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.
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2.210/10

7 years ago

JNM

dellice45

Inactive member

Burrillville, RI

9y 35,150 112 5 18

Ive played one numerous times, I think the game play is godawful and the flow is horrible !

8.660/10

7 years ago

DLG

dnapac

Pinside+ Frequent

Alton, IA

19y 137K 2,695 6 30

Love the theme. Great toys and flow. Need to play it more, but would highly recommend. I now own a high quality example. The more I learn and play it…what an incredible game…I see why some say it saved Stern.

dnapac edited previous rating on January 18, 2024.
dnapac currently owns this game.

8.716/10

7 years ago

???

cjr1985car

Inactive member

Unknown

7y 5,900 7 2 8

I had a chance to play this game at the Minnesota State Fair "Pinball on a stick". The game is fun! The upper play field had good flow and the game is packed with toys. This is one I would like in my collection. Cant beat the theme. Really really fun (wish I had more time to play, seems like a really nice rule set, a game you could get into).

cjr1985car has this game on the wishlist.

7.581/10

7 years ago

LEW

Pinballlew

Pinside member

8y 116K 3,940 7

Owned this in the past and really enjoyed it. Seemed to have very long ball times though...which I tend to get bored with. Great game but I got bored of it having it in the house...probably due to only having a couple of games and it just got played to death.

8.943/10

7 years ago

ALR

canea

Pinside member

11y 94,150 1,905 22

A very good, deep game - and more importantly, it's fun! Feels a bit clunky and cheap at first, but once you get past that, there's a lot to explore. Plays fairly without heavy outlane or SDTM drains. Some describe this as a stop and go game, but I don't feel that way at all. The ramp and upper playfield feed the ball back to the flippers, and aside from a very brief delay for the mystery award there's not much that slows the game down. Great toys that really fill out the theme with the turning Homer head, the skill-based upper playfield, the mini LED screen, the physical couch lock, and the pop bumper cooling towers. Artwork is spot on throughout the game, of course, and the audio is decent, though could be a little better.

TSPP's greatest feature - its rules - may also be its downside. It's not always clear what you're doing. Once you begin to understand, it all makes sense, but getting to that point might be too much for some players. Plenty of room for different playing strategies thanks to this depth however. During an average game you'll see much of the same material, but once you get a good game going the modes really open up and you'll find all sorts of new stuff. Where at first there seems to be a paucity of multiball, you'll soon find that there are lots (couch, I&S, Invasion, mystery spot, pretzel, etc.). Too many great things to talk about really: easy-to-get but hard-to-complete Invasion wizard mode, reversed flippers mode, daredevil modes, funny frenzy mode, CBG hurry-ups, plus all the standard modes which are well thought out and stackable.

Negatives: CBG hurry-ups can get annoying and Secret Stash isn't that cool. I&S saucer is impossible to hit when you want to and seems a bit like a design flaw, Simpsons audio might become grating, cheap build (but also cheap to mod!)

Pros: Unique playfield layout, tons of modes, secret modes, wizard modes, etc. Great integration of theme. Fun!

9.460/10

7 years ago

???

danypins

Inactive member

Montréal, QC

8y 5,500 27

one of the best ever play the rules the shot ebery thing is good my top 5

6.879/10

7 years ago

DAN

dantorana

Pinside member

Brisbane

8y 29,500 2 60

Always fun to play

dantorana edited previous rating on February 08, 2017.

9.660/10

7 years ago

SYD

Onwallst

Pinside member

Denver, CO

8y 82,550 655 95

I sold this game as mine was a well player. I have missed it ever since. If you are a Simpson's fan it is a must have. If you are collector it is a must have. Very deep ruleset. Yes certain times the game can be hard but that is the fun. I always enjoying the game and I believe it is a top 15 game and very under rated. I have a HOU game with Jersey Jack Invisiglass, Coin Taker LEDs, and Cointaker color changing LED back box mod. This game will always be part of collection. Two thumbs up.

8.068/10

7 years ago

FIN

gripwhip

Pinside+ Frequent

Silver Spring, MD

12y 58,050 279 5 12

I love the theme and the deep rule set. The layout bothers me some. It just does not flow well. Artwork on cabinet from my run has that faded look. A ColorDMD is a must mod. Seems odd there is not Marge or Lisa call outs. Love the doh frenzy.

gripwhip has owned this game in the past.

9.600/10

7 years ago

DBW

Crater

Pinside member

Seattle, WA

8y 44,900 105 11 7

This game has such a deep ruleset. It just never seems to get old to me. There are a variety of shots, modes, multiballs, etc... I find myself going different paths every time I play (Scratchy's Revenge, Secret Stash, Alien Invasion, Mystery Spot, etc...).
The only places I marked it down were in the backglass and the cabinet art. The cabinet art is actually pretty cool, but the quality of the decals at the time were not that great (dotted low res art). The backglass also just doesn't do it for me.
Amazing game, and one I'll keep in my collection for the foreseeable future.

Crater currently owns this game.

9.158/10

7 years ago

DDW

sohchx

Pinside member

9y 87,050 2,259 76

I've been a fan since the shows inception so this game was a must have for me. I love everything about outside of the gaudy cabinet art work.

8.740/10

7 years ago

TBK

xTheBlackKnightx

Pinside member

8y 128K 4,097 137

One of Stern's greatest game designs to date.
One of the three games that saved Stern to allow them to continue to make pinball machines.
Artwork and toys are spot on to the series.
I always like the nuclear power plant towers on the pop bumpers, truly iconic.
Voice work and music are also near perfection in integration.
Animations are superb.
DEEP ruleset with multiple wizard modes, and very challenging gameplay.
Shot selection is very engaging, worthwhile, and satisfying whether locking balls on the couch, hitting Bart on his skateboard, or Homer talking.
This is a game in which games can last for a long time with the right player.
Overall, I certainly give credence to the designers and software engineers.
Stern hit a absolute home run with this machine.

If you dislike this machine, then you might understand this Simpson's quote:
"Me fail English? That's "unpossible.""

¡Ay, caramba!

8.134/10

8 years ago

FAZ

pinball_faz

Pinside member

Chicago Burbs, IL

13y 99,300 2,735 5 32

Great game! Great call outs. Good modes and variety. Use of the DMD is super appropriate.

The theme is spot on ... with a lot of major Simpson's life events of the time.

Worst Ball Ever!!

7.542/10

8 years ago

000

ryandimx

Pinside member

8y 62,050 717 8 80

Ball drain
Ball drain
Ball drain
Ball drain
Ball drain
Ball drain

6.109/10

8 years ago

BEN

benbethel

Pinside member

Flagstaff, AZ

10y 33,400 40 1 8

I wanted to love this game but found it so annoying and repetitive and the call outs just bothered me to the point of irritability.... I found myself playing it quite a bit but never feeling very satisfied, and having friends and family play it was a chore to explain the rules... they loved it because they were just banging balls around. I'm not sure why this gets such high ratings, but it must be from people who love to play a game and figure everything out, but if the pin is challenging then the rules need to be much more obvious.

benbethel edited previous rating on October 30, 2019.
benbethel has owned this game in the past.

9.280/10

8 years ago

SJD

muzikman

Pinside member

10y 58,400 142 88

Very fun game. Takes a while to figure everything about but it's well worth the time!

8.080/10

8 years ago

PSN

Paul1478

Pinside member

Peachtree City, GA

9y 51,050 86 3 39

I played this game several times and will keep playing it because I want to like it. It just for me falls well short of what I expected. May be the games I played. Like I said, I will keep trying to like it...

9.200/10

8 years ago

RW

Beebl

Pinside member

9y 139K 532 64

Still holds up well to modern titles.

Beebl edited previous rating on July 26, 2022.

9.360/10

8 years ago

TMK

tk-the-jammer

Pinside+ Addict

9y 101K 379 12 109

This is a game that is fun for the whole family. Simpsons has been entertaining for years. So many shots and toys make this an instant hit. I really enjoy watching the DMD effects as others play. When you become good at the shots the game is very rewarding. Great design for the upper playfield. Great design and challenge!!!

tk-the-jammer edited previous rating on December 06, 2016.
tk-the-jammer has owned this game in the past.

9.080/10

8 years ago

NOB

Nobrain

Pinside member

11y 23,900 40 1 21

One of the most beautiful game produce by Stren ! Can be easily understand by a noob (plays Itchy and Scratchy multiball) or a real challenge for a gamer !
I really recomand this game on a collection it's a must ahve :)

Nobrain has owned this game in the past.

8.432/10

8 years ago

ROB

aerobert

Inactive member

8y 57,800 489 2 57

Excellent theme and well made game with lots of toys but not very fun for me. I always try to give it chance when I run across it but it gets a bit boring quickly, maybe I need to spend more time on it. The lighting is really dark and dull. This game needs LEDs.

aerobert edited previous rating on January 31, 2018.

8.751/10

8 years ago

PAV

PavBall

Pinside member

Lake Charles, LA

9y 75,300 460 79

The bad: horrible lighting and the cabinet artwork is the worst I've seen on a Stern.

The good: everything else!!! Wow, what a great integration of theme into a machine and such deep rules. People say the game doesn't have great flow because it has some stop and go and is often a sharpshooters game, but that is just a matter of opinion and dependent on your play style. I like this game, would love to have it my collection one day.

7.199/10

8 years ago

BPH

yoden

Inactive member

College Station, TX

8y 31,000 2 1 8

Complex game with a lot to do. This should be one of my favorite games. Exploring the ruleset was fun originally.

The big downside to this game is the disruptive playfield. The ball is constantly in saucers or VUKs. Whether in tournament mode or not, you're compelled to grind the garage and upper playfield. Totally ruins the flow. Copious extra balls in the default ruleset turn high score games into marathons, but lack of a ball saver means less experienced players have short games.

7.676/10

8 years ago

DNA

danastude

Pinside+ Frequent

8y 53,400 47 33

The absence of knocker annoys me. Not a bad game, but it does not get much playtime in my collection. For the most part, I'm just not a Stern guy.

danastude edited previous rating on January 24, 2018.

9.758/10

8 years ago

DAD

rdbronko73

Inactive member

Vacaville, CA

9y 50,050 302 12 11

What a fun game. I'v had this game in my collection for 2 years. I'll never sell it. My entire family loves to play it. The rules and playfield is awesome. It's a keeper.

rdbronko73 currently owns this game.

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There are 494 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 9 of 20.

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