Williams
Fish Tales Pinside Rating
This game received 803 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.094 /10
Fish Tales
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 8.11
Artwork: 8.318
Sounds/Music: 7.424
Other Aspects: 8.231
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 450 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 450 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 7 of 18.
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Fontana, CA
9.340/10
6 years ago
Fun family friendly theme. The topper really draws people over especially when it gets going. I think this game could have been a little more wise with playfield layout, some heavy wasted space where the boat is. This game is also very tough to get a high score on. It is a nice game to get to improve your skill while not turning off the non-pinball playing people because for whatever reason difficulty will not stop the general audience from playing several games and getting their butt kicked.
8.820/10
6 years ago
This is a great game and a favorite of my family. The game's humor from the funny call outs (Gone fishin, leave a message , look Bob,, waterskiers, etc ) , water/jet skier season video mode, to the flopping fish topper make this a family friendly classic.
The game play is a lot of fun once you get a good understanding of the rules which are deep enough to keep it fun while not so deep the game bogs down in minutiae. Plays very fast in Ritchie form.
I've read that some don't like the repetitive banjo type music and loud fish topper. To me, they just add to the game's personality and fit the theme well. Most of these I've seen have a lot of fade on the orange cabinet but I found one that had been in a home for 20+ years that still has the original bright orange color. The artwork on this pin from the cabinet to the backglass is top notch.
I think this game would actually be rated a bit higher if not for the fact it is fairly common with over 10k originally produced.
The game play is a lot of fun once you get a good understanding of the rules which are deep enough to keep it fun while not so deep the game bogs down in minutiae. Plays very fast in Ritchie form.
I've read that some don't like the repetitive banjo type music and loud fish topper. To me, they just add to the game's personality and fit the theme well. Most of these I've seen have a lot of fade on the orange cabinet but I found one that had been in a home for 20+ years that still has the original bright orange color. The artwork on this pin from the cabinet to the backglass is top notch.
I think this game would actually be rated a bit higher if not for the fact it is fairly common with over 10k originally produced.
7.785/10
6 years ago
I love this game but also suck at it. Have played it around 15 times and cannot get anything above 4M. It's extremely challenging. The theme, artwork and play field are so cool but I cannot get it up the boat ramp. This would be a great machine to practice on to get good. Going back to Level Up in Raleigh to give it another shot.
8.280/10
6 years ago
Köln
I’m intrigued and amused by this game because it is so wasteful of playfield real estate – that big plastic in the rear left of the game – and not much is made of the space under the ramps - just appalling, right ? Fish Tales is a great game, really great rules - I like the way the different timed modes are activated in different ways – some with the captive ball, some by catching fish (“Feeding Frenzy”, “Rock the Boat” if you’re good at telling tales), “Monster Fish” using the ramps. The balls being locked in the reel is a cool idea, then being shot out on a big ramp at the beginning of multiball. Multiball is can be hard – but mastering the three types of fishing then getting the super jackpot is a rush. The video mode is great – shooting surface torpedos (from your rowboat?) at all those motorized boats and skiers disturbing the fish - gratifying. The video mode yields a lot of points and if your shooting is good you get an extra ball.
Fish Tales has great music. I’m a big bluegrass fan (I play banjo myself) and I like the way Chris Granner has created a bluegrass feeling using the synthesized sounds of the early 90s – it’s fun.
The playfield lighting really comes alive with LEDs (as do most I think), I enjoy the light show.
Fish Tales has great music. I’m a big bluegrass fan (I play banjo myself) and I like the way Chris Granner has created a bluegrass feeling using the synthesized sounds of the early 90s – it’s fun.
The playfield lighting really comes alive with LEDs (as do most I think), I enjoy the light show.
8.136/10
6 years ago
Fish Tales is the third game I have owned (Starship Troopers and Taxi would be the first two). I must say that Fish Tales is one of the toughest games I have played but it's also one of the funnest. The game is fast and can be addicting to play. The music theme is bluegrass and I must admit I clapped my hands and did a two step while the music played. Maybe a weak point of the game is that multi-ball is tough to get but if you're skilled enough, it shouldn't be a issue. Another one would be the flippers are shorter than most games and it will cause more ball drainage. Overall, it's a game I would recommend playing and if possible, owning.
La Pocatière, QC
Södertälje
9.200/10
7 years ago
Pretty fun game with a good theme. The boat idea is pretty neat and it feels great when you combo shots. The slightly smaller flippers generally piss me off, but that's because I'm not very good. Fun game.
8.972/10
7 years ago
A great game from Williams. A great example how to make a fun to play game that is not associated with a established brand or franchise. The music does not really hold up after 25 years. The playfield art is a little cartoonish, but what do you expect in a game about fishing?
8.256/10
7 years ago
I thought I wasn't going to like this one but it surprised me! The ramps are a blast to hit. Artwork is great. Gameplay was fun. The sounds and music seemed at little weak. There are no toys aside from the cool locking mech! I would like this one in my collection
6.481/10
7 years ago
Fish Tales is a comedy game that offers a unique layout and a challenging set of shots. The rules are deep enough to be interesting, but not exceptionally complex. The two center right and left ramps are almost intrusive on game play, but I appreciate the closeness of the ramps (but not the repetitiveness of the shots) at times, much in the way that I like the ease of hitting the WHO Dunnit ramps.
The theme wasn't appealing to me, and there are some limitations to the table, but overall it is worth playing several times and would be a fun addition to a collection that already has better games in it.
The theme wasn't appealing to me, and there are some limitations to the table, but overall it is worth playing several times and would be a fun addition to a collection that already has better games in it.
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