 years ago

RIK

rtotans

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 75,100 211 34

I only had the game for less then a month, then I sold it. I got bored of it pretty quickly. At firstI liked the game. It's a fun game with descent rule set. I love the geeze that collects 4 balls then dumps them all down at the same time for multi-ball. I also like the ramp that moves and drops the ball to a different ramp. Not much to shoot for, and I hate that you get a moment notice to make a shot, and as soon as you miss it, it's over. At least give you 10 seconds or something, not just one missed shot. Boring.

rtotans edited previous rating on June 08, 2017.

7.820/10

6 years ago

ACE

SLAYERBUNNY

SHOOT AGAIN PINBALL

Deniliquin

7y 33,000 4 15 7

Waterworld is a great game for stress relief..its not that challenging but again if you focus it does become more challenging..my table had the TNT treatment so it pops and has great lighting above the original version.

SLAYERBUNNY currently owns this game.

10.000/10

7 years ago

NEO

TouchingEvil

Pinside member

Unknown

8y 33,550 259 1 9

Love the movie and the pinball capture the movie feeling.

Its fun.

4.123/10

7 years ago

TBK

xTheBlackKnightx

Pinside member

8y 128K 4,097 137

Oh, Waterworld, you clunky "funny guy".
People say it gets a "bad rap" but it is totally deserving.
The game is NOT RARE and it is always available to buy for a reason!
It might become rare in another 10 years after they all get parted out.

Artwork is atrocious.
Playfield layout is below average, but certainly playable.
"Toys" are average.
Ramp action is decent along with "wave" atoll.
Sound is WAY below average for the period.
Music is below average, but not entirely grating.
Ruleset is decent, not threadbare.

However, if there was only one pinball machine left on Earth, I would rather make my own with rubber bands and blocks of wood.
This IS kindling.
Donor game.

There are SO MANY better Gottlieb games from the period.
This was 1995, folks, not 1985, most people forget.
In fact there are many EMs that are much better as well, even simple games like "Nip-It".
My lowest rating of all games to date, and even lower than Striker Xtreme.
You just need to trust me or you can waste money, and then sell the game for a loss.
Your choice.

7.371/10

8 years ago

???

samantha123

Inactive member

Unknown

8y 13,000 16

Very under rated title. Has a lot of cool modes. The movie was long and boring and I think that really affected peoples opinions right of the bat with this title. Too bad because it really should be given more respect.

7.300/10

8 years ago

DJB

brenna98

Pinside+ Frequent

Wind Point, WI

10y 132K 2,245 59 54 1

Waterworld is a fun - kinda rare DMD. I love the Gottlieb system 3's, for their price and reliability.
I loved the waterworld movie, so the theme was attractive to me. Once its shopped out, the game play is real fast and it tests your flipper skills and ball control.
The spinning ship that locks 4 balls is a fun toy. Not sure what the personal watercraft guy is doing on the left orbit.. Just an interactive toy I guess.
I wish the pop bumpers were a little closer together. That would make the ship a harder shot and would allow the pops to score more points.
The artwork for the backglass and cab are great, but the playfield lacks movie references. Its all cartoony, lacks detail, and just plain has wrong references on it. I don't remember any squid or hammerhead sharks in the movie at all. Maybe the guys at Gottlieb only watched the movie previews...
The callouts are good with the use of Dennis Hopper's voice, but the background music is kinda generic. It would be way cooler if they used music from the movie.
Overall, its a pretty good game. Not nearly as bad as some people's comments.

Note to raters: If you've never owned the game or played it for an extended period, please save your comments!
A review that says " I played it at a show once, did't like it." is not helpful!!!

brenna98 has owned this game in the past.

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