Pinside rating

This game received 408 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.915 _/10

7.915

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #90 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.083

Artwork: 7.597

Sounds/Music: 7.347

Other Aspects: 8.146

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 6 of us have rated this game.

7.305

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Found 208 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 208 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.907/10

77 days ago

MB

Bellagio

Pinside+ Member

Atlanta, GA

6y 78,550 527 3 7

Pros:
- One of the best skill shots in pinball
- Lots of flow
- “one more game” feel
- Great 80’s artwork, callouts and music

Cons:
- Shallow rules
- Repetitive

This is a game that I grew up with and will always enjoy. Everything about it screams 1980’s!

The seemingly random collection of characters in the game is one of the unusual attributes that makes Taxi great. How Gorbachev, Dracula, Pinbot, Marilyn Monroe and Santa ended up together in this game is puzzling, but somehow works out surprisingly well. The hand-drawn artwork ties everything together nicely.

As far as shots, you just can’t beat the Taxi skillshot. I would have to say it’s probably my favorite skillshot of any game, including modern games. When it’s set up correctly, everyone loves seeing the ball spinning around and around the bowl. And it is an actual skillshot, you need to adjust your plunge to hit the most desirable bonuses: 25k + passenger or 100k.

The game has some great flow to it. I like to hit Drac to have the catapult launch to the left flipper, then hit the right ramp, then hit the left ramp. I continue trying to hit ramps until the airport bonus fills up and then hit Santa for the 1M shot.

The game also includes a 2 ball multiball and another great feature- a ringing bell inside the cabinet! Everyone loves setting the bell off, it’s so loud that it actually startles guests the first time it goes off.

The downside, it’s a 30+ year old game so obviously it’s going to be shallow compared to today’s games. For its’ time period though, it’s a pretty great game that I played over and over in the arcades.

Overall, it’s a good starter game to learn how to work on a pinball machine and learn the basics of playing. It’s simple to understand so you won’t be overwhelmed with deep rulesets and complicated mechs. It’s just old school pinball fun.

Bellagio currently owns this game.

7.330/10

3 months ago

JDM

polishedball

Pinside member

3y 41,900 220 6 7

Enjoy this machine, but it is one of the sys11's that is always just a little to easy, giving up the will always keep in the lineup.

8.380/10

3 months ago

MJM

mminnoch

Pinside member

San Luis Obispo, CA

11y 35,400 123 5 12

I love Taxi. The other 80's machine in my 5 pin collection is BK2K. Systems 11's make me smile.

8.669/10

3 months ago

TPV

gearheaddropping

Pinside member

Macomb, MI

10y 63,300 1,951 15 20

I purchased a totally beater Taxi a few years ago just so I could try my hand at adding a hardtop. After I was done with the hardtop and topside restore, I spent a fair amount of time tuning it in. All I can say is wow, Taxi is probably one of the best System 11 games made. A very basic set of rules I can explain to someone in 30 seconds, but incredibly tough to achieve. This game went from a probable sell to a keeper. Out of all of the System 11 games I've owned, only Taxi and F14 remain....and Taxi gets much more plays.

gearheaddropping currently owns this game.

9.260/10

3 months ago

MHW

scupbucket

Pinside member

Buffalo, NY

6y 35,400 39 2 11

This game is such a last minute napkin sketch. It doesn't take itself seriously at all and is a blast to play. It's got Python's stoner-silly vibe, it's non-licensed with a completely meaningless theme, the soundtrack groove is gritty and could be considered Granner's best, and it reeks of the late 80s. Game wise, the timed jackpot and express lane multiball-start shots are suspenseful and satisfying, and each shot has a definite purpose to complete the story and earn points, forcing the player to make use of the entire playfield... even the spinout skill shot can be used to pick up a passenger. Definitely digging the playfield symmetry and it has a cool figure 8 flow.

scupbucket edited previous rating on April 26, 2022.
scupbucket currently owns this game.

8.840/10

6 months ago

JMH

SCATPACK

Pinside apprentice

Cleveland, OH

<1y 9,500 1 11

I've played this game so many times. It keeps coming back for more.

SCATPACK has this game on the wishlist.

7.747/10

6 months ago

???

RonSwanson

Pinside member

Auburn, AL

4y 51,800 238 5 7

Taxi is a classic late 80s game. The bizarre group of passengers and the funny callouts give the game a ton of character. The topper is simple, but perfect. I had to disable the bell because it was so loud my daughter wouldn't go near the game.

Originally I found myself avoiding the jackpot so it would build. Unfortunately, building the jackpot to maximum takes a long time. I decided to lower the jackpot max to 2,000,000 and increased the rate it builds up. This means the jackpot can be available for each game. This simple change has balanced the scoring and made the game even more fun. Taxi is a winner.

RonSwanson currently owns this game.

7.916/10

6 months ago

CGS

NoahsArkadePlayr

Pinside+ Frequent

1y 21,400 4 4 14

I first played this as a FarSight Sim and loved it,- then was able to finally play in the real at Banning and Vegas - every bit as fun and more...

8.129/10

8 months ago

TEE

Grandnational007

Pinside member

Berlin, CT

5y 53,300 995 9 16

What else can be said about this classic, that hasn't already been said?

This game exemplifies pinball. Fast. Goofy. Comical. Challenging. Fun!

A surprising amount of ways to attack this one, considering it's age. This isn't a "one shot" game. Having trouble locking a ball and starting multiball? Attack the ramps and light the million shot. Can't do that? Pick up passengers and light the jackpot.

This game has a surprising amount of depth and nuance to it's rules considering it's age. The timed jackpot shot and fastlane pickup are amazing, and really get the blood pumping as the music increases in intensity as the timer counts down. Soooooo satisfying when you hit a jackpot. And of course, the accompanying bell chiming, the music changes, and the lightshow all add to that.

Great game, classic, easy to pick up and tough to master. Pinball perfection.

Grandnational007 currently owns this game.

8.635/10

9 months ago

RY

Ryguy80

Pinside member

Spring Valley, WI

<1y 47,300 197 2 15

Taxi was what got me interested in pinball in my childhood. The game play was fast, the cast of characters as riders was interesting, and the callouts and sounds were memorable. Everything just tied together to make it one great game experience. Who can forget that jackpot bell? It was both exciting and scary at the same time. Wasn't sure if I broke the machine when I first heard it. It's a top 5 pin for me...a classic.

Ryguy80 edited previous rating on December 01, 2021.
Ryguy80 has this game on the wishlist.

8.356/10

10 months ago

???

goingo

Pinside apprentice

Klagenfurt

<1y 11,000 19 20

Fantastic System 11 machine - I love the Game - the flow is incredible and all my guests are in the same opinion
definitively a keeper

goingo edited previous rating on May 18, 2022.
goingo currently owns this game.

7.652/10

10 months ago

TSE

thetylander

Pinside member

8y 43,300 54 9 41

Instead of my usual review rants and ramblings, I’d like to tell you why Taxi is a good starter game and a keeper.
1. Pinbot. This makes it two games in one! Seriously though, the callouts from this game are funny and weird. Having Pinbot as a fare to pick up is probably the best of the celebrity fares.
2. This playfield!!! Oh this f****** playfield! When it flows the shots are just beautiful making you look like a highly skilled pro player! Then there are times when every shot makes you look like a super noob. My best game lasted about an hour, my worst lasted less than two minutes. Same day, same machine!
3. Easy to operate, maintain and repair. Taxi almost earns the “Gottlieb Bulletproof seal of Invincibility”. Pretty good considering it was a Williams system 11!!! There are few fragile areas, everything works right and, with the exception of the always mentioned battery leakage issue, everything just works. The NVRAM upgrade and a bridge rectifier fuse mod are both highly recommended. Testimony time, a location owner told me this was his most reliable machine. “I haven’t spent hardly anything on it except rubber and bulbs.” He said, “Like my damn Edsel it just goes.”
4. I am not a big fan of LED conversions but this game benefits greatly from it. Adding colors and patterns can turn this somewhat gloomy blandly lit game into something that just shouts awesome!
5. Python Anghelo and Mark Ritchie! To use baseball as a bad analogy, Ritchie is a pitcher. He knows the shots, where to place the ball and how to make you swing miss and swear his name. Every pitch was a perfect one, you just swung at it wrong.
Python was someone who lives out in left field somewhere. He just put a tent out there to live in and would stand next to it waiting for the occasional easy out catch while drawing pictures of Bad cats and Popeye. Geniuses both of them and together they made this machine! The best of both worlds in my opinion.
6. Still relatively cheap and easy to find. Not much to be said there. Value for money is still really good and Taxi comes up for sale frequently enough for you to pick and choose from.
7. Easy and hard. Great for a beginner, also great for a pinvet. I have played a LOT of pinball and I still enjoy coming back to Taxi. I am no pro player (not by a long shot) but I know fun and this is one of those machines. It can be relaxing after playing a much more intense machine, it can also frustrate you into playing again and again… “Come on!! I made that shot a million times!!! Why can’t I hit it!!!” …and so on.

With all that said why don’t I own Taxi and why isn’t it on my wish list?
Limited space. My only current system 11 machine is Jokerz! and I love it’s simplicity and it’s difficulty and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. I am trying to limit my collection to 6 machines, picking and choosing came down to patience. I never had a problem with waiting for a special machine to appear for sale in the right condition at the right price, and I don’t buy machines just to fill an empty hole in the game room. If I could have Twenty pinball machines, Taxi would definitely be on my list. Also, there is a place nearby that I can play Taxi anytime, within reason of course, for free.
As a first pin or to round out your collection, Taxi would be an excellent choice.

9.185/10

11 months ago

TTB

TempleTheBard

Pinside member

Eugene, OR

<1y 17,750 15

Taxi is always validating because of the bonuses and multipliers that happen with every plunge. It's a hard game, but rewarding. I'd love to park in front of this game for a couple of hours on free play somewhere and really get the hang of it.

9.317/10

1 year ago

KIP

RKip455

Pinside member

Somerville, AL

1y 44,150 42 13 18

Taxi is unique and iconic! Gorbachev, Pinbot, Dracula, Santa, and of course Marylin (Lola)! Simple game rule set, you always know what to do, shots are easy, yet difficult if the machine is setup properly. Game play is fun, ramps, fast pop bumpers, sounds are great, call outs awesome (although a couple more from each would have been even better) love the bell ringing, it's just a fantastic great with lasting re-playability... like someone said... Great Pin! My Fiancé' and I chased a couple and finally got a great deal from Will Snodgrass in IL. Thanks Will... it will likely always be a part of our collection.

RKip455 has owned this game in the past.

8.180/10

1 year ago

MJF

mikespins

Mikes 3D Things

Monroe, NY

1y 58,050 265 7 7

I recently played this for the first time and really enjoyed it. It's a fun game with fun missions.

8.923/10

1 year ago

JRC

JRC6000

Pinside+ Member

Bon Air, VA

1y 46,150 101 10 7

One of my favorite games, I remember playing as a kid. I like the constant challenge of picking up all of the passengers and there are vastly different shots to pick them all up.

JRC6000 has this game on the wishlist.

7.622/10

1 year ago

PO

pat4race

Pinside apprentice

Unknown

1y 19,000 1 73

Simple rules and decent shots, a fun enjoyable game for its era, just not the best.

8.400/10

1 year ago

GNS

GNStevens

Pinside member

Munster, IN

1y 24,650 1 5 16

Classic 80's! Upper playfield shots can be tricky, thus making for a challenge getting the multipliers. Great sound effects and speech, music a bit repetitive (not as bad as Comet, though). I love hitting the ramps over and over. Well balanced game!

GNStevens has owned this game in the past.

8.126/10

1 year ago

RED

Redwizard000

Pinside member

Las Vegas, NV

2y 49,400 164 4 9

It's not the most complex game ever, but it is still a good bit of fun with an easy to understand scoring\jackpot loop with a good mix of shots.

Redwizard000 currently owns this game.

8.231/10

1 year ago

MDC

killerrobots

Pinside+ Frequent

Fort Collins, CO

2y 56,300 481 13 12

So overall this is just a great, simple games. I tend to like deeper games but this is by far my favorite "simple" game. The rules are just so tight and obvious and satisfying. A really surprising amount of re-playability. Whirlwind used to be my favorite from this era but I think Taxi is my favorite now.

Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:
Rules - Simple but satisfying. I thought I would not like that you reset your passengers every ball but I kind of like it. Really solid.
Shots - Great simple layout. I like the ramps and the Gorbi shot. I also like Drac. The Carry Passangers is tricky but do-able. Good variety.
Call-outs - Quality is okay but they don't get old and really help keep track of what you need to do and what is active.
Skill-shot - This is probably my favorite skill shot. It has a real press-your-luck aspect but it is tricky to master. Also, it can really matter to your score.

Cons:
- Jackpot Reset - You have to build your Jackpot back up and it can make your next game kind of pointless. There is no setting to change this but you can make it build faster.
- Scoring - The scoring is pretty unbalanced. You really need the $4m jackpot + another jackpot to get a good score. The rest is just a bonus
Art - I like the art but it is "of its era". Very bleak 1980s New York. Particularly on the back glass. Probably a love it or hate it thing.

If someone had a medium budget and wanted something with a lot of replayability, this would be a great pick.

killerrobots edited previous rating on September 19, 2021.
killerrobots currently owns this game.

6.464/10

1 year ago

RAP

RyanStl

Pinside member

Fenton, MO

7y 95,300 3,296 1 93

I played a really nice condition Taxi tonight and it is a good game. It shot good, but the art and them aren't really what I'm in to. One thing I really like is how on the back glass they made a display line up with the taxi meter; nice touch.

9.020/10

1 year ago

GRU

Grusom

Pinside+ Frequent

Bergen

6y 54,800 1 232 135

Probably one of my best pins. You will never tire.

Grusom edited previous rating on July 25, 2022.
Grusom currently owns this game.

7.273/10

1 year ago

CLO

CarpeDeezNuts

Pinside member

Shoreline, WA

7y 22,400 5 13

Taxi is one of the games I've literally hundreds of at location plays on. It's classic representation of what makes the 80s era of Pinball great. The shots, ruleset, and having a few different scoring strategies make its staying power solid. The shots are varied and depending on how well the game is maintained, it can play very quick if the flippers are strong enough to make it up the steep ramps. Chaining ramps is a viable strategy. The 2 ball Multiball has a great 2 shot hurry up. Collecting the passengers and Jackpot is always exciting.

The two glaring negatives for me are A.) I do not find the theme interesting (I tend to prefer Sci-Fi themes) B.) The jackpot does not reset in between games until collected. This ruins it a slightly for competitive play

9.057/10

1 year ago

JAB

jbliss10

Waterland Arcade

Seattle, WA

3y 43,550 47 8

Taxi is one of my favorite pins because of its "walk up and play" accessibility and excitement to try to get jackpot. The anticipation when jackpot is lit is the most stressful intense I've experienced in pinball. And when you finally make that shot it is the most satisfying shot I've experienced in pinball. It is has both flow and sharpshooter qualities in perfect balance. The theme is mediocre but the game itself is just pure fun and very repayable.

jbliss10 currently owns this game.

7.469/10

2 years ago

TKM

Daditude

Pinside Moderator

Rockwall, TX

4y 257K 7,967 14 268

This game is a true classic. Fun and funny. Lots of shots. Great call outs. Pure system 11 goodness.

Daditude edited previous rating on September 12, 2020.

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