Gottlieb
El Dorado Pinside Rating
This game received 81 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.021 /10
El Dorado
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 8.181
Artwork: 8.042
Sounds/Music: 2.682
Other Aspects: 8.039
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.
Found 39 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 39 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 2.
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9.803/10
4 months ago
Lapstone
This game has plenty of drop targets 10 at the top left slightly angled and 5 on the lower right at a sharp angle making the targets more challenging. The top flippers are at different levels increasing the challenge along with multiple lanes and alleys.
The artwork is in my opinion in the top 5 of EM machines. Being a 1 player there is more room for the great and less disturbed artwork on the back glass unlike the 2 player version, Solar City or the 4 player version, Target Alpha.
The playfield is well laid out complementing the back glass without overdoing it allowing for an amazingly clear playfield considering the large amount of activities in it. Lighting is perfect this game wont disappoint.
The artwork is in my opinion in the top 5 of EM machines. Being a 1 player there is more room for the great and less disturbed artwork on the back glass unlike the 2 player version, Solar City or the 4 player version, Target Alpha.
The playfield is well laid out complementing the back glass without overdoing it allowing for an amazingly clear playfield considering the large amount of activities in it. Lighting is perfect this game wont disappoint.
8.015/10
8 months ago
Hayward, CA
The science fiction artist Kelly Freas produced a painting for the cover of Astounding magazine, about which publisher John W. Campbell said: "Needs grass." Taken aback, Freas resumed work on the painting, and said he spitefully "painted every single blade of grass" (but admitted that the grass was exactly what the work needed). El Dorado gives me the feeling that after Ed Krynski gave Gottlieb drop targets, they said "more more more", and Krynski designed El Dorado to satisfy Gottlieb's demand.
5.582/10
10 months ago
This is an amazing game and a must own EM. You can spend a lot of time with all the drop targets. Great fun.
9.251/10
1 year ago
This pinball machine is a lot of fun and has a lot of replay value. The most unique feature is the playfield layout, which is excellent. It is a drop target shooter's dream. The rules for an EM are excellent. Focus on rollovers and drop targets that are lit for $5,000. The drop targets reset once all 15 are down. You can move the lit target to try and maximize your score. Hearing the knocker award free credits is fun. 4 flippers, 15 drop targets, nice playfield layout, and those wonderful Gottlieb chimes. Definitely a keeper for anyone who loves pinball. Easily approachable for new and experienced players. Once the flippers are adjusted, cleaned, and rebuilt, it's a nice shooting machine and will offer hours of enjoyment. It is my favorite Gottlieb EM machine that I have played.
8.019/10
2 years ago
El Dorado is a great drop target shooter. Being able to anticipate the moving 5000 point target is fun, with the middle targets in the upper bank that will move mid-shot if you hit that rollover on the way up the playfield.
9.489/10
2 years ago
Just an amazing amount of fun and definitely a challenge with hitting all drop targets..rules are easy to understand and art package is spectacular..simple but really enjoyable with great 70s feel...pinball at its finest..
8.405/10
2 years ago
El Dorado is my first (and so far only) E.M.
This game is so simple compared to a modern game, but so fun, and so much easier to move. Lit targets score 5000 points, and unlit targets score 500. There is a target and a rollover that move the lit shots. Knock all the targets down and the automatically reset! Shot a lit target after they reset for a free game! Free games galore on a great game, but hard to get to. I'm still new at this and only averaging about 50,000 per game. The sound on this is fantastic too with three great chimes.
In the art department there are many cool touches like horse shoes on the right target bank and cacti on the top target bank. My only complaint on this is the rollovers rarely score the 5000 points as there is only a 1 in 10 chance of it being lit.
Overall a fantastic little E.M. that I highly recommend.
This game is so simple compared to a modern game, but so fun, and so much easier to move. Lit targets score 5000 points, and unlit targets score 500. There is a target and a rollover that move the lit shots. Knock all the targets down and the automatically reset! Shot a lit target after they reset for a free game! Free games galore on a great game, but hard to get to. I'm still new at this and only averaging about 50,000 per game. The sound on this is fantastic too with three great chimes.
In the art department there are many cool touches like horse shoes on the right target bank and cacti on the top target bank. My only complaint on this is the rollovers rarely score the 5000 points as there is only a 1 in 10 chance of it being lit.
Overall a fantastic little E.M. that I highly recommend.
8.958/10
3 years ago
Surrey, BC
One of the greatest shooting EMs of all.
Don't be confused with the variations of this layout. This needs to be a single player game. Use 5 balls to either max out your score (hitting 5k drops and rollovers), or in addition, after getting all the drops, use the lit target to score up to 10 specials!
This is my favourite shooting EM as you can control the light by hitting a fairly safe target to advance and cycle this forward between a 10 bank and a 5 bank. Perfect theme integration for a western theme such as El Dorado!
Don't be confused with the variations of this layout. This needs to be a single player game. Use 5 balls to either max out your score (hitting 5k drops and rollovers), or in addition, after getting all the drops, use the lit target to score up to 10 specials!
This is my favourite shooting EM as you can control the light by hitting a fairly safe target to advance and cycle this forward between a 10 bank and a 5 bank. Perfect theme integration for a western theme such as El Dorado!
9.155/10
3 years ago
One of my favorite EMs. It's the first EM I remember playing that kept me coming back to play it. The asymmetrical layout and abundance of drop-targets make for a great layout. The drop-targets with appropriate artwork on them (horses and cacti) are a great touch much better than the generic bulls-eye or stars artwork. I have the four-player version Target Alpha in my collection but still prefer the single player El Dorado when it comes to the look and design. My only negative is the cabinet artwork, while appropriate, could have used more color maybe mixing in a green cactus or a light blue background instead of a white one.
8.736/10
3 years ago
It's one of the top EM's! (In my mind) Great layout, plenty of targets to hit, asymmetrical design (adds to the fun), and just calls to me to play game after game.
Everyone else has commented how good the game is, so I cannot really add to that. But I have owned Solar City and Target Alpha, so El D is the keeper.
(yes, I would trade for a Gold Strike, but one pin at a time! :) )
Everyone else has commented how good the game is, so I cannot really add to that. But I have owned Solar City and Target Alpha, so El D is the keeper.
(yes, I would trade for a Gold Strike, but one pin at a time! :) )
9.160/10
3 years ago
Not to sure what all the fuss is about on this game. They made about 2900 of these but there is such a strong demand for it? It's a decent game, love the chimes, art work is nice. It does get boring after a while shooting down drop targets, if your not good at aiming :0( Upper mini flippers is a nice twist but they too have a very limited play action & once certain targets are down they are useless. I find with more play it's always the same last few targets your trying to clobber. I think that why this can get stale after a while, unless your aim to target gets better, the 5000point target light theme is nice
***update March 20 2022***
I have been playing a better version of this game that's more responsive and in better shape than my last rating 2 yrs ago with a machine that was sluggish. El Dorado if maintained properly is a fun game and a keeper in my opinion. I look forward adding one to my collection one day, but it's pretty pricey for e.m. it's becomes real fun when you knock down all the targets and when they reset, the lite spot transfer to free replays :0) make sure all the bulbs work and you can aim correctly to change the lite spot via star rollover near center of playfield, or stand up target by pop bumper, and then hit the lite spot. Fun game, if rubber bands are new, nice wax, clean coil sleeves. The machine I have been playing on is $1play(yikes) so free replays is the goal. Most I have gotten so far is 3
***update March 20 2022***
I have been playing a better version of this game that's more responsive and in better shape than my last rating 2 yrs ago with a machine that was sluggish. El Dorado if maintained properly is a fun game and a keeper in my opinion. I look forward adding one to my collection one day, but it's pretty pricey for e.m. it's becomes real fun when you knock down all the targets and when they reset, the lite spot transfer to free replays :0) make sure all the bulbs work and you can aim correctly to change the lite spot via star rollover near center of playfield, or stand up target by pop bumper, and then hit the lite spot. Fun game, if rubber bands are new, nice wax, clean coil sleeves. The machine I have been playing on is $1play(yikes) so free replays is the goal. Most I have gotten so far is 3
9.128/10
6 years ago
Finally found an El Dorado after a long search. This is the best p/f layout and ruleset of all the similar p/f games that Gottlieb produced. I had a Solar City before this and I didn’t enjoy it at all.
The reasoning is ED has better artwork and it’s a wedge head. It’s a stunning game to even just look at. The targets only reset after all targets are knocked down and the 5K rotating shot is very challenging. I put mine on three ball play and set it up steep so you must use all four flippers to play well. This is truly a “just one more game” title to own.
The reasoning is ED has better artwork and it’s a wedge head. It’s a stunning game to even just look at. The targets only reset after all targets are knocked down and the 5K rotating shot is very challenging. I put mine on three ball play and set it up steep so you must use all four flippers to play well. This is truly a “just one more game” title to own.
9.895/10
7 years ago
This is the game that started it all for me. If you don't dig it then there's a gobble hole in your head. Can't compare it to TA/SC because they don't play the same and the art is so much better on ED. This is what EM pinball is all about. The elder pinheads know how special and iconic this pin is. There are a few 70's wedgeheads that should always be top 10.....Atlantis, Abra Ca Dabra, C37, Jacks Open and of course.... El Dorado.
8.805/10
7 years ago
One of my favorite layouts of all the EM games, this and Target Alpha just feel and play differently from most other games and four flippers! Love the western theme, Gottlieb was at the height of their creative peak during this time and it shows.
8.453/10
7 years ago
Just picked up one of these that I'm in the middle of restoring. After playing for a couple weeks I realize there is a reason this game is a classic. It's got that "one more game" factor for sure. The art is fantastic in a retro style of course, this is an EM that really benefits from the all incandescent (or warm white leds), a real smoky sort of look. I've got mine setup rather extreme on the angle, about 6.5 deg and it plays fast. Go for orange dots in the main flippers, new rubber and you're in business with a challenging pin that might even make the DMD guys notice. Ball times can be very short, there are some necessary shots that rebound right into the center gap so a good pin for working on nudging skills without being one of the 60's pins that absolutely requires it. This is one of the 70's pins known for red flaking in the backglass and mine is no exception. Luckily this is also one of the most iconic 70's pins so there is a wealth of replacement parts available to keep it running for another generation. Being a single player EM it will keep the state of the drop targets between balls, much more fun than the multiplayer versions in my opinion. A good pin for a small EM collection that your buddies who are into more modern offerings will still get into.
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