Bally

Transporter the Rescue

Pinside Rating

This game received 63 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.611 _/10

7.611

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #166 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.501

Artwork: 7.955

Sounds/Music: 7.128

Other Aspects: 7.735

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 3 of us have rated this game.

7.427

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Found 28 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 28 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.662/10

11 months ago

DIA

mrossman5

Pinside+ Frequent

Warren, PA

6y 197K 3,172 7 253

Underrated machine. Excellent art. May get old rather quickly but I still enjoy this game.

8.712/10

1 year ago

KIM

I owned this as one of my very first pinball machines and bought it from the Santa Monica Pier. It was beaten down and somebody placed a car bulb in one of the sockets and half the boards were ruined. Repaired and working later on it was a great game to play when I had arcade machines at home and no furniture in the dining room. The room had mirrors and with the lights and sounds flashing made for madness when the lights were turned off.

Ultimately I sold this to someone who treasured it - it was one sent to the UK he said and came back to the US.

Pros: Addictive lighting, sounds and music. The game is pure fun. Call outs are great and great for friends to come over.

Cons: Sadly, over the years I don't think it has the one more game feeling as others have pointed out. We grow, we change what we like. I will always remember this great machine though not sure I would buy it again.

pinball2020 has owned this game in the past.

7.398/10

2 years ago

PIE

SilverballGamer

Pinside member

4y 57,650 29 5 87

A very interesting Bally pin: I got to play this at the Pintastic Pinball expo a couple months ago, and was admittedly a bit disappointed, though still left with a positive taste.

Pro’s
The artwork is excellently done, and is some of the best from the late 80’s.

Sounds and music are really well done in my opinion, though some may disagree.

The transporter lock system and upper flipper are both really interesting toys.

Lighting locks is uniquely done, and isn’t too easy nor too hard.

Con’s:
There isn’t much to shoot for: you have your Transporter targets which light locks and the Transporter standup, the left ramp, the right spinner, and the transporter scoop which kicks up to the upper flipper. And that’s it. This makes the game feel rather barren with very little to hit.

The game is a bit of a one trick pony: once you play it a few times, you are kind of done with it and can wait another few years before seeing another.

Overall, a disappointing game in my opinion, though definitely not bad.

8.274/10

3 years ago

HKY

HoakyPoaky

Silver State Pinball

11y 144K 3,668 128

The sci-fi art on this title just stands out on this title. They don't make gruesome stuff like this anymore. And the music & sound effects just stick in your head long after you've played.

It's not the most challenging game, and the rules aren't deep at all. But there just something about locking the balls & hitting that crossramp funnel shot. And hearing those callouts!

There are so many great System 11 titles, but this one is truly unique. I'd love to own one someday.

HoakyPoaky edited previous rating on January 19, 2021.

7.938/10

3 years ago

CCH

Frostbite

Pinside member

Scottsbluff, NE

5y 42,900 32 11 30

This game has great immersion! Makes you fee like your in the middle of a crappy B movie sci-fi. The sounds and music just work for me. Now is there really alot to shoot for on the pin? Not really, but its on par with most other system 11s i think. The ball locks is to this day, still one of the neatest ball lock mechs around. Turn the lights down and turn the volume up this pin is alot of fun!

7.332/10

3 years ago

TKM

Daditude

Pinside Moderator

Rockwall, TX

5y 266K 10,113 23 271 1

These are very rare, so they tend to be forgotten, but I think it is be if the better system 11 games. It has lots of shots and killer artwork. They are basically impossible to find in the wild, but if you are considering buying one...don't hesitate.

Daditude edited previous rating on September 25, 2020.

6.718/10

4 years ago

TOM

pinballinreno

Computer Extreme

9y 134K 15,499 31

I played this recently at TPF,
Challenging but fun enough to put a few games on it.

pinballinreno edited previous rating on March 19, 2020.

8.584/10

4 years ago

CAP

CaptNRetro

CaptNRetro’s Pinball Co

Snellville, GA

6y 36,650 44 5 23

I mean.. come on.. a creepy giant tentacle creature.. a great 3 ball multiball lock system.. a rewarding Jackpot.. spinner ripper for days.. what’s not to love? How is this game the overlooked system 11? It’s such a fun weird title.. I picked one up today for 400 bucks completely working.. what a deal.. What a game..

CaptNRetro has owned this game in the past.

7.855/10

4 years ago

JKF

Pozzest01

Pinside member

5y 32,050 49 8

A tough game at first and a challenge. The true joy comes when you start railing the truly hard shots. Scores over two million are possible with patience from me. A great game to play if you have only have a few minutes. I play it over my Deadpool LE 2 to 1.

6.012/10

4 years ago

GLM

pineal

Pinside+ Addict

5y 44,550 170 3 12

Super cool backglass and theme with awesome period sci fi sounds with some unique playfield features. Ultimately falls short on gameplay, which is a little tedious with difficult shots to attain the upper playfield for not much reward. Still a cool novelty. Worth a play if you can find one to try.

8.790/10

4 years ago

REW

woody76

Pinball Marketing

Nashville, TN

9y 142K 6,842 6 98

Rare and fun system 11 with crazy art package. Couple really cool ramp shots and a whirlpool. Ball lock and multiball is very cool on this one.

update: this game is super fun. Lose the bottom 2 carrot flippers and add regular size and remove the post or add lightning flippers and keep post or combination of....

woody76 edited previous rating on September 10, 2019.
woody76 has owned this game in the past.

7.750/10

4 years ago

MIC

RipleYYY

Pinside member

14y 87,050 4,355 2 33

TTR is now home since few monthes, than for sure its time to rate it honestly... well than, i was in search of an "old" pin, i'm still in a nostalgia mood actually, and than a friend did get this beauty in a pack-buy... after having played few games, i know i wanted this pin home... a rare system 11, with a sci-fi theming, what do i need more as an '80 fan boy ? the fun factor is here, the lastability too... even my son (24 years old) like it for that same simple reason (as we're hardcore gamers and loving deep pins)... small bad point for me with coding (ROM L2) is the playfield multiplier not staying at X3 when you keep the 3 balls (and X2 when you're keeping 2)... else all is well thinked, the layout & the shoots you have to make if you wanna score big points... again, another really underated pin which deserve much more love than what he gets ! one of the best SYS11 for sure :)

RipleYYY has owned this game in the past.

8.547/10

5 years ago

DOC

TractorDoc

DPS

Ashland, OH

7y 245K 2,923 33 106

The ramp shot to the spaceship to the whirlpool. . . I could try to keep hitting that all day. Also a thrill to rip the spinner tucked down under the U.N. Orion.
One thing that did annoy me a bit on this game was the "SOS" tones that kept repeating over and over, but a small price to pay for a fun game that I'd like to own one day.

TractorDoc has owned this game in the past.

9.453/10

5 years ago

FBA

Deerlakes6

Pinside member

Springdale, PA

7y 65,700 155 8 30

So fun to play with an excellent art package and music and speech ..the ship on the playfield works well and the shots are a challenge..make sure to get one with a decent looking ramp that isn't cracked...most have typical cabinet fade.. getting one not faded is a plus...overall it's a blast to play and look at...and listen to

Deerlakes6 has owned this game in the past.

9.309/10

6 years ago

DJS

Swoods5688

Pinside member

Bay Village, OH

6y 83,050 487 11 38

This game is pure fun! It has a very fun concept with the space ship and the multi ball is fun with a very challenging Jackpot. This game will keep we coming back for more with a good variation of shots and objectives. Glad to be lucky enough to find one and add to my collection.

Swoods5688 currently owns this game.

7.544/10

7 years ago

DBS

Diane_Sauer

Shoot Again Pinball

Hamilton Township, NJ

8y 43,150 77 7 10

This is a tough game that would be vastly improved if it had auto-save. I got rid of mine because I was the only person in the family that ever played it because everyone else felt it was too hard. I did really enjoy it myself.

Diane_Sauer has owned this game in the past.

7.937/10

7 years ago

TBK

xTheBlackKnightx

Pinside member

8y 128K 4,097 137

"Mayday...Mayday...Mayday...S.O.S...S.O.S..."

A unique, odd, mystifying rare game from Bally.
Not just "another standard 2 flipper fan layout", if you want to own something different.
The gameplay theme is fun, strong and reminiscent of 1950-60s sci fi movies.
Excellent quality sound and music.
The transporter ramp shot is challenging to keep building jackpots, and unfortunately is normally broken on most games today, until the ramp is reproduced.
The "U.N. Orion" spaceship lock area is HUGE, and similar to the lock system used in Flight 2000.
Although it dominates the playfield, it is a critical link in ball control for multiball.
Like Swords of Fury, once you play the game, you will never will forget the memory, especially if the game is left on running in attract mode.

No one really knows why this game did not sell well during the period, as sales in general were not terrible with some of the combined titles of the BLY/WMS conjunction period such as BK2K, BoP, EATPM.
Yes, some other near released had the same fate, such as Altlantis and Mousin' Around, but they were all very good games.

In 10 years, good luck trying to find one in great condition (or at all), as they are almost all played out.
Another machine that is going to spike in the market in around 2 years or so, from the date of this review.
Watch and learn.

I have owned several in my collecting history.
The first was a standard production model back in the early 2000s, excellent condition, but typical cabinet fading.
The second is a "floor model" HUO x prototype number #11 purchased at the factory, which is in my collection.
Basically brand new with an unfaded cabinet, but there are some differences between the production model and mine, including missing artwork on the upper playfield, the red light boards, different flasher locations, System 11 PCB differences, and extra holes in various parts of the playfield when they were moving posts around.
Photos were uploaded to gallery for PinSide.
Enjoy.

xTheBlackKnightx edited previous rating on June 16, 2016.

3 Pinsiders starred this!

8.875/10

8 years ago

JAR

John37

Inactive member

8y 32,150 9 11

This is only my third pin and my first Bally/Williams (given proximity to the acquisition timing). I really enjoy Sci-Fi movies of all time periods and this is a great reflection of a 50-60's style where the alien is more of a monster than a biped that is a variation on human. Great mix of horror, sci-fi and campiness. The music and sound effects are entertaining and fit well with the theme, they are also less sharp than some games. Consequently, I believe they don't wear on you with time. Admittedly, it is not the most complex game; however, setting up multi-ball in the Orion is incredibly satisfying as is the transporter shot. Interesting link from the pf to the backglass pre-DMD.

7.916/10

8 years ago

RHO

spiroagnew

Inactive member

11y 121K 982 161

A rare game you don't see too often (less than 1,000 made) and one I am lucky enough to own. Not sure why I have a soft spot for this game. A combination of nostalgia, art and design. I played this game a couple of times as a kid, and the art really stuck with me. And by “stuck” I mean scared the living hell out of me. The game creates an eerie sci-fi mood unlike any other game of its time. There are some interesting design elements, and the game is packed with stuff...leaving a few of the features (the X-Value target and the Transporter saucer) totally obscured by the upper level accouterments. Has perhaps the best physical ball lock in the Orion space ship, however it is one of the main reasons everything is obscured—its so big! Hitting the drops in order to score the jackpot is a challenge. Rules are straightforward, but plotting out where everything is on the crowded playfield takes a while.

7.116/10

8 years ago

DEL

SealClubber

Pinside Moderator

14y 127K 11,060 246

Interesting artwork. My buddy has a real nice, well kept example but I just can't get into it.

5.684/10

8 years ago

DAN

BeaverBrewing

Pinside member

Beaver Falls, PA

11y 80,150 289 7 282

The backglass is very odd. Still not sure what's going on there. The playfield adds some intrigue though. One of the more unique playfield layouts and gameplay for the era.

I like it. but could understand why others don't because it is so different...I do like the "transporter" effect though.

7.844/10

9 years ago

MAS

Swainer80

Pinside+ Frequent

Ballwin, MO

10y 86,800 920 32 28

Quirky game, but fun. As others have mentioned, it has that 50s-60s B-movie sci-fi feel to it. The transporter shot is fun to shoot, as is the ramp shot that feeds the balls into the "Orion" ship. The music for each locked ball is catchy. The jackpot is tricky in that the R-E-S-C-U-E drop targets need to be hit in order during multiball, kind of novel instead of shooting for a ramp. Not a deep game for sure nor does it have a lot of shots, but a well executed game none the less.

Swainer80 edited previous rating on June 16, 2015.
Swainer80 currently owns this game.

8.520/10

10 years ago

RPG

RussG

Pinside member

11y 43,900 186 13 19

Very cool quirky science fiction themed pin in the vein of 60's science fiction like Forbidden Planet, Fantastic Voyage, or Planet of the Vampires, etc.,.
Probably lacks high ratings due to low production and not many people knowing about it.
Very cool for its time and different from a lot of pins coming out in that time period.

Love the music and sounds especially. Game play is fun and fits well in any collection.

RussG edited previous rating on March 17, 2014.
RussG currently owns this game.

5.225/10

11 years ago

ZUL

Caucasian2Step

Evil McBooty

12y 163K 1,454 51 1011

Transporter to the rescue is a game that should be more than it is. It's a novelty that deserves to be more with a better ruleset.

The Pros:
Creative pf and an insane art package.

The Cons:
The flippers had better be super strong and the transporter shot is really all you are going for. The spaceship takes up half of the upper PF. Seriously unbalanced scoring.

The Takeaway:
An interesting game if you can find it. Play it a few times and... then you can say you played it.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

7.595/10

11 years ago

SDW

spinpin

Pinside member

11y 41,050 81 1 27

The SOS and attract mode of this game make it very unique. It is one of those games that leaves a lasting impression.

spinpin has this game on the wishlist.

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