Pinside rating
This game received 166 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.025 /10
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game design: 8.064
Artwork: 8.936
Sounds/Music: 6.428
Other Aspects: 8.123
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 5 of us have rated this game.
Ranking history
An overview of this machine's ranking over the last years. Lower is better.
Rating history
An overview of this machine's rating over the last years. Higher is better.
Found 68 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 68 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 3.
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1.000/10
3 months ago
Los Angeles, CA
This machine made me Fathom my existence. The I dove 20,000 Fathoms to find a good place to leave this poop box
9.295/10
5 months ago
Just became the proud owner of one of these games. Played one in mint condition at pinball at the zoo in 2018 and loved it. Took almost another year to aquire one under $5000. If you appreciate the early Dawn of multi ball talking pinballs,; whereas, the entire goal is to achieve multi ball, then Bally fatham is right there with firepower! I have firepower and for the longest time couldn't appreciate the increased cost to fathom, but if you collect early solid state pins as your hobby, having a fathom is required in your collection. Great game and even better shots, unique outlanes....Fathom!
8.592/10
9 months ago
One of the brightest points of Bally's super, super hot streak of the era and a game clearly designed by people that understood inline drops are the greatest thing ever. The game also looks amazing. Fathom came out within 4 months of Centaur and Medusa. Can you imagine if 3 works of art were released in such short succession today? 1981 was really the good old days.
9.639/10
1 year ago
This is the first ‘80s game in the Top 100, and it’s a Pin from 1981! Amazing! Art, theme integration , layout, gameplay, it’s got it all. Get one while you can.
8.297/10
1 year ago
Plain and simple fun! The gameplay is so easy to learn, yet near impossible to master. The art is gorgeous and the theme of mermaids and sea nymphs drowning dudes is genious! I'm normally not a huge fan of early 80s pins, but it just doesn't get better than this! Just make sure to have other games around however, as even though I owned a near perfect example of the game, it just doesn't hold up in the "lastability" category. It gets a bit boring overall...
Pukekohe
Vaughan, ON
9.500/10
1 year ago
I recently had the pleasure of fully restoring a Fathom. I didn’t get too many games on it before the restoration because it didn’t work well when I got it. I knew it would be a good game from all the positive comments of others; so I just dove in with restoring the playfield and cabinet. It came out way better than expected and plays silky smooth! As expected, the game play is great all around. Rules are easy to understand, shots are challenging and multiball is rewarding. The artwork on this game has got to be among the top for Bally.
Since finishing my game, I’ve played others at shows. There is a huge difference in a player that isn’t tuned well and a minty example.
Since finishing my game, I’ve played others at shows. There is a huge difference in a player that isn’t tuned well and a minty example.
1.616/10
1 year ago
Reminds me of an old EM machine from the 50's . I just don't get some of the 80's machines which so many hold in high regard. I played this a few times back in the 90's and remember disliking it very very much .
Rio De Janeiro
7.838/10
3 years ago
Gorgeous game. The light show is my primary beef and it isn't as fast as Sterns of the same era (I'm looking at you Dragonfist and Quicksilver). I would absolutely have one of these in my collection if the right one came along.
8.385/10
3 years ago
One word, Gorgeous! Wait there's more to this this beauty than its looks. It is a great looking machine, but it's also a great player. A very highly sought after machine from a murder's row of great games from Bally during the early solid state era.
From the reverse inlane/outlane layout to the two sets of inline drop targets that lock balls at bay....and they even managed to put a spinner in there too. I wish many of the current games being made could reuse some of the ideas that this table used.
The game is a challenge, as many others from this time, so don't expect a cake walk into getting multiball, it is a chore.
The sound package does sound dated and repetitive, but that was what they had at the time.
It's too bad they didn't make more then 3,500 of these babies...since its such a classic!
From the reverse inlane/outlane layout to the two sets of inline drop targets that lock balls at bay....and they even managed to put a spinner in there too. I wish many of the current games being made could reuse some of the ideas that this table used.
The game is a challenge, as many others from this time, so don't expect a cake walk into getting multiball, it is a chore.
The sound package does sound dated and repetitive, but that was what they had at the time.
It's too bad they didn't make more then 3,500 of these babies...since its such a classic!
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