Bally

Theatre of Magic

Pinside Rating

This game received 1089 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.439 _/10

8.439

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #38 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.633

Artwork: 8.509

Sounds/Music: 7.824

Other Aspects: 8.48

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.

8.528

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Found 578 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 578 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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9.520/10

7 years ago

BOZ

ausretrogamer

7y 69,050 751 4 9

There is a good reason why this machine is rated so highly, it is pretty much the perfect pinball machine. No matter your skill level, ToM caters for all. This is a timeless classic

8.860/10

7 years ago

JTC

In my opinion this is a great game with great flow meaning that you have an opportunity to really get the ball moving as opposed to hitting consecutive start/stop shots. The game's dependence on the magic trunk gets old and the call out for "shoot the magic trunk" makes you want to answer the game. In other words, when in doubt, hit the trunk. That said, the game is a favorite and it is one that makes people who don't normally play pinball what to play pinball. It's kid friendly and generally the callouts are positive and uplifting - e.g. "You can do it" and "You have the magic". These get repeated a little too often but they Make the game more fun and I don't mind being complimented especially when I'm having a crappy day/game. Lack of a meaningful skill shot is a downer as well.

7.718/10

7 years ago

MAX

mbaumle

Pinside member

Gloucester Township, NJ

8y 119K 4,200 18 32

This is a real solid pinball machine. The artwork is grandiose, and the music is lush. The game is pretty linear, and easy to understand. The wizard mode, however, is disappointing. I really enjoy the flow of this game, but the variety of the shots needed to complete various tasks seems to get repetitive.

In a way, I wish the designers implemented more "tricks" into the design of the playfield. Vanish is neat, so is the mirror behind the bonus rollovers, and the magnasave over the inlanes catches you by surprise. Other than that, though, and the rest of the "magic" falls flat. By comparison, Capcom's "Pinball Magic" has a lot more interesting things on the playfield: a levitating ball, magic wand, magic trunk, and one of the coolest skill shots around.

This game excels in artwork, sound and music. The gameplay is somewhat lackluster.

10.000/10

8 years ago

TOM

pinballinreno

Computer Extreme

9y 134K 15,510 31

A fast playing game with great loops and combos.
The use of magnets and magic tricks is impressive.

pinballinreno edited previous rating on April 22, 2016.

9.760/10

8 years ago

RPO

rockingrik

Pinside member

Madison, AL

11y 47,150 45 22 13

Great game!

rockingrik currently owns this game.

6.745/10

8 years ago

ATL

Lemank

Pinside member

8y 70,050 470 9 63 1

Good game and very fun to play. There are a ton of shots to hit

9.156/10

8 years ago

PAL

pinballpaully

Pinside member

Alexandria, VA

11y 49,400 102 4 23 1

One of my favorite pins of all time. Awesome multiball!

pinballpaully has this game on the wishlist.

9.095/10

8 years ago

DON

BirdmanCrowe

Inactive member

Sugar Hill, GA

8y 24,250 6 8

A visually stunning machine. A good combination of battling the trunk and flow with many interesting ramps

BirdmanCrowe currently owns this game.

8.012/10

8 years ago

JDC

JosiahCox

Inactive member

10y 56,550 696 19

What a great playing, fun to look at game! Pity that it has suck a shallow rule set. I am currently babysitting this game and am having a blast playing it but I am already seeing how it would got old quickly unless you have a big collection. It is a ton of fun to play however. So fast and mean when set up right. Not sure it's really worth the going price for what you get game wise.

8.072/10

8 years ago

PPP

pauloz

Inactive member

11y 93,400 1,514 13 26

Good looking game but a bit too easy. Do not regret selling this one.

pauloz edited previous rating on February 18, 2016.
pauloz has owned this game in the past.

9.660/10

8 years ago

BVK

Bramvk

Inactive member

8y 32,150 67 1 12

This is a great game. Played it for years and still. Very fast and fun but not easy to complete (up to The Grand Finale) this game. Love the gaming rules.

Bramvk edited previous rating on February 05, 2016.
Bramvk has owned this game in the past.

7.951/10

8 years ago

CON

ApolloPete

Inactive member

Calgary, AB

8y 17,900 1 5 10

Great game play

9.320/10

8 years ago

TOM

tomh52722

Pinside member

Strongsville, OH

9y 54,050 421 9 12

This is my favorite game of all time. I love the trunk and multiball mode. There are several game modes that keep you entertained. Have never owner this game, but have spent lots of money playing it over the years, have driven far away to play it, and it will be in my collection someday.

tomh52722 has this game on the wishlist.

7.842/10

8 years ago

WAL

Awalls

Pinside member

Aloha, OR

8y 20,900 14 2 9

This is one of those pins that makes you feel like you are a better player than you are. I loved this machine when I was first learning how to play. I instantly wanted one and still do. That being said, it does have a number of flaws that leave it overrated in my opinion. Going for the magic trunk over and over gets old. Also not a fan of how easy it is to start MB. The call outs get old and the wizard mode is kind of a joke. I still have fun playing this pin but it gets old.

7.448/10

8 years ago

PSG

PeterG

Pinside member

8y 88,300 2,144 65

Well this is a crowded machine. There is a lot the figure out, but gets repetitive fast. The trunk is a nice thing, but you're hitting it a lot. The ramps are ok. I like to play it but not the first machine to run to, the theme and music, playfield, just not appealing to me. But nice machine. Play it but not own it. Just not for me..

7.818/10

8 years ago

TBK

xTheBlackKnightx

Pinside member

8y 128K 4,097 137

Another one of John Popadiuk's overrated pinball machines by new players whose rating is skewed on PinSide.

The game is an AMAZING piece of (f)art (for collectors).
I did decide to keep a NOS translite on my wall as a keepsake.
Artwork does not equal a good pinball machine, folks, go study some pinball from PAPA and come back after watching around 50 videos, and you will change your mind.

A VERY WEAK ruleset that appeals to people who "think" they are pinball aficionados.
It has the ruleset depth of a rain puddle that you will know from memory in less than 20 games.
Do not get me wrong, it is NOT a bad game, however Capcom's Pinball Magic (PM) makes ToM look like it has its pants around its ankles, and getting spanked repeatedly the whole time.
PM has better "tricks" too, immediately starting with the "skill shot", and it just keeps getting better from there.

This game is notorious for magnetizing balls and getting them stuck all over the game including just below the trunk, not just the trough. It really sucks when you have to constantly jiggle the game to play it.

99% of all people who play/own this machine really like the game...for the first 100 games or so.
Then they realize the game is just "shoot the trunk", "shoot the ramp", and "shoot the trapdoor".
After that they go, "what was I thinking"? (Insert Bill Engvall)

If you own the game, you WILL eventually get tired of it, and sell it off hopefully for equal or more than you paid for it in the first place as the prices rise to pass it off to the next new collector, and then the cycle begins anew. It has been that way for 2 decades with no sign of stopping. History proves me right. (See the review below...)

I owned mine for over 4 years as a serious collector, mostly for the artwork and the fact it is a good game for beginners or non-pinball guests, and then let it move on down the river...for profit.

Good overall shot flow on the ramps and orbits.
Good DMD animations, excellent sound, classic Popadiuk "windup" to MB, and then POOF! that is it.
The music starts looping again.
The artwork saves this game from being a 7.5 or less overall.

Absolutely one of the WEAKEST wizard modes in the history of pinball, for those that actually have one in the code.
There is NO "Grand Finale", it is a joke, and can be obtained with very little practice.
Some people do not even know they played it, let alone completed the game.
It is almost like Jeff Johnson said "ah $#%@ it, they will play the game anyway, who cares about a wizard mode".

"Must play"? Yes.
"Must own"? No.
"Deep gameplay"? 1 * 10^6 HA + HA.
"Must be a 9+ out of 10"? No $#%@ing way.

Bottom line, go buy a Capcom Pinball Magic.
It is $3000+ cheaper and 10X the overall game value.

"You have the MAGIC"!
Actually, it does not, and if you rate this machine 10/10, you have been collecting for less than 4 years, decided live in your parent's basement or at the top of a mountain as a hermit, or have just not sold the machine yet. You will.
Get out of your basement and stop fapping on this machine.
"Fap, fap, fap, this game feels so good, fap, fap, fap".

xTheBlackKnightx edited previous rating on January 28, 2016.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.076/10

8 years ago

DNA

danastude

Pinside+ Frequent

8y 53,400 47 33

The machine is a work of art.

danastude edited previous rating on March 15, 2017.

6.476/10

8 years ago

DAD

rdbronko73

Inactive member

Vacaville, CA

9y 50,050 302 12 11

I've owned a TOM for the last 2 years. It is boring. It will be the first game I replace in my collection. Hitting the trunk all the time gets old. The use of magnets is great. I don't understand why it is ranked so high, but when I go to sell it that will help my profit.

8.220/10

8 years ago

SJD

muzikman

Pinside member

10y 58,400 142 88

Sure the trunk is cool and I like the visual effect of the mirror in the back, but it gets a bit repetitive and doesn't pull me in the way many of the other top games do.

muzikman edited previous rating on April 11, 2016.

9.620/10

8 years ago

SD

jokerpoker

Pinside+ Frequent

Nowra

11y 86,050 1,494 3 22

Loved having this game and kept it for quite a long time. If I didn't have room/budget restraints this would never have left. Good fun fast and flowing with great rule set for all type players.

jokerpoker edited previous rating on February 02, 2022.
jokerpoker has owned this game in the past.

8.756/10

8 years ago

JAM

jroakland

Pinside member

Oakland, CA

13y 60,050 106 7 111

another great game ,great ramps , rules,trunk is sweet,another machine that is a keeper if i can get one at a decent price,skill shot is jus alright the only bad in my opinion but i still want one someday,play it, if you find one somewhere you will love it,i cant find a good one to play in the wild anymore,so sad!

9.760/10

8 years ago

TEW

stbaxter

Inactive member

Mirrabooka

9y 24,650 2 5 12

Loved playing it in the late 90s so much fun, and now I own one and I'm still loving it.. I'm a big fan of the Bally and Williams pins..

stbaxter has owned this game in the past.

8.004/10

8 years ago

ROG

Rogier

Inactive member

Zürich

8y 14,900 8 2 6

This game is a blast (from the past) to play! The trunk shooting can be boring in the long run, but many other machines have worse "bashing" toys. Love the magnet save and shooting onto the trunk magnet for multiball.

8.560/10

8 years ago

FIL

Pippo

Pinside member

Monza

9y 22,250 10 36

For sure one of the "must have" of Bally !

Pippo edited previous rating on January 25, 2018.
Pippo currently owns this game.

8.384/10

8 years ago

TF

tonyf1965

Pinside+ Frequent

Peoria, IL

12y 81,800 939 13 23

Lots of shots looks amazing. Nice game, fun too.

tonyf1965 edited previous rating on November 05, 2021.

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There are 578 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 9 of 24.

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