Stern

The Simpsons Pinball Party

Pinside Rating

This game received 867 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.447 _/10

8.447

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #36 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.554

Artwork: 8.481

Sounds/Music: 7.96

Other Aspects: 8.577

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 9 of us have rated this game.

8.812

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Found 494 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 494 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 18 of 20.

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7.272/10

12 years ago

BUK

pinballslave

Pinside member

Litvinov

12y 138K 6,386 133 149

I'v not played this enough to get to grips with the apparent depth of the game, and would like to play it more... but the artwork is what put's me off... I like the show, but for some reason staring at Homer Simpson when I play pinball just doesn't do a lot for me!

5.590/10

12 years ago

DEN

britrex1

Inactive member

13y 49,800 213 58

I just can't get in to it.

10.000/10

12 years ago

NAM

kwiKimart

Inactive member

San Diego, CA

12y 90,650 10,693 3 71

As being a fan of the iconic TV show, this game is a must play for the Simpsons fan. Most of the cast from the show have recorded lines for this game and that is very, very cool in my opinion. The artwork on the playfield and cabinet is very cool although it might fade over a period if placed in a bad location. I have played this machine about 10 times at arcades, and I have to admit that this machine is already a modern classic and will go up in value as time goes on.

kwiKimart currently owns this game.

8.328/10

12 years ago

MRO

MEROPARIS

Pinside member

Paris

12y 56,500 166

SPECIAL AND DIFFICULT PIN EXCELLENT THEME BUT NOT THE FUNNIEST OF MY PINS COMPLEX RULES NOT FUN AS A MONSTER BASH OR A MEDIEVAL MADNESS

MEROPARIS edited previous rating on August 06, 2017.
MEROPARIS has owned this game in the past.

9.308/10

12 years ago

???

babycatandd

Inactive member

Unknown City, IL

12y 10,000 1 7

This game is alot of fun. The rules are complicated, so it's hard to figure out what exactly you should do, if you have to pay to play (especially if you're playing in a super hot pizza parlor like us). But the game is a blast. Multi-ball is intense (does anyone else's machine drop all three balls in the ball shooter lane and leave them there for you to launch in to play at your leisure- or is that a flaw in the machine we play- it's nice though because it lets gives you a chance to finish if you're in the upper deck). And speaking of the upper deck, it's really hard to hit the shots, but so much fun!!! Definitely a very rewarding game.

9.483/10

12 years ago

DEY

absocountry2

Pinside member

Wasilla, AK

13y 82,050 7,424 29 72

Played for a couple hours today. It is fun and hard so it keep me wanting to play. The best part is it is only $0.25 per game and it works.

absocountry2 has this game on the wishlist.

9.160/10

12 years ago

J

jasonpaulbauer

FabUnlimited

Columbus, IN

12y 52,650 631 6 27

When you are up for the Chess game of pinball.... play TSPP.... Its a shot makers game, not just a hit the ball around game.

jasonpaulbauer currently owns this game.

8.580/10

12 years ago

BRY

TavaLee

Pinside member

Tavares, FL

13y 45,550 229 6 9

A lot of different things to do. Great variation. So many different scoring modes its difficult to figure out what to be shooting at and the playfield lights are small and some hard to see. Probably the most entertaining machine I have ever played.

TavaLee has owned this game in the past.

7.872/10

12 years ago

FAV

bemmett

Pinside+ Addict

12y 127K 3,970 126 2

Such a challenging game and always keep you coming back for more. Probably the best cartoon theme game available(although I still love Family Guy). Any Simpsons fan will absolutely love the game and any pinball player can't not like all the different challenges on this. **Finally got a little old for me, I think the theme is what ultimately made me sell the game, just never entertained me as much as some of the newer Sterns. Still a great game but was time to move on**

bemmett edited previous rating on September 09, 2012.

8.521/10

12 years ago

E F

n2kenai

Inactive member

13y 33,400 136 10 43

I am not a big Simpsons fan ever since the cartoon left the Tracy Ulman Show, but this pinball is pretty fun. I like the upper playfield and the monorail beam. The Skill shot is a good challenge too. No matter where I find one to play I notice faded cabinets, which always look terrible. If you love the Simpsons, this is the one for you, but i would personally like to see a licenced Futurama game instead.

9.790/10

12 years ago

DPH

DarthPinhead

Inactive member

Elmwood Park, IL

12y 27,150 704 15

What a great game!!! Love the depth and the challenge!!! The Simpsons never get old! Great Theme!!!

DarthPinhead edited previous rating on August 19, 2011.
DarthPinhead has this game on the wishlist.

8.206/10

12 years ago

DS

daveispinball

Pinside member

12y 36,650 210 24

Wish the lighting on the top left was better. Game play was enjoyable.

9.742/10

12 years ago

CCR

Cliffy

Cliffy Protectors

San Ramon, CA

20y 90,150 1,625 19 17

In my opinion this is Sterns equivalent (or better) to Twilight Zone. VERY intense, very aggravating and very much the skilled shooters game. You can rock and roll on one ball and the next two will nearly instantly drain out the sides only to hear "worst.... ball... ever" >:-(

Often chosen as a "desert island" pin because of it's incredible depth. You could literally be stranded on a desert island for years and never finish this deep game!

Cliffy currently owns this game.

8.940/10

12 years ago

ESA

stangbat

KC Pins

13y 86,900 3,111 19

I have a love/hate relationship with this game. I really like the deep rules, it keeps the game from getting boring. But if you want a quick easy game, this isn't it. I'll often not play TSPP because I'm just not up for it. But that doesn't mean I don't like it, I just have to be in the right frame of mind.

The game can be kind of stop and go, but it does have some flow. The orbit shots loop, the ramp returns to the left flipper, and you can bypass some of the catches such as the Springfield Loop by hitting both flippers to speed things up.

As for the rules, amazing. It is a game you need to study to get everything out of it. And it will challenge you for quite a while.

I may not play TSPP as much as some of my other games, but it won't be going anywhere because I know I'll never master it.

stangbat edited previous rating on August 25, 2011.

7.591/10

12 years ago

SEB

yanek2rank

Inactive member

Calgary, AB

13y 35,875 27 8 26

the mini pin is pretty cool, not a huge fan of the third flipper pins, but to each thier own. not a pinball I would personally want in my collection but alright fun.

6.729/10

13 years ago

NML

NickBuffaloPinball

Buffalo Pinball

Buffalo, NY

13y 98,550 1,465 18 53

I'm not a huge Lawlor fan, so take this with a grain of salt. Shots seem ok. What is disappointing about the game is that the humor isn't there (Homer trying to figure out "Simpson" is funny, but that's it). Given how long The Simpsons have been on the air, you'd think the pin would be loaded with laughs. MM does a better job getting a chuckle out of me. Not an addicting pin.

7.517/10

13 years ago

WPG

guymontag451

Wedgehead

Portland, OR

13y 92,800 1,006 25 170

Great full bodied game from Stern. Rules are set to home owner collector crowd as you would go broke putting in all the quarters needed on location to really understand the rules to play it right. I do think that they did do enough that you can have enough fun the first couple of plays, to keep you coming back for more and more and more to make a chunk into that infamously deep ruleset. It is more successful than say TZ in that respect. The shots are HARD however, and laid out in a very tight fashion. It can get frustrating, but this game has enough carrots in front of your face to keep you hooked. A brilliantly designed game with very very long legs. Not the most fun game, but one that you will play indefinetly. The voice calls are the best in pinball.

guymontag451 edited previous rating on September 22, 2011.

8.883/10

13 years ago

666

cevans82

Inactive member

Westminster, CO

15y 28,150 108 2 41

I grew up watching the simpsons and still do religiously (simpsons freak). i love this machine may not be the best as far as play but what it lacks in play for me is made because its the simpsons would love to have both simpsons machines in my collection someday!

cevans82 edited previous rating on May 13, 2011.
cevans82 has this game on the wishlist.

8.716/10

13 years ago

HAZ

hank527

Pinside+ Addict

13y 128K 5,427 249

Stern created a great pinball game. The only negative comment is that the game roms need to be updated to version 5 or there are a lot of issues. Also the earlier versions have a couch weld assembly that needs replaced. This is a very solid pin with a very deep rule set. I do wish it were a little less stop and go.

Changed rating as I bought a second one

hank527 edited previous rating on January 07, 2013.

9.640/10

13 years ago

JTB

The_Gorilla

Pinside+ Frequent

Pleasant Hill, IA

13y 116K 5,602 2 160

I know others rate this game much higher, maybe it's because I haven't played this machine yet in a decent working condition. The two places I have played TSPP didn't seem to give much care to their single pinball in a room full of more "modern" games. If I ever get to play this game in good condition I will update my rating.
5/24/11 I played a game that was nearly perfectly restored tonight. My opinion has raised greatly. There were too many different shots and objectives for me to get a good feel for the game in just a few games but, that's a GOOD thing. I look forward to spending more time with this pin someday...

The_Gorilla edited previous rating on December 12, 2015.
The_Gorilla has owned this game in the past.

6.434/10

13 years ago

???

lademann4

Inactive member

Morrice, MI

13y 12,000 22

Not the same gameplay as a williams/bally pin. Plain, but worth playing a couple of times.

7.436/10

13 years ago

BMS

Betelgeuse

Pinside member

13y 129K 3,645 72

I can see why a lot of people like this game, but for some reason it just doesn't do it for me. The notoriously deep ruleset and gameplay variations are this pins best features. For a dmd game, it seems unnecessary how often the gameplay gets held up by dmd animations and audio clips (ie. entering the mini-pf or the Otto loop). Not much of a straight up fun and excitement factor for me, but maybe I'm missing something.

Betelgeuse edited previous rating on October 14, 2022.

8.514/10

13 years ago

???

bigred

Inactive member

Unknown

13y 2,000 7

Fun game! Would like to pick one up someday!

6.298/10

13 years ago

JT

tron1969

Pinside member

14y 60,550 736 1 30

Ok - I played about 60 games of The Simpsons Pinball Party - It just wasn't for me there are Five main issues that I didn't like -

1 - When you hit the loop that goes to ottos bus the ball is held and you get the quote "Your the coolest Otto" This is completely useless and kills the flow. My opinion is it just should have been a rollover switch and flowed right back down to the flippers. (This would have made a huge improvement in my book)

2 - When you make it up to the living room the delay in getting the ball back in play is way to long how many times do i need to see the animated homer looking through the box. Other animations through the game that are very good and unique you don't see because you are concentrating on the ball.

3 - If this is your only game and you have friends over to play a few games the ball time is so long that everyone looses interest waiting for their turn. The family also doesn't want to play a 4 player game for the same reason. ( To me pinball is supposed to be fast and exciting allowing you to compete with your friends and family for the high score side by side)

4 - Spelling Simpsons when homer is attempting to guess what you are spelling get old fast especially when you do it multiple times on one ball and you get to simpson and he acts like he doesn't know what its going to be when you had just gone through this a few minutes ago.

5 - The TV modes/ missions can be confusing you really need to study the rules to understand what you need to do to complete the mode. I personally would have liked some verbal cues or specific lighting as to what I should be aiming for.

On a side note the jokes at moes are good like the hugh jass etc... but once you have heard them a few times it looses its fun and humor for me kinda like watching reruns.

Another area that to me could be improved is the speed the ball returns from the living-room down the monorail. Maybe a steeper incline or a different ramp type.

There are allot of good features also, I do like the stacked modes and it does get allot more fun when you get the couch multi ball and the itchy and scratchy multi-ball together.

The Play-field artwork is perfect (Very Colorful and tons to look at)

The voice work is very good.

Alien Invasion is really great ,reversing the flippers is awesome.

tron1969 edited previous rating on February 28, 2013.
tron1969 has owned this game in the past.

9.384/10

13 years ago

TJA

VegasAlleycat

Pinside+ Frequent

Las Vegas, NV

13y 82,050 1,026 14 24

One of Stern's all-time best titles. Fantastic theme with great ruleset for the beginner as well as experienced player.

VegasAlleycat edited previous rating on May 15, 2012.
VegasAlleycat currently owns this game.

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There are 494 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 18 of 20.

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