Williams
Johnny Mnemonic Pinside Rating
This game received 336 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.815 /10
Johnny Mnemonic
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 8.195
Artwork: 7.126
Sounds/Music: 7.479
Other Aspects: 7.958
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.
Found 184 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 184 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 8.
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8.800/10
7 months ago
Corona, CA
Haven't watched the movie but I now need to. Just loveeee this game. Just got it recently and it's sooooo much fun. At first glance it looks simple and shots like standard but everything loops and diverters change which way your ball comes out and gosh dang it's smooth, it's fast, and it's fun. At first I was alll excited about the glove and how cool that gimmick was, that has worn off but the game play and looping multiple shots together has not, can't wait to get to power down mode!!!!
7.812/10
1 year ago
I really enjoy this game. I don't know why it is, but every one of these I've played have been SO FAST. Even the ones on route that weren't as well taken care of. The 2nd rate theme brings the game down a notch, but overall I always enjoyed playing it. The hand toy is OK. Some of the video modes are those that are like an integrated videogame. I find that a drawback, because I can play much better video games than one that takes 4 buttons as input and uses a tiny orange DMD screen for the display. When I play pinball, I want to play pinball. I don't have negative feelings toward Keanu Reeves, in fact, the similarities between this and the Matrix might even be a positive thing for my view of this game. I did see the Johnny Mnemonic movie, and it was not worthy of a pinball machine in my opinion. That said, I'm still on the lookout for one of these. Good game!
8.557/10
2 years ago
Johnny is a wild and fast game based on am insane 90's movie with everyone's favorite Keanu. You all knew that though. What your really looking for is a description of the feel and play.
Feel-This game starts fast with nineties sounds and movie call outs. The voices sound real to the actors and the sound bites are what will be replicated when the 90's come back into vogue. The lighting and art are pretty good and complicated enough that I can just stare at it for enjoyment even after a year of ownership. The game brings you into that insane world the movie built. And I truly love Ice's final call outs and his Attract mode "Don't be a zombie, play pinball!"
Play-Like others in it's design class, it plays fast and can really keep you moving and engaged. The chapters aren't that hard alone, but the speed of the game leads to sometimes short plays. The glove feature is a clever toy that integrates into the game well and looks spectacular.
I could go on and on. I love this game. It's unique. But the last thing to say is, Midnight Madness! Set your game clocks and experience Midnight Madness. It's a real hoot. And took me entirely by surprise the first time.
Feel-This game starts fast with nineties sounds and movie call outs. The voices sound real to the actors and the sound bites are what will be replicated when the 90's come back into vogue. The lighting and art are pretty good and complicated enough that I can just stare at it for enjoyment even after a year of ownership. The game brings you into that insane world the movie built. And I truly love Ice's final call outs and his Attract mode "Don't be a zombie, play pinball!"
Play-Like others in it's design class, it plays fast and can really keep you moving and engaged. The chapters aren't that hard alone, but the speed of the game leads to sometimes short plays. The glove feature is a clever toy that integrates into the game well and looks spectacular.
I could go on and on. I love this game. It's unique. But the last thing to say is, Midnight Madness! Set your game clocks and experience Midnight Madness. It's a real hoot. And took me entirely by surprise the first time.
8.623/10
2 years ago
There is a lot to love about this game. It's quick, has amazing flow, and has that amazing 90's WPC feel. However, gripes with the rules, glove, and callouts do hold it back from being one of the eras greats.
The good:
- Keanu!
- The game is very fast and has lots of flow. The combos you can get in this game with the ball flying around the orbit returning back to you in about a second are amazing. This is the fastest game I have ever played, and I love that about it.
- The multiple diverters around the back of the playfield do alter the gameplay pretty drastically when playing. They keep the shots interesting and fresh.
- The music is good. It fits the theme and is not something you'd get sick of hearing.
- The grid selection for multiball is a lot of fun and adds a fun strategy to multiplayer and single player games. It also triggers one of the coolest multiball starts.
- Power down mode is really an awesome pinball experience and moment that can stand toe to toe with some of the other great moments. I don't think it'll ever get old.
- This game features the only video mode I actually enjoy playing. Snarf!
The mediocre:
- Many of the callouts are fun and they have some good humor behind them. There are just not enough of them. Some of the modes cycle through what seem like only two callouts, and you can hear the same line repeated within seconds of each other. They get old.
- The glove toy is really cool. Unfortunately, it does get held back by it's movement speed. If it moved twice as fast, I'd love this toy, as it stands it's fine. That being said, the slowness definitely does feel welcome at times with how fast everything else moves.
- The theme is decent, I actually enjoy watching the goofy and cheesy movie which makes me like the theme more, but it simply can't compare to the original themes that Bally/Williams was putting out in this era.
- The modes do very in quality and fun. Some are fun and allow you to try to chain shots to get them done very quickly, and others are bad where they just light a shot that you must repeatedly hit.
The bad:
- Modes such as Yakuza Strike can completely derail other things you're doing and timing it out is often the right move.
- Mode stacking is unfortunately not a thing and makes some of the multiballs feel less valuable as there isn't much you can progress while in them and things like Yakuza Strike would be a lot less annoying if you could just keep working on what you were working on.
- The rules are unbalanced which favor going for spinner millions over the modes.
- There are almost no operator adjustments for the rules. I don't expect them to offer much adjustment, but it would be nice to be able to tweak some settings. Older games in my collection from less prominent manufacturers had these kinds of settings.
I do hope that someday someone takes the time to make a 2.0 version of this game like they've done with other classics. The code really holds this game back.
The good:
- Keanu!
- The game is very fast and has lots of flow. The combos you can get in this game with the ball flying around the orbit returning back to you in about a second are amazing. This is the fastest game I have ever played, and I love that about it.
- The multiple diverters around the back of the playfield do alter the gameplay pretty drastically when playing. They keep the shots interesting and fresh.
- The music is good. It fits the theme and is not something you'd get sick of hearing.
- The grid selection for multiball is a lot of fun and adds a fun strategy to multiplayer and single player games. It also triggers one of the coolest multiball starts.
- Power down mode is really an awesome pinball experience and moment that can stand toe to toe with some of the other great moments. I don't think it'll ever get old.
- This game features the only video mode I actually enjoy playing. Snarf!
The mediocre:
- Many of the callouts are fun and they have some good humor behind them. There are just not enough of them. Some of the modes cycle through what seem like only two callouts, and you can hear the same line repeated within seconds of each other. They get old.
- The glove toy is really cool. Unfortunately, it does get held back by it's movement speed. If it moved twice as fast, I'd love this toy, as it stands it's fine. That being said, the slowness definitely does feel welcome at times with how fast everything else moves.
- The theme is decent, I actually enjoy watching the goofy and cheesy movie which makes me like the theme more, but it simply can't compare to the original themes that Bally/Williams was putting out in this era.
- The modes do very in quality and fun. Some are fun and allow you to try to chain shots to get them done very quickly, and others are bad where they just light a shot that you must repeatedly hit.
The bad:
- Modes such as Yakuza Strike can completely derail other things you're doing and timing it out is often the right move.
- Mode stacking is unfortunately not a thing and makes some of the multiballs feel less valuable as there isn't much you can progress while in them and things like Yakuza Strike would be a lot less annoying if you could just keep working on what you were working on.
- The rules are unbalanced which favor going for spinner millions over the modes.
- There are almost no operator adjustments for the rules. I don't expect them to offer much adjustment, but it would be nice to be able to tweak some settings. Older games in my collection from less prominent manufacturers had these kinds of settings.
I do hope that someday someone takes the time to make a 2.0 version of this game like they've done with other classics. The code really holds this game back.
6.252/10
2 years ago
An ugly game based on an uglier movie. It just so happens the shots, flow, and features more than make up for its shortcomings. The dmd animations are some of the worst I've seen. Adding a color dmd does little to alleviate this. The artwork is pretty subpar, as well, but the playfield looks fairly nice, which is a plus. The "actors" voices are pretty lame, as is the rest of the sound package. The robotic female voice that does callouts is the highlight. The real hero here is the gameplay, shots, and glove. It can slow the game down, but dropping balls in the matrix to lock for mukitball and claim rewards is always fun...unless you choose the unintuitive video mode. Controlling your circle as it moves around the dmd with the 4 flipper buttons feels horrible, and makes it extremely difficult to earn the free ball on wave 2. Well placed ramps, orbits, spinner, and center shot add to the games replayability, but the true highlight is power down mode. Easily one of the best wizard modes I've encountered so far. If the presentation were better this game would be a keeper, but it's such an eyesore it's hard to justify owning it if your lineup space is limited. It's a shame, considering how fun it is to play.
9.324/10
2 years ago
This game is so much fun, challenging and addicting to play! Forget what you’ve heard about the movie and just think of this as a Cyberpunk themed pinball. I’ve had mine awhile and it is dialed in and plays fast, and I promise this game is probably better than 50 of the games ranked above it. Layout is fast and fun, modes are fun, sounds are fantastic, glove is so cool, and the wizard mode is great!
9.584/10
2 years ago
I finally got to play Johnny all I can say is Wow !! Fast and challenging I am waiting on a new pinball but I pulled the trigger on this one !! Very happy with game play it should be in the top 25 !!!!
7.503/10
2 years ago
I was having fun with this until the dmd mini games. They just bring a screeching halt to the fun pin gameplay. Geez, the one where you move the dot and it eats other dots...awful. The playfield shots felt very unique and the art is nice and comic book-y. I wanted like this game, played over and over, but eventually walked away disappointed.
Gold Coast
7.256/10
3 years ago
Lots going on here and I like the unique playfield and bumpers on the left hand side. Still, the right post on the left ramp “gets in the way” an awful lot and leads to outlane drains pretty regularly, especially if you are trying to hit the scoop from the left flipper. I’d like it a lot more if the ramp was a bit narrower to get that post out of the middle of the playfield.
8.664/10
3 years ago
I've put about 100 plays on JM since bringing it home. So far I'm having a love/hate relationship with this game.
The day before pickup I watched the movie again just to remind myself what it was all about. I did not mind the movie all that much, but it did lose me at the jacked in dolphin part. . . and mercenary Jesus was also a bit much. Luckily those two parts don't hold center stage on the pinball machine -- even though Jones is part of one of the modes. I think the game does the theme justice, even if voice overs were used for the call outs.
Artwork is good. I don't tend to look at my cabinets much -- I don't love nor do I hate the design on this one. The translite compiles various images from various characters in the film. Again, not eye candy for me but at least its not a bunch of giant heads like others I have seen. Playfield art is a little dark, but does seem to fit in with the sci-fi vibe.
Sound does a good job of keeping you in tune with the game. I don't have the theme music stuck in my head at this point as it happens on some games. Music is sort of backgroundsy and there are usually enough call outs to break things up. As mentioned before the actor's voices are not the real deal. They are close -- I give the voice over people credit. I think it adds to the overall element of how "terrible" people think the movie was and it carries a little of that fun over into the pinball machine.
Lighting is a bit dark. When I bought my game it had the colored LEDs everywhere, I've slowly been replacing them with Comet Natural Whites and it has been much more pleasant to look at. The inserts are all easy to see and light the way for various shots to take in a straight forward way.
Gameplay is where my love/hate comes in. Sometimes I have games where everything comes together and I have a series of really good shots. Other games you'd think it was my first time at playing pinball and all I can seem to do is clunk the ball off posts or direct the ball to the outlanes and Ice-T constantly yells at me to "Make some shots." Shots can be tight and this game requires some accuracy to play. . . flailing about will get you nowhere fast. The game modes relate to the movie well as do certain shots/features on the playfield. I'm amused that a short portion of the movie such as Crazy Bob's holds such a prominent place in the game. . . then again who wouldn't want to visit a place called Crazy Bobs? The glove is a clever mechanism and while it can be finicky I like how it is incorporated into the game. Also for the record I'm terrible at video mode. I cant quite master the up/down/left/right of the flipper buttons.
In summary I still find myself coming back to play another game on this machine. The best analogy I can think of is (at my age) having lunch at one of those fast food places. In your mind its a good idea and more often than not it tastes good. . . but when you are done it can lead to some abdominal discomfort. I start a game and think its going to go well. . . I make a few good shots that reward the senses. . . then I experience a fast drain or lose to the outlanes and get the punch in the gut feeling.
Yet I keep coming back for more!
The day before pickup I watched the movie again just to remind myself what it was all about. I did not mind the movie all that much, but it did lose me at the jacked in dolphin part. . . and mercenary Jesus was also a bit much. Luckily those two parts don't hold center stage on the pinball machine -- even though Jones is part of one of the modes. I think the game does the theme justice, even if voice overs were used for the call outs.
Artwork is good. I don't tend to look at my cabinets much -- I don't love nor do I hate the design on this one. The translite compiles various images from various characters in the film. Again, not eye candy for me but at least its not a bunch of giant heads like others I have seen. Playfield art is a little dark, but does seem to fit in with the sci-fi vibe.
Sound does a good job of keeping you in tune with the game. I don't have the theme music stuck in my head at this point as it happens on some games. Music is sort of backgroundsy and there are usually enough call outs to break things up. As mentioned before the actor's voices are not the real deal. They are close -- I give the voice over people credit. I think it adds to the overall element of how "terrible" people think the movie was and it carries a little of that fun over into the pinball machine.
Lighting is a bit dark. When I bought my game it had the colored LEDs everywhere, I've slowly been replacing them with Comet Natural Whites and it has been much more pleasant to look at. The inserts are all easy to see and light the way for various shots to take in a straight forward way.
Gameplay is where my love/hate comes in. Sometimes I have games where everything comes together and I have a series of really good shots. Other games you'd think it was my first time at playing pinball and all I can seem to do is clunk the ball off posts or direct the ball to the outlanes and Ice-T constantly yells at me to "Make some shots." Shots can be tight and this game requires some accuracy to play. . . flailing about will get you nowhere fast. The game modes relate to the movie well as do certain shots/features on the playfield. I'm amused that a short portion of the movie such as Crazy Bob's holds such a prominent place in the game. . . then again who wouldn't want to visit a place called Crazy Bobs? The glove is a clever mechanism and while it can be finicky I like how it is incorporated into the game. Also for the record I'm terrible at video mode. I cant quite master the up/down/left/right of the flipper buttons.
In summary I still find myself coming back to play another game on this machine. The best analogy I can think of is (at my age) having lunch at one of those fast food places. In your mind its a good idea and more often than not it tastes good. . . but when you are done it can lead to some abdominal discomfort. I start a game and think its going to go well. . . I make a few good shots that reward the senses. . . then I experience a fast drain or lose to the outlanes and get the punch in the gut feeling.
Yet I keep coming back for more!
7.142/10
3 years ago
A game you really don’t see to often, especially full working. I love the smooth shots and how you can hit different shots over and over again. The theme is terrible and glove slows the game down a bit but I think it adds some character to it and makes it a bit more enjoyable overall. Easily the best bang for your buck
9.156/10
3 years ago
Ottawa, ON
If this was the same game but had the theme of the Matrix it would be in the top20 or so for all timers. Criminally underrated and super fun. Very, very fast when zipping the balls around the orbits ect. Great value for the money.
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