Short answer: By most player polls the best pinball machine of all time is Medieval Madness (Williams, 1997), with Attack from Mars and The Twilight Zone close behind. Among modern games, Godzilla (Stern, 2021) and Iron Maiden (Stern, 2018) lead.
Ask ten pinball owners for the best machines ever made and you will get twelve answers, but the same fifteen or so titles keep coming up, and they have kept coming up for thirty years. This list is built from that consensus: the games that top the Pinside Top 100 year after year, sell for the most on the used market, and get remade by new manufacturers. Where we have one in stock, the title links to it; where we do not, the entry tells you what to look for when you buy one elsewhere.
What “best” means here
Three things, in this order. Rules that hold up: a game you still want to play after a hundred games because there is always something you have not done yet. Shot layout: flow, risk, and the feeling that a good shot was earned. Theme integration: art, sound and toys that belong to the game rather than sit on top of it. Rarity and resale value are not on the list, although several of these machines have both.
1. Medieval Madness (Williams, 1997)
The game that tops most polls, and the reason is simple: everything on the playfield exists to storm the castle. Brian Eddy’s layout gives you one central objective, six castles to destroy, a troll toy that pops up in your way and a multiball that is easy to start and hard to use well. See our Medieval Madness Pinball Machine by Williams. It was remade by Chicago Gaming in 2015 because original machines had become too expensive for most buyers.
2. Attack from Mars (Bally, 1995)
Same designer, two years earlier, and arguably the better shooter. Five Martian saucers to destroy, a rule set you can explain in one sentence and a “Rule the Universe” wizard mode that very few people reach. Original machines and the Chicago Gaming remake both trade high. See our Attack From Mars Pinball Machine by Bally.
3. The Twilight Zone (Bally, 1993)
Pat Lawlor’s widebody has more going on than any other game of its era: a working gumball machine, a clock with real hands, a “Powerball” ceramic ball that behaves differently from steel, and two mini-playfields. It is famously hard to keep fully working, which is exactly why a well-serviced example is worth paying for. See our Twilight Zone Pinball Machine by Bally.
4. The Addams Family (Bally, 1992)
The best-selling flipper machine ever made, with around 20,000 built, and still the game most people picture when they hear the word pinball. The “Thing” hand that reaches out of the box, the mansion rooms, and Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston’s voice work made it a crossover hit. Its popularity means parts and expertise are easy to find. See our Addams Family Pinball Machine by Bally.
5. Monster Bash (Williams, 1998)
George Gomez’s Universal-monsters game is the friendliest machine on this list: bright, funny, with six monsters to collect and a band to assemble. It is the one experienced collectors recommend for a family room because everyone gets it within a game. Also remade by Chicago Gaming. See our Monster Bash Pinball Machine by Williams.
6. Theatre of Magic (Bally, 1995)
A John Popadiuk layout built around a magic trunk that spins to reveal targets, a magnet that catches the ball mid-air, and one of the smoothest orbit-to-ramp flows ever built. It rewards accuracy more than luck.
7. The Lord of the Rings (Stern, 2003)
Stern’s deepest game of the 2000s and the one that proved licensed film themes could carry a serious rule set. Three multiballs, a “Destroy the Ring” wizard mode that takes hours to reach, and Keith Johnson’s code that still gets played competitively. See our Lord Of The Rings Pinball Machine by Stern.
8. Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast (Stern, 2018)
Keith Elwin’s first Stern design and, for many players, the best modern layout: fast, brutal, with shots that flow into each other and a rule set that scales from casual to tournament play. If you want one machine that will teach you to play well, this is it. See our Iron Maiden Pro Pinball Machine by Stern.
9. Godzilla (Stern, 2021)
Elwin again, with a collapsing building, a magnet-driven “Godzilla Powers” mechanism, and the most generous scoring of any recent Stern. It went straight to the top three of the Pinside rankings within a year of release and has stayed there.
10. Jurassic Park (Stern, 2019)
A T-Rex that picks the ball up and throws it, a paddock map you have to work through, and a layout that punishes lazy shots. The Premium and LE versions add the moving dinosaur; the Pro is the same game without it. See our Jurassic Park Premium Pinball Machine by Stern.
11. The Hobbit (Jersey Jack, 2016)
The widest and heaviest machine on this list, with four pop-up creatures, a full LCD backbox and rules that unfold over dozens of games. Not a beginner’s machine, but nothing else feels like it. See our Hobbit LE Pinball Machine by Jersey Jack Pinball.
12. Star Trek: The Next Generation (Williams, 1993)
Steve Ritchie’s widebody with two cannons that fire the ball across the playfield, seven missions and a complete cast doing their own voices. Big, loud and generous with multiball. See our Star Trek Pinball Machine by Williams.
13. Cirqus Voltaire (Bally, 1997)
The prettiest playfield of the DMD era, a neon ring that lights when you hit it, and a ringmaster head that rises out of the playfield. Its art has aged better than any of its contemporaries. See our Circus Voltaire Pinball Machine by Bally.
14. Funhouse (Williams, 1990)
Rudy, the talking head that watches the ball and mocks you, is still the best toy in pinball. The rules are simple by modern standards, which is why it works so well as a second machine or a first one for a household with kids. See our Funhouse Pinball Machine by Williams.
15. Tales of the Arabian Nights (Williams, 1996)
A short, colourful game with a genie who fights back, a lamp that spins, and a layout most people can finish in a good session. Low production numbers keep it expensive.
Which one should you actually buy?
If you want one machine for a family room: Monster Bash, Funhouse or The Addams Family. If you play a lot and want to get better: Iron Maiden, Godzilla or Attack from Mars. If you want the deepest possible game and have the space: The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. If you are buying as a collector: Medieval Madness, Twilight Zone or Tales of the Arabian Nights, in that order of availability.
New production titles from Stern and Jersey Jack are listed under new pinball machines; the 1990s Williams and Bally games above are in used and refurbished pinball machines, each listed with its condition. Read how to choose a pinball machine before deciding between a restored original and a modern remake.
Quick answers
What is the number one pinball machine of all time? By most player polls, Medieval Madness (Williams, 1997), with Attack from Mars and The Twilight Zone close behind.
What is the best-selling pinball machine? The Addams Family (Bally, 1992), with roughly 20,000 units built, more than any other flipper game.
What is the best modern pinball machine? Godzilla (Stern, 2021) and Iron Maiden (Stern, 2018) lead the rankings among games made in the last decade.
What is the best pinball machine for a home? A game the whole household understands within a few plays: Monster Bash, Funhouse or The Addams Family are the usual recommendations.
New to the game? How to play pinball explains the rules, the parts of the playfield and the flipper skills that matter most.
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