Pinside rating
This game received 64 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 6.650 /10
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game design: 6.947
Artwork: 6.429
Sounds/Music: 6.411
Other Aspects: 6.562
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 2 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 27 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 27 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 2.
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Ellicott City, MD
6.736/10
1 year ago
Thought I would hate it more than I do. Helicopter is cool and music really gets you hyped up to play it. Playfield layout isn’t that good. Sounds would get annoying. Art is ok. Would play if on location but I think it would get stale.
6.452/10
1 year ago
The whole idea of this theme sounds kind of lame but the helicopter is fun as hell.
7.780/10
3 years ago
i love my rescue911, The helicopter is one of the coolest toys in all of pinball. The modes where you rescue people are really fun and well done. It's not an easy machine to conquer for the average player. This era of gottlieb games has a sort of fun cartoonish character that is endearing and a joy to play.
7.908/10
4 years ago
Melville, SK
I originally bought this game to fix it up and sell it. Turned out to be a game the family really enjoyed playing so I'll keep it around until I finish restoring The Flintstones and Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Changing some of the settings such as setting the early ball drain to Medium, makes this game a little more forgiving for the beginners. People who come over really like that feature and some of the groans turn into jubilation when they realize they can shoot again.
I really like the variety of shots and find that there are a lot of shots that appear simple until you try to repeat them. It's nice that the game changes every 30 seconds or until you reset the mode by calling 911 and having the helicopter drop the ball in the designated drop zone. The helicopter is the only part that I don't always like as it slows down game play. Other than that, I think this game should get a higher rating as it's just some good, clean, fun.
Changing some of the settings such as setting the early ball drain to Medium, makes this game a little more forgiving for the beginners. People who come over really like that feature and some of the groans turn into jubilation when they realize they can shoot again.
I really like the variety of shots and find that there are a lot of shots that appear simple until you try to repeat them. It's nice that the game changes every 30 seconds or until you reset the mode by calling 911 and having the helicopter drop the ball in the designated drop zone. The helicopter is the only part that I don't always like as it slows down game play. Other than that, I think this game should get a higher rating as it's just some good, clean, fun.
7.889/10
4 years ago
I had never played this pin before. Picked it up cheap. I enjoy the game more than I thought I would. The helicopter is a great toy. No issues with it. It is in my shop waiting for a restore but I can't keep my friends from playing it !
It's a fun game, not the deepest rule set, but that ok. Kids love it. Great sound effects. Just good basic fun.
It's a fun game, not the deepest rule set, but that ok. Kids love it. Great sound effects. Just good basic fun.
8.336/10
5 years ago
Gets a bad rap. I broke the helicopter down when I bought it, oiled the moving parts with lithium grease, and it works like an absolute champ. I love the game, and it gets a ton of traffic from my guests. The helicopter never gets old, and the shots are challenging enough to keep you coming back. Pretty solid, well made machine that has given me very little trouble. I'll keep her.
8.056/10
5 years ago
My kids and the kids from the neighborhood LOVE this game. It's fun to play and the Helicopter picking up the pinball doesn't get old. Very easy game to beat for good pinball players though. The rules aren't the clearest, but once you figure it out, you and beat the game constantly.
8.512/10
5 years ago
It is a shame many people on here seem to rate machines according to how much they like the theme... I am not a fan of Star Trek, nothing personal, I just couldn't get into it, but I am not going to trash the Star Trek pinballs just because I don't like Star Trek... I will rate them on the gameplay...
That being said, I am also not an overly big fan of the Rescue 911 theme, but none of the 16 individual ratings ask if I like the theme, so I did not rate as if it did... The game has some real qualities that make you take notice, such as the red spinner on the top, the melodic attract music, and bright flashers all over the playfield... It makes you take a look, and when you see the helicopter, you absolutely have to give it a try, because you must find out what it does. I must say that it is a cool little gimmick that is also functional, as many gimmicks were not... This one picks up the ball and you control where it drops. Thats a winner for me as far as the gimmick catagory goes, I don't just put my elbows on the glass and wait for it to be over because I get to have some control.
The game does lack a bit in flow at the beginning, until you get used to it and know where to land the ball on the flippers to hit the shots, and there are quite a few shots to hit for a more modestly priced dmd... It actually has a decent flow to it, and can be quite challenging to get really high scores as well as rack up the lives saved. Adding up the lives saved is probably tougher than scoring high points.
The sound is very well suited for the game with lots of EMT, 911 Caller, and Police call outs. The animations are also quite well done and expresses the theme perfectly, as well as the art package on the cabinet and backglass.
As far as the lastability and fun factor, For me it does. When you get a look at the game and begin to play it, it seems as though it is a very simple layout... It will almost get you frustrated it looks so simple, and you cant score off the charts. If nothing else that will keep you coming back again and again.
Overall, this game is well worth the modest amount of coin it will cost to get one... Its not an Addams Family, Indiana Jones, or Circus Voltaire, but it is a very well rounded machine that is family friendly, and anyone can play it and trigger the gimmicks... But racking up the points and lives takes some skill and persistence! Good luck and happy BALLING!
That being said, I am also not an overly big fan of the Rescue 911 theme, but none of the 16 individual ratings ask if I like the theme, so I did not rate as if it did... The game has some real qualities that make you take notice, such as the red spinner on the top, the melodic attract music, and bright flashers all over the playfield... It makes you take a look, and when you see the helicopter, you absolutely have to give it a try, because you must find out what it does. I must say that it is a cool little gimmick that is also functional, as many gimmicks were not... This one picks up the ball and you control where it drops. Thats a winner for me as far as the gimmick catagory goes, I don't just put my elbows on the glass and wait for it to be over because I get to have some control.
The game does lack a bit in flow at the beginning, until you get used to it and know where to land the ball on the flippers to hit the shots, and there are quite a few shots to hit for a more modestly priced dmd... It actually has a decent flow to it, and can be quite challenging to get really high scores as well as rack up the lives saved. Adding up the lives saved is probably tougher than scoring high points.
The sound is very well suited for the game with lots of EMT, 911 Caller, and Police call outs. The animations are also quite well done and expresses the theme perfectly, as well as the art package on the cabinet and backglass.
As far as the lastability and fun factor, For me it does. When you get a look at the game and begin to play it, it seems as though it is a very simple layout... It will almost get you frustrated it looks so simple, and you cant score off the charts. If nothing else that will keep you coming back again and again.
Overall, this game is well worth the modest amount of coin it will cost to get one... Its not an Addams Family, Indiana Jones, or Circus Voltaire, but it is a very well rounded machine that is family friendly, and anyone can play it and trigger the gimmicks... But racking up the points and lives takes some skill and persistence! Good luck and happy BALLING!
6.104/10
5 years ago
When I first saw this game, I thought: WOW! This is great! Having played it consistently for a couple of years, my opinion of it has decreased a whole lot. The one thing that keeps going through my mind when I play this is: "me and my buddies could have built this in our basement"...
6.939/10
6 years ago
Not a bad bang for your buck. R911 has some great shots and the helicopter is a great toy (when it is working). Bad art package all around, but one, if not the best, from the late Gottlieb era.
6.658/10
6 years ago
We had this machine in our break room at work for a little over 2 years. We played this thing hundreds of times and after taking a break for a little while went back to it and continued to play.
Although the theme isn't the best I found the playfield layout pretty good; I especially like the upper playfield area by the upper flipper on the right. Hitting the ER (Emergency Room) shot is pretty fun.
This machine is vastly overlooked and if you can get past the theme (artwork/sounds) it is a fairly fun one to play
Although the theme isn't the best I found the playfield layout pretty good; I especially like the upper playfield area by the upper flipper on the right. Hitting the ER (Emergency Room) shot is pretty fun.
This machine is vastly overlooked and if you can get past the theme (artwork/sounds) it is a fairly fun one to play
7.844/10
7 years ago
After owning for a while, I have grown to appreciate this game. Yes the helicopter breaks the flow of the game play up and can be sort of repetitive, but I still find myself coming back for more. The real fun starts with the life line mode and all you hear is a heartbeat. It is pretty intense.
5.669/10
8 years ago
Saving lives (pinballs?) in a pinball game?
Cheap feel of a game that tries to get you to feel like
you are saving lives and making a difference.
Yeah... Right....
I could see this in EMT and Firefighters facilities, but not in my house.
Cheap feel of a game that tries to get you to feel like
you are saving lives and making a difference.
Yeah... Right....
I could see this in EMT and Firefighters facilities, but not in my house.
8.255/10
8 years ago
Rescue 911 is an OK pinball. The turns made by the helicopter tangle frequently and it just doesn't work well. Lots of action when you get the ball through the passage in to bumpers, but there is not that much more. Launching the ball from the helicopter magnet is exciting, but it does not work all of the time. A good pin for first responders or law enforcement, but it lacks in variety and challenges.
5.514/10
9 years ago
This game is crap. I actually purchased one of these a while back because I remember it being at the mall arcade when I was younger and for some reason I forgot how much I hated this pin. So I bought a location one for $600 and it remains to this day the only pinball I ever regret buying. I ended up selling it 2 weeks later at what I paid for it just to get my money back. The playfield layout sucks, the flipper action sucks. The huge sheet of mylar covers the middle playfield but they did not mylar the ball return lanes where the ramp dropped the balls, so they are almost always worn there. Gottlieb made such crap in the 90's and while this isn't the worst of them by far, it typifies what was wrong with gottlieb back then. They did not have the player in mind when they designed pins.
Avoid this pin like the plague.
Avoid this pin like the plague.
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