Pinside rating

This game received 343 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.838 _/10

7.838

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #93 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.123

Artwork: 7.439

Sounds/Music: 7.19

Other Aspects: 8.055

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 8 of us have rated this game.

8.135

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Found 170 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 170 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 7.

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8.000/10

32 days ago

MFA

Mishap

Pinside apprentice

Seattle, WA

<1y 0 1 8

Kind of a one-trick pony, but it's a great trick! Very much its own machine, and the time expander on a working model is so cool.

Pros: The Time Expander takes the whole "center target" trope and does it one better. I love how each of the three levels requires more shots and more precision. Doctor selection feels pretty innovative for the time, and I think the theme and playfield are a lot of fun.

Cons: The center, while cool, is kind of the whole show. The other goals feel like they pale in comparison, and going from one baddie to the next doesn't change the goal much. I'll get through Davros and then not want to play again.

8.675/10

46 days ago

BXP

Deafman013

Pinside member

Osborne Park

<1y 1,250 8 5 12

Is a good fast game

Deafman013 currently owns this game.

6.968/10

3 months ago

DUG

DougBris

Pinside apprentice

Unknown

<1y 5,000 6

Not a bad game. More appealing if you liked the TV series. Most are in good condition due to low plays. Sounds I found irritating after a while

7.290/10

8 months ago

DIA

mrossman5

Pinside member

Warren, PA

3y 163K 2,470 4 176

FOr the time this was made, it is really good. Unique layout and great feature toy. It's hard for me to play with the "exterminate" callouts however. They get old pretty quick.

5.816/10

8 months ago

CHB

RojerLockless

Pinside member

<1y 28,300 117 1 9

Not a bad box but could have been better. The sounds get a bit repetitive and the gameplay isn't the best, but it's a fun box to play.

7.635/10

11 months ago

TKM

Daditude

Pinside Moderator

Rockwall, TX

2y 242K 6,758 13 261 1

I got this pin in a trade and I planned on selling it, but it was surprisingly hard to get rid of. It has really good toys, call outs, and music. I'm not a fan of the artwork, but that doesn't distract from the fact that it's a great game. It reminds me of an upgraded pinbot.

Daditude edited previous rating on September 10, 2020.
Daditude has owned this game in the past.

10.000/10

11 months ago

CDG

Tophervette

Pinside member

Bowie, MD

1y 25,900 152 3 6 1

Love playing the Dr. Who game over and over. The game is complicated but enjoyable multiple times, trying to get the time expander to go up and down, exterminate all the Daleks, Emperor Dalek and Davros too.

Tophervette currently owns this game.

7.608/10

1 year ago

BOB

Boberino77

Pinside member

Strongsville, OH

1y 19,650 2 1 7

I find this game to be very addictive, even though I'm not really into the theme. The ball elevator is very unique and memorable in pinball, and a lot of fun to cycle through the various stages. The upper playfield is also a lot of fun. The original lighting scheme is very dim, but when upgraded with LEDs, it comes back to life and stands up well to more modern pins. Fun to play!

8.956/10

1 year ago

NTZ

nTronz

Pinside member

Chapel Hill, NC

9y 30,050 14 1 9

I've been playing a lot of Doctor Who lately. While there aren't modes to tie you over, the strategies available to you as you move through Doctors provide enough depth and call to shot mastery that it keeps me coming back time and time again. It's all about the score chase, and this game is a great one to do it with.

I think the Time Expander may be the best toy in pinball. I think with even more exposure to the community, the game would be rated even higher as the shots available on the game all feel really great to make. If you are a Doctor Who fan, you'll love it. If you aren't, some of the sfx and vo may get repetitive.

I got this game with the intention of rotating it out and getting a more modern stern. At this point I have a hard time seeing it leaving. It's not complex, but the demand for execution to get great scores make it hard to beat.

nTronz has owned this game in the past.

8.752/10

1 year ago

TOM

pinballinreno

Computer Extreme

7y 123K 9,994 29 1

I love this game.
Brutal at times but highly rewarding at others.

7.196/10

1 year ago

HAR

harig

Pinside member

Wiener Neustadt

3y 36,800 229 6

positive:

- 3 Flipper - very nice upper ramp shot
- open playfield with 3 level mini playfield
- video mode (getting easy after a few tries)

neutral/negative:
- repetitive sound effects (Daleks, Davros) getting annoying over time,
- don´t like how the ball is transported from the shooter lane to the playfield (takes quite some time as it gets shot in the Tardis and from there via VUK and ramp on the playfield)
- going for multiball is quite repetitive

8.063/10

1 year ago

CAH

ReadyPO

Pinside member

3y 149K 2,140 100

Dr. Who is a pretty fun pin to play. Even though it doesn’t include any of the more modern doctors due to its release date, the daleks are timeless and the time expander still seems fresh to me. Ramps are good, and the call outs and music of course work. The Dalek topper is cool, and the cabinet art is pretty good, as is the playfield art. The translite is terrible, however.

9.176/10

1 year ago

RMF

MasterReese

Pinside apprentice

1y 30,650 2 3 63 1

Doctor is a very cool. Loops are very fun but challenging. I think multiball is where the game shines. Video mode I just like more the more I play it.

8.158/10

1 year ago

JSH

John-H

Pinside member

Norman, OK

1y 29,150 12 7 32

I'm not the biggest fan of newer DMD games but I'll always put a few quarters in this one at the arcade - another one we're lucky to have there. The Daleks are a blast. I'd wonder about this game's appeal to people who aren't fans of the show (I am). Non-fans may get a kick out of how all the doctors have different "powers" that affect the game, but these are so minor I hardly notice them unless I take the game I'm playing seriously. At least none of them seem unbalanced, but I'll admit I've never paid strict attention.

This would probably be a better as a home game than in an arcade setting. But it's always fun. Before the newer reboot Doctor Who was pretty obscure for us US fans. At general sci-fi conventions the Trekkies would point at Whovians - "wow, those guys are nerds!" So I'm glad the show got such a well-developed game.

*Wife approval* "Ha ha ha! Yay!" - whenever she gets the Daleks going for multiball. This is one of her favorites.

8.960/10

1 year ago

DOC

TractorDoc

DPS

Ashland, OH

4y 216K 2,684 24 93 1 2

As a fan of the television show this game had been on my radar for some time.

While you do not need to be a fan of the show to enjoy the game, I do think it helps to pull you in and enhance the experience. This is probably most directed at the sounds and music. Being familiar with the show intro and sounds of the Tardis I think the audio package adds to the game rather than take away from it. On the flip side I can easily see how they could be repetitive and annoying to the casual player.

Cabinet and translite artwork. . . blah. I think the playfield is well designed and while I could care less about toppers on most games the motorized Dalek is a must have on this one. I understand this game is based on the doctors and time before the reboot of the series; I would love to see a "modernization" of the game to include art/audio of the more modern doctors too. . . at least up to Capaldi. :)

Playfield is rather engaging. The Time Expander is the centerpiece and justly so -- a brilliant piece of engineering that is a joy to target (when it is working correctly!). Ramps are fun to hit/loop. Mastering the "WHO" combo is still something I'm working on. I do miss the drop targets and spinners that I love on other games, but there absence does not take anything away from this one. Video animations are ok but I'm indifferent to them in general -- I'm wanting to play pinball, not a video game!

Three things I really like about this game: 1. A fan of the show can relate the theme well. 2. Time Expander Mech is cool. Or should I say its clever? 3. A motorized Dalek topper -- while it has nothing to do with game play -- really pulls you in and makes it feel like you are really battling them in multi-ball.

Even if you know nothing about the show play one if you get a chance. . . I think you'll like it!

TractorDoc currently owns this game.

7.172/10

1 year ago

JFM

Striker

Pinside member

Alexandria, VA

1y 21,650 11 38

Takes a while to learn how to play. The gimmick is the “the time expander,” which offends Dr. Who purists because it was never a part of the TV series. You can rack up big scores if you can keep multi-ball going long enough to reach Davros.

The knock on this machine is video mode. I usually don’t mind video modes in pinball, but this one dominates a lot of gameplay. It’s not terribly hard and you can get a lot of points and extra balls, but it does get boring. (Hint: always jump into the TARDIS at the end for a little bonus.)

7.499/10

1 year ago

FRB

firebird

Inactive member

Anchorage, AK

10y 22,400 81 1 44

This is a pretty cohesive game, the package, albeit a time capsule of 90's Dr. Who, is a well thought out and complete game. From the unit I've played, I feel like the machine instantly demands the player start making shots, so it's kind of relentless shot-making without the lucky chaos of other games of the era. Losing control of the ball doesn't really end well. The programming, and modes are deep, and would be perfect for someone who really wanted to get into the game. However, a few tricks and ramp shots are obviously the key to all the points.

8.064/10

2 years ago

MZR

damadczar

Mad Czar Games

8y 59,150 383 13 13

Doctor Who is a game I've had for a while now. We played it at a show a few years ago and my wife had to have it.
Now that I've owned it for a while, I'd like to say it's one of my favorite games. Sure, I'd sell it if the price was right, but it's here and I'm enjoying it.

+ Pluses:
* That mini playfield! Never ceases to amaze new players with the multi level awesomeness.
* I actually put the Dalek music and voice callouts in the plus column, b/c they are awesome.
* Sonic boom is extremely satisfying
* Colorful playfield, with lots of different ways to score points
* Video mode pretty fun
* Pick-A-Doctor is unique and impactful to your strategy

- Minuses:
* That mini playfield! LOL. When it's hurting, you're hurting attempting repairs
* Most folks think going for just multi-ball is repetitive, and they're not wrong, but there's just more to do
* All those doctors! Kinda confusing and distracts from just hitting targets and getting points
* Toppers are unobtanium, which kinda sucks if you're missing one

On the whole, Doctor Who is both a pin that appeals to casual players (my wife and kids), and more serious pinballers as well. So it's a nice entry level machine that can grow with your collection as you grow in skill.

You don't have to be Whovian to enjoy this pin (did I spell that right?).

damadczar currently owns this game.

9.480/10

2 years ago

JAS

pinheadaustralia

Pinhead Australia

2y 34,900 1 60 23

To me, this game has the best upper flipper ramp shot in pinball. It is very satisfying to stick that shot repeatedly.

New players love seeing the multiball in action - you gotta admit, it's pretty impressive! Great rules for the time, with a variety of strategies available. Great in a small or large lineup and a great earner on location.

pinheadaustralia currently owns this game.

8.280/10

2 years ago

ELF

Axaios

Pinside member

Χαλκίδα

2y 39,550 251 7 11 1

Just couldn't stop playing it!!!

7.560/10

2 years ago

RET

SevenEightyRacer

Pinside member

Cambridge, MN

4y 34,800 76 10 13 1

This game is pretty decent, but is a bit slower than I prefer, and the shots although hard, are just a bit lacking in my opinion. I do really like the toy that has 3 levels of shots, but it does break a good bit and is a pain to repair/service. Its one I will play a few times when I see it in a location.

6.798/10

2 years ago

JIN

Pinasco

Pinside member

Malmö

5y 35,650 81 3 59

Fun game to play - rather hard to review... It is definitely a well designed game with great rules and rewarding shots. It looks good and for a casual player it can be rather brutal with short ball times. The feeling you get here is that you never really are able to predict your next match against the machine, unless youre a really good player of course.

The tricky part for me is the sound/music. The music, classic TV-theme from the series, is very repetitive. Sometimes it is fun to listen to, other times you just want to unplug the speakers to save your ears. That goes even more so for the awful "monster sounds".

To me, Dr Who definitely belongs to the top 15 games from the early and mid-90´s. Although I cannot decide wether the real challenge is the playfield design or the ability to ignore the annoying call outs from this table......

Bonus points here for having a really cool topper on the backbox.

Edit: for those buying one, make sure the time expander area is in level with the main pf when in submerged position. Otherwise the ball might get trapped in the edge between these spots and force you to tilt the pin (loose your ball that is) to get it back into play. If working on the expander toy in general: check that the safety switch is activated since this mechanism could chop your fingers off.

Pinasco edited previous rating on July 23, 2019.

8.888/10

2 years ago

STV

jorant

Pinside member

Roscoe, IL

13y 85,550 2,523 8 42

So, Doctor Who.... it may be my favorite game I've ever played. It isn't pretty (that translite.... barf), and the sound effects sorta suck, but my god are the shots the most satisfying in any game ever. I usually play for score on every pinball machine, but with DW, I have such fun just shooting the shots that I don't terribly care of i have a great game or not. The W H O shots are some of the most zen, satisfying shots ever. And I could hit the side ramp all day long. It's strange, as the centerpiece is the time expander, but the other shots are so smooth and satisfying that I almost dont even care about the time expander toy (which is amazing).

jorant edited previous rating on October 22, 2020.
jorant currently owns this game.

6.694/10

2 years ago

ROB

aerobert

Pinside member

5y 57,800 487 2 57

Probably fun enough for the fans but I'm not into the show at all. Don't really like the layout, master the upper ramp shot and play like the pros. That's it.

9.280/10

3 years ago

HAX

Haxter2

Inactive member

3y 7,750 7

Once you have played enough and get a feel for the rules, what the doctors do, know the shots and know the video mode; You start getting into that Doctor Who groove and it feels so right. Once you really start pounding those buttery smooth loop shots, smashing those gates and jumping over EVERYTHING... You most certainly feel like a wizard.

Haxter2 edited previous rating on June 30, 2018.

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There are 170 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 7.

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