Gottlieb

Ship Ahoy

Pinside Rating

This game received 31 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.846 _/10

7.846

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #122 in the Pinside EM Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.854

Artwork: 7.828

Sounds/Music: 4.064

Other Aspects: 7.907

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.

7.8

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Found 16 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 16 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.724/10

5 months ago

SPD

sped372

Pinside member

Waunakee, WI

5y 35,150 100 6 8

Simple but fun. It's basically a three shot game but it's very approachable for new players and still fun every once in awhile for those that are familiar. The spinning wheel that spots a number is very satisfying and brings something unique vs just ripping points off a spinner. The main drawback is how hard it is to get back up top for inaccurate shooters - lots of bounces off the central playfield parts that head back towards the flippers. Racking up wows is fun and the playfield is definitely pretty. The lack of a bonus countdown when the ball drains is somewhat underwhelming.

sped372 has owned this game in the past.

9.205/10

3 years ago

???

Adm927

Pinside+ Frequent

Sanford, NC

3y 45,800 133 56 44

Great AAB game . Love the wow lights, and the 100k lights. Very fun game.

Adm927 currently owns this game.

8.584/10

3 years ago

QUY

FatPanda

Pinside member

7y 141K 7,178 32

I picked up this game as a non-working project, and never having played it before. After getting it back up and running and playing a few games, boy was I surprised how fun this game is! The layout is great and the rules are simple. Complete the ship's wheel in the center to AAB. Make sure you get the 1 on the plunge, otherwise chances are that you'll have to wait for your next plunge. I LOVE the spinner and the moving spot to light a number.

Gottliebs have the best chime box of all EMs and this sounds like the rest of them.

4.992/10

4 years ago

???

Jugglebug65

Pinside member

Fresno, CA

6y 24,900 7 13

Kinda boring. Just ok for me

8.695/10

4 years ago

???

Peruman

Pinside member

Merrimack, NH

4y 58,300 880 8 13

Well laid out machine and a good rule set that keep you coming back for more. My kids and their friends love playing it because they quickly understand what needs to be done.

Peruman currently owns this game.

9.583/10

5 years ago

EEM

MatadorMan

Pinside member

6y 37,250 1 30 26

This is an absolutely fantastic Gottlieb AAB, one of the best! The art package is simply awesome with the sexy fun pirate girl on the backglass, and the sailing theme totally works through to the playfield. If you love ripping spinners, this is the game for you! Some people say "that's the only shot!", but they are totally wrong.... you can hit the spinner, 10&11 (hard), 8&9 (harder) and 2&3 (hardest). Plus you need good nudging and plunger skills to get the 1. Easy to understand and play, but very hard to master. Add in the fact it has the classic Gottlieb chimes and a perfect cabinet art design make this a must-own for any serious EM AAB collector. My favorite 3" flipper non-drop target Gottlieb game! (My #1 is Gold Strike).

MatadorMan edited previous rating on February 28, 2020.
MatadorMan currently owns this game.

9.590/10

6 years ago

DJP

dpannell

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 74,050 364 17 1

The cabinet and artwork are above average but not the best for the era. The gameplay will keep you coming back. This is a shooters game that keeps you coming back for more. I've also noticed that younger players understand the game quickly and don't want to stop playing. Sound and lighting is very good.

7.518/10

6 years ago

GTX

gdonovan

Pinside member

7y 185K 13,220 70

Good game with shot placement being everything! Get the 1 lane first to light the 1000 popper and start hammering away! The artwork is great aside from the backglass which could be better IMHO.

Edit: The game is ok but not a keeper, ultimately it is shoot the spinner, shoot the spinner, shoot the spinner.

gdonovan edited previous rating on January 15, 2021.

8.563/10

8 years ago

JH

NoQuarters

Pinside+ Frequent

8y 128K 3,011 13 1

Probably my favorite machine to play in my collection. The spin and spot makes this game fun to play. Lighting the ships wheel is a bit of a challenge. You can get those add a ball WOW's but it takes some work and a little luck. It only takes a few plays and you get hooked on this game.

NoQuarters edited previous rating on July 31, 2020.

6.703/10

9 years ago

CWE

Zorgar

Inactive member

Göttingen

9y 16,250 43

Shoot the broadside! Well, here it's a spinner which is actually pretty close to the flippers. Shooting it again and again and again is the way to play. The playfield looks nice while the backglass looks mediocre for a single player game.

8.203/10

10 years ago

EMM

Kolchak357

Pinside member

Kutztown, PA

11y 46,900 320 12

Play this often at The Pinball Parlour. One of my favorite EMs ever. I know people rip it for being too easy, but I don't care (I'm not a great player anyway). I love the art and play on this one. I'm a sucker for any pin with a nice spinner shot and this satisfies me nicely.

6.247/10

10 years ago

GM

BallyWizard

Inactive member

London

10y 34,150 2 24 98

Buccaneer, Ship Ahoy etc. are all similar games with identical artwork. The game is too cluttered. Limited number of shots to get the ball up field coupled to a poorly thought out game plan makes this game not as good as it could have been. I like the back glass and used to fancy the pirate girl in the thigh boots, but that's not really pinball related (sorry). You can play this over and over again and still walk away from the game feeling that it should have been better.

8.710/10

11 years ago

TOD

newmantjn

Pinside member

11y 67,400 1,496 41 9

You always remember your first. And your last."

Technically, this was neither, but it was the game I spent more time playing in college than any other. An EM holdout in a SS world in 1984, this game got a LOT of my quarters.

As a result, it was my holy grail for awhile and one of my first purchases. I have come to appreciate other games rules, artwork and everything else more, but the only way this one ever leaves my collection is if I find a better one.

newmantjn currently owns this game.

7.662/10

11 years ago

B13

Bribo13

Pinside member

Ortonville, MI

12y 70,550 412 24 69

Not an Add a Ball fan, I like this game in it's non add a ball form. However, in either version, this is a challenging game to play, not so easy to get the 1-11 to light in this case, the "WoW" to get more balls, if this machine is set up properly, maybe even throw in "High Tap" and it is a fun fast blast, I prefer and own the Buccaneer , but this is a keeper.

9.383/10

11 years ago

ZUL

Caucasian2Step

Evil McBooty

12y 163K 1,455 51 1011

This review is based on my Buccaneer rating. This game may be even tougher as it is an Add-A- Ball game.

Ship Ahoy is the epitome of the Krynski motto: Simple to play, nearly impossible to beat.

The Pros:
A game that requires nudging at the top. Gotta get that "1" from the lanes or chance the spinner for that last #. Gordon Morrison did a brilliant job with the art package. This game has great action up top as well as orbits that look like they are easy shots, but between the pops and the narrowness of the alleys at the top of the PF... aiming skills are mandatory! The game is relatively easy to score with points on

The Cons:
Draining the last ball with only the number 1 unlit. Curses!... foiled again.

The Takeaway:
One of the best games to come from Gottleib, ever.

7.702/10

11 years ago

QXZ

Kaytrox

Pinside member

Allentown, PA

11y 42,650 62 25

I have a love/hate thing going with this machine. It is easy to beat, because all you really need to do is make the #1 rollover on the head shot, and then just keep the ball shooting through the center spinner. There really are no other shots to make. Even though it is nowhere near my favorite, it is the one I'm best at, and when things are going badly, I'll jump on this one for a confidence boost!

Kaytrox edited previous rating on November 13, 2012.

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