Stern

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Pinside Rating

This game received 105 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.231 _/10

7.231

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #229 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.475

Artwork: 6.754

Sounds/Music: 7.038

Other Aspects: 7.144

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 6 of us have rated this game.

7.829

Your Rating?

You need to be logged in before you can rate pinball machines. No account yet? Registering only takes a sec!

Found 61 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 61 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 3.

List options

Ratings sort order

Type of ratings to show in list

Owner status of review

Exclude flagged ratings

Keyword or username search

7.257/10

34 days ago

DRD

DrDrain

Pinside member

9y 42,900 57 159

This is a decent pinball machine.

In my opinion the variety of shots is pretty limited. The shots that feel best to make are the VUK with the mini-flipper and the ramp. The Skull lock is a pretty neat feature which I enjoy. The same goes for the spinning disc in the middle.

In terms of rules I found the game to be a bit repetitive, especially in competition play. It can basically be a one shot game. Just hit the ramp over and over, start multiball and collect the Jackpots.

The artwork on the entire game is typically mediocre for a game of its era.

All in all, CSI is a decent game with a special layout, quite nice toys and a generally good package that reflects the CSI theme pretty well.

DrDrain edited previous rating on April 01, 2024.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

7.242/10

2 years ago

RAT

Rodent

Inactive member

3y 77,300 702 10

A game that's growing on me the more I can find one to play, enough so that it's now in my wish list. My SO's 2nd fav pin

9.100/10

2 years ago

BRI

United555

Pinside member

København

8y 25,450 97 4 15

Very nice game

8.462/10

2 years ago

BUZ

buzz11

Pinside member

Gold Coast

12y 33,000 5 29

I played this on site , by the second game I was hitting everything it suited my shitty pinball style , lots of different shots toys and gimmicks , the theme is ridiculous, this would be a good machine to convert to something with a better theme , the green on it screamed matrix . Anyho if I find a cheap one I’ll def buy it .

7.136/10

3 years ago

FAT

Fatscorky

Pinside member

Nottingham

5y 24,150 5 3 12

Recently found this game In an amusement arcade and everything actually worked on it, had a good hour of gameplay on it and enjoyed it, The ball lock is a good feature and I really liked the pop bumpers with the continued camera flashes and with the LED flashes on top of each bumper, the effect was really good, would buy this game if I had plenty of space but I haven’t, enjoyed playing it and would certainly play it again.

8.146/10

3 years ago

ARM

CooperS

Pinside member

Bremerton, WA

7y 38,400 12 23 1

Bought this game for my wife, it is the only pinball I’ve seen her actually enjoy. I have never played the game before I bought it and I must say I am really impressed with it! I can’t believe it’s rated so low! I just don’t think many people have played it! It is a really fun game with really fun toys! One of those games I wish I bought earlier for me.

7.596/10

3 years ago

CCH

Frostbite

Pinside member

Scottsbluff, NE

5y 42,900 32 11 30

Need some more time with it but here are my thoughts so far, I think there are alot of shots to keep you busy. I do agree that there was a missed opportunity on the rules, i think it could of been alot more in depth trying to solve different murders/modes. But its not a bad thing to have simple rules. I think the toys are excellent and work well. Iv read a few people saying the play field art is a cut and paste disaster, its not perfect but i wouldn't call it a disaster. I look forward to spending some more time with CSI.

Update... I just want to add, my csi already had a shaker installed. If your thinking about installing a shaker in CSI...don't... it only goes off when you hit a jack pot...probably not worth it.

Frostbite edited previous rating on May 08, 2020.
Frostbite currently owns this game.

7.776/10

5 years ago

DIA

mrossman5

Pinside+ Frequent

Warren, PA

6y 197K 3,175 7 253

Unique game and layout. Music is great. Toys are also great. The rule set could be better, which is the reason I probably would not buy this game.

5.150/10

5 years ago

CUZ

mcuzz

Pinside member

8y 117K 500 137

Points for the unique layout, lots of cool shots and the skull ball lock is great. Very stop and go and not enough flow hurt this one, as well as the unbalanced scoring. The theme and photoshopped art are just bad. Would be good in a large collection.

8.428/10

5 years ago

???

dex82

Inactive member

Unknown

7y 13,000 3 31

amazing sound! great pinball, and beautiful game lighting

dex82 edited previous rating on November 28, 2018.

7.676/10

6 years ago

GIL

Imagineerie

Inactive member

10y 44,550 7 190

I never thought this theme would make much of a pin. But the designers did a good job of integrating the theme into a surprisingly entertaining pin to play. The centrifuge is a cool toy. I found myself enjoying this one.

8.520/10

6 years ago

MCH

Pinkitten

Pinside+ Pro!

Williamston, MI

6y 136K 3,776 14 87

I’ve owned this one for just over a year now, and we still really enjoy this change-of-pace pin. This game was designed by Pat Lawlor and John Borg, software by Lyman Sheats and others, and music and sound by David Thiel. So, there is definitely craftsmanship and talent in this pin. I like the all-star team that built this for Stern, I like the crime theme, and I like the unique layout of the playfield. I noticed that many people said this game is underrated, and is quite fun. Most of the low ratings were from people who said the game wasn't deep enough, or was too stop/go. I don't mind stop/go games like POTC or WOZ. I enjoy games with several clear modes, goals and easy to understand rules. The callouts, sounds and lights on the playfield direct you very well. As everyone on here has said, there are 3 multiball modes, and each is easy to start. However, each is hard to complete. They get increasingly difficult. Also, there are 4 "mini" modes to complete. These are mostly timed modes, including suspect shakedown, fingerprint frenzy, DNA and ballistics. The upper left flipper is actually important because it shoots directly into the morgue, where the skill shot, extra ball, special and other rewards can be earned. It also allows you to hit 2 of the bullet standup targets, necessary for ballistics mode, a very lucrative mode. IMHO, there is plenty to do here for the average player and collector. If you are into very fast games (like a Steve Richie Spider-Man or Star Wars) you may not enjoy the slower, busier playfield Lawlor has designed. But the toys are interactive and fun, the skull ball lock is great, and I love the centrifuge! The playfield is colorful and attractive if LEDs added. The backglass is boring and by-the-numbers, but it's based on a t.v. show. Overall, I was thrilled to discover this somewhat rare game. Because it is ranked so low, I picked one up for less than half the cost of a new Stern. Just a really nice surprise and eye-opener. It is super easy to understand and play but difficult to master and beat. Isn't that what pinball is about?

Pinkitten edited previous rating on June 17, 2019.
Pinkitten has this game on the wishlist.

3 Pinsiders starred this!

7.364/10

6 years ago

NAT

Medieval_Gofers

Pinside member

Ipswich

13y 73,400 208 3 79

I enjoy CSI more than most, but it's far from being a perfect game.

The layout is very very unique, and has lots of great shops including the microscope, centerfuge and skull ramp. The placement of the bumpers also allows for obit shots and shots from the upper flipper which is great, but then again Pat Lawlor did this one so not surprising. The ruleset is what lets this game down because, much like 24 and Big Buck Hunter, it's all about multiball. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - Bram Stoker's Dracula is the same, but the emphasis on multiball doesn't leave the game with a huge amount of lastability as there isn't much else to see. Fingerprint Frenzy and other small aspects of the rulsets are nice additions but don't offer much in terms of points and fun. The art isn't terrible but it's all just photoshop so nothing great to look at. Sound is notably very good. All in all, a fun game to play on location to see those toys in action, but not one you'd want to own unless you had a large number of games.

4.575/10

7 years ago

APD

twinankhs

Twinankhs

San Jose, CA

7y 18,000 8 4 15

I liked this game, but some things do not work so good, like the microscope. The centrifuge is awesome though.

twinankhs has this game on the wishlist.

6.495/10

7 years ago

DAD

dlmunch

Pinside member

10y 29,250 1 5 8

An interesting toy or two but the centrifuge just dominates the game. Flow feels interrupted and too much is happening on the far sides of the game. Upper flipper is of limited involvement. Side shots are very difficult. The game is just very hard. A good looking game that is fun at the outset but usually ready to move on after playing a few games. Look and artwork are good despite a so-so-theme.

dlmunch has owned this game in the past.

7.348/10

7 years ago

JON

J85M

Hot Mods

Warrington

12y 147K 10,466 32

CSI is a little underrated, it is pretty shallow what with only 3 main multiball modes, but the layout and shot geometry is pretty unique and its a fun game providing you like the CSI theme. Definitely benefits from being part of a larger collection but shouldn't be over looked.

5.552/10

7 years ago

DMZ

Miouze

Inactive member

Paris

7y 15,750 19

Some good ideas, interesting ruleset, and well-used toys. This pinball won't put a smile on your face, but it's worth a coin, or more if you enjoy its gameplay.

And the most clever thing about this pinball is how its theme relates to the way it plays: you'll have to be slow, attentive, and meticulous. Well done.

7.329/10

8 years ago

ERC

Paisley_Pinball

Inactive member

Paisley

11y 51,650 85 47 56

Skull lock is the best physical ball lock in pinball.
The theme comes through so strongly, its one of the best integrations of theme and playfield.
The voice call outs are pretty cool.
The skull ramp is really tough, surprising when you look at it.
Lots of fun to play, but it does tire after a while.

Paisley_Pinball currently owns this game.

7.218/10

9 years ago

POH

PohodaVole

Pinside member

Praha

9y 42,900 214 61 10

I like this pinball but it is not something special..

PohodaVole has this game on the wishlist.

5.837/10

9 years ago

GIC

goingincirclez

GIC Pinball

9y 116K 2,835 27

[FWIW I self-rate my skill level as medium] Well I'm glad I got to play this, but something about it just left me cold. I've never been a fan of blase' media licenses and the way the art was implemented on this one is particularly unimaginative. The play wasn't much better - having to shoot the centrifuge over and over (at the risk of a SDTM every time!) was boring. Playfield was wide open without much apparent to do. Watching others (of likely better skill) play during the Expo, never seemed to be much variety either. Lines were long due to its rarity, so I'd play it again given the chance... but I'd wait to play other titles far more happily. (Played at Louisville Arcade Expo 2015)

6.419/10

9 years ago

YPS

cooldan

Inactive member

London

13y 54,800 129 5 53

CSI came from that period of Stern's history that's best not talked about much.
this game is ok i suppose, the Skull ball locks look nice, and the spinning centrifuge toy is quite fun, but there's not much else that's memorable or recommendable about it. oh, and i quite liked the microscope feature that lit up either red, blue or green lights, that was a nice touch.

ordinary game, nothing to write home about.

cooldan has owned this game in the past.

8.756/10

9 years ago

JTB

The_Gorilla

Pinside+ Frequent

Pleasant Hill, IA

13y 116K 5,602 2 155

Playfield is stunning when upgraded to LED lighting. Great layout. The skull lock is neat but the "toys" on this game are average. Not a lot of wow factor to them.

The skill shot is hard so thus is satisfying when completed. Missing on this game is the Lawlor shot through the pops!

I am convinced that combined with its scarcity, uniqueness of layout and Lawlor reputation, if this game had better code it would be a keeper for me.

As it sits, the code is bland and of what is there about 50% will only be seen once every 500 games!

The_Gorilla edited previous rating on September 25, 2015.
The_Gorilla has owned this game in the past.

6.648/10

9 years ago

CCF

ccfries

Inactive member

Arlington Heights, IL

9y 15,150 11 2 7

I liked playing this one a lot, liked the cool ball lock, like the center post between the flippers. The centrifuge is pretty neat. It did an OK job lighting up the different sections to walk you through where to shoot.

5.317/10

9 years ago

MWR

crouger86

Inactive member

Rutherglen, Glasgow

9y 13,750 20

Really boring game and not very fun. No sort of target shots or anything, just a cluttered playfield with ramps. It felt like the back of the playfield was just all crammed together for the sake of it. The small flipper on the left side is pointless aswell, all it does it hits the ball off the right wall (which you can do anyway) but it can sometimes cause ball drops if not hit properly.

It does have some alright modes that go with the tv show I guess but other than that... :(

crouger86 edited previous rating on September 03, 2014.

6.221/10

9 years ago

TFW

Twilliams

Pinside member

9y 29,400 52 4 12

Never worked so hard for so little points on any pin. Multiball paradise with a mix of CSI thrown in.

Twilliams has owned this game in the past.

Next 1 2 3

There are 61 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 3.

You too can add your own comment by rating this game! Click here to rate this game!

Over the years

Visualizing this game's rating and rank over the years

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!