bcrage88's ratings

First of all not a JJP fanboy, I actually prefer Stern models myself. I have always found that JJP make beautiful well built games but have always felt the gameplay and code was a little flat and lacking for my style of play.

The Awesomeness:

I have to say that this machine blows your mind as you step on to it, first of all the theme integration is outstanding, I don't know of another game that gets me more into the theme of the game then this one. There is no doubt that you are being transformed into a GNR rock concert as you are playing this game. The lighting outmatches any game I have ever played it is awesome with the LED rails and all of the LED inserts and the game surprisingly doesn't blind you, thou I find it difficult to understand some shots due to being color blind but we will get into that later. The artwork, is some of the best I have seen on a game, there were super smart putting the best art package on the LE, as they are making a crapload of them at a premium price. The sounds and music is amazing, again being a fan of the band helps but 21 songs to choose from full songs and unedited you really can't ask for more here. Lastly, game design if there was one area where I was concerned it was this as I haven't found many JJP really fun to shoot, well I have to say this one is, WTG JJP you finally found a great layout and the same flow quite good considering it has an upper playfield which I am normally not a huge fan of.

What Can This Game Improve:

The drain outs can be very frustrating when doing an initial skill shot (especially when ball save is removed), I am not sure why they chose to go this route, they are already being generous in the code to allow you to progress to a song, why not divert the ball into the in-lane instead of the this weird kick-out onto the playfield.

The code, granted this is early code, but I am not a big fan of the add a ball rule on the multiballs (mine are turned off), and I don't like how there are not combo rules for on the fly play and that risk/reward that goes with it, if you are getting band members consecutively there should be bigger rewards. Same as if you risk going for your six ball multiball there should be more risk/reward there. I don't like the 3 minute rule to complete each album level (I have reduced this to 2 minutes), I know they are trying to get you to listen to entire song but man it makes the machine too long playing for my liking. There is a lot going on in the lighting in multiball and I find it difficult knowing what shots to shoot but this could be a result of my color blindness. The gameplay is a little slower than a Stern, and the reason for this is the flippers, slings and pop bumpers are not as strong as pretty well all other manufacturers. I am not sure why JJP continues this trend, I am tempted to swap out coils on the slings just to get a little action there, and currently I have had to max out all of the coil setting on the game just to get it playing half descent out of the box.

The Awfulness:

The rubbers, yes the fricken rubbers on this game suck, the flipper rubbers are destroyed after 500 games and the sling rubbers are toast, not sure who supplies this stuff for them but they need a refund. Quality control, on my game we could not even play it when we first got it as one of the flippers was so weak you could barely make it to the scoop, this should have been caught in QC and a big miss, luckily we have the means to be to fix it and get it playing, but some noob would have been in serious trouble if they got this machine.

Omissions:

Only one here, a gun mechanism might have been warranted here to finish off the full theme integration, imagine having to shoot the scoop with a Gun mech in the center scoop instead of just shooting it with your flipper, there could have been a subway that ran from the scoop to a loaded gun, then you shoot it in the scoop to collect your jackpot or risk it to move on.

Overall Thoughts:

This game is just plain fun, I have to say it but if Stern mechs/code and JJP design, build, artwork, sound and music had a baby this might have been the best game ever made. However, right now, due to all of the innovations I would say currently this machine is a top 5 machine for me of all time. If they can add to the code and adjust the coil mechanics a bit more this machine could very well go down as one of the best ever. I am glad I made my first JJP purchase and this machine has gotten rave reviews with all of the people that have played it in our facility. If you get a chance to try this game out don't hesitate you don't need to be a fan of the band to appreciate the awesomeness of this game.

This is a classic case where the game shoots like a dream but falls kind of flat on the rules and scoring. There is time to improve upon title so not all is lost and will improve my rating if the code improves but it really seems like a lost opportunity right now.

The game is one of the best, if not the best in the modern Stern collection. Above that is the great support and improved code updates for this title, I can't remember a game in the past that was so well supported. If there is one negative, the game does need to be setup pretty tough to limit long ball times but overall this game is awesome. The music isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you are truly a fan of the band it is a no brainer, if you aren't it is still an awesome game just plug your ears or change out the music if you really want to, lol...

If there was ever a machine to give a perfect rating to this is the one. IMO the best pinball machine ever made.

Regardless if you like the theme or not this is a fun game to play, all of the shots shoot well, there is good flow and the scoring is quite balanced. The code 1.03 is a great out of the box code and can only get better with further refinements. The cons are there is really not much innovation shot wise on the game, we have seen all of these shots before resembles a lot like KISS, but shoots so much better. Love the risk/reward of the 6 ball multi-ball and the opportunities for stacking modes. Overall great new entry, I actually bought the machine as I was so impressed with the out of the box code on this one. I would rate this game right now as the third best music pin behind ACDC and MET with further code refinements could make a move ahead of one of these.

What can you say, it is simply one of the best games ever made

Comet is an solid entry for this era, no multi-ball but some interesting scoring strategies to make the lastability of the machine much better then other entries in this time period. Really like the adjustable settings allowing you to create harder rule sets as you get better with the machine. Other things to make the game harder to the ability to remove the right and centre posts. The 1M shot is very satisfying when you manage to get it on hard settings, love the animations of the fireworks in the backglass. The 2x, 3x, 5x scoring strategies are a nice touch. The game needs strong flippers and decent pitch to make it play fast but overall you will not be disappointed if you dial this puppy in...

I have played TWD over 100 times now so felt I could finally chime in. The layout is poor on this machine on the RHS of the play field as there are numerous times when you will get cheap drains from the bumper feed. The magnet also can give you SDTM or side drains too which is very annoying. The game is coded masterfully, and stays true to its theme, (although the call outs are terrible unless you use a custom BIN file from the community). Overall the game does have lastability as it is tough, you can have a really good game or a very poor game I just wish it was from poor play instead of unlucky drains. I don't mind a hard game in fact I prefer it, but this game just frustrates me as it consistantly rips a player off. I would not buy this game just due to theme, but it does keep me coming back just out of sure frustration. Have fun!!!!

I have to say this game is surprising good, my rating includes a custom sound package made from pinball browser, or else it would get a much lower rating as the original music is terrible. Lots of multiballs, good flow, and very challenging, risk/reward strategies involved in this game. It is underated in my view and get low ratings based on the theme but if you actually play it for what it is a pinball machine you will be pleasently surprised on how much fun it actually is.

My rating is for ACDC LE "Black in Black", the machine is amazing just keeps me coming back for more. It is simply stunning and the centrepiece of my collection. The gameplay is true awesome and keep you coming back for more. The only real drawback is the machine is drany for the average player and the artwork package on the playfield is average, but really a top 3 machine IMO...

Unbelievable, I own this game and it is a blast it keeps getting better and better the more I play very deep mode rule set on this one. Has to be one of the best machines I have played in my lifetime. It is sharp looking with a great artwork package and awesome mirrored back glass, the playfield has many satisfying shots with the best being the warp ramp shot, the toys look great, and VUK and return lane add more to the game then the pro, the laser projection is great addition, and the warp light just make this stand out and make the rest of my collection look really plain... My only complaint right now would be the omission of the ST theme music that would be killer, and the code is not quite complete, but for right out the box this machine is a winner. Stern you got it right, this machine will absolutely never leave my collection... This machine has a legitimate chance at cracking the top 5 IMO... Enjoy for those who own them and if you don't run out and get one or find a friend that has one cause you don't want to miss the experience of playing this fantastic game.

Update with 1.6.1 code - The game code is now complete IMO and is now an elite machine in the Stern collection. The machine is stunning, has a well integrated theme, is a blast to play with it fast flowing shots and is fairly deep, the only drawbacks is some of the modes feel like they are the same but really with 18 modes you are going to get some repetition, and the game is quite easy in standard audits and you get long ball times but this can be adjusted by making the machine more difficult, this is a standout game for Stern and is a top 5 machine overall...

This is a top 5 machine for me, really fast, good flow and just a fun ride... Put all of that together witht the amazing lighting, great mods and gameplay you have youself a winner here...

The game animations and cabinet design are the only flaws on this game. Strap on your seat belt as you are going to go for a joyride once you hit the start button here. Silky smooth gameplay, very fast flowing shots with some challenging shots such as a the left lock shot and very rewarding combination shots. Game is great and the code is pretty solid and will be in my collection soon...

Played this game last night at my friends house, the game has great flow, good ruleset, thou I am hoping more code changes are in store. The snake shot is the most satifying shot on the game IMO, but the game it super fast, sometimes too fast as the slingshots are so powerful the ball sometimes jumps into the outlanes. I am not a huge Metallica fan but the theme is fun and music is good and if attached to a great sound system I am sure would really up the experience. Overall one of the better Stern entries in recent years. Updated for 1.5 code, very nice update

Another underrated game, I have this machine in my collection and is my favorite game right now, not really big on the theme but it is such a great playing machine, lots of shots to go for, good rule set and risk/reward shots such as stacking modes. The playfield is very nice and the outlanes and middle holes are tough but fair to keep you wanting to play more. This game improves your gameplay for other machines as nudging and accurate shooting are a must for this title. I really enjoy this game I just wished that they completed the code update so that the rule set was complete. Enjoy...

The backglass and artwork design are amazing, probably one of the best designs especially for its age. The game itself can be frustrating as it is no piece of cake. One of the only games where you have to nail down two drop targets before you get double bonus, the 5X bonus shot is difficult as well with the outter plastic piece stopping any real hard sots directly to the hole. Has a real risk/reward feature once you get to 20 points in that it holds your bonus scoring. Quite good depth in the rule structure for such an old game. This machine bring back a lot of memories for me which is why I have it in my collection but for a late 70's machine it is the best around in its era and should be considered a top 100 machine for its artwork alone IMO.

The game continues to grow on me the more I play it. The game play is quite in-depth once you learn the rule sets. Numerous ways to achieve multi-ball (Ace in the Hole, No Limit Multi-Ball, All-In Multiball, Poker Hands, etc) and the top multi level design is sharp. The long ramp shots make accuracy a premium on this game along with the timely 3X shots that are risk and reward. The drop down targets give it a classic feel and the poker theme will do well with poker enthusiasts. The game looks sharp especially with LED lighting however, back glass and pinball machine artwork is horrible. So much that I have this machine beside a Paragon machine at home just to try to make it look better visually.

In summary, if you are looking at straight game play this is a underrated machine it is tons of fun, I have had the machine for over two months and haven't be bored yet playing it and would recommend it especially for those who love the game of poker. Have fun!!!