Gottlieb

Vulcan

Pinside Rating

This game received 19 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.615 _/10

7.615

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #170 in the Pinside EM Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.91

Artwork: 7.346

Sounds/Music: 4.115

Other Aspects: 7.475

Pinside staff rating

None of the Pinside.com staff have rated this game. Sorry, no rating from us.

Your Rating?

You need to be logged in before you can rate pinball machines. No account yet? Registering only takes a sec!

Found 11 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 11 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 1.

List options

Ratings sort order

Type of ratings to show in list

Owner status of review

Exclude flagged ratings

Keyword or username search

7.977/10

5 months ago

SPD

sped372

Pinside member

Waunakee, WI

5y 35,150 100 6 8

There's a way to get back up top, several goals, resetting drop targets, an extra ball opportunity... it's pretty loaded for an EM. The lack of slingshots takes some speed away but it's still a fun game and a great multiplayer for casual parties with friends that are less familiar with pinball. There is a fairly big difference between the three ball and five ball settings for this one so I'd suggest trying them both out.

sped372 currently owns this game.

3.894/10

8 months ago

MSL

SantaEatsCheese

Pinside+ Pro!

Crofton, MD

5y 209K 9,609 6 85 1

Vulcan is a run of the mill drop target EM with some roll overs. I'm not a huge E.M. guy, but this one is on the bottom half of my Gottilieb E.M. list. don't get me wrong its still fun, but I feel other EMs of the era are better. Of note this game is particularly susceptible to insert cupping. If the inserts are not level or are cupped in the center it wll be like playing pinball on the surface of the moon. Can be fixed but its time/labor intensive.

SantaEatsCheese has owned this game in the past.

8.650/10

1 year ago

CP

BRONX

Pinside member

Hamilton, ON

3y 42,300 691 36

Vulcan is a fun multiplayer
Everything is placed on the playfield correctly.
Easy to get the ball right back to the upper playfield, good equal playfield distribution. Fun game rules, only complaint was the artwork and colour design didn't grab my attention. Fun game.

10.000/10

6 years ago

MPW

Michaelxwhite

Pinside member

Port Huron, MI

7y 39,550 141 2 17

Great game, one of the best em pins, way better playability than many above it!

Michaelxwhite has owned this game in the past.

8.700/10

7 years ago

CML

MaxAsh

Pinball Tycoon

8y 74,100 1,283 10

Though some people prefer the Fire Queen for her pretty appearance on the backglass over the muscle-bound guy on Vulcan, I think both are thematically great. The playfield always draws my eye with its colorful design and artwork, and something about that fire-ish theme just seems right. The game has plenty of targets and objectives to keep you busy, and the game simply looks great in a lineup. If you can find one in good shape, grab it, you won't be disappointed in my opinion. While not on my top-10 list of EMs, it still holds a special place on the overall list. It's enjoyable and solid, nice artwork and fun to play.

8.320/10

7 years ago

MLF

stashyboy

Pinside member

High Falls, NY

11y 91,050 2,643 14 44

Much easier to find than it's little 2 player sister. Same great playfield artwork and layout. Lots of satisfying shots, including 9 drop targets. Some would argue a bit too easy. Still a classic Krynski/ Morison game frome the end of Gottlieb's great EM run of the 70s.

stashyboy has owned this game in the past.

8.185/10

9 years ago

TWV

AXrelay

Pinside member

Riverside, CA

10y 37,800 58 6 13

One of the better 4 player Gottliebs from the 1970's. Asymmetrical play field design, with lots to shoot for, including 9 drop targets. I'm a big fan of 70's Gottlieb games, especially drop target games (of all the EM's I've owned, I have only kept Gottlieb games with drops). It also includes features such as bonus, double bonus, extra ball, and specials. It has a left ally shot with roll-overs that sends the ball back up to the top of the table. This is a very fun, yet challenging design that will keep you coming back for “just one more game.”

I do agree that the 2 player version has a more appealing back glass (Fire Queen), but the overall all art package is nice. The game would be a nice addition to any game room, yet because of space (same old story) I had to sell it (it went to the owner of the Museum of Pinball of So. Cal.). The good news is that I will still be able to play it in the future!

I picked up the game at a yard sale (only the 2nd game I've ever found this way) and it was a project! But with some time and energy it shaped up to be one of the best examples of this title (all the art was fantastically preserved). Cleaning and mechanical issues (plus new bumper caps and new rubbers) and it was a beauty! Hated to sell it!

AXrelay has owned this game in the past.

8.864/10

10 years ago

TPS

zaphod

Pinside member

10y 57,800 442 15

Fun game, great EM multi-player for family or tournament as skill setting for the ease of collecting the free ball can change the level of difficulty.

zaphod edited previous rating on January 09, 2018.

8.676/10

11 years ago

JLM

jlm33

Pinside member

Villejuif

11y 152K 5,892 7 169

Vulcan is one of my favorites EM in terms of game play. Artwork is OK but nothing special.

7.514/10

11 years ago

ZUL

Caucasian2Step

Evil McBooty

12y 163K 1,454 51 1011

A solid game from Gottleib that plays rather generously.

The Pros:
Great shots and action all over the PF. Gordon Morrison makes that Vulcan look great! I like the BG on Fire Queen (the 2 player version of this deck) better, but this still looks solid. The whole art package looks vibrant and keeps the excitement high. The orbit on the left side of the PF is a great shot and the four lanes at the top require a soft plunge and nudging. Great angles on the drop targets to make sure the ball travels all over the entire PF. The curved metal rails on the outlanes in conjunction with the sling angle and lower inlane/outlane post mean ball control is a high priority.

The Cons:
Hitting drops to an extra ball all day long can make for extremely LONG game times. Is there and adjustment for this in the game rules somewhere other than just turning off/disconnecting the extra ball target? I always thought there should be another bank of targets under the extra ball standup... what can I say... another bank of drops on a Gottleib game is something that I like.

The Takeaway:
Another Krynski classic design. A good player for the pinhead looking for a classic and relaxing game.

6.911/10

12 years ago

JDW

JDub1006

Inactive member

Elkhorn, NE

12y 35,400 1,026 3 35

What can I say I own it and love it. For a 1977 last of EM era I thought it was done well. It plays well and has a little of everything for that era. A plus is the adjustable skill shot for an extra ball. The art work is a personal preference since it is the exact same game as Fire Queen.

JDub1006 has owned this game in the past.

1

There are 11 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 1.

You too can add your own comment by rating this game! Click here to rate this game!

Over the years

Visualizing this game's rating and rank over the years

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!