Total Nuclear Annihilation

Pinside rating

This game received 478 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.210 /10

8.21

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #59 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.



Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.914

Artwork: 7.662

Sounds/Music: 8.756

Other Aspects: 8.312


Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 4 of us have rated this game.

7.619

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This title is part of group: "Total Nuclear Annihilation"


Found 225 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 225 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 8 of 9.

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9.028/10
6 years ago
A breath a fresh air during a time when the same ol' same ol' is coming out from the other manufacturer. The music and sound is the BEST in pinball. The gameplay is fast, fun, addicting, and will have you pressing start one more time. Just gotta lock the ball, just gotta hit the keypad, just gotta start the reactor...Just gotta stay alive! The layout, lights, music all done by Scott Danesi; the incredible art done by Matt Andrews. I can play this game all day every day.
7.907/10
6 years ago
I walked into Cactus Jack's in OKC totally surprised to see this at their arcade so I hopped on it right away, totally pumped to be able to play one. The game is fun and the sound is definitely the best of any game I've ever played, but it feels a little repetitive even after a few games. When I got done playing I had very little desire to play it anymore like I do other short ball time games like Iron Man. Basically, I find it fun to play and would play one on location from time to time, but it wasn't something I had a desire to own after playing (at least at this time). That may change over time.
9.196/10
6 years ago
I just got to play this game and it blew me away. Rules are awesome, the sound is premium, the simplicity yet depth is outstanding. My complaint would be I wish some of the standups were drops but it probably would slow the game down so tough call.
7.637/10
6 years ago
Cool sounds, fast game, great lighting. Unique features. However I feel like this game plays too fast for itself. I wish the core didn't take so much space. The bottom part of the playfield seems too small because the ball is flying around like crazy. Don't get me wrong, I like fast pins but this just didn't feel right. Very rinse and repeat gameplay. Not for me I guess.
1.648/10
6 years ago
I wen't to play this game over the weekend at pinball gallery and see what all the great ratings is about as I had absolutely no interest in getting this game or any spooky games. I am so shocked at the rating of this game - that now I know the rating on pinside is completely bogus. This game is one of the worse games I have played EVER - is it because these pinball manufacturers are fooling everyone by putting in an LCD screen and pretty much taking out the play field toys, etc. Similar to what Stern had done since Ghostbusters. If this game had a negative score I would be giving it ... I usually stand down and don't speak up about the ridiculous ratings on pinside. But this game with NO RAMPS should not be in the top 100 games, sorry.
9.520/10
6 years ago
This game is PIMP. Fast af with great flow. Best music on any game I've ever played.
8.183/10
6 years ago
I haven't been a fan of the older style games since, well since pinball tables started going vertical and multi-level in the mid eighties. To me it seems pointless the go back to the banality of old style pinball tables. But this game cleverly takes the old school game to new levels by stepping the action WAY up with awesome, pulsating lights, music and sound; a hyperactive shaker motor; seemingly simple but deceptively challenging shots; clever multiball; an awesome theme and incredibly kinetic twists in pinball table dynamics. This is a VERY well designed and built pin and the manufacturers have really stepped up classic pinball. Bravo Spooky Pinball... Well done.
7.265/10
6 years ago
Passion: The passion behind making this project gets an A+. Considering my deep appreciation for the designer and his passion, I wish I had the same enthusiasm for the shot map and playfield layout.

Playfield: With two long shots, and a very uneventful upper playfield, I don't enjoy what I consider to be the most important shots in the game -- the long shots. My favorite games all have 3-5 long shots that can detain the ball during a multiball. Drop target banks are missing once again from a Spooky game. Big let down for me.

Rules: While I don't know what they are, based off the videos I've seen, and the other Spooky titles, I expect these rules to be top notch. One incredible aspect of the rules is that there can be competition play where players 1 + 2 team up against 3 + 4. This is brilliant. Unfortunately for me, I'm not a rules guy, I'm a layout guy.

Art/Music: Very good. I was in an arcade, and I wasn't paying attention to whether the bonus countdown is as awesome as an early 80's Williams or Bally game, or whether it's rushed and summed up in front of you like a modern. Either way, this is fixable in code, since the inserts are there.

Considering the ramp-heavy competition, I think it's a miracle that this flat layout and theme got produced, and I hope that Spooky continues to take chances with flat games.

RZ is a better game -- it has a more open PF, and more long-shots (4?) to make "detainable" MB play more fun. But I think both are in competition for least-interesting upper playfields of all time. If Pinball is hard, upper playfields are proving to be impossible these days.

PS. I love the countdown display near the flippers. Also, the near immediate scoop firing is great... Almost too fast.
8.540/10
6 years ago
Danesi Lock! tough brutal game with only two main objectives. . .Multiball and reactors. . .great throwback with moder technology.
8.605/10
6 years ago
Great fast game, love the lock system, stealing the multiball. Playfield art is not my thing, I like the backglass. I really like the music, excellent job. Love the retro look of the displays. So no toys on the playfield. Looking a bit empty but such a great game to play. Probably not alone but with friends. Not the machine to own if you have a limited collection, but will do great in a bigger collection, as of 7 games or so.
8.995/10
6 years ago
fun, fast and action packed.

Good
Best light effects ever in pinball
great sound and music
intense, short ball time
nuanced rules like ball save lane change, time run, co-op and vs modes
excellent pop bumper and ball lock/jackpot shots
skill shot

Bad
somewhat lacking satisfying shots (orbit are the only shots that return to flipper)
upper play field area takes up a lot of room

summary
- a one trick pony (destroying the reactors) however it's a f-n great trick.
9.240/10
6 years ago
I am a big fan of all things 80s, especially Retro-futuristic (I’m a huge Epcot fan for example). When I first heard about this game I wasn’t thinking much of it due to the fact it didn’t look as elaborate as the other new games and the 90s B/W games I love so much.

My thoughts changed when I attended the PBL launch party and actually got to play it and see it in person. Such a cool idea to have a flashback/retro 80s game with an original theme and modern technology! I can understand that this kind of thing won’t gel with everyone, as there are other games people find cheesy that I think are cool for that very reason (see Rollergames) but this is right up my alley. Always try something out first to see if you personally like it. For myself though, this game is great! I love the theme, the music and the lighting. The game feels well built and solid. Some games have this cheap feel and this one certainly doesn’t. Scott did a great job is all aspects of this game. The gameplay is super fast with more to do than you’d think when you first see the layout and I love the lock mechanism. I’ve got to play again on location and my opinion on it is still the same. I look forward to owning one of these someday!

EDIT: I have now owned this for over 3 years and it’s still just as fun as it was on the first day! Always a hit when friends are over, especially in Co-op mode! You wouldn’t want this as your only game but so long as you have a couple others it still does well in a collection!
8.860/10
6 years ago
i really like this game! actually scary at times with the music and female voice counting down.
6.655/10
6 years ago
Their games are well made, but way to basic for me. Feels like 1985 level of game design.
6.245/10
6 years ago
Capturing the theme, lighting, and sound quality are top notch. The sounds and music are repetitive, which is likely ok for a location - the beat will probably be the draw. The game play is fairly repetitive too. The shots and playfield layout very much remind me of EM type of game - no ramps or fancy toys. It seems like a EM that has the sound and flashy lights of the modern pins. It was fun to play, but I would get tired of it quickly if it was my only pin. This would be a VERY good compliment to a collection of 8 or more pins made within the last 10 years for variation in your line up. It could do well on location with other pins as well. I'm not a big fan of the EM style of pins, so it is not something for me to own, but would put some quarters in it for a game or two on location.
7.248/10
6 years ago
Finely got to play this game and I really couldn’t get into it. The sounds were pretty cool, the lighting was good, but the game play was flat. It felt like a older game with a facelift. I don’t think it’s a bad game but it’s just not for me. If you like older system 11 games then this probably will be up your alley.
7.840/10
6 years ago
I got to put some time on this tonight at a friend's house. Awesome job Scott and Spooky. Such a simple layout but crazy fast and addictive. It was so much fun!
9.705/10
6 years ago
I am really enjoying TNA. It is very addictive. I keep coming back to the game. So different than the pins coming out today. The build quality is really good. I ordered the butter graphics and they look amazing. It really makes the game standout. Well worth the money in my opinion. The light show this game will blow you away. So cool. This game plays fast!!! Simple rules just hard a hell to accomplish and advance in the game. The ball lock is unique and different, a great game to play with others. Ball locks can be stolen! If you get a chance to play one do it. You will really enjoy the game!!
6.272/10
6 years ago
Credit where credit is due for breaking away from the current style of game design and bringing back the style and hardware of the late-EM and early-SS eras but with the speed, flow, excitement, and sound effects that those games lack.

Lots of fun as a diversion and/or as a tournament game. But I imagine that the game would get very repetitive very fast in a small home collection.

Also, while I've heard many people comment favorably on the price, I have a hard time agreeing on that point. Given how little the game offers in terms of technology and hardware compared to other new machines, it seems overpriced to me.
6.517/10
6 years ago
Decent. Top 10??.. Like others have said-looks and plays like the old time pinballs with a retros 80s feel and a mid size display. Don’t want to discourage an interesting company and creative force, but not my type of pinball. Try it before you buy- if that needs to be said... There are a lot of targets and that middle circle that reminds me of the Mos Eisley pinball in the Star Wars app. No ramps?! Maybe I was horrible, but ball seemed to hit post by right flipper lane and go out, often. Music, sound are awesome.
8.620/10
6 years ago
This game totally rocks!!!! I have owned many of the top pins and I personally believe this one deserves to stay in the top 10. I couldn't stop playing it over and over. It's like Meteor on steroids and the music is really cool. This will be one game I have to own.
10.000/10
6 years ago
I designed the game and I could not be more proud of the final result. Everything that I wanted in the game made it to the production version. There are even a few things that were made better in the production version than the whitewood concept. I truly, in my eyes think this is a 10/10 pinball machine. I worked extremely hard on the music to really make people feel like they were in the game. Please give this machine a shot in real life, the videos do not do it justice. :) Also, thank you to everyone that helped make this project possible. <3
9.180/10
6 years ago
This game is amazing, despite it simple single level layout. What gets you is the one more game feeling at the end of each game. Its fast, very fast and can be vindictive if your not planning your shots ahead of time. The original design and concept is delivered to you for less than 6k and solidly built by the team at Spooky P ilnball, LLC. We've had this on location since February and it's still a top performer. It gives a nod to the older EM style games with a touch of 21st century technology with its spectacular light shows and sounds. It's not for everyone as tastes are what they are among collectors and players but it is a solid game.
7.309/10
6 years ago
Fun to play with others not so much alone. The sound is amazing
9.700/10
6 years ago
So bold to make this game. Big payoff! Fun shots. Great game in multi player play. Well done, Scott and Spooky!
There are 225 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 8 of 9.

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