The 15 Best Pinball Machines of the Late 80s (1985-1989)
The 15 Best Pinball Machines of the Late 80s (1985-1989)
I took a look at every pinball machine released during the late 1980s. These were the first pinball machines to have real music and storytelling. Plus amazing light shows, amazing sound effects, and amazing gameplay. These 15 games are sure to bring back nostalgic memories of playing in rec centers, arcades, pizza shops, bars, bowling alleys, and corner stores because they earned a lot of quarters! ~~~~~~~~ Social Media Links ~~~~~~~~ tiktok.com/timballs twitch.tv/timballs
Kineticist’s take
Tim Sexton ranked countdown of 15 essential pinball machines from 1985–1989, highlighting Williams' innovation and storytelling evolution.
Synopsis
Tim Sexton ranks the 15 best pinball machines released between 1985–1989, a recovery period following the video game crash. He highlights Williams' dominance during this era, emphasizing innovations like shaker motors, upper playfields, and storytelling integration. The list spans from Earthshaker (#15) to High Speed (#1), showcasing how sound design, theming, and emerging display technology transformed pinball gameplay and player engagement.
Entities
- Bally· company
- Gottlieb· company
- Stern· company
- Williams· company
- Banzai Run· game
- Big Guns· game
- Black Knight 2000· game
- Cyclone· game
- Earthshaker· game
- Elvira and the Party Monsters· game
- Elvira's House of Horrors· game
- F-14 Tomcat· game
- High Speed· game
- Jack•Bot· game
- Mousin' Around!· game
- PinBot· game
- Road Kings· game
- Scared Stiff· game
- Sorcerer· game
- Space Station· game
- Taxi· game
- TX-Sector· game
- Cassandra Peterson· person
- Tim Sexton· person