Transporter the Rescue

Bally

Transporter the Rescue

Pinside Rating

This game received 71 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.626 /10

7.626

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #162 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.



Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.5

Artwork: 8.05

Sounds/Music: 7.236

Other Aspects: 7.67


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 33 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 33 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 2.

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8.174/10
4 months ago
What are you supposed to say? It's a game about rescuing people just before they are eaten by a space monster and they/them just like me/myself don't have time to worry about the cabinet decorations and other stuff whilst reviewing our experience. I like it. I like almost all System 11 though, so it could be shit, but I don't think it is. I tell you what. The multiball jackpot stack up is crappy. You just have to assume that the big collect is going to be crap. Just do it for the fun. Transport. Live. Die. Get Eaten.
8.468/10
4 months ago
Excellent art package, cool theme. Will get old in a small collection as few alphanumerics are as deep as today's pins or DMD pins...it has odd layout in many ways - and that's the allure of it. It really could have used another shot or cool toy to put it at the level it's cousin Whirlwind enjoys perhaps, but as it stands - one of the more memorable sys11's , but scarce.
8.324/10
11 months ago
Great rare game! Multiball is tough to get and tough to score a jackpot in, but there aren't a ton of other options for scoring. Lit spinners can be 10k a spin, and the Xcelerator is a cool feature to build the lower standup to 1M on a short timer.

For System 11 I think this is a solid entry. The music and sound effects are great and the light show and integration with the display is excellent as well. The rules are pretty good but I think the playfield may have benefited from one more shot somewhere.

Among System 11 games it reminds of the frenetic pace of Space Station coupled with a multiball start process similar to Mousin', Around.

Definitely worth playing if you get a chance somewhere!
8.758/10
1 year ago
We had played this game at a few festivals over the past couple of years and always liked it.
I think the art work is great. The original sci fi art definitely catches your eye, and makes for a good tie-in to the theme.
There is a setting where it gives the chance for an extra ball almost every game on ball 3, its better to just turn that off in my opinion.
Otherwise its basically a 4 ball game.
There are not a ton of things to shoot for, but they are used well and in multiple ways. For example the 6 drops have to be knocked down to light the first and second locks. But after that, it is still quite important to continue pounding away at them to increase the Rescue bonus. The Rescue bonus is awarded after both locks have been lit, and you then complete the drops. It increases in 50 k increments each time. Lots of other cool stuff like the Orion ship, and how it walks the balls through kinda like flight 200. As well as increasing the transporter bonus by making shots into the toilet bowl. You have to watch out though, you can be building your bonus on the xcellerator target, trying to get it to 1M, but if you hit the target early it drops back down.
Overall I find it a very fun sys11 game. I like the machines that have an interactive backglass, it makes you continually glance back toward it.
7.662/10
1 year ago
Underrated machine. Excellent art. May get old rather quickly but I still enjoy this game.
8.712/10
1 year ago
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.
7.398/10
2 years ago
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
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.
7.938/10
4 years ago
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
4 years ago
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.
6.718/10
4 years ago
I played this recently at TPF,
Challenging but fun enough to put a few games on it.
8.584/10
4 years ago
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..
7.855/10
4 years ago
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.
7.440/10
5 years ago
Love the art and odd playfield layout. Robotic voice reminds you of Flight2000 and Berzerk. Semi collectable machine but some parts may be difficult to track down.
6.012/10
5 years ago
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
5 years ago
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....
7.750/10
5 years ago
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 :)
8.547/10
5 years ago
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.
9.453/10
5 years ago
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
9.309/10
6 years ago
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.
7.544/10
7 years ago
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.
7.937/10
8 years ago
"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.
8.875/10
8 years ago
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
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
9 years ago
Interesting artwork. My buddy has a real nice, well kept example but I just can't get into it.
There are 33 ratings on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 2.

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