Blue Chip

Pinside rating

This game received 17 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 6.679 /10

6.679

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #281 in the Pinside EM Top 100.



Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 6.611

Artwork: 6.658

Sounds/Music: 3.044

Other Aspects: 6.701


Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 1 of us has rated this game.

5.767

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Found 10 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 10 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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6.590/10
3 months ago
For one of the last pins of the EM era, this on the fun factor to play was just ok. Love the spinners and the logic for scoring. Played a few times and well there are other EM’s that I would rather play.
7.054/10
9 months ago
This is a fun single player that I think because the theme is a little dated it doesn't get the credit it deserves. It has good flow and logic and the dual spinners make for great shots. Also a great first pin for someone who's looking to get into them and learn how the EM units work. Not too complex mechanically or electrically since its not a multi player or multi ball but all the different systems are there to learn on.
7.696/10
1 year ago
A departure from the norm, but well designed machine. Played game after game and it is still challenging. I long for a little more pizazz overall, but this game is still special to me. I personally really like hearing the bells go nuts on the bonus board.
6.775/10
2 years ago
I had played this a long time ago. At the time I thought it was good.
6.727/10
4 years ago
I bought “twins” of this title at an auction. Neither worked and brought them both back to life. I kept the nicer of the two and my kids and I have been playing it for two years now. It used to get more play but it’s not a super exciting game that draws you in.
I do like the art on this but the one I have is all original and still has brilliant cabinet and play field colors and the back glass is about a 9.5/10. I do love the spinners and when you get numbers 1-8 lit... get ready for some serious high scores!! I also have it set to the hardest setting (factory posts are all set to the difficult level” which I think is a must on this machine.
I don’t like the placement of the right side special because it’s next to impossible to hit with the flipper. I also hate the 5x chime at the ball drain for every bonus scored in the “V” lights. It’s just a lot of dings and gets old fast. When you’ve got double bonus it’s better as it hits the higher score chime once per light rather than 5x.
5.997/10
6 years ago
I like space, dragons, women, lasers and women with lasers. The whole stock market theme being unique and all I'm sure didn't and doesn't appeal to many individuals at all. The gameplay is "okish". The play has too much chance in the upper playfield.
6.647/10
6 years ago
There are two things that set this machine apart.

First is, there's an actual rules set, of a sort. You have to work progressively up through numbered targets (not all in order, fortunately) to get the maximum score. A couple of the targets are pretty hard to get, so there's a little challenge to it. It's got a symmetrical layout, with spinner and mini-orbit shots on both sides, so unless you're going for a specific target, there's no premium on passing or left or right flipper return shots. It does play evenly, and fairly, in that regard, and rewards skill.

Second is the oddball theme. My theory is that the Williams people produced this to create a "wholesome" pinball machine, at the exact time pinball was literally on trial in New York and Williams' own reputation as the bar/gambling-oriented pin company was a sore point. So on the top of the backglass, it proclaims "PLAY FLIPPER SKILL GAMES" (see, NOT gambling, folks!) "FOR FUN AND RECREATION." And then to make it even more wholesome, perhaps even educational, the theme is scenes from science and industry, perhaps vaguely linked around the idea of "blue chip" stocks (there is a stock ticker in the artwork, but no other stock market link). Scientists, oil well wildcatters, steel workers, a surveyor, some really nice transportation artwork on the cabinet.

And...for a mid-70's machine, the absence of the ladies is a bit noticeable. Perhaps Williams was responding to charges of sexism in their artwork at the time, but there's a lot of artwork of...well, guys with bulging muscles, including a shirtless stoker smack dab in the middle of the playing field.

All this makes for a really kind of unique machine theme for its day, and while I wish the playability was a bit higher, it does make it an intriguing machine and a bit sui generis.
4.884/10
7 years ago
It's one of the last EM games from 1976 and has a nice classic sounding "ding-dong" sound box when well maintained. The game has a DC instead of AC playfield (it has a solid state bridge rectifier in it), so there is no "AC buzzing" like on previous tables, modern 3" flippers, dual spinners, sequential targets, good speed, but all-in-all is exciting only if there isn't another machine around. I guess it would appeal to those looking for a neutral, family friendly, affluent theme like where I saw it placed in the season 6 episode 10 "The Big Cheese" episode of The Rockford Files. It makes for a good tame machine for the kids, but I'd give ANY machine at least a 5 just for being a classic family-friendly coin-op pinball machine instead of a toy or violent theme, so you see where this one rates.
5.719/10
9 years ago
I owned this game back in the day for a short time. Just a typical 70's Williams EM. I think the theme was cool but nothing special about playing this game.
1.858/10
11 years ago
Blue Chip is a game that should play like a champ... however this is absolutely, positively, in utter totality not the case. Yes, this game blows donkeys for quarters.

The Pros:
Lots to shoot for and two spinners. 1 of the spinners leads through to a shot to the upper saucer. 8 standups around the table (should) keep things varied and require good aim all around. However, since this game plays so flaccidly... it has to have a awful rating for the PF.

The Cons:
This game should be called Blue @#$!#!$ (rhymes with Chip). This game is BORING! I walked away after my second ball drained. Gordon Horlick only designed this single table. This is a good thing. For the love of all that is right an holy... this is a good thing. His design express what I feel is the antithesis of pinball. This game is BORING! (IS this is his real name? This has to be a joke right? Who would want to play a game designed by Horlick?) Maybe, I should have given this game a chance. Well, I did and I would have rather played a nice long game of "poke this in my eye!" with varied objects. Lloyd Rognan only designed a handful of art packages for pinball games... this a good thing. His artwork and compositions express what I feel is the antithesis of pinball. Just like Horlick (sorry guys, I had to say it again. I get the idea that he got into a fight or two on the playground as a kid for the honor of his surname), his work is BORING!

The Takeaway:
This game looks and plays, and is completely BORING! Who, knows, maybe I'll play a copy of this game that is not a complete snooze. But for now, I just would rather walk on by than play this pinball game. Really, i'd have more fun watching burn and rise into the sky as orange ash... and no I wouldn't piss on it to put out the flames.

Just to make myself clear: I don't like this game at all.

BORING!

Rant off...
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