Pinside rating
This game received 598 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.079 /10
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 8.421
Artwork: 7.416
Sounds/Music: 7.62
Other Aspects: 8.342
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 9 of us have rated this game.
Found 292 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 292 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 12.
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7.902/10
64 days ago
Boynton Beach, FL
Outside of a bit of a bland art package, in part to the chosen colors as well, the game is a total blast. The goal and the assist kick out feature just are so satisfying and hearing the GOAAALLLLL each time is just perfection. One of the most satisfying center shots of any pin. Rules overall seem simple enough, but good amount of shots and again.. GOOOAAALLLLL
8.267/10
76 days ago
This is perhaps the single best example of a sleeper pin. Most people would walk right past this pin in a lineup due to the strange back glass artwork alone. Soccer pinball? Other thing many people (in the USA) are probably not interested in. Then... then you play it!
Scoring goals in WCS94 may be one of the single most fun things in any pinball machine, ever. John P nailed his design with this pin and he sneaked in so many amazing shots and his signature style first showed in this pin. It would be hard for me to really choose what game is better, World Cup Soccer 94 or Tales of the Arabian Nights. TOTAN has the better them, amazing shots but the two games play so similar and have such a signature feel. The thing with WCS is though, scoring goals, the call-outs and the general "vibe" really sucks you into the world under the glass. The reason it shines is because, nobody expects this. Nobody!
The strange dog artwork (Striker) I do not get, but over 30 years it has become endearing to some extent. The play field artwork is much better and has a very distinct 90s look, feel and playfulness. My gripes with the game is that out of the gate its a dark play field and some of the toys don't really do anything per say. The soccer ball just spins and gets in the way but strangely enough, its fun to look at and I really wouldn't not want it there. The magna-save by the left flipper is completely pointless to me. The idea of this feature is awesome but the location is pointless. I never use it.
Overall this pin may never leave my collection because of how accessible and how fun this is. Every time people come over, they all gravitate to WCS. It's easy to play and once people score their first "GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL" they just get sucked in. This game probably deserves to be in the pinside top 25 all time in my opinion. It is so much better than so many other pins.
This is not a placebo review, this pin is amazing and I love that its a sleeper that nobody thinks about.
Scoring goals in WCS94 may be one of the single most fun things in any pinball machine, ever. John P nailed his design with this pin and he sneaked in so many amazing shots and his signature style first showed in this pin. It would be hard for me to really choose what game is better, World Cup Soccer 94 or Tales of the Arabian Nights. TOTAN has the better them, amazing shots but the two games play so similar and have such a signature feel. The thing with WCS is though, scoring goals, the call-outs and the general "vibe" really sucks you into the world under the glass. The reason it shines is because, nobody expects this. Nobody!
The strange dog artwork (Striker) I do not get, but over 30 years it has become endearing to some extent. The play field artwork is much better and has a very distinct 90s look, feel and playfulness. My gripes with the game is that out of the gate its a dark play field and some of the toys don't really do anything per say. The soccer ball just spins and gets in the way but strangely enough, its fun to look at and I really wouldn't not want it there. The magna-save by the left flipper is completely pointless to me. The idea of this feature is awesome but the location is pointless. I never use it.
Overall this pin may never leave my collection because of how accessible and how fun this is. Every time people come over, they all gravitate to WCS. It's easy to play and once people score their first "GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL" they just get sucked in. This game probably deserves to be in the pinside top 25 all time in my opinion. It is so much better than so many other pins.
This is not a placebo review, this pin is amazing and I love that its a sleeper that nobody thinks about.
8.964/10
3 months ago
Ottawa
I love this game. It's such a ball to play! (I'll see myself to the door once this review is done). Scoring a goal is always exciting and the NBA Jam announcer is awesome! It is a great theme (just wish it wasn't dated) and they used it well. Striker gets some hate but I think he's cool. The colour scheme isn't my ideal choice, though it does stand out which I can appreciate. Obviously the cabinet art is this game's main issue. The toys are cool and anyone can just jump in and have a great time.
9.387/10
3 months ago
This game is a pinhead sleeper-favorite for a reason; it does many things surprisingly well. For a pin you can purchase for ~$4k-$5k, it's a golden age classic that offers something for all skill levels.
GOOD
* Shots and layout
* Lighting effects
* Sounds/Callouts, "GOOOOAAALLL!"
* Playfield Art
* DMD Animations - the ColorDMD is really great on this one.
* Family friendly
* $leeper Price
NEUTRAL
* Code depth is about average for a 90's B/W title
* Cabinet Art
* Soccer theme (very subjective)
BAD
* Translite Art
* Plastics are prone to damage, especially around the goalie
In summary, I highly recommend owning this game if opportunity presents. The fun factor far exceeds the market price, and I wouldn't be surprised if it started to trend upward in popularity.
GOOD
* Shots and layout
* Lighting effects
* Sounds/Callouts, "GOOOOAAALLL!"
* Playfield Art
* DMD Animations - the ColorDMD is really great on this one.
* Family friendly
* $leeper Price
NEUTRAL
* Code depth is about average for a 90's B/W title
* Cabinet Art
* Soccer theme (very subjective)
BAD
* Translite Art
* Plastics are prone to damage, especially around the goalie
In summary, I highly recommend owning this game if opportunity presents. The fun factor far exceeds the market price, and I wouldn't be surprised if it started to trend upward in popularity.
8.169/10
5 months ago
For its age, I think this machine is almost perfect! I wonder how tough it is to maintain, though, because it is both old and complex, with seemingly a fair number of non-standard parts. Not as interesting as the latest and greatest machines with their gigabytes of software, music, and videos. Maybe it is time for Stern or someone to do a remake! Imagine the delight of soccer-player kids when a 2026 World Cup machine comes home!
8.043/10
5 months ago
Only played a few times at LITT formally Tilt bar in Minneapolis but it was a fun game. If someone close has a nice one let me know it would be fun to add to the collection for a little while. The most obvious thing to do is score a goal and just shoot ramps. The big soccer ball takes up so much real estate but is fun. The cabinet artwork is by far the worst thing in this pin. Next would probably be the lack of depth for better players. Im not a huge fan of clutter and this has some on the playfield. The goalie shot maybe the most fun thing I’ve seen in a pinball in a while. The ramp shots are fun never made it to the end to face Germany but I had a great time playing it off 10 minutes. This pin wins the fun achievement which is one of the most important. Fun, Layout, Depth, lighting, Sound and Artwork last.
7.929/10
6 months ago
I really have been enjoying this game having it in my collection. Amazing shots and smooth ramps. The goalie and soccer ball are some of the best toys in pinball but there are some set backs in the game. The side art is pretty poor overall compared to the playfield and translite. I also have to mention the rules. They are great for beginners but overall I think it’s a little too easy for me and I feel like I get through the game pretty easily. Theme wise I can’t hate too much as I understand theme isn’t everything but it definitely doesn’t speak to me. Overall I think it’s a amazing playing game with fun rules and shots with some minor set backs
9.318/10
6 months ago
Soooooo fun! Just got it and I'm obsessed! I get to listen to the NBA jam guy as I play!?!? What!?? Monster jam indeed! Scoring a goal is fun for me and super fun for my 4 year old and the puppy has my 1 year Olds attention. This is definitely fun for the whole family. People keep talking about the smoothness of the ramps and I didn't understand what they meant until I played this and wowwww soooo smooth. Love the game. The cabinet artwork could use some work, not really my style. And the back glass could use some work according to my wife. Love the color scheme though.
8.820/10
10 months ago
World Cup Soccer is the favorite game of nearly every pinball novice that comes to our house - the excitement of the announcer, kicking the ball in the goal, it just gets them charged up! And, this is both its strong point and weak point - it's a more casual pinball game and doesn't really have a tough wizard mode to shoot for. There is the World Cup Final which is pretty cool after going through 9 cities, but this is still pretty attainable and the objective isn't complex - just keep shooting goals. It's a Popadiuk game so it has great flow, but I can certainly understand how in the context of being a home game of a pinball enthusiast it's a little too simple but it's still an excellent machine as part of a collection.
Budapest
8.805/10
11 months ago
Bredared
This game is such great entry level game for new players and so much fun for more advanced and competitive players. Toys are one of the best and so easy to understand (who doesn't enjoy shooting a goal?). The shots are good in variety from some easier shots to some much harder (scoop end right ramp is way harder than other shots but makes it so much fun to hit them). For sure one of the best and easiest game to get into from the 90s era.
8.724/10
1 year ago
What a delightful game. While TotAN, ToM, and CV are typically his most heralded games, this may be Popadiuk's most feature-rich and varied game. The dog mascot and specific year make the theme feel niche, family-oriented, and dated, but there is so much going on, and the ramps and shots are much tighter and steeper than ToM.
Pros: For a two-flipper game, the variation and shots gives this great replay value. It's not an easy game, either, as the playfield is loaded to the point that one more thing would likely be too much, but the placement of (most) objects is both thoughtful and unique. Having previously been turned off by the theme and artwork, this is now a game I play any time I see it, and when you're hitting shots, it's one of the most fun tables I can think of.
Cons: The right-center of the playfiled has both the soccer ball and speed bumps, which create inconsistent returns. In one sense, that's sort of theme-appropriate, but it can ruin flow, and the sheer number of things on the playfield can lead to crazy bounces. The TV scoop is also really finicky on most of the machines I've played, where it seems more likely to land in there when it's deflecting than if it's shot from a flipper.
Pros: For a two-flipper game, the variation and shots gives this great replay value. It's not an easy game, either, as the playfield is loaded to the point that one more thing would likely be too much, but the placement of (most) objects is both thoughtful and unique. Having previously been turned off by the theme and artwork, this is now a game I play any time I see it, and when you're hitting shots, it's one of the most fun tables I can think of.
Cons: The right-center of the playfiled has both the soccer ball and speed bumps, which create inconsistent returns. In one sense, that's sort of theme-appropriate, but it can ruin flow, and the sheer number of things on the playfield can lead to crazy bounces. The TV scoop is also really finicky on most of the machines I've played, where it seems more likely to land in there when it's deflecting than if it's shot from a flipper.
9.556/10
1 year ago
I'm not that into soccer, but this machine makes me want to become a fan! The way the sport is integrated into pinball is simply brilliant. It's so satisfying to score goals in this game. The artwork is decent, but don't judge this book by its cover. The gameplay is a blast. Super fun machine! I hope to own this machine in the future.
London
8.500/10
1 year ago
Melbourne
Playing this game is so good especially when for me a football/soccer theme is part of what i love and im glad it wasnt ruined. Great shots and great theme integration, blows all other sport pinballs away as this is really one of the best if not the best sport pinball. The colours and theme of the world cup are great and you really feel like your playing the world cup going through all the rounds and the difficult shot to qualify and the idea that you need tickets truly well thought out and the theme integration is beautiful. I wish the cab art was a little cleaner but i love the backglass and all the fun options that can be put on it. Shoots really well and is a definite 90s keeper in my eyes.
6.878/10
1 year ago
Ghent
I feel like this pin's downfall is the theme and rules. The layout, shots and ramps are top notch, but tying it into soccer just isn't that great as for example Theatre of Magic. Getting to the end game is also very attainable, which leaves me wanting more from this pin. In general, the pin flows very nicely but is not going to stay for me.
8.820/10
1 year ago
I like the game a lot. It's a fun game to play. The music gets a little repetitive sometimes but overall the game is excellent.
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