Pinside rating
This game received 219 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.941 /10
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 7.99
Artwork: 8.296
Sounds/Music: 6.795
Other Aspects: 8.106
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.
Found 108 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 108 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 5.
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7.838/10
19 days ago
Portland, OR
Flash Gordon was the first game I ever bought. I love the movie, and the fact that this was available near me sold me on it. Mine had a torched playfield (common on this era of ballys), but I didn’t care. It was a great first game. It’s famously difficult and brutally mean, but that’s the charm. Overall the art package is great even if some of Sam’s features aren’t exactly to scale on the back glass.
9.026/10
40 days ago
Flash Gordon is quickly becoming my favorite Solid State pinball machine. I remember playing this one as a kid at the local roller skating rink. It's a great looking and great playing pinball machine. You can have some very quick games, so it can be very tough that way.
I love the playfield with three ramps that connect the upper and lower levels. The kickout hole is really cool how it will kick to the upper and lower levels.
The machine had advanced speech, sound, and lighting for the day and it is still impressive and fun 4 decades later. I appreciate the 3 flippers and 3 banks of drop targets. Getting the in-line drop targets down to earn an extra ball is such a great feeling of accomplishment. Also being able to collect the bonus by getting down a drop target and having the ball go back down the shooter lane was a neat idea.
To score well you need to get the drop targets down and that forces you to make shots over the entire playfield. It's extremely challenging and makes me want to keep trying one more game to see if I can get a better score.
I also like how Emperor Ming the Merciless taunts you during the game and tells you to try again after you have drained your ball.
I love the playfield with three ramps that connect the upper and lower levels. The kickout hole is really cool how it will kick to the upper and lower levels.
The machine had advanced speech, sound, and lighting for the day and it is still impressive and fun 4 decades later. I appreciate the 3 flippers and 3 banks of drop targets. Getting the in-line drop targets down to earn an extra ball is such a great feeling of accomplishment. Also being able to collect the bonus by getting down a drop target and having the ball go back down the shooter lane was a neat idea.
To score well you need to get the drop targets down and that forces you to make shots over the entire playfield. It's extremely challenging and makes me want to keep trying one more game to see if I can get a better score.
I also like how Emperor Ming the Merciless taunts you during the game and tells you to try again after you have drained your ball.
8.989/10
3 months ago
I spend a week playing Flash Gordon every summer at a lake resort and this was year three where the game finally really clicked with me. I spent 2 minutes looking up the basic scoring strategies so I finally really knew what scored what and how. This was the week I had enough moderate playing skill to keep a ball going and open the game up for more than 15 second ball times.
WHAT A GAME! It's mean with a great layout and just enough rules to make you have to shoot at everything. I can tell why it's a tournament staple. I don't have a lot of time on classic Ballys and Sterns, but I understand why after a few years of pinball ownership, it's common to start gravitating towards early SS games. It's just pure pinball. Colorful designs, lots of standups, funky layouts and the minimal sounds and voices are part of the charm. I'm a sucker for multiballs, but there really is something to focused single ball play.
I'm seriously thinking my next pin should be from this era. And I wished this very game into my lineup, like this review was on a vision board or something stupid!
WHAT A GAME! It's mean with a great layout and just enough rules to make you have to shoot at everything. I can tell why it's a tournament staple. I don't have a lot of time on classic Ballys and Sterns, but I understand why after a few years of pinball ownership, it's common to start gravitating towards early SS games. It's just pure pinball. Colorful designs, lots of standups, funky layouts and the minimal sounds and voices are part of the charm. I'm a sucker for multiballs, but there really is something to focused single ball play.
I'm seriously thinking my next pin should be from this era. And I wished this very game into my lineup, like this review was on a vision board or something stupid!
9.221/10
7 months ago
Taking into account the time, this game is an all-time great. The playfield and backglass are flat out great. The music and call-outs are fun - especially for those who watched the movie as kids.
The gameplay is hard but such a fun challenge. The upper playfield old-school flipper integration is a fun touch and the focus is drop targets. The bonus targets on the right are not the easiest shot but certainly hittable. The timing on the left side targets is a fun touch. Get the spinner value up and rip away! So many shots to hit for a game of this era.
Always find myself coming back to Flash Gordon, even for just a few games to put one good one together.
The gameplay is hard but such a fun challenge. The upper playfield old-school flipper integration is a fun touch and the focus is drop targets. The bonus targets on the right are not the easiest shot but certainly hittable. The timing on the left side targets is a fun touch. Get the spinner value up and rip away! So many shots to hit for a game of this era.
Always find myself coming back to Flash Gordon, even for just a few games to put one good one together.
8.193/10
1 year ago
Coquitlam, BC
Recently got this on trade. It’s brutal and awesome. It will raise your blood pressure more times than not, but if you can survive long enough it will shine. Great gameplay.
8.471/10
1 year ago
O man... Flash Gordon is a great game for so many reasons. First of all, even though the actual art on the machine is just okay, the overall package makes it colorful and bright and ever so slightly garish, which fits in with the theme perfectly. I never knew the lettering in Flash in the backbox as shown above lit individually until I brought mine home and got it working 100%. Same with the ridiculously bright strobe in the backbox. As to the game itself, it is very challenging and fun. As a general rule, going for the in line standup targets to the extra ball is where my shots go when the ball is on the left flipper. When it is on the right it goes to hit the drop targets on the left, and then the spinner once lit. When the ball is on the upper playfield I try for the drops, but it is hit or miss. The sound on this though limited, is great. Overall this is an excellent pin with an excellent presentation. Pairs great with other games as it is fast and brutal. You can get a full game in on this in 5 minutes while LOTR and other games are great, but not good in short bursts.
For those of you who have not seen it, here are the backbox lighting effects you can't see in photos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzV7kPmTF4c
Note the strobe is much brighter than it appears on video. I'd equate it to a disposable camera flash.
For those of you who have not seen it, here are the backbox lighting effects you can't see in photos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzV7kPmTF4c
Note the strobe is much brighter than it appears on video. I'd equate it to a disposable camera flash.
9.193/10
1 year ago
London
A wonderful Bally pin with a huge variety of targets packed onto the playfield, including inline, side drop targets and a challenging upper playfield.
The bumpers on the lower playfield, and the placement of the saucer above them, is a work of genius, adding lots of interest and challenge. Likewise, the bumper on the upper playfield and the drop targets add lots of interest and challenge - more so than the superficially-similar Black Knight.
Fully restored, this is also a stunningly beautiful pin with a colourful playfield and mirrored backglass. I also love the movie music (not intrinsic to the pin, but can now be purchased as a separate Squawk and Talk board),
The bumpers on the lower playfield, and the placement of the saucer above them, is a work of genius, adding lots of interest and challenge. Likewise, the bumper on the upper playfield and the drop targets add lots of interest and challenge - more so than the superficially-similar Black Knight.
Fully restored, this is also a stunningly beautiful pin with a colourful playfield and mirrored backglass. I also love the movie music (not intrinsic to the pin, but can now be purchased as a separate Squawk and Talk board),
6.668/10
1 year ago
Very punishing. Not for the new to pinball. Found this very frustrating and had some fast games. Because I was playing this in closed venue I couldn't nudge or anything... so fast games. I can't see owning this even though I wanted one very badly.
4.232/10
1 year ago
The ball seems to avoid the upper flipper in a weird and frustrating way. Not much fun.
This machine’s theme holds a lot of nostalgia with many people, if this is you, seek it out, otherwise nothing special here.
This machine’s theme holds a lot of nostalgia with many people, if this is you, seek it out, otherwise nothing special here.
8.091/10
1 year ago
Some view this as a rip off of Black Knight. Google Steve Ritchie's story on it. Played them both. While they have some similarities, this machine is much harder. Fits the theme well. Not much flow. Can be a drain monster at time. And frustrating too. But always want to play it if there is one around.
8.776/10
2 years ago
I went and saw Flash Gordon in the theater back in 1980 when it came out. I have always been a fan. I have always had the game on my want list.
When the chance to buy it came up i jumped on it.
This game packs so much punch. For a game from the early 80s.... it keeps you hitting that start button as much as a 90s WPC or a modern stern.
Pound for Pound one of the funnest and brutal games out there.
This one will be in my collection for a long time.
When the chance to buy it came up i jumped on it.
This game packs so much punch. For a game from the early 80s.... it keeps you hitting that start button as much as a 90s WPC or a modern stern.
Pound for Pound one of the funnest and brutal games out there.
This one will be in my collection for a long time.
9.640/10
2 years ago
Flash Gordon is an awesome pin so many ways! Its one of those games that keeps you wanting to play again and again! Its fast and challenging with so many shots to take. Spinners, drop targets, roll overs, ramps and plus the upper level playfield. Although its a fast game, it also gives the skilled player a lot of options increasing your score. Hitting the right side drop targets is a great strategy and also very challenging to hit... The backglass is iconic and looks really cool! The audio sounds when you start the game is also cool... Overall, Flash Gordon is pretty awesome! Super challenging and super fun to play! I highly recommend this pin! Five Stars!!!!
8.169/10
2 years ago
This is one of the best Bally early SS games. It is very challenging and will punish you for a poor shot. PF is a work of art and it has a ton of shots.
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