Stern

AC/DC (Premium)

Pinside Rating

This game received 816 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.508 _/10

8.508

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks 1st in the game group "AC/DC". The group itself ranks #28 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.517

Artwork: 7.775

Sounds/Music: 8.867

Other Aspects: 8.601

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 6 of us have rated this game.

8.193

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This title is part of group: "AC/DC"

AC/DC
(Pro)

AC/DC
(Premium)

AC/DC
(LE)

AC/DC
(Pro Vault Edition)

AC/DC
(Premium Vault Edition)

Found 492 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 492 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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8.496/10

16 days ago

DAD

MasterClyde

Pinside member

1y 32,550 17 2 9

Q: Do a lot of AC/DC songs sound similar?
A: I guess, what's your point.
Q: Do you care?
A: Hell no, crank it up bröther!

This is one of the hardest rockin' pins out there, just a perfect marriage between ball smashin' and head bangin' fun. The shots vary from easy to challenging, and the game flow meshes nicely with each of the classic songs that you play through. Dinging the bell has got to be one of my favorite things to do on a pin, and the chills sent down my spine when I line up a bell shot during Hells Bells is borderline euphoric.

I'm not a big fan of most music themed pins, but AC/DC is a stark exception to that. I plan on owning one of these someday, just a matter of wearing down the wife and playing the long game (pun intended).

MasterClyde has this game on the wishlist.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

7.336/10

30 days ago

???

Flip59

Pinside apprentice

Unknown

3y 6,000 18

Pour ceux qui aime ACDC ;) j’adore
Niveau jeu moyen ..
Jeu sous plateau à oublier !

9.179/10

86 days ago

MRK

Kalipin

Pinside member

Washington, DC

1y 30,550 58 6 18

My collection is rock band pins , so this one was a must. Picked up the Luci edition because , imho, had the best art. I love the bell. Has lower level playfield, train whistle, and cannon as well. The rules and objectives remain a bit difficult to understand for me, but working on it. Overall live it and this one won’t leave the collection.

9.460/10

86 days ago

JAB

Jilleo

Pinside member

4y 29,500 1 7 9

Just picked up a LUCI and it is the showcase of our collection. The lighting on this machine is off the hook and above the rest in attract mode. The devil horns themed throughout the game-phenom. The band playing during multiball with the string puppet like musicians is a gas-- although the motor makes noise. This is one from the era where there is a ballast and tube light illuminating the backglass that stays constant, which to me seems like lazy design. There as a lot of ways to stack multi-balls and playfield multipliers that adds dimension once you can backhand all the shots. Plus, the bell-- c'mon so cool!

Jilleo currently owns this game.

8.316/10

3 months ago

SMC

IrishAgent

Pinside member

Peachtree City, GA

<1y 21,050 8 1 6

Its a fast playing game. The theme is very integrated into the art and toys. The game is simpler in its rules but the playfield is intuitive which makes it fun to play without knowing the game. The lower playfield is cool but too simple and somewhat frustrating. The same song starts over again every ball which can be annoying given the faster ball times. But the toys are super fun and on point for theme!

2 Pinsiders starred this!

8.845/10

4 months ago

CAM

DeputyDrain

Pinside member

Saint Paul, MN

<1y 31,250 138

Excellent pin!

Uses the AC/DC license extraordinarily well. Shots are snappy and fun, plenty of fun targets. A personal favorite is the bell in the center of the playfield. The visuals are pretty crass and basic, but it doesn't take away from how much fun the thing really is. 10+ plays and I never saw the lower playfield or even finished more than a single song mode, but never felt like the difficulty took away from my enjoyment, which is tough to pull off.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

8.172/10

5 months ago

TMM

RadDad247

Pinside member

2y 35,250 10 52

Crazy cool shots! Epic music. Fast gameplay. A hard pin and not as approachable.

10.000/10

5 months ago

RDN

RivaNeto68

Pinside+ Frequent

2y 26,900 1 14

Love this machine, toys are outstanding and mini playfield is a lot of fun

9.500/10

7 months ago

DRD

DrDrain

Pinside member

9y 42,900 57 159

For me AC/DC is one of the best games of all time.

It has one of the best flowy layouts made by legendary designer Steve Ritchie. Typically for him every shot feels smooth and is very satisfying. Hitting the ramps subsequently is such a great experience. This version of the game is a bit easier to play than the Pro because of the drop targets. But in general it is difficult to play and it can potentially be a frustrating experience to beginners or casual players.

The gamecode is the most risk-reward based one I have played so far. I love building up a song jackpot and then collecting it times three. That's an awesome idea. Encore is one of the best wizard modes we will ever see. Completing it seemed even more difficult than getting there. But that's what I love about this gamecode. This is Lyman Sheats' masterpiece, it is a true shame that he is no longer with us.

The only really noteworthy difference between Pro and Premium/LE in terms of gameplay is the mini-playfield. It is a nice feature although I don't think not having it in the game is that much of a difference. The Premium/LE is looking a lot better though with the molded train and moving band (and red/black siderails).

In terms of animations and artwork this game is alright, the playfield is just a little underwhelming when compared to other music based machines like Metallica.

Of course the music will only appeal to you as somebody who likes listening to AC/DC but that's the thing with any other music-pin as well.

Overall AC/DC is one of the hardest and greatest games I have ever played and the gamecode is an absolute masterpiece. The game will not appeal to everybody because of the difficulty and music which is very understandable.

DrDrain edited previous rating on January 07, 2024.

6 Pinsiders starred this!

8.733/10

8 months ago

PBJ

PBandJelly

Pinside member

<1y 34,050 45 21

Someday I will figure out how to get into the lower playfield.

PBandJelly has this game on the wishlist.

9.179/10

11 months ago

BGC

Out2perform

Pinside member

1y 29,250 8

I have an original Luci, actually my first pin that I ever bought. I love the band so jamming out to their music is what I enjoy the most. This game will whip up on you, but it’s a blast. This machine is bolted to my floor.

9.740/10

12 months ago

RJR

Raysup

Pinside apprentice

Northville, MI

<1y 10,000 7

This game never disappoints, its one of my top three

2 Pinsiders starred this!

8.620/10

1 year ago

ARF

WestCoastAussie

Pinside member

1y 34,550 136 13

The difference between how an AC/DC Pro and Premium plays, to me, is like the difference between a close to finished prototype, and the finished article. It took me a while to fully realise this. As, at first, the only versions that I saw were on site, and Pros. Then I encountered my first Premium and the penny dropped. The Premium's gameplay is far more enjoyable, and less brutal. This is the proper way to experience this pinball.
These 4 Premium details really add to the fun and playability of AC/DC.
The lower playfield is good. It's not as different as, say, a Big Lebowski. But, it's not a "why?" either. It's solid and fun. It adds to the gameplay, but isn't a main attraction.
The drop targets on either side make quite a positive impact on gameplay. There's a cushioning of those shots which leads to less drains and more control. No more fear of the ball hitting Mach 2 as it drains. Yay.
The drops also make it easier to see where you need to shoot the cannon. Because they're not 1solid piece, the lights are seen better. Especially when it's on site in a well lit area, as so often happens.
The bell moving, and making itself part of the game is very cool. Depending on your timing you can achieve different shots, in the one shot, so to speak. By bashing it and making it swing, or getting the ball behind it.
Imo, AC/DC Premium is a markedly better game than it's Pro counterpart. Don't judge this game until you've played a Premium. It's challenging and fun. Good shots with an ability to flow. And a rather fantastic Aussie soundtrack to boot.

3 Pinsiders starred this!

8.256/10

1 year ago

CSF

JurassicPark

Pinside member

Springfield, VT

2y 27,300 33 3 46

Great music pin!!!!! Fun layout and good shots!

JurassicPark edited previous rating on February 08, 2023.

8.552/10

1 year ago

FAB

foxyshilo

Pinside member

10y 32,400 2 2 28

Machine is full of toys and has pretty good flow. Music is fantastic. Rules are good. Cannon is similar to T2 but just as fun. My only issue is the lower playfield that I find quite boring and pointless. The glass to the lower playfield is also cloudy. Overall great great game.

foxyshilo edited previous rating on June 04, 2023.

7.615/10

1 year ago

VEE

Veemonroe

Pinside member

London

2y 55,550 205 7 176

Played multiple times at Pinball Republic and the Pinball Office.

AC/DC is hard to learn because the ruleset is non-obvious, but has strong, challenging gameplay once you learn the rules. I’m not a AC/DC fan and it’s not got the best artwork in the world, but it is among the best Sterns of this era.

8.592/10

1 year ago

DON

DC747

Pinside member

Leawood, KS

6y 22,000 3 12

I've always thought Stern got this one right. Even if you don't love acdc the pin is still a blast to play.

8.620/10

1 year ago

???

Greenhaven

Inactive member

Unknown

1y 3,000 6

Great table. Original music adds to yhe experience and the bell hit is awesome. Not a fan of the under playfield. Picking your song from the jukebox is pretty cool.

9.900/10

1 year ago

MEG

gruski

Pinside+ Frequent

Temple, TX

12y 32,250 4 5 8 2

AC/DC Luci version....Awesome artwork, Cabinet, Playfield & of course the Music. Sound is Awesome. Plays excellent and is alot of fun!

gruski has owned this game in the past.

10.000/10

1 year ago

???

Nixpaints

Pinside member

Littleton, CO

6y 34,800 68 8 22

As with most of my ratings I wanted to own this for a while before I could give it an accurate rating. It’s been I’m my collection now for over 5 years and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Obviously the theme is a huge part but this pin shoots like a dream. It’s fast and can be brutal. Top 5 machine all time in my book.

Must have mod is an external sub.

Nixpaints edited previous rating on October 29, 2023.
Nixpaints currently owns this game.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.820/10

1 year ago

MAC

Makman

Pinside+ Frequent

Gisborne

2y 19,500 4 9

I have had this machine for a while and still go back to it often. Music is great! It plays fast and clean if you go for the easier shots. Shooting the cannon is fun although annoying when the targets don't drop when hit. A good machine

Makman currently owns this game.

8.064/10

1 year ago

JFM

Striker

Inactive member

Alexandria, VA

4y 47,550 114 58

Great music, and the theme fits the pin well. Loved ringing the “Hell’s Bell.” Found the “devil voice” announcer annoying. Better than average Stern.

7.372/10

1 year ago

MAT

mpdpvdpin

Pinside member

Providence, RI

6y 95,050 4,431 6 97 1

I like AC/DC, the band. The pin…its just not fun. The artwork and layout are just a cookie cutting bore. The only thing that salvages this game from the trash bin off history is the Lyman code. But even that isn’t enough to make me want to own it…or play it on location.

7.496/10

1 year ago

CWH

WayneZ0207

Pinside apprentice

Klamath Falls, OR

2y 25,500 8 11 9

I don't listen to too much music or play this machine often, but I got somewhat of a kick out of it. The best way to describe this machine is that you're playing against the devil himself. The machine, much like the devil, will try to play many tricks on you. The best bet is to not let the game do that. Once you get the hang of countering the tricks the game has in store, you should have no problems doing decent on this. However, there's one big problem I have with this machine. As a content creator, I livestream virtual pinball for charity. This machine has had my videos muted or taken down by the Facebook Copyright Police because of the music being copyrighted. I highly advise against streaming or uploading content on this machine for entertainment on social media. If you want to do it however, do so at your own risk. Not even giving credit could save me from having my videos muted, even more so taken down. Nothing ruins a game more than knowing you can't make content off it.

WayneZ0207 currently owns this game.

9.500/10

1 year ago

SRB

Bucoholic

Pinside member

Seminole, FL

2y 27,650 12 3 17

Played this the other night, lots of fun, love the theme and sound, it was awesome.

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