Sega

Baywatch

Pinside Rating

This game received 199 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.803 _/10

7.803

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #123 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.217

Artwork: 7.46

Sounds/Music: 6.869

Other Aspects: 7.998

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 3 of us have rated this game.

7.581

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Found 106 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 106 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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8.592/10

4 years ago

SKL

Scoot

Pinside member

Highgate, VT

5y 93,050 1,310 11 15

Fun, fun, fun! I think this is Sega's best pin. The game plays like a widebody but in regular size. Has wonderful flow and skill shots too, and the layout is a great. The dmd looks fantastic, especially with it in color. The game is easy to pick up and hard to master. I think it has the perfect amount of flow and skill, difficulty and fun. I find myself hitting the start button for just one more game.

UPDATE: I sold this machine do to space restrictions and completely regret it. I didn't think I'd miss this game as much as I do. I will own it again someday.

Scoot edited previous rating on May 22, 2021.
Scoot currently owns this game.

8.051/10

4 years ago

TEE

Grandnational007

Pinside member

Berlin, CT

6y 64,300 1,144 12 17 1

This was a total sleeper for me.

Some thoughts...

Yes, we all know about the goofy theme, so nothing to be said there, except it now transfers into cheesy 90's nostalgia, that somehow works better now than when this game was in production. (Though if it were themed as say, the A-Team, of Dukes of Hazard, this game would probably be rated much higher...)

The playfield layout is a real masterpiece! Probably Joe Balcer's best ever. There are shots galore, all of them satisfying. Combos galore as well. The only game I know of that has flow all day, as well as stop-and-go, and rewards both play styles.

Rules are straightforward, but pretty deep for the time. Goals are certainly accomplishable, but challenging as the game progresses.

The only cons I can think of are the lack of mode stacking (but was this really a thing then?), being locked out of mode progress for the Mitch Ramp (multiball locks take precedent when lit), and the shark flipper being a little wonky when the software fires it.

Dialing this game in setup wise is absolutely key. The game MUST be leveled to the playfield perfectly for everything to work as designed and correctly (the top gate, the 3 different skill shots, the relauncher, etc.).

Chad's code REALLY makes this game shine! Modes are made even better, and the software controlled gate timing is perfect.

A somewhat tricky game to shop out, but there are guides; the results are breathtaking after a full LED swap and cleaning. One of the "prettiest" and brightest games when tastefully LED'd.

The dots are absolutely stunning for their time; the digitalization of actual scenes from the show verges on the realm of "medium definition" with the quality of shading and animation from the large DMD. The ColorDMD, while pricey, hands down turns an already great display into a solid competitor for modern lcd games. It's that good.

ALRIGHT!

Grandnational007 currently owns this game.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

9.324/10

4 years ago

JOR

jorro

Inactive member

Bermuda Triangle

8y 81,550 2,988 8

Keeps me comming back
Great layout, great dmd, multiple skillshots, Chad's Roms make it even better, sega's best!
Bang for buck, adictive, lots to do, 4 flippers, lots of ramps, nice shots.
Under rated top 50 pin!

2 Pinsiders starred this!

8.856/10

4 years ago

JEF

OldSchoolBlood

Pinside member

Savage, MN

10y 56,650 777 2 43

Baywatch is probably the best bang-for-the-buck machine you can buy. The playfield design is as close to perfect as you can ask for. Tons of shots ranging in difficulty all over the playfield. Having the wireforms above the playfield opens the game up for more shots. People have written off this game for years because of the theme, and that it's made by SEGA. Sure the theme is not the best, but the implementation of it is spot on. The rules on this game also are great and somewhat different than other games as you can start modes all across the playfield. Some of the modes have multiple parts to them which was a pleasant surprise. The upper left flipper integration into gameplay is maybe the best since TZ. By holding the flipper up, you can use the bottom of the flipper as a backboard to deflect the ball into the shark hole. Also learning the multiple ways to set up shots to the upper flipper is really fun. SEGA made this during the Data East buyout timeframe, so the build quality and cost of materials included was higher than the cheaper titles they released after. This includes the extra large DMD which looks great and includes some of the best dot matrix animation they ever did. My biggest complaint is the sound quality is not as good as one would like it to be, but it does get the job done. The challenge to get Earthquake wizard mode seems just right giving that one more game replayability. This is by far my favorite game SEGA produced. Give it a chance and I think you will be surprised how good it really is.

OldSchoolBlood edited previous rating on July 27, 2023.

4.879/10

4 years ago

???

cyberbear

Pinside apprentice

Glasgow

5y 18,750 43

Rubbish game. Lots of metal ramps, flow is poor, clunky, poor sound, didn't expect it to be a good pin, but obviously a cheap licence. No need or wish to ever play again.

8 Pinsiders flagged this.

7.649/10

4 years ago

BAD

ImNotNorm

Pinside member

6y 143K 6,900 98

I surprisingly enjoyed Baywatch when I played one in the wild. The playfield layout is pretty neat and there's plenty of shots to shoot for. It also has that 90's cheesey feel to it.

Baywatch also has a larger DMD, which is nice. It really helps compensate for the fact that there's a gargantuan sized David Hasselhoff head on the translite.

Overall, if you come across a Baywatch give it a shot. It may surprise you. But in terms of staying power, I don't see myself owning one...even if it was imamaculate.

ImNotNorm edited previous rating on May 03, 2019.

8.920/10

5 years ago

LAG

Nihonmasa

Shoot Again

Chénens

5y 82,100 1,094 54 11

Crappy theme but great game!
Just go easy on flashers guys!

Nihonmasa has owned this game in the past.

8.456/10

5 years ago

GBT

MrPaint

Pinside member

La Quinta, CA

12y 65,200 49 36 59

David H’s big head on back glass is annoying. The play is fun. Shots are fun.. I would be interested in owning Baywatch someday. Maybe not a keeper forever—— but we will see. I definitely would put a color DMD in. The game pops with a color DMD. 11-15-19 close to buying Baywatch with toys and color DMD. we will see. 2-1-20 Yes I bought Baywatch! Yes Baywatch had Color DMD. Yes Baywatch exceeded my expectations. yes i have a shark, truck and helicopter toys. Four flippers is so much fun. The shark flipper is unique as you use the shark flipper for the whole shot and to keep the ball from draining down the right orbit. Yes the music and lighting are lacking. Overall Joe Balcer did a great job, the game is different. I try to have different designers in my pinball collection. Baywatch is Fun!! oh also i live near the Beach.

MrPaint edited previous rating on February 01, 2020.
MrPaint currently owns this game.

9.196/10

5 years ago

DAM

dcflipp

Pinside apprentice

Nancy

5y 19,250 10 35

Theme is "Pamella"... 90's and don't seem to be great, but, after the first game, I couldn't stop. Very addictiv game

dcflipp has owned this game in the past.

7.311/10

5 years ago

GIL

Imagineerie

Inactive member

10y 44,550 7 190

A sexy game themed after a sexy show... and only about as interesting as well. I must admit that this game was surprisingly more fun to play than expected. Some really good shots and modes. It’s a good thing that it has a DMD display instead of an LCD with footage from the show or it would be impossible to stay focused on gameplay.

8.420/10

5 years ago

FAV

bemmett

Pinside+ Addict

12y 127K 3,967 126 2

By far the best bang for your buck machine I can think of. I have owned one for 5 years or so and still have it and play it to the day. Awesome layout and good rule set on a less than spectacular theme. But in the end it works and is a really underrated game!

9.320/10

5 years ago

???

pierreespi

Inactive member

Unknown

5y 10,250 23 10

perhaps the best sega pinball !

pierreespi currently owns this game.

8.172/10

5 years ago

CJC

Tuxedomask23

Pinned Out Mods

Calgary, AB

7y 101K 303 9 80

One of the most underrated pins of all time because of its code BEFORE Chad fixed it. With the new code, this game has totally been upgraded and is very enjoyable. It is much deeper than I thought it would be and the Dots are amazing, especially with the color dmd. By far the best dots I've seen in a game.

Tuxedomask23 has owned this game in the past.

9.236/10

5 years ago

WUF

wolfy

Pinside member

Winston-salem, NC

14y 80,850 1,087 15 113 1

I have had Baywatch for almost 2 months and have put over 200 games on it and am thrilled with the new code and gameplay. I have owned over 70 games and this one is in the top 20 for sure. Great DMD dots and call outs and music are good. Theme kept me from getting it for years which was a big mistake. This pin should be in the top 50 for sure. Total fun.

Update after 600 games . I said before this pin should be in top 50. I was wrong should be top 30. So much fun.

wolfy edited previous rating on January 15, 2019.
wolfy currently owns this game.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

7.720/10

5 years ago

DIA

mrossman5

Pinside+ Frequent

Warren, PA

6y 197K 3,175 7 253

Underrated due to the theme. Great layout and rules. One of SEGA’s best.

8.380/10

6 years ago

PPD

Boat

CPRepair

Calgary, AB

7y 107K 1,467 4 92 1

Fun "B" theme game. Lots to shoot at, and overall a great flowing game. Good ruleset. I love the dolphin sounds. Artwork is ok. Music is decent for the time. Definitely underrated

7.699/10

6 years ago

CUZ

mcuzz

Pinside member

8y 117K 500 137

I sold mine and I miss it, great game with so many shots and a cool ball lock (the tower). Yeah the backglass is not good but you can change it, Dolphin sound effects and the variety of modes make this game a blast to play. I really like the ball launch above the playfield and the thin metal sides of the playfield that make this game feel like a wider game. New fan code fixes problems from original. oh yeah 6 ball multiball!

9.064/10

6 years ago

SR

IceMaster

Pinside member

Lombard, IL

8y 41,300 201 4 6

For years I was in the majority. I didn’t want a Sega game and was turned off by the theme. I had played one at an arcade that had weak flippers and incandescent bulbs. Then, after watching some videos and hearing that Chad redid the code, I was interested. So I picked up a really nice example and it’s even better than i thought it would be. There’s so many shots and rules and good flow. If you don’t think Baywatch is an awesome game, I would recommend you play one that works well. Definitely a “one more game” pin for me.

IceMaster has owned this game in the past.

8.212/10

6 years ago

QUY

FatPanda

Pinside member

7y 141K 7,174 32

Baywatch is very underrated. It's not the best pinball ever, but it's much more fun than what people give it credit for. The theme is why most people don't like the game, but in all fairness, there is MUCH worse theming out there, and the theme integration is fantastic. There are a variety of shots and all of the modes are fun. The wizard modes could have been better, but I can live with it. a 5 ball multiball is frenetic and catches new players off-guard. ChadH's code is a must have!

8.839/10

6 years ago

ROB

aerobert

Inactive member

8y 57,800 489 2 57

Chads new code really transformed this game from good to great! Balanced scoring and many bug fixes. It deserves a spot in the top 100.

I've played this machine several times before and I finally got my hands on a nice one. Baywatch is the ultimate cheese factor for me. The cabinet is colorful and lively instead of the usual black coffins which is always a head-turner imo. Baywatch is probably Segas finest machine, it has loads of shots and ramps, target banks, drop targets, spinner, VUK, and the rules are decent. It's usually repeated ramp shots to collect a letter or start a mode, somewhat like the fan layout machines like Monster Bash or Medieval Madness. But some of them can be really difficult.

I've always liked the hand-drawn artwork on DE and Sega and this is no different. A bit boring center playfield and dark but the rest is pretty nice. The theme keeps it together well. 90's cheese with the Hof and Pamela Anderson is a ok in my book.

The sound is as usual the weakest point with low quality midi music but the fx is good enough. This machine benefits from better quality speakers.

All in all, a very fun game with lastability.

aerobert edited previous rating on October 30, 2018.
aerobert currently owns this game.

8.540/10

6 years ago

RIK

rtotans

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 75,100 211 34

Just a fun pin with a ton of shots to make. I just started to play so I will add more details as I play more. I just can't believe all of the shots there are to make on this pin. 4 flippers so you need to keep awake at all times. The shark flipper is pretty cool with the shark theme music after you hit the ball with.

8.920/10

6 years ago

AK

Coolpinballdino

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 188K 4,800 477 2

Baywatch is a fun game it has good rules, good sounds and music, and it has cool toys like the shark flipper flipping by itself and the tower.

Coolpinballdino edited previous rating on June 21, 2020.

6.290/10

6 years ago

KID

blowback1976

Pinside member

10y 99,050 1,338 7 40 1

Not a bad title from Sega, lots to shoot for. Lower right side of playfield seems crowded. Automated shark flipper is a nice touch, even if it's ripped off from Addams Family. Sounds are ok, nothing special. Cab and playfield are nice, and the game benefits from LED lighting.

blowback1976 has owned this game in the past.

6.688/10

6 years ago

MAR

sportecto1

Inactive member

Hardthausen Am Kocher

10y 31,900 64 3 13

Good Sega Game. Good Rules. Only negative is The Hoff on the Backglas and the bad Sega Sondquality

sportecto1 has owned this game in the past.

7.896/10

6 years ago

???

Nermal43

Inactive member

Shingle Springs, CA

6y 19,750 5 5 6

How much you love this game depends on how you feel about the Hoff. My wife would love to hassle the Hoff, so she loves it. 4 flippers and numerous shots make this a challenging pin. Unfortunately the theme turns off a lot of folks so it does not get as much play as some of the others. This pin may eventually make way for another title.

Nermal43 currently owns this game.

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