Data East

Hook

Pinside Rating

This game received 124 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 6.949 _/10

6.949

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #261 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 6.907

Artwork: 7.275

Sounds/Music: 6.487

Other Aspects: 6.837

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.

7.121

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Found 68 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 68 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.704/10

11 years ago

BD

daley

Pinside member

12y 67,300 786 26

So first let me say, that I am biased, because this game has a huge nostalgia factor for me. Not only do i have lots of memories playing at as a kid, but I love the movie (many people do not).

With that said, I love this game. The art works on this machine is great if your a fan of the movie. 'Toys' wise I love the windcoaster ramp and the skull. I really like the sounds and music, the one negative here is that they did not use the real actors or sound bites from the movies. You can definitely tell that these are sound a likes, however they did a great job of using lots of quotes from the film to ensure that the sound a likes at least are saying the right things. As for DMD animations, you can definitely tell this is an early DMD game, because this game could use a lot of help in this regard.

Gameplay wise I love the game. Yes, you can spam the windocoaster and take advantageous of other little scoring flaws. However, there are plenty of things going on in this game so yo can just have fun. I also really like the skill shot and how multiball is initiated with the physical lock/use of skill shot.

daley edited previous rating on January 15, 2014.

9.420/10

11 years ago

BJ2

cigarbob

Inactive member

Battle Creek, MI

11y 20,650 100 6 9

my first game have tore it apart and fixed every thing with the help of john d from battle creek ( thanks john ! ) love playing it so do the guys that work for me great game !

cigarbob currently owns this game.

7.296/10

11 years ago

DEL

Kronnix

Pinside member

Santaquin, UT

11y 28,400 40 3 13

Hook is usually an accurately rated game in my opinion. The rule set isn't extremely deep and it's not uncommon to curse the machine for unfair drains down the middle on the plunge, but what 'Hook' lacks in depth it makes up for in pure fun. The music and sounds are exceptional and the light show is amazing! This was the first pin I ever fell in love with and it will likely have a place in my home for years to come.

Kronnix has owned this game in the past.

7.209/10

11 years ago

JLM

jlm33

Pinside member

Villejuif

11y 152K 5,892 7 169

Pros:
A decent pin, with a very satisfying circular whirlwind ramp, and an interesting skillshot.

Cons:
Not a big fan of the relatively crowded central playfield
The unusually small DMD is probably not so easy to replace.

6.010/10

11 years ago

SCC

mrgone

Pinside member

Casper, WY

12y 119K 5,181 4 54

i played hook for the first time today at a pizza place across town from where i live. it is a fun pin to have on location. i enjoy the ramp shots and over all not a bad game. in the home it might become boring quickly but the theme is attractive to the casual player. if you find one in the wild give it a play or two.

5.772/10

11 years ago

ZUL

Caucasian2Step

Evil McBooty

12y 163K 1,455 51 1011

Hook is a fun game that took a great fantasy story and worked with one of it's worst movie adaptations.

The Pros:
A cool layout with lots to shoot for. The whirlpool ramp is lots of fun to hit and watch the ball swirl around. A real skill shot that was seen later in TOTAN.

The Cons:
A tiny DMD that is servicable, but not easy to read. The artwork is cluttered and muddy. Not Paul Faris's best work. Your flippers better be tight, otherwise you can't make the game's big shots. That crowing rooster gets old right quick.

The Takeaway:
One of the better playing games from DE. Still way behind B/W if you consider the playability of games in 1992. A good family theme that is fun to play. Nothing wrong with that at all. In all fairness, I do think I need to play it again to get a better feel for it, but from what I played on it... it was ok. A good pin for the kiddies.

Update:
I recently got the chance to play a copy of this game that was nice and crispy and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This game plays faster and more dangerously than of I originally expected. the standup targets mean that this game keeps the ball moving from side to side if shots aren't (or are) made that will make this ball bounce in an evil trajectories towards greedy outlanes. The two main shots of the left to the VUK and the Windcoaster ramp are great and are the game's focus. Kind of reminds me of DE's Time Machine. The skull entrance/exit with the ball's pathways are very well thought out and done. I really like it. The Windcoaster also reminds me of the Whirlpool ramp seen in CftBL. When tuned properly (like many games), this game can be a challenging player. So play on and have fun.

Scores adjusted accordingly.

Caucasian2Step edited previous rating on January 09, 2015.

5.392/10

11 years ago

DAV

MetalPhilosopher

Inactive member

Hanover, MD

11y 14,250 8

This table was also at my college, and I played it a decent amount, mostly because it only cost 25 cents per game vice 50 cents for the other tables. That said, I never liked it that much. The enormous spiraling ramp is certainly eye catching at first, but I just don't like it. Aesthetically, it overwhelms the whole table. I always remember Hook as "that game with the giant ramp", instead of "that great peter pan themed table". On the positive side, the backglass is very well done. It's not my favorite theme, but I must admit it plays up the adventure and uplifting nature of the story. Gameplay-wise, I just don't really dig it. I always found myself failing to make shots, not clearing ramps, dying fairly cheaply, and getting really tired of Peter Pan cock-a-doodle-dooing the whole time. Not a favorite, but I remember my roommate's obsession with it fondly. Clearly, it has its niche :)

7.299/10

12 years ago

TSM

darkfaith

Inactive member

Iaeger, WV

12y 56,400 360 1 130

I really like this game, its my second favorite data east game. The constantly crowing rooster sounds can get a bit annoying if you have it as a home pin though.

darkfaith has owned this game in the past.

6.324/10

12 years ago

DEL

SealClubber

Pinside Moderator

14y 127K 11,060 246

Man, I really don't like this game. It looks cheap, plays like a bore and there are a few call outs which are so annoying I really don't want to play it ever again.

6.466/10

12 years ago

DJG

nasco62

Pinside member

Sydney

12y 67,800 801 14 54

Not a big fan of this game, first time I played was at a big showroom and found it boring then. A week later went to buy a pin with a choice of three for sale and the guy kept saying Hook was the best game to play. I played it again and found the game boring. There dont seem to be any great shots, Peter Pan seems a dumb theme for a pin but each to his own, definitately not on my wish list.

9.516/10

12 years ago

???

cuke1225

Inactive member

Unknown City

12y 4,250 2 6

This game is so addictive I purchased it!

cuke1225 currently owns this game.

6.262/10

12 years ago

RND

RawleyD

Pinside member

Roanoke, VA

14y 67,650 3,243 36

Wouldn't want to own again. Gameplay is rather clunky with no real "HELL YES" shots. Love the theme and the artwork. The skull and windcoaster ramp are nice looking features, but just aren't a whole lot of fun to hit honestly.

RawleyD has owned this game in the past.

7.310/10

12 years ago

MAK

teachp8

Inactive member

13y 57,800 146 2 97

The machine I played looked absolutely amazing - wasn't overly gripped by the gameplay though. Need to give this a few more tries I think!

7.618/10

14 years ago

XXX

seanymph

Inactive member

Henefer, UT

14y 26,900 147 23 7

I'm not sure why, but this is one of my favorite pins to play lately. It's just so different. I know there are those who think "Peter Pan" is a silly theme, but it's really more about Cpt. Hook . There's NO Robin Williams on it (a plus, I consider), and the artwork is very intricate and interesting- it's Paul Faris, after all. The layout is strange, like weird rabbit warrens going every which way. There's the obvious windcoaster circular ramp with traveling lights in the middle, which kind of reminds me of CFTBL (no whirlpool here, tho, and ramp is always open). The stuff at the top of the playfield is hard to see (just like CFTBL). No video modes (think Black Rose released the same year). And there is the ever-crowing rooster sound effect. Despite it's basic nature, bizarre layout, and the rooster, I still really enjoy this game! It's actually a lot harder to play than it appears, maybe that's what's holding it back....... I guess to each his own, eh?

seanymph edited previous rating on May 09, 2010.
seanymph has owned this game in the past.

9.283/10

14 years ago

APT

bluedntattood

Inactive member

Phoenix, AZ

14y 13,500 11 13

I've had this one for a few months now and have no desire to sell it. My daughters love it and I have to admit, I am also fond of the theme. Watching the movie does indeed bring the story line back to you and makes the game much more meaningful. The Windcoaster ramp rocks and the skill shot really is just that and takes patience to get good at. I think the average price for this machine makes it a great entry level pin and relatively affordable. I recommend.

bluedntattood currently owns this game.

6.961/10

14 years ago

RAY

bugray

Inactive member

Basingstoke

14y 54,650 697 97

The artwork is the best that this pin has to offer, barely playable.

9.930/10

14 years ago

DAN

do1036

Pinside member

North Las Vegas, NV

14y 30,000 3 2 7

Very Very Family Friendly and fun game. Holds true to the movie, must watch movie before playing to fully appreciate and understand the game. It is very challenging and has lots of little hidden surprises that I am still discovering. Recommend this pin to anyone. I look forward to playing it everyday!!

6.891/10

14 years ago

JAR

jar155

Pinside member

North Salt Lake, UT

14y 114K 6,220 9 141

This is another game that almost hits the mark, but it ultimately falls just a little short. Bummer, because the theme is a fun one and some of the shots are fun to hit.

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