Bally
Eight Ball Pinside Rating
This game received 90 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.392 /10
Eight Ball
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 7.272
Artwork: 7.615
Sounds/Music: 5.062
Other Aspects: 7.599
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 3 of us have rated this game.
Found 50 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 50 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 2 of 2.
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Mcarthur, CA
7.842/10
6 years ago
A very basic game, but it does do a good job with the theme and the play is decent for a game of this era.
Adelaide Hills
6.265/10
7 years ago
Good SS pin that sound and acts like a EM game. Cool pool layout with nice shots to collect the 8 ball. This pin demads respect. Out lanes can be bruttle but with a little nudging can be worked in your favor. I really like this game. I wanted a EM pin but I didn't want the hassle of a EM. this is the best of the old and the new.
7.274/10
8 years ago
The game that got me hooked. I played it constantly between studies at college. Will always hold a place in my heart.
6.523/10
8 years ago
this was game was pretty much in every pool hall,bar and bowling alley i played it alot,prefered e.k but liked the look of this title more, the fonz and pinky on the back glass and playfield..classic 70s...the game play is alot slower and boreing these days....i have looked for one foe my collection passed on two cause i just couldnt justify useing the limited space i have for it wen it didnt play as fun..still i think a great balley classic, great art ,nice to look at, jus not a keeper for me, great times in the 70s
6.763/10
8 years ago
This is a pinball machine that leaves a "love it" or "hate it" taste in your mouth after every game. The black hole of an out lane on the left takes the fun out of it for most, but when you learn to control the ball, it doesn't factor into play as much. I enjoy turning it on from time to time, but it is not my favorite table in my collection.
8.075/10
8 years ago
Eight Ball is a classic. Really, I'm not sure what else I could say.
In all seriousness though, it's a very, very early solid state, and as such it shows. There's not a ton going on here, but Eight Ball has a few absolutely great shots in the game and a solid ruleset that offers multiple ways to score big, something that is very important to me.
The kickback feature is great for a game of this time period and it really sets this title apart from others. Lighting the spinner is easy and is always satisfying to hit. The right "Bank Shot" loop never gets old, whether you shoot a ball up and around it, or whether a pop bumper flings the ball back down it in the opposite direction. The payoff for racking up pool balls and getting their bonus value maxed out at 5X always feels great.
The left spinner can be hit from either flipper, giving the game some nice flexibility. The right loop can be hit with the right flipper with a nice pop back if the ball rolls up far enough and stops. Both shots are extremely satisfying to pull off. These likely unintentional "trick shots" really fits the pool/billiards theme well.
The only negative thing about Eight Ball is that it can be brutal. Even with skilled play you can find yourself getting house ball after house ball with little you can do. When you really get a game going though, you REALLY get a game going and it feels great.
The chimes fit the game perfectly, the backglass is classy, and the green tint all over the playfield is nice. The cabinet itself isn't anything special, but few were from this time period.
Throw a "power ball" in this to act like a real cue ball for an even faster game! Just a simple way to really mix things up.
In all seriousness though, it's a very, very early solid state, and as such it shows. There's not a ton going on here, but Eight Ball has a few absolutely great shots in the game and a solid ruleset that offers multiple ways to score big, something that is very important to me.
The kickback feature is great for a game of this time period and it really sets this title apart from others. Lighting the spinner is easy and is always satisfying to hit. The right "Bank Shot" loop never gets old, whether you shoot a ball up and around it, or whether a pop bumper flings the ball back down it in the opposite direction. The payoff for racking up pool balls and getting their bonus value maxed out at 5X always feels great.
The left spinner can be hit from either flipper, giving the game some nice flexibility. The right loop can be hit with the right flipper with a nice pop back if the ball rolls up far enough and stops. Both shots are extremely satisfying to pull off. These likely unintentional "trick shots" really fits the pool/billiards theme well.
The only negative thing about Eight Ball is that it can be brutal. Even with skilled play you can find yourself getting house ball after house ball with little you can do. When you really get a game going though, you REALLY get a game going and it feels great.
The chimes fit the game perfectly, the backglass is classy, and the green tint all over the playfield is nice. The cabinet itself isn't anything special, but few were from this time period.
Throw a "power ball" in this to act like a real cue ball for an even faster game! Just a simple way to really mix things up.
Hamilton, ON
7.777/10
10 years ago
This is one of those classic machines, I remember it well as a kid. Its a great machine to have in a collection, or just a mancave with the pool theme, and it gives you that EM feel with the chimes while giving some more modern touches as a SS. Its a fun and addictive game, and I believe it gets a bit of a raw deal....
6.971/10
10 years ago
Eight ball has a really great sling shot arrangement...the left side will definitely keep you from getting comfortable.
The whole Fonzie tie in makes a lot of sense and I'm sure that did help sell so many of this title. That being said, its not my cup of tea.
The game is fun with a good amount of challenge, but not a game I would consider a keeper even in a larger collection. After a decent game...you are content and ready to move along.
The whole Fonzie tie in makes a lot of sense and I'm sure that did help sell so many of this title. That being said, its not my cup of tea.
The game is fun with a good amount of challenge, but not a game I would consider a keeper even in a larger collection. After a decent game...you are content and ready to move along.
8.047/10
11 years ago
Eight Ball was my first pin. It has a lot of sentimental value for me, but is not my favorite pin. It does seem to have one outstanding characteristic, even though it feels like an EM pin, it was one of the first SS pins to actually take advantage of the SS technology: it used its MEMORY!
Until Eight Ball, multi-player EM pins of this type would have you starting over from scratch at the beginning of each ball, because the amount of hardware required to make Eight Ball work as an EM would likely have been cost prohibitive! Eight Ball uses it's MPU to retain your individual progress during a multi-player game.
Eight Ball is not Bally's best entry during this era. The concept is kind of fun, but the game is not all of the fun it feels like it could be. The art is on the bland side, with only a few highlights. Hitting the targets is easy enough, keeping the ball in play after hitting them can be a challenge. The left outhole is enormous, and trying to trap the ball with the left flipper is dangerous (the spin on the ball will carry it up and over the slingshot, and you'll watch helplessly as the ball rolls out of play).
It's fun to play, but not my favorite.
Until Eight Ball, multi-player EM pins of this type would have you starting over from scratch at the beginning of each ball, because the amount of hardware required to make Eight Ball work as an EM would likely have been cost prohibitive! Eight Ball uses it's MPU to retain your individual progress during a multi-player game.
Eight Ball is not Bally's best entry during this era. The concept is kind of fun, but the game is not all of the fun it feels like it could be. The art is on the bland side, with only a few highlights. Hitting the targets is easy enough, keeping the ball in play after hitting them can be a challenge. The left outhole is enormous, and trying to trap the ball with the left flipper is dangerous (the spin on the ball will carry it up and over the slingshot, and you'll watch helplessly as the ball rolls out of play).
It's fun to play, but not my favorite.
6.805/10
12 years ago
Very difficult game to play with short ball times. Hit the spinner on the left or the lane on the right. Chimes are pretty cool. No left inlane makes it a fast drainer.
7.973/10
13 years ago
This is my first pinball machine and I've owned it for 1 month. I thought I would only enjoy a machine like AFM in my home collection, but this machine is a real blast to play. It can be absolutely frustrating at times and then I can have a game where everything goes (almost) right. Eight Ball is an easy machine for newbies to enjoy and it keeps me coming back for more. Even though it is a simple machine, the layout makes many different shots possible. My machine is in quite good condition (25 years of home use) and I picked it up for $750. I plan to keep this one!
7.400/10
13 years ago
A pretty good pin from the era. Not overly exciting to play, but pretty typical for the time period. The chimes rather than digital sound matched the overall theme nicely. I had an experience with one of these in the 80's that came in to be overhauled. The machine looked like it should be trashed rather than shopped. I went to it and after two solid days of cleaning an polishing (and replacing everything that could be replaced), it looked like a brand new machine.
The Fonz and Pinky on the backglass really add appeal to the artwork.
Note: My "good" rating for the music is based on the Chimes rather than digital sound. It works for this game.
The Fonz and Pinky on the backglass really add appeal to the artwork.
Note: My "good" rating for the music is based on the Chimes rather than digital sound. It works for this game.
Putten
7.667/10
14 years ago
Straightforward gameroom game. Any guest can walk up to the game and know what to do (maybe not how) and be part of the fun. Open, uncluttered playfield with shots that require some skill. Good catch and shoot action. Still enjoy playing this one.
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