Williams

Aztec

Pinside Rating

This game received 37 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.633 _/10

7.633

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #168 in the Pinside EM Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.703

Artwork: 7.9

Sounds/Music: 3.878

Other Aspects: 7.546

Pinside staff rating

None of the Pinside.com staff have rated this game. Sorry, no rating from us.

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Found 25 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 25 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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9.044/10

41 days ago

WIL

gopernoper

Pinside apprentice

Salem, WI

<1y 15,500 1 3 8

Aztec was my number one most wanted game to own. I was fortunate to get my hands on one to restore recently. It came to me in rough shape and I'm still putting the finishing touches on it, but I've put quite a few games on it already.
Aztec is FAST. With a proper setup the ball speeds are almost shocking for an EM. The slingshots and pop bumpers are primarily responsible for this, but the packed layout also contributes. Getting the ball back under control as quickly as possible is a constant battle.
This game was unexpectedly and surprisingly hard, with the outlanes being incredibly punishing. On my machine they seem downright magnetic at times, and I will need to develop my nudging skills and outlane saves to continue to run up the score. The lower playfield is quite full, and the DC slingshots can result in a screaming fast ball that disappears down the outlanes before you even have a chance to flip. The pops are surrounded by bumpers on all sides, inducing erratic behavior and unpredictable returns from the top. The angles and setup of the Z-T-E-C targets often result in dangerous returns, and the center target shot is pure death if the ball has no spin. The game demands dangerous shots from you if you want to progress towards a special or extra ball. Fully lighting A-Z-T-E-C is a rare occasion and satisfying to acheive. Double bonus is a priority objective in gameplay and always feels great to successfully light. Earning a special is even more scarce, demanding repeated shots to the top of the playfield or taking a risk by putting the ball out of control to advance the bonus ladder.
The outstanding features of this game, however, are the two main shots. The left spinner and the right kickback lane. The spinner absolutely rips and is so far the most satisfying spinner shot on any game I’ve played. The kickback lane is a fun and dynamic feature that makes it possible to cash in on progress towards A-Z-T-E-C without feeling like you’ve run out of shots on a particular ball. Both of these shots feel great to hit and are the defining features of this table.
An often heard complaint is that the pop bumpers will repeatedly send the ball back into the kickback multiple times, but I only rarely encountered this behavior. My only real complaint with this game is that the E and C targets are set low enough on the playfield that it is difficult and rare to hit them with direct shots off of the flipper. I usually earn these two by random chance or by taking shots on the fly. Aztec can feel like it’s left to chance if you will survive a particular shot. This game absolutely necessitates 5 ball play in my opinion. I will continue to develop ball and shot control skills to hopefully get better at this table. My game is currently cranked all the way to max conservative adjustments, and wow is it an awesome challenge. I can’t wait to continue to hone my skills on it.
I’ve already written this much and haven’t even talked about the art package yet. Aztec has some of my favorite art I’ve seen on an EM. I understand why it’s polarizing but It just works for me. The warm lighting coupled with the reds, yellows, and blues is a really nice combination. I enjoy the backglass art but mine is in severe need of replacement. The cabinet art is probably my favorite out there period, it just looks fantastic. Great color palette, cool design, and not too flashy or over the top.
Aztec is everything I had hoped it would be and more. It represents a lasting challenge for me to master and looks great while doing it. I always find myself hitting the start button for just one more game, one more shot at nailing the spinner. Thoroughly impressed, I will keep aztec in my collection for many many years to come.

gopernoper currently owns this game.

7.513/10

65 days ago

DRD

DrDrain

Pinside member

9y 42,900 57 159

I really enjoy playing this one.

Especially in contrast to playing a more modern game it is very relaxing.

The layout is quite good and the spinner shot is by far the best shot in the game.

In terms of rules the machine is pretty good for its age. Lighting the spinner for 1000 points is a neat feature and is a very good way to start gathering more valuable points.

All of the artwork is alright, albeit that the playfield looks a bit basic for my taste.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable older game, with a nice spinner shot, decent rules and good artwork. This is one of the machines (in contrast to Star Trek (1979)) that makes me consider playing more older games.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

6.753/10

4 years ago

BAM

balt

Pinside member

6y 114K 467 45 1

The playfield layout is OK and worth a flip. Probably not a theme most people would care for, but I dig the art most of all.

7.297/10

4 years ago

D B

Pin-Pilot

Pinside+ Frequent

Cave Creek, AZ

5y 86,650 1,145 7 13

Fun EM game. Like the theme. Challenging getting all AZTEC targets for bonus and special

Pin-Pilot currently owns this game.

8.096/10

5 years ago

???

Chromeballs

Inactive member

Unknown

6y 11,000 20

Very nice looking machine! Love the colours and artwork! Fun to play and mine is dialed in a pretty fast for an em of that era!

6.353/10

5 years ago

JVE

Jappie

Pinside member

11y 106K 1,069 56

With its fast, simple gameplay, Aztec is fun to play a couple of games on. This is one of those games that shines in multiplayer games. The spinner shot is a lot of fun to rip.

When the ball exits the lane in the upper right, it often gets kicked right back in there by the upper right pop bumper. I'm not a big fan of that.

1.734/10

5 years ago

EEM

MatadorMan

Pinside member

6y 37,250 1 30 26

Horrible game - so ugly, plays slow, annoying playfield and even sounds bad. Avoid.

7.198/10

5 years ago

LIX

ChrisLIX

Pinside member

Saint-zotique, QC

6y 37,550 145 3 6

Pretty hard to rate this game as from a game to another, the score and time to play can be really different. It's easy to have at least 2 balls per game without having a chance to flip. Outlane can be really imperdonable.
This game is missing some drop targets to have more fun with. There's a shot on the top right were the ball is kicked back after you received your points. Unfortunatelly, it happens really often that the ball is reject directly on the wrong spot of the right bumper which return the ball in that place... sometimes you can get 3 or 4 times the bonus just because of the bumper.
Except of that, it's a pretty good machine. The Spinner is really fun to get throught and chimes are good.
The backglass is really nice, the playfield not as much.
This pinball is for sure over the average EM machine but there's a lot more machine you'll get more fun.

ChrisLIX has owned this game in the past.

6.625/10

5 years ago

???

Jellocheck

Pinside apprentice

München

5y 19,650 3 4 6

At the table I got stuck some time ago by chance. Ever since I got my Mata Hari home as the first pin and never imagined a pinball machine without a Multiball ever before, I was better informed!
Aztec has a pleasant ball flow with occasionally long and satisfying games. The Ballabgänge can be extremely frustrating I have read, with mine, however, these were manageable. It's always amazing how the same machines compare to each other.
The abstract design of the playing field has something simply refreshing. I'm not an absolute fan of it, but it did the rest and did not scare me off. For the few days I could play at the table he really liked me and I would want to play him again!

Jellocheck edited previous rating on August 20, 2018.

8.179/10

6 years ago

CSB

klr650

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 93,550 932 161

Great game!

klr650 edited previous rating on November 15, 2018.

7.814/10

7 years ago

CML

MaxAsh

Pinball Tycoon

8y 74,100 1,283 10

Aztec is a great game, and it's not easy, which is actually a good thing. Some EMs are so simple once you get the hang of them, it feels like you can play forever. Aztec is a game that punishes you on the outlanes, and makes sure that risky center target is something you have to think about, rather than smack endlessly without concern for a ball drain. Could it have been designed a little better to avoid those easy drains? Sure. But should it be? A good game will hit you over the head now and then and remind you that life isn't fair, and I think Aztec does that. At first I disliked it, and felt like I was never able to play a ball for more than a few seconds. Once I got the hang of the game though, I realized that you really had to pay attention and react well to avoid the easy loss of your ball. I do feel it could have used a little design tweaking to dodge some of those unfortunate "unfair" drains, but in the end it's all part of the game, and you can't expect an easy ride all the time.

As a fan of spinners and kickout holes/lanes, I find the game design fun. You have a left-hand side spinner ramp that leads back to important rollovers, and you have a right-hand side u-turn kickout lane that can award big points over time. Both are fun shots, and enjoyable when you land them.

I'd say the only real issue with the game is the sound, which slams you over the head when you drain a ball and listen to your bonus points tally up. If you don't get the double-bonus during gameplay, each bonus level is 5000 points, which unfortunately was designed to ring for every 1000 scored. Your bonus level can go up to 50,000 during play. That's 10 levels. Now think about hearing that chime hit for every 1000 points as that sucker counts down. Yep. 50 times. 1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5, bang-bang-bang-bang-bang... 10 times. It's a bit too much. You get to the point where you hate scoring high bonus if you don't get the double-bounus... because for every 10,000 you get just one chime. 50,000 points, double-bonus, 10 chimes and done. Sounds just right.

If you enjoy that rapid-fire chiming though, this game is perfect for you. I've learned to simply absorb it as part of gameplay, and finally love playing the game, but for some folks it's a bit jarring. Check out gameplay or try it before you buy it to make sure you like that sound and style!

Last thing - I LOVE the cabinet artwork. Just well done, and unique. People always notice it, and comment on how cool it looks, even kids.

7.132/10

7 years ago

DDK

davkonw

Pinside member

8y 39,900 19 25

It looks like a blah machine, just nothing to see. But playing it isn't that bad. At first i didn't care much for it , maybe the looks gave me a pre-judgement on it. But it plays fine and had me going back and playing it more. You can crank that spinner. Not a bad machine just nothing to look at.

5.310/10

7 years ago

ZAC

zacaj

RPC

Rochester, NY

11y 158K 10,387 85 122 1

Thought I would really enjoy this game, I love recovery from shots, spinners, and loadable 'jackpot' shots like the right kicker, but am a bit disappointed. When I originally saw the game online I misunderstood the double bonus, thinking that it was a sequence of needing to go in the kicker and the spinner in order, but instead it's just going in either one after getting a lucky bounce. The targets don't give a fun 'recovery' when hit, they just drain. Kicker shot would be fun, except you're lucky to get it worth more than a lit spinner, and it's more dangerous too. Spinner is way too easy to light, especially once you find the mark to plunge it. My spinner is worth 30k+ off a good hit when it's lit, and if it's not lit? Well you better shoot the spinner to get up top and light it. At least on other games like Hot Tip there's at least other things to shoot at that are semi-worthwhile aren't just death.

zacaj has owned this game in the past.

9.330/10

8 years ago

MAW

pinworthy

Pinside member

Denver, CO

10y 67,900 456 14

Aztec is one of my favorite EMs. Great layout with a mix of easy and hard shots. I love the backglass, bright vibrant colors that matches the theme and the era of the pin. Top of my EM collection

8.135/10

9 years ago

LEP

jjpm

Inactive member

Milford, CT

9y 24,900 212 10 10

A fun theme game from Williams. I really love the flippers on Williams games from this era as compared to Gottlieb. The game itself has nice features, including a spinner and a kick out. The one issue with this game is that it is pretty easy to nudge the ball back into the kick out alley multiple times, making game scoring pretty simple. Otherwise, a great game with a nice combination of features.

jjpm currently owns this game.

8.020/10

9 years ago

ADM

appeac

Inactive member

Grand Rapids, MI

11y 32,900 306 1 13

DC pops move quick, multiple scoring options (on an EM!) in A-Z-T-E-C or spinner.

appeac has owned this game in the past.

7.800/10

9 years ago

DMF

dtown

Pinside member

10y 76,900 1,292 2 20

Just finished a lengthy shop job on an Aztec. The DC pops and slings really kick and this one was pretty fast for an EM. When waxed good and the switches made sensitive this is a fun table. The right "J" gate is cool and ripping the spinner is always a lot of fun. Add a point for a unique theme with colors that pop and this is great late model Williams EM.

8.079/10

10 years ago

TWV

AXrelay

Pinside member

Riverside, CA

10y 37,800 58 6 13

In my opinion, this is the best title for Williams' EM's for the 1970's. Great flow to this game, and lots of features for this era - Extra balls, Specials, ally shot with spinner, center extra ball target, double bonus. The game features 6 digits on 4 players, with a max score of 999,999. That means there are 20 total score reels in this game (plus 4 dummy zeros). That is a lot of score reels to clean and adjust if you are restoring this game! The back glass art is kind of funky (why is the woman being sacrificed fully clothed in a dress?), but the play field looks nice around the bonus scoring area (another unique feature is that the bonus scoring is by 5,000 points each, and 10,000 for double bonus). One thing I will never forget when I restored this game was that someone who had it prior put in a digital sound card to try and make the game sound "modern." It was terrible (beep-beep-boop), and they hacked the points relays in the head to wire it in. I was quite a challenge to restore the wiring back to the chimes unit (look at that 35 year old wire - is it green/blue or blue/green?), but it was worth the work. This game is now in Australia as I sold it to some Aussies here in California for a vacation (it was put in a shipping container with some classic cars I was told.)

AXrelay has owned this game in the past.

8.123/10

10 years ago

MCD

dasvis

Pinside member

Salem, OR

12y 101K 4,796 11 16

Aztec is decent. The DC pop bumpers make for a FAST EM!

dasvis has owned this game in the past.

7.104/10

10 years ago

JLM

jlm33

Pinside member

Villejuif

11y 152K 5,892 7 169

Simple game. Not too many interesting shots. The right kickback lane is one of them. A problem is to avoid multiple repetitive returns to this lane by bouncing back on the right bumper. Overall, a solid table, but not one I am coveting...

8.477/10

11 years ago

GHL

Garrett

Pinside+ Frequent

Pinckney, MI

11y 92,300 3,257 3 45

A solid title from William's during the mid 70's era. Hard thing is finding one in decent shape. Just restored and clearcoated the playfield in 2022 on mine and wow! Extremely fast playing EM that will test your reflexes!

For novice players 5 Ball is recommended but for good players set it to 3 Ball, Extra Ball. Now that's a challenge.

For the highest scores hit the Z ot T target to light the Double Bonus, then hit the spinner rollover or ball capture.

To score the extra ball you have to hit all AZTEC targets, and that aint easy, then hit the center target and try not to drian down the center.

Just a great looking pin and a great playiing pin!

Garrett edited previous rating on December 05, 2023.
Garrett has owned this game in the past.

8.284/10

11 years ago

ZUL

Caucasian2Step

Evil McBooty

12y 163K 1,455 51 1011

Aztec is a fun EM game by Williams from the mid-70's.

The Good:
Nice action with the pops and if maintained properly, deadly fast. Super accessible and the top arch offers great nudging over the top rollovers. With over 10k made, should be easy to find one for a good price. The Christian Marche art package is solid.

The Bad:
There are 2 shots in the game. The orbit on the upper left and the kickback lane on the upper right. Everything else is rebound/chaos death. The upper right kickback lane better work or this game stands still.

The Takeaway:
This game is alright, but there are better options from this vintage from Williams (Grand Prix and Space Odyssey/Mission) to keep you a happy pinhead.

Update:
Learning how to light the double bonus (Z and T standups and then the kickback) makes dangerous shots necessary when you need the win. Often these targets can be hit off the slings. 25-50k from the kickback is very worthy and a lit spinner can easily award 20-40k when the spinner is slick and the shot rips. double bonus of 100k is king though. The table needs to be set up to be nice and tight with the tilt or it will roll very easily. A good game in tourneys, but I find it to get old really quickly unless it is dialed in just right.

Update:
I got my hands on a nice copy and helped a friend tune it up. This game now in the likes of FishTales and Alien Poker as games that are skillful challenges. These games are not deep (yes I know... Aztec is an EM) but they WILL make sure that your game (and a bit of luck) is on point. Get the T and the Z and the upper middle lane and your life is going to be a happy pinball dance. DC pops and flippers mean that this game is deadly and FAST! Williams made over 10k copies of this deck making it the most heavily produced game after Space Mission/Space Odyssey and Grand Prix. This game plays well and sucks quarters quickly. Find one if you can and get ready for battle!

Caucasian2Step edited previous rating on November 28, 2017.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

7.136/10

11 years ago

BAD

ptownsheed

Inactive member

Gresham, OR

11y 15,750 3 1 7

We owned an Aztec for years in my childhood. I have played better EM pins, but it isn't bad. Unfortunately the parents sold it. One of my favorite features was the ability to light all the letters creating the high value shot to the right of the machine. When fully lit it awarded 50K which was a very large amount. Difficulty wise I would call it moderate or slightly below. I kept coming back to this machine and didn't get tired of it for years. I love to own one again.

6.028/10

12 years ago

TPK

Kneissl

Pinside member

12y 126K 3,866 7 121

I can't say i don't like it because it's an old slow EM machine.. cuz there's EM's that I really like. I played it because it was there, not because I went there to play it.

8.674/10

15 years ago

SCO

scooter

Pinside member

Louisville, KY

15y 96,900 3,615 1 205

Played this game on Saturday nights as a teenager. Great memories of my youth more than 30 years ago. Really exciting game for the time! Would love to own Aztec myself.

scooter edited previous rating on March 06, 2016.
scooter currently owns this game.

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