Not designed well and it gets boring very quickly. At least, that is my opinion as a collector of multiple machines. When this was my only machine, I enjoyed it much more.

Middle of the road! This game isn't terrible but it is not a keeper! Dude on the backglass in his underwear is weird! The safari lady should be the one in panties! Fun game for a few plays! Nice colours on the playfield and plastics!

Poor all around.

Artwork is dreadful. A rare miss from Gordon Morison. The gameplay is dreadful, with only the spinner leading into a single pop bumper area being the only "fun" shot available to a player. Tying these two unique features together in one shot really is putting all eggs in one basket. And it really doesn't work to make gameplay meaningful. All of these Gottlieb multi-player games seem clunky and bare compared to the wedgeheads they were making alongside them (the game was remade as a wedge, with add-a-ball function, which I guess alters the rules to make them a little more meaningful...)

Avoid the 2- and 4-Players versions of this game.

Same comments as I put for 4-player version Jungle.

While I cannot speak to how much I'll like this game in the future, I can speak to how I feel after having acquired it recently.

Artwork:

1. Playfield

I don't hate it but for a jungle theme it seems plain, especially given the fact that the backglass is so full of art (see next section).

2. Backglass

Fantastic. Colorful and just beautiful in all aspects. The jungle theme is very fun and this is just a great execution of that theme. The lighting behind it makes it pop even more. The glass is great in day light but is even better lit up in the dim lighting of a Man Cave.

3. Cabinet

Faithful to the era but nothing fancy. I don't think it is fair to rate artwork on an electro-mechanical machine given the complexity of the cabinet art on most solid-state games.

Game Play

There are three main shots; center spinner, left orbit and right orbit. There are also two secondary shots to light ball save features in the outlanes.

Some have said that the spinner shot is not satisfying as the spinner can be stopped by the movement of the ball into the pop bumper. I suppose that if your goal is to have it spin forever, than yes, it can be unsatisfying. If your goal is to try to see how many spins you can get before the pop bumper stops it, then it becomes a challenge that can be very satisfying (isn't that the point of pinball - to see how many points you can get before an adverse event happens?).

The two orbit shots can be tough depending on the ball speed off the flippers. The star rollovers can be difficult to trip at higher ball velocities. My table plays slowly so the points rack up easily.

The side shots lite the gate and the kickback. These shots are mostly luck but with a little practice there is no reason why gentle and appropriately timed nudging can't help out here.

As for how it flows, I agree that it isn't the best, but I do find myself very much taken by the difficulty of consistent shots. Trying to hit the rollovers and drive up the bonus is just addictive and the spinner shot is really cool. I especially like the idea of the "mini playfield" created in the center around the pop bumper. I like having the ball trapped there and trying to get as many points as I can before it falls out )though center drains out of the spinner can be troublesome).


Summary

I really like this game but I am partial as this is my first electro-mechanical game of any kind. It isn't really a difficult game but it holds my attention for as long as I need it to. I am a casual player with a strong desire to improve my skills and this game helps with that. If my opinions regarding this game change negatively over time, I'll amend the review to reflect that.

Wild Life and the variants of this design... The play leaves much to be desired.

The Pros:
The BG is HILARIOUS! All of those animals with their tongues sticking out. The look on Cheeta's face as well as Tarzan's is comic genius! Our fair maiden in the pith helmet is completely clueless making the steroetype even funnier. The colors on this table are fantastic and everything looks great.

The Pros:
There are 3 shots on this table. The orbits and the spinner. That's it. The special lanes on the sides are purely made by chance. This may possibly the worst playing Gottleib from the early 70's.

The Takeaway:
Take a look to admire the art package and keep on walking.

Not one of the better Gottlieb machines from this era. Hideous backglass and playfield artwork, not much to shoot for, no interesting gimmicks. The pop bumper in the middle is cool to shoot for, watch the points fly if it stays in there. And also if you shoot it perfectly over the rollovers.