Stern

AC/DC (Pro)

Pinside Rating

This game received 335 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.865 _/10

7.865

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks 3rd in the game group "AC/DC". The group itself ranks #27 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.802

Artwork: 6.995

Sounds/Music: 8.465

Other Aspects: 7.878

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 5 of us have rated this game.

7.843

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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 197 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 197 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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5.839/10

6 years ago

WXW

Lawlor_and_Order

Pinball 518

7y 81,400 38 112

Yawn. I could write a program to design a Stern music group game, and it wouldn't have that many lines of code.

With my indifference to AC/DC aside, the game gets a few extra points for having good stacked mode scoring and a few clever backhanded shots. But it's more of the same, right down to the recent edition where Stern decided going backwards to sexist babes spilling out of bathing suits was the right look for the game (apparently fat Austrlalian seputagenarians in school boy clothes isn't a good marketing image for a game, however apt and accurate it is for the game.)

Stern formula:

(1) license a band prominent in the 70's, or the 80's if you're really modern, or a super hero move
(2) clone the fan-out playfield
(3) put a cheap toy in the middle (in *two different locations* I've seen this game, somebody has put in for their high score name "FIX THE BELL")
(4) add seemingly layered rules that come down to basically bash the hell out of the toy until you get to multiball, which lasts forever with add-a-ball

Family Guy (and its clone, Shrek), Ripley's, Simpsons, and to some extent Star Trek '13 are the main exceptions; even Ripley's (Lawlor) and ST (Ritchie) are throwback designs similar to their designers' milestone pins from the 80's and 90's.

Lawlor_and_Order edited previous rating on May 21, 2018.

7.275/10

6 years ago

???

Pinballogist

Pinside apprentice

6y 25,150 60 20

Love AC/DC and really enjoy this game, but it always seems underwhelming lit.

9.520/10

6 years ago

BRI

United555

Pinside member

København

8y 25,450 97 4 15

A very nice game - I would go for the PRO everythime!

United555 currently owns this game.

7.215/10

6 years ago

WWW

Shadrac

Pinside member

8y 51,050 401 1 27

Great theme and great songs.
I had mine 3 months and played it dayly but it doesn't stay after the honeymoon phase. The Pro is fast but there's too much cheap drains, it's barely playable.
Premium is better, the real ACDC machine. Pro version is too cheap.

Shadrac edited previous rating on January 09, 2019.
Shadrac has owned this game in the past.

7.307/10

6 years ago

LMS

Tranquilize

Pinside member

9y 84,550 3,778 35

AC/DC is a fun game with some great music, but, of course, you have to like the band. This game has some pretty easy shots, especially because most of them can be back-handed, but the game can punish you if you miss. In all, it's a bit of a player's pin that I play on location when I see it. As with most music pins, I wouldn't own it, but I play it.

__________________________________________________
DESIGN
__________________________________________________

-- The game has great ramps that can be back-handed, which adds fun strategy
-- The TNT targets are actually great, in that they can kill you faster than Trump's red button
-- The canon is okay, but it blocks the right outlane and is only used to blast standups...
-- The bell is, again, okay, but it's really just a centre bash
-- The jukebox at the back of the playfield is super cool
-- The left loop is fast and can be repeatedly circled for good adrenaline!
-- Coolest looking spinner in pinball!!
-- The right loop ending in a scoop is good for an alternative shot, but it takes away from flow
-- In all, I would argue that this game fits nicely into the "safe/redundant" Stern design era

__________________________________________________
THEME/LIGHTING/SOUND
__________________________________________________

-- I find AC/DC to be lit about average: nothing to notice, but nothing to complain about
-- The theme is okay.. It's a band of old guys, with photoshopped pictures of old guys on the playfield
-- The music is great if you love the band, but I wouldn't want to listen to any band every time I play a pin

__________________________________________________
GAMEPLAY
__________________________________________________

-- The songs are good modes, and shots are, for the most part, clear
-- The playfield multiplier via the bell is a great rule
-- This game really rewards for stacked MB and multipliers, and it's pretty easy to learn how
-- Ramps are relatively easy, yet fun. Mistakes are punishing, which is great

__________________________________________________
CRITICISMS
__________________________________________________

-- No innovation, as per usual with Stern
-- No significant toys aside from a swinging bell and a T2 (1991) cannon that blocks ball view
-- Right loop scoop breaks flow combos - disappoints more than I thought it would
-- Modes attached to songs causes players to hear the same songs over and over

In the end, AC/DC is a pretty fun game that I play on location, but I would never buy this pin. I feel it would get old very quick, and the good ol' rock they are known for would become annoying.

8.113/10

6 years ago

AK

Coolpinballdino

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 188K 4,800 477 2

I love ac dc premium but I hate the pro because the Angus face gives me nightmares and I miss the lower playfield. But, it still got the same good layout and rules.

9.860/10

6 years ago

JEF

TampaJeff

Pinside member

Clearwater, FL

8y 40,150 13 3 16

I did not know much about this game till the last year or so. Now I own one and it is a great game. Very deep rule set and scoring big is a challenge. I am not a big fan of the band, but the song choices are all good ones. This may be the top music themed pin with Metallica right there with it.

TampaJeff has owned this game in the past.

7.552/10

6 years ago

LEW

sleepygtr

Pinside+ Frequent

13y 67,550 336 8 31 1

VAULT edition review.... i love Ac/Dc the band and was one of those that always preferred the faster playing Pro. I was just never a big fan of the premium ‘s lower playfield because the objectives seemed like a lame bagatelle. What held me back on the Pro was that that horrible Angus constipation face in the middle of the play-field - I know this is from the Highway to Hell album cover but just looks really out of place and used as an afterthought to cover for lack of lower playfield - just super ugly and way too big. Stern answered by releasing the vault edition! I LOVE the new artwork on this, the revamped bell and it is the last of SAM machines - the only miss was the crossover ramp and the drop targets.

sleepygtr edited previous rating on July 15, 2022.
sleepygtr has owned this game in the past.

8.323/10

6 years ago

???

Sandman454

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 38,800 253 9

Awesome to play pinball and likened to your favourite tunes at the same time. Music selection at start of game affects what is needed to be achieved for the rules. The rule set is great and you can select different song as you progress and complete the tasks. The biggest downfall is Angus' big boof head in the middle of the playfield. The re issue unit has better artwork of the band instead. The Premium has a lower playfield I. The shape of Angus head and devil horn. I find I don't play this game onsite anymore if other machines are there. The longevity of the game does not seem to be there for me. The premium has a much better and will play all day long.

7.436/10

6 years ago

JMS

JimStaub

Inactive member

6y 28,650 3 2 25

The one thing I didn't like about this pin is the little wire right after the skill shot that redirects the ball almost certainly to the hole between the 2 flippers. Don't know if it's there on every machine but it was there on the one I played... Otherwise, it's ok but I prefer the premium version.

7.832/10

6 years ago

J R

xtrc386

Pinside member

Grandview, TX

6y 36,050 7 12 6

This game when I first played it I wanted to buy it and almost did. That quickly changed when I played it at a location where it was so noisy that the bell was the only thing I could hear clearly. AC/DC has a few cool items the cannon and bell thats where it drops off. The music and songs get you going and in the mood to play quickly but when you can't hear it, the game is not as interesting after a while.

8.383/10

6 years ago

TLG

TLG_

Pinside member

Paris

6y 18,750 19

Come on it is AC/DC ! Great theme with superb artwork as they cleverly avoided to make everything looks cartoonish (Metallica anyone ?). Best played obviously with LOUD sound.

TLG_ edited previous rating on March 17, 2024.

7.916/10

6 years ago

MIK

Micky

Mad Mickys

7y 168K 3,046 42

AC/DC is a very fun game with some great shots. The music and modes are very well integrated together in this pin. It makes for a more varied game dependant on which songs you pick.

7.664/10

7 years ago

???

DMon10

Pinside apprentice

Salaberry-de-valleyfield, QC

7y 18,750 7 39

Nice game

DMon10 edited previous rating on December 21, 2017.

6.635/10

7 years ago

JMS

jaemsdavit

Inactive member

7y 20,650 3 1 25

A great theme for an average game. Music and sounds are great. Art is a mixed bag. The cannon is fun, but the rest is just alright.

8.420/10

7 years ago

MJH

TimeBandit

redshiftLED.com.au

Sydney, Oz

10y 159K 5,511 3 65

SUCH an underrated game. Put a Helen decal over Angus and fire away! I had the premium as well. Sold it and kept the Pro.

TimeBandit edited previous rating on January 11, 2017.
TimeBandit has owned this game in the past.

7.401/10

7 years ago

BW

KingBW

Pinside+ Frequent

8y 116K 3,142 102 1

See my ACDC Prem comments. I played the prem in an arcade several times, loved it, then found and bought one. Then I played a Pro at a show the following week and what a big difference in the two models. The pro seems like a cheap imitation in quality of targets, gimmicks and general looks. The prem seems like a much better machine, even though it is basically the same. The prem has the added playfield that is "kind of" a reward for good play in most modes. The pro lacks that drive to obtain that. The average ratings between the Prem and Pro show that others feel there is a big difference also. Even with that being said, the pro is still a good game. Go for the prem if you can ... it's worth it.

KingBW edited previous rating on November 08, 2016.

8.104/10

7 years ago

SRC

Mfsrc791

Inactive member

Norwood, MA

7y 77,550 1,400 1 17

Very fast and fun machine. Rules are tough to figure out. Overal if you like acdc and donot want to spend an extra 2 grand for a lower playfield then the pro works just fine.

Mfsrc791 has owned this game in the past.

9.155/10

7 years ago

ALB

atwong

Pinside member

Orange, CA

8y 44,900 101 23

Love the music. It's got good flow but I'm not as interested in the field. Very easy to play. I think many people will just enjoy it as I did.

atwong edited previous rating on October 21, 2016.

6.606/10

7 years ago

WPG

guymontag451

Wedgehead

Portland, OR

13y 92,800 1,006 25 170

Some shots are very fun. Good Flow, and fast. Ambivalent about the theme, but don't care for the art package or the ruleset. Metallica is really the cream of the crop of Stern's Music pins.

8.052/10

7 years ago

JWO

JeremyON

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 49,150 62 39

I played this at the Wilderness in Sevierville, TN and played it, and played, and played. I found the cannon and fire button to be unnecessary and distracting, especially when starting multiball, it's a copy of 1991's Terminator 2. I have a 1993 Star Trek TNG and it has much more satisfying and functional cannon shots. This game is fun to play though, I 'll grant that, it's certainly a Steve Ritchie game and flows nicely. The lighting and light shows are good, but what this one needs is some animation in the backglass/backbox. It's 2016 for goodness sake and this game just doesn't draw a crowd. My 1980's Data East Secret Service even has bright lights in the topper and flashers in the backglass, so why doesn't Stern give us some killer light shows in the backglass/backbox sides to draw a crowd? I put up the number 1 score on AC/DC and no one even noticed. When the score gets high, the machine needs to respond so that people know that something special is happening and have a desire to do something special themselves. My suggestion? Add "For Those About to Rock" to the mix when the score gets high or during multiballs and have a smoking and flashing cannon topper with a high power subwoofer and bass shaker in the cabinet. Put lots of superbright undercabinet leds in there for the explosions too. That should get some attention!
One other thing, it's a pinball machine for goodness sake, nudging is part of the game and head banging is part of the theme. I tilted the thing every time I got into the music and every time I got multiball. I felt like Elvis in Florida, can't gyrate hips, only move little finger. It made me want to move a finger alright... my middle one straight up, but I didn't because the machine was in a family environment. Tilting sensitivity should be set up to avoid abuse, not promote it. Speaking of Elvis, it's a better pinball game built in a time when Stern didn't even have any competition (2004). It's time to up the ante Stern; I'm probably being too kind to this game just because of Steve Ritchie.

JeremyON edited previous rating on January 30, 2017.

8.712/10

7 years ago

???

xXSicarioXx

Inactive member

Fort Collins, CO

7y 11,000 1 1 7

The music was great, could use more colored lights.

8.840/10

7 years ago

PSW

Psw757

Pinside+ Frequent

11y 117K 7,226 13 48 4

Great music, fast play and lots of customizing that can be done. Fun game!

Psw757 edited previous rating on October 02, 2018.
Psw757 currently owns this game.

7.302/10

7 years ago

MAR

mpimenta

Inactive member

Brisbane City

7y 9,750 1 6

The sound track is awesome and the toys capturing the spirit of AC/DC main themes is spot on! The Hell's Bell sound? Oh my God!!!! Very nice game, maybe my next pinball acquisition!

6.648/10

7 years ago

KEN

Kenz

Pinside member

Unknown

8y 58,800 399 19 57

Music good and foot tapping. However very little to aim at. The playfield is souless. Actually was very disappointed in the pro version.

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