Pinside rating

This game received 290 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.010 _/10

8.01

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks 1st in the game group "X-Men". The group itself ranks #71 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.83

Artwork: 8.507

Sounds/Music: 7.358

Other Aspects: 8.105

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 8 of us have rated this game.

8.747

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This game is part of a group

Note! There are multiple versions of this game!
This is "X-Men (LE)".
The other version is: X-Men (Pro) (regular version)

Found 156 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 156 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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7.968/10

74 days ago

BYC

Sooperzero

Pinside+ Frequent

Fremantle

<1y 17,000 1 2 8

I can't say if the LE version are different regarding the playfields (or. Wolverine version vs. Magneto version).. as I've only played the Magneto version. So this is a rating for Magneto.

The game play on this table is very enjoyable. I found myself coming back time and time again. The callouts were well themed, and the game modes were a lot of fun ( especially getting to cycle through and choose which mission/villian you'd like to play against) As for being a Magneto themed table, I can't say I saw anything other than the backglass which themed it specifically Magneto. Both versions seem to have the spinning magnets in the centre ( which are a lot of fun) and a Magneto toy at the back, with Wolverine toy in the centre. The shots weren't as challenging as other tables I've played.. but it's a great table for anyone to play. I'd definitely like to own this table. I don't like all of Stern's modern tables, but they did a really nice job on this one!

9.309/10

7 months ago

RWM

Roasty

Pinside apprentice

Newtownards

<1y 11,150 7 1 6

Is in an arcade in a seaside town not too far away from me. Big Marvel fan so loved this one.

8.736/10

11 months ago

???

pinballpatmrx50

Pinside member

Southington, CT

3y 20,000 13

Very underrated game, lots of cool shots some very hard to make but that's what makes it a whole Lotta fun. Great color graphics inside and out. Once again though I wish Stern would make a new update on the game so the nightcrawlers would come up more often but besides that I love the game.

8.500/10

1 year ago

SIN

Paddy-o

Pinside+ Addict

4y 47,650 82 26

I was not in on the earlier code, so I'm rating based on 1.51. I avoided this game, based on ratings, and finally played a Magneto LE at Pinball Showdown a couple years ago. I've finally gotten my hands on the Wolverine LE, and I am blown away by the replay factor! I love the shots, the callouts, and the rules! This is definitely one of those games that seems to have been plagued with bad early reviews. With the newton ball mod (removing oversized Wolverine), it opens up the playfield a ton, and improves that shot. This is a game that greatly benefits from modding (colorDMD a must, alternate sound packages). I plan to find something to replace the oversized Magneto, as well.

What an absolute steal for an LE. I see this one sticking around for a long time!

8.328/10

1 year ago

MCH

Pinkitten

Pinside+ Member

Williamston, MI

4y 132K 2,132 23 84 3

I owned a Magneto LE and was impressed with Borg's design. If you like Tron, this feels similar but the playfield is reversed and it features more shots. The Magneto ball lock is clever and the ice ramp adds a twist. Add in 2 pop-up targets and this game is pretty busy. The ramps are fun to shoot, and the artwork is good. I'm not sure why exactly, but I prefer Tron to X-Men despite Tron being a bit simpler. Maybe it's the theme. X-Men is a good game. The giant Wolverine and Magneto are maybe a little silly, but it's just pinball after all! The spinning disc multiball that throws the balls in every direction is pretty cool, and came back later in TMNT. This game probably would be a keeper now, but I was eager to try other pins and let it go.

Pinkitten has owned this game in the past.

8.264/10

1 year ago

???

alexander5815

Pinside member

Wien

2y 21,500 41

could have more LE features. but all in all nice game. a little bit underrated, i mean.

alexander5815 edited previous rating on March 28, 2021.

7.137/10

2 years ago

SJS

Snowboardsoul

Pinside member

Centennial, CO

2y 14,750 1 8

I love this game, and it is very hard to find... I might just have to put this on the wish list!

8.836/10

2 years ago

MSW

Break8ers

Pinside member

Medina, OH

3y 37,900 62 9 9

Wolverine HUO--I wanted to wait for at least 100 plays before rating this completely underrated game. Ton of code here and numerous great shots, modes, villains and heroes. Beautiful machine and with the newton mod it opens up the left side of the playfield. 4 multiballs, 2 wizard modes, moving ramp, magnets, VUK, etc. This is a great table for home use. It has so many shots, combos, modes, etc. that the lastability is off the charts. Great light show with changing colors. The DMD animations are excellent. For what you can get one of these for---it is one of the best deals to be found. Powder coated, backglass, nice cabinet art. Playfield art is done right. Call outs are average at best--some better than others--only negative I see. Much better than many machines rated higher--believe it.

Break8ers currently owns this game.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

9.440/10

2 years ago

TDA

The_Dude_Abides

Pinside Moderator

Northern California, CA

12y 137K 9,468 151

One of my favorite pins has endured the test of time still loving it after years of play.

The_Dude_Abides edited previous rating on July 16, 2021.

8.776/10

2 years ago

TKM

Daditude

Pinside Moderator

Rockwall, TX

3y 257K 7,954 14 268

It has a lot of elements I like, but it just doesn't do it for me. It lacks the "one more time" appeal. The shots and layout just aren't the best.

Its a game I would play at an arcade it a friends house, but I don't see myself owning it.

Daditude edited previous rating on August 23, 2020.

8.280/10

2 years ago

PLL

PeteLawtPin

Pinside+ Addict

Littleton, CO

3y 35,650 5 5 18

This is a great 3 flipper game I love it. ramp shots have its challenges but not as hard as Ghostbusters. I'm a big fan of the Xman comics and playing this with a color DMD would be freaking awesome. Never was a fan of Magnito so playing this to defeat him seems satisfying. Nightcrawler is a tough shot and that's a blast hopefully they hold up and no need to fix. I'm in a crossroads of buying this game of buying a new shed for the yard. One Xman game i played the owner really nerded out the game and had RUSH playing as the new music for the PIN neat but something else would be better. I really dig this game and it would look good in in basement.

7.567/10

3 years ago

PPD

Boat

Pinside member

Calgary, AB

5y 96,800 1,208 5 90

it’s an alright game, the character modes are al too similar and the shots aren’t that satisfying. The geometry of this game just feels off. The code depth is there but just didn’t give me the fun factor.

Boat edited previous rating on February 16, 2020.
Boat has owned this game in the past.

6.288/10

3 years ago

KSH

KYLEDM5

Pinside member

4y 50,300 292 6

Such a disappointment. Great theme and nice artwork. The wonky layout, idiotic magnets and cheesy voice acting kill it for me.

3 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.900/10

3 years ago

CRW

Ceemunkey

Pinside member

Sydney

7y 53,650 432 9 14

## Update ##

After spending a lot more time on this - it's even better than i initially thought. Once you've had some practice, can progress through some modes and dialed in your shots, it's amazing. Don't fully understand why it's not higher in the rankings it's one of the best machines I've played there's an absolute tonne of things going on in this pin. I also added a sub, and its a revelation for the sound.

####

Seems like a lot of people are less than enthusiastic about this one... However, I love the Xmen theme so hunted down a LE Magneto machine and absolutely love it!

It has to be one of the most difficult pins I've played, which probably explains the many criticisms and frankly if this one was on site, I agree it may be too frustrating to feed it many coins. As a home pin though it's excellent, I've had it now for around 8 months and it's my most played by far (along with Theatre of Magic, The Shadow and Ghostbusters). I have heard how the early code was terrible - but don't let that put you off, it really has a brilliant rule set, and the 1.51 code seems to be pretty great to me. It's fantastic how they have incorporated activating the Xmen and fighting the villains. The machine is pretty damn gorgeous too - artwork on this is absolutely off the charts - I currently have this sat next to a Ghostbusters, so it pure pinball eye candy in that corner of the room. :)

It's got a pretty nice flow when you can be a little more precise with your shots - although I have to say I have also added the Mezel Wolverine Newton mod and would definitely recommend this. I found it quite playable with the stock Wolverine, but this mod does open up the left side of the playfield quite nicely, and it's a simple enough mod to install.

If I have one slight criticism it would be the sound quality which doesn't seem to be that great, however the music and call outs are superb. I know this one gets a lot of hate for the speech but I think it fits the game really well.

If you are looking for a pin at home that will last - I would give this one a go.

Ceemunkey edited previous rating on July 30, 2019.
Ceemunkey currently owns this game.

7.458/10

3 years ago

BAD

Diospinball

Pinside member

Joliet, IL

4y 73,300 1,336 9 75

So I know there are issues with the wolverine toy. But, the place I play at fixed those issues, but sadly the iceman ramp was permanently disabled. The artwork for the cab and backglass is amazing both LEs look great, but the Magneto really pops. Playfield art is a bit too sparse for my liking, and also just bland. The top of the playfield is too dark, but that might just be the pin I was playing on. I'm not a big fan of the layout. Or its rules. They're clunky rules and I really still don't know how to light villain... And I've played this many, many times. It tells me when I've lit it, and I know how to do everything else. Mostly I just go for Weapon X multiball. So far I've never really made this game explode, as its just the type of ruleset/layout that I just can't seem to really get big scores on. That's my fault... The code I do think is deep, as lots of different modes, both the X-men modes which you unlock doing the shots and the villain modes. I like the sound effects and the voice actors. I think they do a great job sounding like the 90s fox cartoon. I also really enjoy the animations in this game. Sadly, this game just doesn't pack too much of a fun punch for me. I play a few games of it and I'm content. Its just not a layout that I personally like, and I don't like the ruleset... Not saying its bad. Just not my thing. You got a lot of different ways to play this pin and things to focus on. Magneto MB is pretty cool, but I seldom get it because I never focus on it. The toys are cool, but again... Good luck utilizing most of them as I think I've only done nightcrawler mode a few times. If I had a 50 pin collection I'd like to have either the Wolverine or Magneto LE in my collection. It is a fun pin to play. And I think its a nice pin for a small collection as its a deep rule set. Just not my cup of tea, but if I owned it I think I would do better at understanding how to shoot it and better game strategies. Which might cause me to like it more.

6.667/10

3 years ago

MLP

tabascoman77

Pinside member

5y 42,150 4 102

X-Men drives me crazy. The playfield is basically a bunch of ramps you have to hit...including one that moves around and gets in the way. Those ramps are hard to hit because Wolverine, the table's bash toy, gets in the way constantly. And Magneto's the other hinderance. Neither does a damn thing. Wolverine tosses your ball around occasionally and Magneto does the same -- sometimes, right into the side drain. The game hates you, draining your ball left, right and center, making nudging a necessity to keep things going. The rules aren't clear here, either. I guess you have to hit a certain ramp or ramps to grab heros and occasionally pit them against villains you get from other ramps(?) and it isn't even clear how you finish those stages. It doesn't matter because both Wolverine and Magneto always get in the way, even if you're aiming your shots carefully. It's beyond annoying. Skip this one.

6 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.352/10

3 years ago

QUY

FatPanda

Pinside member

5y 139K 6,420 32

This rating is for a Magneto LE. Probably Stern's best art package of all machines, including recent games like Maiden and Deadpool. The Magneto art package is gobs better than anything before it and rivals Stern's latest offerings. The layout is fun with several different shots from the upper right flipper. The game rules is where this machine shines. Each of the different heroes have different things to shoot for, with nice nods to the comics and animated TV series. The lighting effects are amazing. Stern could have done great things with RGB lighting, if it was commonplace at the time for this game. The game suffers most from two poorly voice acted characters. The others are passable and mimic what we know from the animated series well enough. Again, lots of thought was put into the rules, modes, and character relationships as found in the stories. A great shooting game!

FatPanda edited previous rating on September 30, 2021.

9.720/10

4 years ago

ROB

robx46

Pinside+ Frequent

St. Marys, PA

12y 71,550 1,023 9 20

I can't believe this game can sell in the 5k range, what incredible bang for your buck. I have Wolverine. I've cycled through a lot of great games over the years. TH, SM, LOTR, TS, TWD. & have played all the great B/W titles.
This game when dialed in & tweaked is beating them all at this point in time. Wasn't sure at first but it grew on me quick. Having said that, the game does benefit from a few things such as the latest code. Of which I have the custom version with some improved callouts & music.
& I've also done the newton ball mod which takes the game back to how it was originally designed, along with a better smaller wolverine figure. Add to that a flipper fidelity sound system with 10" sub, shaker, & mirror blades. I've even replaced all the stern GI bulbs with frosted for a better light spread & used an ice blue for the blue's. Gave me a little less of an overall purple color.

I was already a fan of theme, being a comic art fan & having collected these comics back in the day. But I think even if I wasn't I would still applaud the artwork. Zero complaints there especially from an era not far removed from when everything was photoshop.
I went LE because basically in the market at the time I'm spending little over $1k for enhanced lighting, spinner, ice ramp, nightcrawler pop ups & extra magnet. I thought it was worth it. & no regrets there.

I've played quite a few games & there seems to be no end to having fresh-ish content. Every game can play a little different. Modes don't get old, they are well executed & there are a ton of them. & choosing your villian mode is also a real plus. Not a fan of games with linear modes. I have a small collection & it fits great into it. If I had to have an only pin, this one might have to be my choice. I also don't like long ball times. Often this game kicks my ass, but if I'm hitting shots & use a little strategy I can have a satisfying longer game.
I'm also not always a fan of 3rd flippers, partly because I suck at the 3rd flipper, but this one isn't too difficult yet still challenging & something I get better with over time & I like that there are a few shots you can hit with it.

Lastly not only is this one of the cheaper LE's out there, but perhaps it has the best build quality? It feels like old b/w quality. I have a couple newer sterns next to it & they just don't feel this solid. Furthermore, while those are covered with dimples, this one is not! I think this game is a somewhat hidden gem. Being a wolverine fan I jumped on mine when I saw one for a good price.

robx46 edited previous rating on July 12, 2018.
robx46 has owned this game in the past.

10.000/10

4 years ago

EAR

DaddyR1013

Pinside member

Calera, AL

6y 23,900 4 14 8

This game is very underrated. Amazing shots and an awesome light show.

DaddyR1013 currently owns this game.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.536/10

4 years ago

ROB

Guinnesstime

Pinside member

9y 127K 5,647 20

I debated and waited a LONG time before finally picking up an XMen LE. I’ve owned Tron and Tron Le. LOVE Tron layout and the game is immersive but a bit shallow.

XMen LE, though is basically a reversed Tron with several more shots and some extra features like Nightcrawler targets and iceman ramp.

Love the Magneto ball lock and clever stacking. One of the last great value Stern LEs.

8.211/10

4 years ago

CUZ

mcuzz

Pinside+ Member

6y 112K 450 135

The comic book style artwork looks great if you are into that, the variety of shots make this game a real challenge.
I really like the way you have to battle and defeat the villains and collect x-men for your team (deadpool is a great addition). Magneto multiball is especially good on the LE with the spinning magnet disc. DMD animations are top notch, music and some callouts are not. Lighting is cool on the LE as it changes from red to blue to white depending on the villain or mode.
Take out wolverine and put in the newton ball for a much better playing game. Change the music and callouts for a better sounding game.

mcuzz edited previous rating on January 13, 2020.

8.312/10

4 years ago

FXS

sulli10

Pinside member

Morristown, NJ

12y 123K 2,326 31 61

Picked up a low use Magneto LE for a pretty good price. Speaker upgrades are necessary as well as the newton ball mod. I added a. Color DMD and the dots with it are real good. Pretty good rule set. Shots from every Flipper. The unique combos are fun and this pin has got me going thru the movies to understand the call outs and more. Many varied ways to play this game. A pretty good value for those in the 5K market. Some people knock the voices for the call outs. I think that is a bit over done in the criticism area. There are a lot of call outs. The Deadpool rules are a great concept.

sulli10 has owned this game in the past.

7.113/10

4 years ago

JMS

JimStaub

Pinside member

4y 24,650 3 2 25

It's fast like bolt-fast and surprising at times. Overall, the looks of it is great but I'm not the big fan of everything "superheroes" so the theme is not a preference to me. I do understand the correlation between magnets and Magneto, but way, way to much magnets for me, and they are powerful to say the least. That big Wolverine got me many balls stuck under his left arm for long periods of time.

8.900/10

5 years ago

RUS

Russell

Pinside member

Colorado Springs, CO

9y 109K 1,444 2 58

X-Men is a very good game. Though it is a fan layout, it has a few interesting shots. Nothing super creative, but decent layout. Rules are very complex and strong. Deep code. I don't love the theme, but not terrible. The major weakness is the ridiculously huge Wolverine figure in the center. WAY too big. Someone should make a mod to remove this silly thing.

Russell has owned this game in the past.

9.288/10

5 years ago

JPS

Jsampel

Pinside member

Overland Park, KS

6y 50,050 96 3 32

Wow! This game is fun! This has to be the most underrated pinball of all time. If you have a chance to get one, do it! You won't be disappointed. From what I understand the code was so bad when it first came out that a lot of people gave up on it, but that is their loss. This is probably my new favorite pin right now. The artwork is beautiful on the mirrored backglass and the cabinet. The playfield has TONS of shots and combos and the action is intense with what I think was probably the best use of a magnet and spinning disk that I have seen on a pinball machine. I know people complain about the oversized wolverine on the playfield but I actually like the placement of it because while the shots are still doable it makes a few of the a little tougher, not to mention that wolverine mode is fun to start anyway. Speaking of, if you like multi ball modes like I do then you will love this machine, it has many multi ball modes and magneto multi ball is my all time favorite.

Jsampel edited previous rating on October 01, 2018.
Jsampel has owned this game in the past.

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