Pinside rating
This game received 312 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.268 /10
Top 100 ranking
This game ranks 2nd in the game group "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". The group itself ranks #43 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 8.043
Artwork: 8.675
Sounds/Music: 7.976
Other Aspects: 8.275
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.
This game is part of a group
Note! There are multiple versions of this game!
This is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Pro)".
The other versions are: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Premium), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (LE)
Found 122 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 122 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 5.
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Zaragoza
9.020/10
85 days ago
Cullercoats
Very fast- lair shot I found impossible and hitting the ramps via the third flipper were tight. Took quite a few games to get used to without draining quickly- as a child of the 80’s / 90’s this theme and the art sing to me. Probably a very rewarding home use game once you dial in the shots. I like the coop mode- more of this needed in new pins please Stern.
9.436/10
4 months ago
Coos Bay, OR
The theme, art and game play totally bowled me over. Never thought I'd play a pin that topped my personal favorite (Circus Voltaire) but here we are. There are few nitpicks but boy are they ever minor. A tough game with that "one more chance" feel to it. 4 player options, cooperative options, multiple play modes, episodes, excellent lighting and music. A keeper for sure, it'll take an act of god to remove this game from my line-up. THE best Pro vs. Premium option out there from Stern IMO.
8.940/10
4 months ago
Hard as hell, but fun as hell. Beautiful art, and cool playfield. Nothing too fancy, but the game is just fun. I will probably own this game someday, and if you’re a tmnt fan, it’s worth checking out.
9.600/10
4 months ago
The game is hard, but that’s a good thing.
You won’t be mastering and getting tired of this title quickly.
Art work is some of the best for a theme in all of pinball.
For a Pro model from Stern it’s one of the best values.
Your not going to miss big play field mechanics going with just the Pro model. It’s also stacked compared to other Pro models in Sterns line. For the price you just get more here.
Waxing the play field is very advantageous for this pin. This will smooth out the tight shots and make it play wickedly fast.
This is the pin to play if you want to get good at pinball. The skills you gain on this machine will translate very well to other more forgiving games.
Code and lore are legit for this game if you know the show and characters they nailed it.
Light show is very pretty, choice of lighting for different modes pays off.
If you can get to the Dimension X mode the mood lighting gets you pumped.
Activating multiball is easy and its s great way to knock out a mode. Just make sure you stack a mode with an episode to get the most out of your multiball game. Pizza toppings are a cool feature for stacking bonus during multiball mode.
Try not to use the easy multiball right away so you get the most of out of it.
The Ralph and Casey Jones duel ball mode is cool too.
There are a lot of secret modes in this game you only come across if your play it a lot. I’m still a hack at this game with my highest score in the 35 mil range, but if I have seen all this from such a low score imagine what’s in store when you start racking up those pro level scores.
Super fun, gorgeous art, challenging unique game play,
and Co-Op!
You won’t be mastering and getting tired of this title quickly.
Art work is some of the best for a theme in all of pinball.
For a Pro model from Stern it’s one of the best values.
Your not going to miss big play field mechanics going with just the Pro model. It’s also stacked compared to other Pro models in Sterns line. For the price you just get more here.
Waxing the play field is very advantageous for this pin. This will smooth out the tight shots and make it play wickedly fast.
This is the pin to play if you want to get good at pinball. The skills you gain on this machine will translate very well to other more forgiving games.
Code and lore are legit for this game if you know the show and characters they nailed it.
Light show is very pretty, choice of lighting for different modes pays off.
If you can get to the Dimension X mode the mood lighting gets you pumped.
Activating multiball is easy and its s great way to knock out a mode. Just make sure you stack a mode with an episode to get the most out of your multiball game. Pizza toppings are a cool feature for stacking bonus during multiball mode.
Try not to use the easy multiball right away so you get the most of out of it.
The Ralph and Casey Jones duel ball mode is cool too.
There are a lot of secret modes in this game you only come across if your play it a lot. I’m still a hack at this game with my highest score in the 35 mil range, but if I have seen all this from such a low score imagine what’s in store when you start racking up those pro level scores.
Super fun, gorgeous art, challenging unique game play,
and Co-Op!
9.860/10
5 months ago
Overall I absolutely love this TMNT pin! I just wish they could’ve used some of the original voice actors. But the ball flow is good, the game is a little fast but that’s what I’m used to. Love the art and set up of the pin itself. Overall a 9 out of 10 for me.
8.768/10
5 months ago
TMNT took me some time to warm up to at first. I played it in the arcade. It was pretty brutal. I'm an average player, so missing the right ramp to drain over and over was frustrating. The theme kept me around. After a few visits, getting to know the shots, the game got a bit easier. Now I was doing more than just going to episodes. I ended up trading my AIQ pro for a TMNT Pro to give it more time because though AIQ shot amazingly well and the code depth felt great, I wasn't getting much personality from it.
Now that I've owned TMNT, I'm even more happy with it. Shots are getting much easier and the flow is starting to kick in. I'm starting to thinking about when to take training modes, strategies per turtle, multiball stacking with the modes. Unlike AIQ, the voice acting pull this game together. It feels full of personality and cool moments like Slash dimension X, Neutrino Pizza Party, even just 1-2-3 foot and training feel like special moments despite their repeat. It's a difficult game that feels great when things are going right.
I could see a desire for more depth, but there is a lot to do, and what there IS to do is still quite a bit considering how brutal the game can be. Overall, it's just a fun experience that doesn't hold a candle to something like Godzilla or Jurassic Park, but I think this game is a bit more overlooked than it should be.
Now that I've owned TMNT, I'm even more happy with it. Shots are getting much easier and the flow is starting to kick in. I'm starting to thinking about when to take training modes, strategies per turtle, multiball stacking with the modes. Unlike AIQ, the voice acting pull this game together. It feels full of personality and cool moments like Slash dimension X, Neutrino Pizza Party, even just 1-2-3 foot and training feel like special moments despite their repeat. It's a difficult game that feels great when things are going right.
I could see a desire for more depth, but there is a lot to do, and what there IS to do is still quite a bit considering how brutal the game can be. Overall, it's just a fun experience that doesn't hold a candle to something like Godzilla or Jurassic Park, but I think this game is a bit more overlooked than it should be.
5.396/10
5 months ago
Not a fan, which is a disappointment considering how much I love TMNT. The artwork, music, sounds, animation, etc are all excellent. I haven't played with the 87 cartoon mod, but I thoroughly enjoyed the stock package. The game itself, however, is a mess. Shots are extremely tight and I never felt there was a good flow as a result. Worse, if you miss, this game will absolutely punish you for it. Almost every post the ball hits causes a drain. Extremely frustrating layout. Shots feel "off", and I could never get into a good rhythm as a result. Selecting turtles based on skills is interesting, but you'll only use 1 or 2, depending on your play style. The foot combo is atrocious and will trigger almost every turn. The shots are brutal and it will override your progress on building right ramp shots for multiball. Stacking modes isn't a possibility, so activating multiball isnt as much fun as it should be. Scoring is very low and unrewarding. Stringing together multiple shots or going ham on multiball has little to no payoff. 50 million was the highest score I ever had (Michaelangelo) and I never came close to that again, usually averaging 20-30 million on a decent game. When you drain a good ball only to look up and see a few hundred thousand points, it's a hard pill to swallow. Code could use improvement, but the added "race home" feature provided in a recent update was a welcome addition. I'd give this one a hard pass. It only stayed in my collection a very short time and served no purpose beyond eye candy, or checking someone's ego after playing a good game on another machine. Beautiful game, lousy gameplay.
9.280/10
5 months ago
This is a love/hate game for me. Everything about it brings back some great memories when I was a kid and was really into TMNT. I am glad stern did the classic TMNT theme and not the newer Japanimation style. This game is HARD and takes a while to get a solid grasp of the rules, scoring and what to do to maximize your score. The layout and flow of this game is very well designed and is a blast with all of the competitive modes when you have friends over. Music is spot on and theming cannot be beat. The animations need some work but I hardly look at the screen during gameplay. I can nitpick pretty hard but no reason to do so...all pins have their issues and none of them on this machine stand out as killers. Be aware that this game may not be fun for kids younger than 7. It took my son a while to figure out what to do but he currently holds the high score and has kept it for a few months.
7.174/10
6 months ago
I mean.... It looks sooooo good. But it loses in the fun to play area.
It's soooo fast. Which is good. But for a Stern to be this weird about scoring is bonkers. It's so unbalanced (maybe a code update?). Sure you can play for a good time, but scoring is just out of whack.
It is fun to shoot. The ramp is super tight. The truck is a fun shot but honestly all it has going for it. Spinning pizza is what it is.
Cool features, cool theme, but doesn't add up to a great game.
It's soooo fast. Which is good. But for a Stern to be this weird about scoring is bonkers. It's so unbalanced (maybe a code update?). Sure you can play for a good time, but scoring is just out of whack.
It is fun to shoot. The ramp is super tight. The truck is a fun shot but honestly all it has going for it. Spinning pizza is what it is.
Cool features, cool theme, but doesn't add up to a great game.
9.536/10
6 months ago
Nanaimo, BC
Game is very fast and shots flow well together. This is a tough but rewarding layout. Love the theme and it is very well represented by stern. Middle ramp and krang combos are both very fast shot and fun to hit. Lair shot is one of the most unique shots I have seen.
Artwork by zombie yeti is near perfect for the tmnt theme and all the musics is very well done. Code is the one spot where it could be better and that will improve with updates. Pro is great value for a new stern. Highly recommend!
Artwork by zombie yeti is near perfect for the tmnt theme and all the musics is very well done. Code is the one spot where it could be better and that will improve with updates. Pro is great value for a new stern. Highly recommend!
8.820/10
7 months ago
Melbourne
Can I say that I hate the theme. I'm a pinball player and not a collector, so my rating is based on the game play and because of that I rate it one of Sterns best. The loop combo you can hit and a hundred miles and hour is satisfying as is the ruleset which is probably slightly generic. The ability to play different characters also adds to the game.
Compare this to one of my faves from the 90s - congo, its an enhanced version of that game with new rules. Also compares to Tron with that loop shot - another fave of mine. I can understand people not liking it if they don't really play much pinball as the shots can be tight. If however, you're an ok pinball player, buy one. if you're a collector you'll only like it if you like TMNT.
Compare this to one of my faves from the 90s - congo, its an enhanced version of that game with new rules. Also compares to Tron with that loop shot - another fave of mine. I can understand people not liking it if they don't really play much pinball as the shots can be tight. If however, you're an ok pinball player, buy one. if you're a collector you'll only like it if you like TMNT.
8.368/10
10 months ago
TMNT is a very fast a flowy game with many things to tackle. It's easy to tell that the game was designed to have combos in mind, with both the layout and software. It feels really incredible to chain together just the right shots in a row for completing the foot combo, and grabbing your weapon hurry up, and scoring a Krang combo all at the same time. There are 4 shots that feed the upper flipper, so it always feel like there is ample opportunity to make the shots there. The modes are fun and interesting. While the game might not be as deep as some, the speed and difficulty of the outlanes will keep you coming back to make it to the final Cowabunga wizard mode, and I appreciate that the rules are easily understandable.
7.840/10
10 months ago
One of the best value Pro models out there next to Dead Pool. The pro offers great features without feeling like it is missing out on some of the toys from the Premium/LE models. It's also great to look at. There is so much going on in the artwork and playfield layout with ramps, toys and wire forms that it feels like it is worth every penny when compared to some other more recent Sterns like Led Zeppelin.
For a title based on a children's cartoon, it can be a tough game. When your aim is on, the flow is great, and chaining ramp shots feels really gratifying. When hit perfectly, the Krang combo, 1-2-3 foot combo, or chaining left ramp to right ramp to ninja pizza to start a mode is lightning fast and feels amazing. That being said, if your aim is off, shots like the lair, ninja pizza, and the tight right orbit can feel clunky and add to frustration. Not that you need more frustration, since the gaping left outlane provides more than enough frustration for most players. The spinning pizza disc adds chaos to the playfield and forces the player to stay on their toes as it imparts spin or throws the ball towards outlanes and drains. If the game has too much pitch, some shots can no longer be backhanded (left ramp). The right ramp seems to always be accessible by backhand, and feels good doing so.
Since the 1.41 code update adding final battle and half shell challenges accessible from the start, and some tuning, it has really helped the game. Half shell is a blast, and is great to start up for the younger or more beginning players as it will keep relaunching the ball until they make the shots giving a more forgiving experience. The Co-op feature is also great to get younger players into the game, or just to have fun with friends with the ability to have 1v3, 1v2 and 2v2 battles.
Some tuning still needs to be done. Multiball modes have some blinding lighting effects that make you lose sight of the ball, which seems a bit unfair. The 1-2-3 Foot combo needs to be reworked since it seems to constantly trigger, and has what feels like a meager payout for the effort. Scoring in general is low, and some of the Turtles could use some rebalancing as Raphael is really the only character to choose if you are chasing a high score. Donatello is almost handicapped since it all but forces you into turtle power multiball before you can start a mode and really build up your score. The lair ball save timer is a must to set, and really should be the default. Stern should also add a launch ball save timer option as it can be frustrating to lock a ball, and then the launch sends it for a center drain.
All in all, it's a hugely addicting game that challenges the player with a lot if fun shots to explore. While it can be frustrating at times when not on your game, I find myself coming back to it again and again.
*Edit* I updated my ratings after I owned it for a year or so. Scores dropped on lastability (I played it a lot but ultimately let it go), lighting (those flashers blind you), and layout (there are some clunky shots that required too often)
For a title based on a children's cartoon, it can be a tough game. When your aim is on, the flow is great, and chaining ramp shots feels really gratifying. When hit perfectly, the Krang combo, 1-2-3 foot combo, or chaining left ramp to right ramp to ninja pizza to start a mode is lightning fast and feels amazing. That being said, if your aim is off, shots like the lair, ninja pizza, and the tight right orbit can feel clunky and add to frustration. Not that you need more frustration, since the gaping left outlane provides more than enough frustration for most players. The spinning pizza disc adds chaos to the playfield and forces the player to stay on their toes as it imparts spin or throws the ball towards outlanes and drains. If the game has too much pitch, some shots can no longer be backhanded (left ramp). The right ramp seems to always be accessible by backhand, and feels good doing so.
Since the 1.41 code update adding final battle and half shell challenges accessible from the start, and some tuning, it has really helped the game. Half shell is a blast, and is great to start up for the younger or more beginning players as it will keep relaunching the ball until they make the shots giving a more forgiving experience. The Co-op feature is also great to get younger players into the game, or just to have fun with friends with the ability to have 1v3, 1v2 and 2v2 battles.
Some tuning still needs to be done. Multiball modes have some blinding lighting effects that make you lose sight of the ball, which seems a bit unfair. The 1-2-3 Foot combo needs to be reworked since it seems to constantly trigger, and has what feels like a meager payout for the effort. Scoring in general is low, and some of the Turtles could use some rebalancing as Raphael is really the only character to choose if you are chasing a high score. Donatello is almost handicapped since it all but forces you into turtle power multiball before you can start a mode and really build up your score. The lair ball save timer is a must to set, and really should be the default. Stern should also add a launch ball save timer option as it can be frustrating to lock a ball, and then the launch sends it for a center drain.
All in all, it's a hugely addicting game that challenges the player with a lot if fun shots to explore. While it can be frustrating at times when not on your game, I find myself coming back to it again and again.
*Edit* I updated my ratings after I owned it for a year or so. Scores dropped on lastability (I played it a lot but ultimately let it go), lighting (those flashers blind you), and layout (there are some clunky shots that required too often)
7.987/10
10 months ago
I was very excited to try one at my local spot but covid hit and they stopped pinball. I was so eager to play and finally found a great deal on a used one. I was very eager to check out the co op mode. What a great idea. It’s very well done with the theme in that it’s fun like how the turtles are. Fun for anyone and every level. Kind of reminded me of an inverted whirlwind. The pizza multi ball magnet when the pizza spins is awesome. Shots are a bit tight but there are some good ones. The lair shot was a cool one but the ball would drain coming out of it. Love how the shots change with each turtle. I found it drained a lot. I would lose almost every ball via drains every game which got to be frustrating. Call outs got to be a bit repetitive after awhile but I thought the music was good. I found myself singing the turtles song all the time. Eventually parted ways with it but I would still play it out if I saw it.
6.431/10
10 months ago
On theme alone, I was expecting this one to be bolted to the floor. Borg put together a pretty decent layout, but it was all put to waste with the Dwight phoned in, completely uninspired coding. As much as I liked hitting the shots, the code sucked out the joy. After two weeks, I didn't even turn it on. Dwight needs to put more time into these games, and actually FINISH them! No more Dwight games for me. Hopefully they partner Borg with someone else for his next game.
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