1986 Williams PIN-BOT (Pinbot) pinball machine

Here we have the classic 1986 PIN-BOT pinball machine by Williams for your viewing pleasure.
Fun fact: Pinbot was my 3rd pinball machine. I bought it in 2004 because everyone said it was a great game and that it would be perfect for someone just getting into pinball. I HATED IT and couldn't get rid of it fast enough. I felt that the machine had far too much happening in the middle and up the left side, but almost nothing happening on the right side. Additionally, the right outlane is one of the most ball-hungry atrocities in all of pinball and accomplishing anything on the game seemed to require superhuman pinball abilities. I think I had it for about a month before I sold it. Fast forward nearly 20 years and I have to say that I don't hate it that much anymore, although I do find that it's a drainy drain monster and the right outlane is still brutal. But the sound and art package is fantastic and the rules are neat and fun to go after.
Anyway, the goal of Pinbot is to make it to the Sun. This is done by completing the drop bank or hitting the lit target on the right to move to the next planet, starting with Pluto (is it a planet?). If advancing planets isn't your thing, you can complete the grid in the upper part of the playfield to open Pinbot's visor and give him "sight" by locking the two balls inside. Once both balls are locked, two-ball multiball begins where the player is to lock one of the two balls back in the visor and then shoot the ramp to score the solar value, which is basically the jackpot. The solar value carries over from ball to ball and player to player (and game to game) until collected, so it can get pretty high.
Anyway, Pinbot is a classic if only for the art and sound package. Game play is fun enough and the light show is great. Just watch out for that bloody right outlane. The left one sucks, too.
Pinbot was designed by Barry Oursler and the weirdo Python Anghelo. Art by Python (of course). For more information about this game, see here:
www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=1796

[@dawson0610]

That was my favorite as a kid 😊

[@Thalamus4]

This is one of the machines that I've played in Visual Pinball, but, so ... want to play in the wild. Looks great, once again - thanks for keeping these awesome machines in good shape !

[@jayducharme]

“Whatever!” 😂 I feel your pain. Great table though!

[@karmatose]

Good on you for letting the high score music play out. Super fun game, one I regret letting go to this day.

[@ColinCologne]

This is my childhood game and it is still my top 1

[@rickpontificates3406]

I used to work in the coin op field, doing design and repair. I knew the guys at Williams. Python was eccentric, he hit on my girlfriend at the AMOA hahaha. The programmer of Pinbot was Bill Pfutzenreuter "Pfutz", he's a super nice guy. He told me they burned out #455 flashers right and left when he first wrote the code. One of their biggest gripes was "score inflation"... trying to impress players with higher and higher scoring jackpots. Those were the good old days!!

[@davidlineweaver2263]

Funny you should mention the jackpot on this game. Most games from High Speed until Williams went to 8-digit scoring had a limit (2,000,000 for High Speed, 4,000,000 for Cyclone and Big Guns, etc.) Pin-Bot did not. I think I collected six and a half million once by "treading water", winning and playing free games and building the Solar Value until I felt it was time. I would later learn that the operator can set the Solar Value to reset to 100,000 at the start of each game once they caught on to my milking the game in this way. BTW, these games had only 7-digit scoring. Any score exceeding seven digits -- by ANY amount -- results in you getting an automatic first-place high score of 9,999,999.

[@rickpontificates3406]

@@davidlineweaver2263 Comet was the first million point shot and Bride Of Pinbot had the first billion shot. I guess, we'll never get to see WMS introduce a trillion point shot! Funny, I own a Funhouse pinball, which I love, but I would trade it for a Pin*Bot

[@101Osprey101]

That blue spiral ramp is the wrong color. It should be red. They are usually available. Nice machine other than that. :) Love mine.

[@londonpinball]

Yup. I needed a new spiral ramp and red wasn't available and I didn't care that much so I went with blue.

[@101Osprey101]

@@londonpinball hah! I get ya. BTW, I totally agree with your assessment of the game play. Even though I love the game, the left flipper is almost pointless. Of the sys11 games, Taxi and Millionaire are both better games but Pinbot has the best theme.

[@londonpinball]

@@101Osprey101 Millionaire. lol

[@101Osprey101]

@@londonpinball yep! Some of the worst art ever but once you get past that, Millionaire is really fun.

[@graphicalsolutions1899]

I own a Pin Bot with the original red ramp, but all my rubbers are black, including the flipper rubbers! I played this as a kid and remember the rubbers where white and the flipper rubbers were red. Did Willliams release it with different colors, or did someone along the way change the rubbers?