Williams

Dirty Harry

Pinside Rating

This game received 268 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.797 _/10

7.797

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #126 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.903

Artwork: 7.501

Sounds/Music: 7.42

Other Aspects: 7.975

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 4 of us have rated this game.

7.594

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Found 150 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 150 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.840/10

7 years ago

B16

Billy16

Pinside member

11y 94,300 3,701 58

A total sleeper of a game and is a lot better than a good many of the games rated above it. TFTC had been my personal most underrated pin, but this one is an even better game. I initially blew DH off as I was unimpressed with the artwork--even though I am a huge fan of Clint. Once you get past that neo-modern-Stern-looking playfield art and actually play DH, first impressions change quickly. A good balance between makable and more difficult shots, very tough ramps and loops to hit consistently (even though they look easy), multiple cool modes of varying difficulty, several different multi-balls (even one outlane drain multi-ball), super set of rules and rewards, tough wizard mode, great custom callouts and jazzy music make this pin a winner. Even the playfield art starts to make sense after awhile--you kinda get a feel for what O'Connor was going for. Add in the challenging but fun to use pinball-shooting .44 mag and you have the whole hotdog--something that Inspector Callahan likes--a lot! How DH has stayed under the radar for so long is mind bending--I'm sure Oursler himself has wondered how possibly the best game he ever designed is not better regarded. Do yourself a favor, if you find this somewhere step up and make your day, this pin is good!

Billy16 edited previous rating on October 25, 2020.

8.836/10

8 years ago

JEF

OldSchoolBlood

Pinside member

Savage, MN

10y 56,650 777 2 43

Dirty Harry is a tough game that requires tight shots and grows on you the more you play it. Like BSD and Shadow, Dirty Harry is not very approachable for new players. But give it time and you will see how awesome it is. The main shotgun modes are fun and require you to make the different shots on the playfield. The added strategy of when to start the magazine awards is fun to set up. The magnum bullets sound effects are great. Safe house awards also are fun, but would have been nice to randomize them. The main multi-ball is challenging as is making arrests in Crime Wave. Jackpot shots in Dirty Harry are very satisfying. Custom speech from Clint Eastwood is great as you would expect it to be. Dot matrix animation is also very well done...especially the Crime Wave intro.
*Sample drop target makes it a much better game and should have been kept in production games. It speeds up the game keeping the ball in play, and adds randomness to the gameplay.
Dirty Harry is hugely underrated, and Barry Oursler's best game.

9.040/10

8 years ago

DMS

Elevatorman

Premier Pinball Stl

St. Louis, MO

10y 116K 1,860 71 171

I've liked this pin for a long time.I've always thought it was a bit overlooked but people are starting to see it!if you grew up watching Clint you'll love this pin.I finally got my hands on a nice example and it will be staying for a long while I imagine.

Elevatorman currently owns this game.

8.252/10

8 years ago

NOD

nodder

Inactive member

München

8y 21,400 12 5 7

My first and for more than 13 years my only pinball machine. The DH plays fast and direct, just like what the theme is all about. Cool Eastwood comments all over the game. Never got bored, however the rules are not so deep. The gun shooter is a nice feature and keeps the game diversified. Playfield remains quite dark but IMO - together with the cold flashlights - this matches perfectly with the dull ambience. I will definetly keep this one in my collection.

nodder edited previous rating on April 04, 2016.
nodder currently owns this game.

9.800/10

8 years ago

???

mazzzulatoro

Inactive member

Riccione

12y 19,000 56

Have a Clint Eastwood fan, this in addition to being one of my favorite pinball certainly the cabinet most beautiful ever seen in my life! Great pinball, fast and very funny, beautiful colors.

6.792/10

8 years ago

DOK

ziddosi

Inactive member

Magione

12y 26,250 8 81

Great pinball, the top for the Inspector Callaghan fans, very well done game plan, TransLite fits perfectly, chest of beautiful colors, play with a lot of variation and velocissimo.Poi the gun to the right is a must!

ziddosi edited previous rating on February 12, 2017.

8.076/10

8 years ago

SAA

shaub

Pinside member

9y 66,050 1,815 21

I think Dirty Harry is an underrated machine. There is a decent amount of depth in the rules which gives you different things to focus on when playing and helps give it some lastability. If only going for the high scores, multiball tends to be the route to go. The shots are satisfying to make - especially the left ramp, modes are not unreasonably hard to start, and multiball is enjoyable.

One complaint I have is that it isn't possible to make subsequent multiballs incrementally more diffcult to start, but this is more of an issue in the home environment than on location.

6.443/10

8 years ago

JWG

MUGEN_4_LIFE

Pinside member

Burlington, VT

8y 49,300 247 4 15 1

Great theme artwork is spot on for theme but could have used a bit more work on the DOTS. game has super flow if you hit your shots and also has stop and go play... can feel a bit choppy if not playing with great accuracy but keeps me coming back for more time and time again!

MUGEN_4_LIFE edited previous rating on August 12, 2020.
MUGEN_4_LIFE has owned this game in the past.

8.072/10

8 years ago

???

rubendub

Pinside member

Sint-niklaas

10y 31,000 4 53

i realy cant get why this game isnt in the top 100!
i think it even plays better than a jd.
give it a try on a machine thats well maintain,and you will realize its fast and fun.

rubendub edited previous rating on June 06, 2016.
rubendub has owned this game in the past.

7.688/10

8 years ago

JCD

dmbjunky

Pinside member

Odon, IN

8y 96,400 6,791 91

I would love to spend more time on this. The theme is one of my favorites but I didn't feel it was well implemented. It wasn't bad but I didn't come away from it thinking of the movies. The art on the playfield is a little wonky but still alright. I love the cabinet art with the sunset and side profile of Eastwood. The call outs were pretty good. Overall the gameplay was slightly forgettable but at least I would like to give it another try.

9.060/10

8 years ago

YYZ

flamehead

Inactive member

Martin, TN

9y 33,400 101 3 9

This is the one pin I regret selling. A classic game.

flamehead has owned this game in the past.

3.660/10

8 years ago

AK

AttilaK

Pinside member

Mt. Laurel, NJ

11y 46,150 94 27 55

I had this machine in my collection for a very short time and just couldn't get into it. Although it's fun at first, the call outs are very "blah"... but knowing the Clint Eastwood is not very enthusiastic, I get it ... but for god sakes make the jackpots a bit more satisfying!

AttilaK has owned this game in the past.

3 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.280/10

8 years ago

AND

rygar

Pinside member

Pyongyang

10y 86,300 709 19

DH was a WPC surprise game of the decade for me. I have had an opportunity to get it nearly for free a long time ago, but passed it because of its bad reputation. I have got one literally for free so I have grabbed that opportunity. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The game flows like a Steve Ritchie game and it is lots of fun. Artwork on the playfield is decent, but sound and quotes are great. I am not a DH fan, but I have watched two movies after playing the game and I can say that the game incorporates the feeling of the movies pretty well. It is the best bang for the buck WPC game. It is a game that makes you a better player.

rygar edited previous rating on May 03, 2017.

9.420/10

9 years ago

AK

Coolpinballdino

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 188K 4,804 477 2

Dirty Harry is a really fun game with a good backglass and artwork and it has really good sounds and call outs and the rules are pretty good in the game and the building toy are cool looking

Coolpinballdino edited previous rating on June 20, 2020.

9.860/10

9 years ago

CNY

TheCnyPinGuy

Pinside+ Addict

Sherrill, NY

11y 123K 3,593 10 54 2

Feel Lucky Punk??

I love the loops and the Magnum into HQ shot

Good Dots

Good Bang for Buck Pin

TheCnyPinGuy has owned this game in the past.

5.665/10

9 years ago

RAP

RyanStl

Pinside member

Fenton, MO

9y 134K 12,057 1 108

You have to love Clint Eastwood, but not this pin. This theme should have been a slam dunk, but someone dropped the ball.

8.404/10

9 years ago

ELB

hyruleinaustin

Inactive member

Austin, TX

9y 10,900 18 1 12

This is a solid and overlooked game.

There is a lot to do on this board. The shots are precise and fun. A failed trap on a flipper doesn't instantly punish you. And the story is fun. Highly recommended.

7.252/10

9 years ago

DAD

MrBellMan

Pinside member

Concord, CA

11y 87,150 1,894 4 11

Dirty Harry is a fun pinball. It's not great, but it is fun. Some cool shots and gameplay. Clint Eastwood did the actual custom call outs which is very cool as well. Make sure your flippers are rebuilt and strong.

MrBellMan has owned this game in the past.

8.082/10

9 years ago

PAL

Sammy31

Pinside member

Ottawa, ON

11y 64,300 738 14 48

The flippers must be snappy or you will not get the full value of this very underrated and under appreciated game.

Ramps are no gimmes, if you are a noob you'll have a tough time hitting them consistently and game play may feel a bit "clunky" but once you do there is great flow and the ball moves fast. Gameplay also offers opportunity for strategy.

There are lots of different modes, great combo shots, several different multiballs and 2 wizard modes (not counting the Midnight Madness mode!). Canon is well integrated into game play.

Call outs are all done by Clint Eastwood himself and integrate famous one liners from at least 4 of the Dirty Harry movies. The light and sound sequence for hitting "Jackpot" is one of the best and always satisfying.

Playfield art is so-so but the backglass and especially the cabinet art are great.

Playfield is underlit and needs some strategically placed lighting to pop.

Drop target "door" entering the warehouse was deleted shortly after production started...would have been nice had they kept it.

All in all great game that continues to keep my interest.

Sammy31 edited previous rating on December 04, 2014.
Sammy31 currently owns this game.

7.196/10

9 years ago

ASS

thewildstallion

Inactive member

Charlotte, NC

9y 21,650 7 2 9

Great game because it is so much fun and it even tells you what to do.

9.220/10

9 years ago

KS

faultline760

Pinside member

Bullhead City, AZ

10y 52,000 23 25 31 1

Gotta dig clint.

5.381/10

9 years ago

WRS

goodfellow

Inactive member

Lake City, FL

11y 11,500 3 1 9

I expected more and got less. Dirty harry should be top tier theme. Voice was hard to decipher at times. disappointed

7.336/10

9 years ago

CBZ

Kineticross

Inactive member

Needham, MA

10y 69,150 1,103 1 62

Pros:
- Magnum gun integrated quite well into the gameplay
- 3 different types of modes (main modes, Warehouse rewards and Safehouse rewards)
- Strategy involved (stack up Playfield Promotion + main mode + Multiball to score a lot)
- Lots of gimmicks (skill shot gun, Magnum "cannon", Magna-Force)
- There is done well and doesn't really need any further explanation, it's Dirty Harry
- Midnight Madness!!!

Cons:
- Playfield art looks cheap with too much space occupied by Dirty Harry pictures
- Shooting the ramps feels impossible on occasion, right ramp esp.
- Flippers can become weak (I don't want WMS to become the next Sega!)

7.320/10

9 years ago

TPK

Kneissl

Pinside member

12y 126K 3,866 7 121

Not a bad game, but i can see how it blends in with average 90's titles.. art isn't great to me. and the sound doesn't do much either.. gameplay is decent, although i just played startrek LE before this one so it felt quite slow... so i may be a bit hard on the rating.

6.113/10

9 years ago

GIL

Imagineerie

Inactive member

10y 44,550 7 190

I found myself very disappointed with this one. How could a Dirty Harry theme with a 44 magnum cannon NOT be an awesome game; but it isn't.

Imagineerie edited previous rating on August 09, 2016.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

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