Pinside rating

This game has received 36 approved Pinsider ratings. 14 more approved ratings are needed to get a rating and for it to be eligible for the Pinside Pinball Top 100 ranking.

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.

6.8

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Found 16 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 16 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.229/10

38 days ago

JMR

kinggroucho

Pinside member

Troy, NY

8y 31,300 94 12 19

A surprisingly satisfying game. The shots are really great. The sounds are quite obviously first gen solid state and do leave a bit to be desired.

It’s very simple but unlike some other games of the time, you do get to keep working upwards towards a goal. I’ve played games where you’ve done everything and maxed your bonus and there really isn’t anything left to do, but Tri Zone has enough goals that you can keep going for a good long while. Basically spell TRI and ZONE, max bonus, max bonus multiplier, and rip the spinner.

I particularly like the feed from the right orbit, when timed just right you can send the ball right back up the spinner to the upper part of the playfield.

The theme is also kinda cool. Yellow skinned buxom retro futuristic racing I guess? No complaints about that.

All in all a solid game with fair rules and scoring. Seems like it’d be a good competition game.

kinggroucho currently owns this game.

8.542/10

1 year ago

RRM

Rock-Pin-Roll

Pinside member

3y 32,050 112 9 1

It's Fast ,Fun, and challenging. Great game, plays well. Good flipper action and speed. The sounds can be turned up or down and really enhance the play and shots. Of course its not a five thousand dollar machine that has ramps and in my opinion too many obstacles, but i have been refurbishing pins for years and find this one worthy of keeping especially in this price range. "It has not too much and not too little". The sounds and lights are very attractive and mesmerizing, especially to the ladies and who in the world doesn't like to play and compete with them ?

5.590/10

3 years ago

RAD

DumbRecords

Pinside member

Springfield, IL

6y 49,400 14 8 29

I got a good deal on this game which is the only reason for getting it. Although it turned out to not be a good deal after all the fixing it required. This is probably the most bland pin I've ever owned, but I expected that so that wasn't so much a disappointment. There are definitely em games with more features than this. The best parts of the game are the sci fi artwork and the classic williams sound effects, but overall nothing to write home about. I will not be keeping this game forever, that's for sure.

DumbRecords has owned this game in the past.

7.628/10

5 years ago

RDR

RhettDR

Pinside member

Zionsville, IN

5y 44,800 113 5 12

This game actually has a great flow. You cannot compare this game to the more modern, layered machines... they're just in different categories. But I think this game is a LOT of fun.... The game consists of 4 drop targets, 2 orbital shots (one with spinner), and one lane shot. The goal is to spell "T R I" (Lane Shots) and "Z O N E," (Drop Target) for scoring and multipliers etc... its easy to get into a rhythm and REALLY rock this game and that makes it fun. I have owned it for about 1 year - and I still enjoy it... its a LOT of fun and a great game for its day!

RhettDR has owned this game in the past.

3 Pinsiders starred this!

7.773/10

6 years ago

JRS

jstree

Pinside member

Fort Collins, CO

6y 28,150 6 7 11

this game is 3 things: bonus rollovers ( A/B in 2 different places) Spelling "ZONE" with drop targets, and Rolling over "TRI" targets. Thats it, really. Pretty simple, but the back glass and the relatively simple sounds make for an interesting gateway game that many people can pick up on right away. I would describe the BG theme as Space Spandex Future People Waiting For The Space Taxi At The Computer Store. The mirrored back glass certainly makes it attractive, though. all in all, decent if the system 6 problems are fixed.

jstree currently owns this game.

5.821/10

7 years ago

ALC

comment23

Pinball Workshop

8y 67,550 595 1 9

It's a pretty decent game. Definitely great if you have it setup to be fast. A good game for an entry level "new to pinball" owning/playing person.

comment23 edited previous rating on July 17, 2017.
comment23 has owned this game in the past.

4.165/10

7 years ago

GPS

onetaste

Pinside member

Adelaide Hills

10y 63,650 142 23 114

Pretty ordinary game from the era, cool Williams sound effects and a nice backglass. Very simple ruleset that is nothing special.

onetaste currently owns this game.

8.530/10

8 years ago

RDM

gdogfunk

Pinside member

Toledo, OH

9y 32,400 83 23 11

I really like my Tri Zone! It's simple pinball with great flow! What's not to like? You have sounds like Defender, drop targets, rollovers, a spinner and cool Jetsons-esque artwork on the pf. I think the playfield layout is great and you can knock down several drops with one ball flip, if you do it right. As much as I enjoy the game, I believe I may be trading up for something newer at some point. But for now, Tri Zone stays in the collection. Overall fun game for me!

gdogfunk has owned this game in the past.

6.878/10

9 years ago

FRB

firebird

Pinside member

Anchorage, AK

13y 29,900 81 1 45

This is a tight game. Feels fast for the era. Graphics are what might keep people from the game. But it's not bad once you start playing and take the game for what it is.

7.263/10

9 years ago

ESA

stangbat

KC Pins

13y 86,900 3,111 19

A fun and challenging simple game. There's not a lot to Tri Zone, but it makes good use of what is there.

The safest way to play the game is to keep shooting the ball up top to advance your mutliplier by completing the A B lanes and adding to the bonus. You'll also complete T-R-I when doing this as you often get the R when the ball falls into the pops and is hit into its lane.

The drop targets are sucker shots. They are strategically placed such that shots to them are very likely to drain. So if you are going for the drops, plan carefully and be ready.

Another thing to keep in mind is the multiplier carries over until you get to 5x. So you have the decision to whether you max out the multiplier to 5x and lose it on the next ball, or keep it at 4x so you can carry it over. Often you can't really control this, but it is something to be aware of.

Overall an interesting layout that makes for a fun and challenging game that doesn't take a lot of thought.

3 Pinsiders starred this!

6.762/10

10 years ago

CDM

TheDarkKnight68

Inactive member

Lincoln, NE

10y 57,800 353 10 10

Set it fast and it is pretty dang fun. Not hard to find a decent specimen in the very affordable category. Great game to buy and give to a rec center, youth group- whatever.

TheDarkKnight68 edited previous rating on April 13, 2014.
TheDarkKnight68 has owned this game in the past.

6.535/10

10 years ago

CEN

ulysseslions08

Inactive member

Unknown

12y 22,000 1 72

A game with one of the lowest scoring systems I've played, but intriguing nonetheless.

ulysseslions08 edited previous rating on March 02, 2014.

6.512/10

11 years ago

ZUL

Caucasian2Step

Evil McBooty

12y 163K 1,455 51 1011

TriZone is a game that is a good example of a Williams pin at the time.

The Pros:
Christian Marche turns into the pilot of the Yellow Submarine and Peter Max with a psychedelic package on this deck. Drops are in good spots and the orbits are nicely done. Don't know why there isn't a spinner on the right side though. The TRI and ZONE shots utilize all the major shots on the PF.

The Cons:
This game had better be set up fast or the game gets boring in a hurry. PF artwork is not as good as the really cool BG.

The Takeaway:
Set this table up right and give it some love with a steep angle and a tight tilt. If you do this, you will have a fun and challenging game on your hands. Simple, but not always easy Tony Kraemer's best design and seller.

5 Pinsiders starred this!

8.194/10

11 years ago

LJH

GreyScale

Pinside member

Lawrence, KS

11y 66,150 398 244

A rather nice early SS game. Its all about making the "TRI" shots (safe orbit shots), "ZONE" shots (risky shots but higher rewards), and pretty much nothing else. Interesting futuristic theme going on, a cool backglass but the playfield artwork is rather bland. Still, for its time and price, a good one to go for.

GreyScale edited previous rating on May 31, 2016.

6.800/10

11 years ago

DEL

SealClubber

Pinside Moderator

14y 127K 11,060 246

Average pin from that era. Trying to get the "A" lane is the most difficult shot in the game IMO.

6.507/10

12 years ago

CAL

mojozone

Pinside member

Fort Dodge, IA

12y 51,400 2,557 4 32

I own this machine, and i play it often. I love trying to spell out tri 5 times to get the special.

mojozone currently owns this game.

1

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