Stern

The Simpsons Pinball Party

Pinside Rating

This game received 867 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.443 _/10

8.443

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #37 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.55

Artwork: 8.473

Sounds/Music: 7.956

Other Aspects: 8.573

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.
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8.896/10

6 years ago

PPD

Boat

CPRepair

Calgary, AB

7y 107K 1,467 4 92 1

You can tell they really thought about the design for this pin. Shooting the garage "bash" toy to get into the living room, then locking the balls on the couch. It feels like you really are in Springfield as you move around the play field. I am a big Simpsons fan so I am really enjoying the machine. If this game was made now, it would be an LE as it is jammed packed with toys and features.

Really fun game. You can stack almost any mode, shots are great. The only cons I would give is that the music is not great IMO. As well, the left side of the play field is much slower than the right.

Really good game so far and I am just sinking my teeth into it.

6 month update:

The code and depth in this game is massive and although I have reached wizard mode, I have yet to complete it. This game has a nice balance of difficulty and fun, as well as fairness. The stacking of modes is almost unmatched and makes for huge memorable games. There are many features and modes that are almost "spoilers" but the people reading the review should know that what was put into the rom set on this game was absolutely huge.

Final update:
I owned this game for just under 2 years. The amount of depth and stacking in the game is crazy. As a reviewer added above, the issue with the game is that unless you are an insane pro player, you will never see the final wizard mode. Additionally, the progress towards this wizard mode is not very linear, it is very much a grind to complete each mini wizard mode. Don't get me wrong, simpsons is an amazing game and great for a collection small or large but IMO I don't think it is worth the time to master.

Boat edited previous rating on July 08, 2019.
Boat has owned this game in the past.

9.156/10

6 years ago

DMW

wildeboutpins

THE PINBALL DUDES

Jupiter, FL

10y 67,700 230 41 8 7

Game is fun but super super hard...ruleset is very very deep..love the theme and love the show..This is a very fun game..callouts are cool..

wildeboutpins currently owns this game.

9.560/10

6 years ago

MRG

MG7322

Mitchell Lighting

11y 82,550 347 26

This game is fun! First home party we had it was played by all the kids on the block for 6+ hours. Never had an issue. My kids even take a break from video games now to invite friends to play. Thing I like about it is it can be played simple or you can dive in to the rules set, so much to look forward too once we understand the goals of the game. Happy with he Simpsons.

Update 2021, still bolted to the floor! Find new things and modes all the time! Kids still consider it a favorite in our collection.

MG7322 edited previous rating on August 11, 2021.

8.919/10

6 years ago

ARS

thedefog

Pinside member

10y 93,350 5,673 72

Not even a Simpsons fan, but love this game. Tons crammed into this one, but it all works well. Very fun, has the one more game thing going for sure. Art package is solidly executed. Stern's best on all accounts probably. Sound is only weak point.

8.772/10

6 years ago

APO

Happy81724

Pinside+ Frequent

6y 132K 2,546 61

I love the simpsons and was actually looking to get this for the home until I played it in the arcade. It was fun but not the greatest experience. Maybe if i played it longer it would grow on me but the wife and I did 5 turns and just couldnt get into it. I was hoping she played it and thought, we need one asap. That did not happen!

UPDATE - Finally bought one and its much better in a Home use setting. I got a lot of time on it. This is a great pin!

Happy81724 edited previous rating on August 18, 2020.

5.457/10

6 years ago

BW

KingBW

Pinside+ Frequent

8y 116K 3,141 102 1

Theming is good, but not a pin that is fun enough to own for me. Sound is not too good. I would likely play one game on it at a location, then move on to the next pin.

9.520/10

6 years ago

B

djoverpour

Inactive member

Wichita, KS

7y 26,900 128 6 6

Just became my favorite pinball game ever

djoverpour has owned this game in the past.

8.820/10

6 years ago

SUS

Grayont

Pinside member

Encinitas, CA

6y 51,550 84 1 129

Love the Simpsons and this game captures the show well. Lots and lots of things to do in this with many mini wizard modes and one final super wizard mode. Good music and decent sounds effects. The couch ball lock is cool and Homers head on the playfield is pretty sweet. This is one of my top games for sure.

Grayont edited previous rating on November 07, 2021.
Grayont has this game on the wishlist.

9.840/10

6 years ago

RHO

Rensh

Pinside+ Frequent

11y 136K 4,131 5 22

Being a Simpsons fan and pinball fan this pin was on my radar for the last 6 months. Usually i prefer high speed pins but wanted to give this baby a good try.

Its a gorgous looking machine with great art and eye for detail. Cabinet is great but i would prefer mroe cibrant colors allthough my is not so bad. Have seen examples which are more washed out.

The animations and sounds are great too. Give really the Simpsons feeling.

And than the shots. Plenty to do, one of the best second mini playfield in the business, great variety in shots and the rulez are great and keep you occupied for a long time.

Ni, this is nit a pin you get easily tired off. Great work on this one Stern. If they would make this again nowadays this would be a SLE looking at the real estate on the playfield.

Rensh has owned this game in the past.

8.162/10

6 years ago

CHR

Philadelphia

Inactive member

11y 19,500 20

This is one of my favorite Stern pinball machines. It has a really deep ruleset and i love the upper mini playfield and the multiballs. The only thing is: every single TSPP that i have played so far was malfunctioning at a specific point (garage door stuck, drop targets always down, etc...) so i do not know if the quality is that bad or if it is just a real diva in the bank of pinball machines and difficult to keep running.

8.948/10

6 years ago

MLP

tabascoman77

Pinside member

6y 46,150 4 110

A fun table that's rewarding provided you can hit all your targets with accuracy. The issue is that there's a LOT going on here with respect to the toys and playfield. That's to be expected. The Simpsons universe is huge with so many characters and landmarks. The bitch of it is that the game feels like a mish-mash of ideas that never go anywhere. The field can come across as intimidating because of the sheer amount of features and mini-games. Even still, this is a highly enjoyable pin -- but nothing "special".

tabascoman77 edited previous rating on February 26, 2018.

8.898/10

6 years ago

SL2

spikelou2

Pinside member

Colts Neck, NJ

7y 83,100 936 11 10 1

this game has mass appeal ...very few people do not enjoy this game ...this is a prime example of how to incorporate a them into a game ...fun for beginners and more advanced players ..the code work is well done ... and a real challenge to complete the game.one of the few games that has a usable upper play field .... at its current price this game is a steal imho ... so as long as you don't hate the theme ... add this to your home collection ..

spikelou2 has owned this game in the past.

8.124/10

6 years ago

ERC

Ericc123

Inactive member

Pittsburgh, PA

7y 96,800 1,143 20

Great use of theme. Lots going on and so much to do that you'll always have something left to shoot for. Really amazing call outs and top notch artwork from the show.

Ericc123 has owned this game in the past.

9.780/10

6 years ago

BJB

PinballBJB

Pinside+ Frequent

6y 72,300 208 30

I've owned this game for twelve years. I play it often and still enjoy it immensely -- this game has amazing lastability. Granted, I'm a devoted Simpsons fan, so my love of the theme influences my view. Nevertheless, unless you actively dislike the Simpsons, you can love this game without being a die-hard fan. This game is extremely funny, fun, deep, and well designed. As with my rating for my other machine (Wizard of Oz -- also a Joe Balcer game, not surprisingly), this game is one of the Top 5 of all time.

4.817/10

6 years ago

WWW

Shadrac

Pinside member

8y 51,050 401 1 27

I really don't understand why this pin is rank so high.
The flow is inexistant, too much stop (Otto, garage, mini playfield...), the music is horrendous and some sounds and callouts makes me want to tear my head and pierce my eardrums (Comic book guy hurry ups, doh frenzy, I&S multiball... Aaaaaaargh!), and even if the machine is well tuned, it feels cheap and the shots are not satisfying.
I have absolutely no joy no fun playing this pin, it's just a big mess. So it moves from my gameroom really fast.
The same year Stern produced LOTR, and it's really a much better machine by far.
For me one of the most overrated pin of all time.

Shadrac has owned this game in the past.

8.916/10

6 years ago

DAD

Killerbooger

Pixels Arcade Games LLC

8y 62,900 143 19

I just picked this game up. I love it. The rule set is super deep. There are so many things to unlock that you can play forever and not see everything. Playfield is colorful and looks great. My only knock on this game is that there are a few characters missing from speech like Marge and Lisa for example. They are a main part of the movie but nowhere on here. The knocker is insanely loud when it goes off. I have it turned down to one but it still scares the crap out of me when it goes off. I haven't had it long maybe ill figure that out. Anyway super awesome game!

Killerbooger has this game on the wishlist.

8.365/10

6 years ago

BO

BeatBachs

Pinpoint Fayetteville

Fayetteville, AR

9y 44,700 38 56 10

I do enjoy playing this game, but often find it has just a little too much going on for me. The playfield becomes a bit of a jungle to see where all your targets and shots are and I find myself just flipping wherever to see what happens.

8.612/10

6 years ago

CUE

qmacaulay

Pinside member

White Rock, BC

6y 38,900 12 1 14

I enjoy playing this pin but find the couch multiball upper playfield shot a bit too difficult. I love the Simpsons theme and this pin. I need to play it more to give a more thorough review.

qmacaulay edited previous rating on August 06, 2017.

7.350/10

6 years ago

???

racecar85

Pinside member

Minneapolis, MN

7y 23,150 32 2 8

I had this game for about 6 months. It was fun for me, but my family didnt get into it. I think it was due to its rule complexity and some of the tough shots (right ramp for example). Love the rule set. and theme. Good game.

racecar85 has owned this game in the past.

7.580/10

6 years ago

MIK

Micky

Mad Mickys

7y 168K 3,045 42

TSPP is a great themed pin and very differently laid out. It is a very challenging and deep game that could put off casual players when they don't know what to do next.

8.720/10

6 years ago

CHE

FelaGuevara

Inactive member

Amsterdam

7y 18,750 1 6 11

Very nice game, love the theme. Well executed.

FelaGuevara edited previous rating on May 21, 2017.

9.016/10

6 years ago

SGW

konghusker

Pinside member

Lincoln, NE

9y 78,800 2,899 5 24 1

Great game and theme. Nice change of pace compared to newer Stern's. I love the rules, and depth. Machine feels slightly clunky compared to newer Sterns, but still feels good. Lots of great toys and art on playfield. I like the cabinet art, but it's definitely dated with the print quality. Overall, my whole family loves this game and the many things to do with the game plan. Simpsons will stay around for a long time. A color dmd is a must to.

konghusker has owned this game in the past.

8.887/10

6 years ago

???

Trogdor

Pinside member

Milwaukee, WI

7y 56,050 429 5 22

One of my favorite playfield designs- probably more due to being huge Simpsons fan. Great colors- catches the eye immediately. Rich in decoration but seems perfect to me. Gameplay is complex enough but dont remember anything groundbreaking. Will be interesting to see how this appreciates with less fans in every generation. I find myself rarely watching anymore.

9.800/10

7 years ago

RUS

Russell

Pinside member

Colorado Springs, CO

10y 111K 1,475 58

TSPP is perhaps the best Stern game of all time! My only complaint is the very long ball times. There are 6 mini-wizard modes. 6! I've never made it to the final wizard mode, seems nearly impossible.

Russell has owned this game in the past.

10.000/10

7 years ago

SNH

daddycool

Inactive member

Tonbridge, Kent

7y 12,750 2 8

Fun game, plenty to do and keeps you coming back for more

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There are 494 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 7 of 20.

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