Dutch Pinball
The Big Lebowski Pinside Rating
This game received 389 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.723 /10
The Big Lebowski
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 8.653
Artwork: 8.71
Sounds/Music: 8.573
Other Aspects: 8.807
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 2 of us have rated this game.
Found 187 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 187 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 4 of 8.
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7.612/10
1 year ago
Springfield, VT
Great Little game here with some great original shots and game play. Not the prettiest game in the world and is lacking quality build parts in areas. Great theme and some great call outs. I do not think it is a top 20 pin of all time and the current market value is ludicrous for what you are getting. Fun pin to play on location, own maybe not.
9.300/10
1 year ago
Hengelo
It is a really beautiful pin! The theme is epic.
Three skill shots available. But my absolute favorite is the one where you start bowling
The one with the bigger points probably is the rug.
I really don’t mind the music is not original. They did a great job with it. And well, the Dude doesn’t like the eagles lol, so it’s great.
The Donny shot is killing for me. Maybe we need some adjustments because it’s almost always a drain through the middle.
Also love that the game comes with the rug. Not a real Persian quality though. We hanged it on the wall beside the machine to keep it intact.
This pin is not going anywhere for the upcoming years :)
Three skill shots available. But my absolute favorite is the one where you start bowling
The one with the bigger points probably is the rug.
I really don’t mind the music is not original. They did a great job with it. And well, the Dude doesn’t like the eagles lol, so it’s great.
The Donny shot is killing for me. Maybe we need some adjustments because it’s almost always a drain through the middle.
Also love that the game comes with the rug. Not a real Persian quality though. We hanged it on the wall beside the machine to keep it intact.
This pin is not going anywhere for the upcoming years :)
9.560/10
1 year ago
Pinball integrated into a theme has never been so well done in this pinsiders opinion
9.800/10
1 year ago
Great, easy-to-follow rules, with an outstanding theme. Cabinet is a work of art. Call-outs are the best I’ve heard since The Addams Family.
Apparently about to receive code update that will make it even more fun to play.
Apparently about to receive code update that will make it even more fun to play.
9.872/10
1 year ago
Awesome game, so fun, so cool to look at, amazing theme, played it a few times and decided I will own one (that's a rare event)...
Update - now own this game, this should be a perfect 10. I love the theme and it has the best theme integration of any game I have played. It loos cool, has awesome, awesome toys (hello lower playfield field bowling alley, and upper field cart bash toy, not too mention a light up white Russian). Game rules / modes are fun and intuitive. With the sound mod, it is so cool you can just sit and listen to the awesome music and be mesmerized by the game.
Update - now own this game, this should be a perfect 10. I love the theme and it has the best theme integration of any game I have played. It loos cool, has awesome, awesome toys (hello lower playfield field bowling alley, and upper field cart bash toy, not too mention a light up white Russian). Game rules / modes are fun and intuitive. With the sound mod, it is so cool you can just sit and listen to the awesome music and be mesmerized by the game.
9.700/10
1 year ago
probably the best themed pinball of all time, amazing design, great flow, cool video and sound. The negative is this is the most temperamental pinball I have ever played. It's constant work to keep the thing running for shooting right. buggy software as well. Rens at DutchPinball does provide amazing customer support though =)
8.996/10
1 year ago
The Good
+ Theme integration, art, sounds etc all nails The Big Lebowski. This was my main reason for getting it.
+ Looks - this is just one of the most beautiful pins you'll ever see, it is truly an art piece. This is another reason I got it.
+ Lots of things packed into this game - upper playfield that is actually important and fun and lots to do (bash car, start bowling, has its own skill shot), lower bowling is like a game of its own (but also is important to do towards getting scoring multipliers for characters, so great integration with the rules)
+ The Maude rollovers (5 of them!) is a neat way to earn a character
+ You can earn the ability to cancel character multiball (so you can wait until you get more characters and start it later)
The Less Good
- Reliability, issues i've had (latest version at the time of writing is 0.58) are all switches stop responding occasionally during play (requires reboot), half the bowling pins broke in first month of casual use
- Rules are pretty simple, could use a bit more depth
- The music is not bad the original songs would have been better (especially the Bob Dylan song). Metallica is a good example of a pin that has the vocals and still loops instrumental parts so that the vocals don't get too repetitive.
- More variety in callouts/clips would be great, literally any line from the movie could be a callout so there's a LOT to choose from.
- Family mode still has swearing and pretty inappropriate lines, could have had more fun with it and chosen completely different scenes for Family mode to be cleaner but totally capture the big lebowski. But it's possible there are no clean lines in this movie. But if it was done like this it might make it fun for you to play through normal mode and also family mode because of the variation.
Ideas for DP:
Real soundtrack would be great keep working on licensing that please
Family mode having its own unique truly clean clips/callouts
Maybe you can become a character when starting the game (like Stern Star Wars, X-Files) and the rules and callouts change for each character. Then you'll want to play as all the characters for variation.
The ability to cancel character multiball is really important but kind of hard to earn. Maybe provide more ways to earn it (like after every 2 white russians)
+ Theme integration, art, sounds etc all nails The Big Lebowski. This was my main reason for getting it.
+ Looks - this is just one of the most beautiful pins you'll ever see, it is truly an art piece. This is another reason I got it.
+ Lots of things packed into this game - upper playfield that is actually important and fun and lots to do (bash car, start bowling, has its own skill shot), lower bowling is like a game of its own (but also is important to do towards getting scoring multipliers for characters, so great integration with the rules)
+ The Maude rollovers (5 of them!) is a neat way to earn a character
+ You can earn the ability to cancel character multiball (so you can wait until you get more characters and start it later)
The Less Good
- Reliability, issues i've had (latest version at the time of writing is 0.58) are all switches stop responding occasionally during play (requires reboot), half the bowling pins broke in first month of casual use
- Rules are pretty simple, could use a bit more depth
- The music is not bad the original songs would have been better (especially the Bob Dylan song). Metallica is a good example of a pin that has the vocals and still loops instrumental parts so that the vocals don't get too repetitive.
- More variety in callouts/clips would be great, literally any line from the movie could be a callout so there's a LOT to choose from.
- Family mode still has swearing and pretty inappropriate lines, could have had more fun with it and chosen completely different scenes for Family mode to be cleaner but totally capture the big lebowski. But it's possible there are no clean lines in this movie. But if it was done like this it might make it fun for you to play through normal mode and also family mode because of the variation.
Ideas for DP:
Real soundtrack would be great keep working on licensing that please
Family mode having its own unique truly clean clips/callouts
Maybe you can become a character when starting the game (like Stern Star Wars, X-Files) and the rules and callouts change for each character. Then you'll want to play as all the characters for variation.
The ability to cancel character multiball is really important but kind of hard to earn. Maybe provide more ways to earn it (like after every 2 white russians)
Nancy
8.270/10
2 years ago
London
Played a few times at FlipOut in London.
This is a fun pin with a strong integration between theme and mechanics. Sadly, I’m unfamiliar with the film, which means I can’t appreciate this pin as much as an ardent fan.
It is hard to put in a bad word for it, apart from the recurrent fault notice on the LCD screen and the fact it reset mid-game. The rolling rug in the centre that sets off ‘rug mode’ is very cute. There’s some kind of lower playfield bowling game, which I didn’t manage to activate, and an upper playfield with some thematic toys. The actual rug that sits under the pinball machine is a particularly cute touch.
It’s nice to shoot, cute and well meaning generally, and reminds me a little of an updated Bally/Williams-era machine. I, personally, wouldn’t be interested in tracking one down to buy, but I can definitely imagine a Big Lebowski fan doing so.
This is a fun pin with a strong integration between theme and mechanics. Sadly, I’m unfamiliar with the film, which means I can’t appreciate this pin as much as an ardent fan.
It is hard to put in a bad word for it, apart from the recurrent fault notice on the LCD screen and the fact it reset mid-game. The rolling rug in the centre that sets off ‘rug mode’ is very cute. There’s some kind of lower playfield bowling game, which I didn’t manage to activate, and an upper playfield with some thematic toys. The actual rug that sits under the pinball machine is a particularly cute touch.
It’s nice to shoot, cute and well meaning generally, and reminds me a little of an updated Bally/Williams-era machine. I, personally, wouldn’t be interested in tracking one down to buy, but I can definitely imagine a Big Lebowski fan doing so.
9.560/10
2 years ago
Zürich
Splendid theme integration, satisfying shots, just an all around spectacular machine. If only Stern were able to get so many assets for their movie pins... Code is still early, yet there is plenty to do and see. Only con: Animations could be better. Along with EHOH, i think this is the pin that's never gonna leave.
10.000/10
2 years ago
10.17.22 Update
Everything I could’ve hoped for and more has been done to push this game out of the realm of promising, but not quite there, to a truly unique and unrepeatable experience.
All the pieces that seemed disjoined or separate parts of the whole now move together in perfect sequence. I feel like I’ve watched this game go from crawling to a small jog and then to Olympic caliber running in one update. What a night and day difference! No longer an I begrudgingly bowling AGAIN or starting a car mode just to see it disappear because some unrelated mode has started.. rinse and repeat…but now these creative but separate activities flow in unison and perfect harmony. They’ve somehow removed the grind of getting to the end of the game and replaced it with goals that I not only want to accomplish but can happen simultaneously while pursuing something else. Perhaps that is the greatest beauty of this game. I wasn’t even attempting to be a tactician, simply enjoying myself and each completion and reward rolls into another in such a natural, unforced way, that you find yourself immersed in something incredibly simple by playing along, not working or fighting against, but just happily participating with.
Truly incredible and one of a kind work here Dutch. Can’t wait to see what you do next!
Original Comment:
I don't know if there is a better theme integration in pinball besides TBL. I do think part of the allure of the game lies in its back story as well as the continued struggle and timeline to receive a machine. Rarity does add perceived value (whether accurate or not). I waited a year to received this game and have spent the next 3 months chasing down problems and looking for ways to improve design flaws or fix or prevent future problems from occurring. Dependability or lack thereof can easily sour my feelings towards a game. TBL has taken the the #1 spot of having the glass off more than on. I hope I'm at a place where this experience is finally over. All that being said, I absolutely love this game.
The game is excellent. It's absolutely goregous and everything is tied in so cleanly. The game is a masterclass in theme intergration and the code is still being developed. That is a good thing. The game is difficult as is and as they add variety to the modes (bowling ect) the game will just grow in popularity and gain the respect it deserves. There are so many call outs and things to notice that you may not hear unless you work to complete the modes and pause to listen to the dialogue.
Upper playing is excellent and entertaining. Challenging enough to not bore easily but utilized enough to make you proficient. I'm glad they included a skill shot that incorporates the upper playfield as it really ties the bowling mode into the game. They are going to add some variety to the bowling mode (splits) which is desperately needed. Main playfield flows very well. Jesus shot is difficult to make and difficult to get dialed in. A very narrow opening to make this shot. The way the vuk is lined up can create some very aggravating rejects. Dude ramp also has a difficult incline that can cause balls to roll back down if not landed with a perfect hit. They really need to change the slope of the dude ramp to avoid some of these issues. Playfield is excellent, gorgeous, and the colors tie the rest of the game together like few others. Soundtrack is phenomenal and really lines up with the music. With a little computer savy you can edit the music to include the orignal tracks with vocals. I highly recommend you do so.
1 year of wait and continued problems keeping this game afloat and I wouldn't trade it for nothing. Once the 1.0 code releases I think this will be one of the greatest modern games ever made. Can't wait to see what they do next.
Everything I could’ve hoped for and more has been done to push this game out of the realm of promising, but not quite there, to a truly unique and unrepeatable experience.
All the pieces that seemed disjoined or separate parts of the whole now move together in perfect sequence. I feel like I’ve watched this game go from crawling to a small jog and then to Olympic caliber running in one update. What a night and day difference! No longer an I begrudgingly bowling AGAIN or starting a car mode just to see it disappear because some unrelated mode has started.. rinse and repeat…but now these creative but separate activities flow in unison and perfect harmony. They’ve somehow removed the grind of getting to the end of the game and replaced it with goals that I not only want to accomplish but can happen simultaneously while pursuing something else. Perhaps that is the greatest beauty of this game. I wasn’t even attempting to be a tactician, simply enjoying myself and each completion and reward rolls into another in such a natural, unforced way, that you find yourself immersed in something incredibly simple by playing along, not working or fighting against, but just happily participating with.
Truly incredible and one of a kind work here Dutch. Can’t wait to see what you do next!
Original Comment:
I don't know if there is a better theme integration in pinball besides TBL. I do think part of the allure of the game lies in its back story as well as the continued struggle and timeline to receive a machine. Rarity does add perceived value (whether accurate or not). I waited a year to received this game and have spent the next 3 months chasing down problems and looking for ways to improve design flaws or fix or prevent future problems from occurring. Dependability or lack thereof can easily sour my feelings towards a game. TBL has taken the the #1 spot of having the glass off more than on. I hope I'm at a place where this experience is finally over. All that being said, I absolutely love this game.
The game is excellent. It's absolutely goregous and everything is tied in so cleanly. The game is a masterclass in theme intergration and the code is still being developed. That is a good thing. The game is difficult as is and as they add variety to the modes (bowling ect) the game will just grow in popularity and gain the respect it deserves. There are so many call outs and things to notice that you may not hear unless you work to complete the modes and pause to listen to the dialogue.
Upper playing is excellent and entertaining. Challenging enough to not bore easily but utilized enough to make you proficient. I'm glad they included a skill shot that incorporates the upper playfield as it really ties the bowling mode into the game. They are going to add some variety to the bowling mode (splits) which is desperately needed. Main playfield flows very well. Jesus shot is difficult to make and difficult to get dialed in. A very narrow opening to make this shot. The way the vuk is lined up can create some very aggravating rejects. Dude ramp also has a difficult incline that can cause balls to roll back down if not landed with a perfect hit. They really need to change the slope of the dude ramp to avoid some of these issues. Playfield is excellent, gorgeous, and the colors tie the rest of the game together like few others. Soundtrack is phenomenal and really lines up with the music. With a little computer savy you can edit the music to include the orignal tracks with vocals. I highly recommend you do so.
1 year of wait and continued problems keeping this game afloat and I wouldn't trade it for nothing. Once the 1.0 code releases I think this will be one of the greatest modern games ever made. Can't wait to see what they do next.
9.200/10
2 years ago
Siegen
For me, TBL is simply a must-have due to the great film theme.
The pinball machine is very solidly built. Since this is DP's first title, there are of course a few things in technical design that can be improved…
But my impression is that DP seriously checks all feedback from the owners, picks up ideas and provides great support in case of problems.
In addition, the software is constantly being developed to ultimately make this pinball machine extraordinary.
The pinball machine is very solidly built. Since this is DP's first title, there are of course a few things in technical design that can be improved…
But my impression is that DP seriously checks all feedback from the owners, picks up ideas and provides great support in case of problems.
In addition, the software is constantly being developed to ultimately make this pinball machine extraordinary.
8.992/10
2 years ago
Lebowski doesn't shoot the best, but it does everything else VERY well... Theme integration is on par with the very best (Hobbit, Rick and Morty, Alien) and the upper and lower playfields are ACTUALLY fun! The modes, callouts, and music choices are all excellent and the modes and rules are very satisfying. Some shots needed quite a bit of tweaking (e.g. orbit exits) and there are new company growing pains in the build quality, but Dutch seems to be making improvements and supporting customers very well. This one keeps me coming back for game after game.
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