Quoted from MikeS:1. JP - My favorite rule-set of all of KME's games. I love the Paddock dynamic and the way your shots move around with the dinosaur you are trying to capture. The T-Rex modes are also well implemented and make use of the moving T-Rex head which is really cool. I also like that there are so many state-changing toys in the game. The Truck changes which shots you need to make in Chaos MB and also makes for a really tight but satisfying Smart Missile shot. The Raptor Pen is also a great toy and allows you to lock a ball inside for 2X multiplier (dirty pool!), Even the control room shot on the left side is a state changing toy as it turns itself into a captive ball during Invalid frenzy. And the game has great spinner rules with Pteranadon, really fun mini-wizard modes and of course Escape Nublar which can be played as its own challenge, also perks, rescues, and plenty of other depth that provides an everlasting challenge. The negatives for JP are that the shots are tight, the game is rather difficult, and the game isn't really accessible to all players because of this difficulty. If I am having an off pinball day I will tend to avoid playing JP because you have to be up for the challenge. Also, the theme integration is quite good if you add the fan created software vs. the stock code. I have a Premium in my collection and it is bolted to the floor.-and I'm one that tends to sell games after a couple of years.
2. Godzilla - The game has 3 spinners and flow for days! Lots of depth and modes, a unique and fun layout to shoot with a well implemented single pop bumper which has good risk/reward. The humor, sounds, display and light show on this game are all on point! The game is just really good at everything it does. It is also way more accessible for players of all levels to play and has some of the coolest toys/mechs in pinball. To me the game reminds me of a modern version of Attack from Mars as it shares the same brand of humor, has a large toy up the middle and even has saucer multiball. Negatives for Godzilla is just that the software isn't as cohesive as JP. There is almost too much going on at times and display scenes and sounds can get queued up because stuff gets stacked against each other. I do realize that code is not complete and there are still modes that need to be put into the game and additional polish and improvements. I think when all is said and done I could see it battling JP as my favorite. It's just a fun game! I have a Pro in my collection and can't see it ever leaving.
3. Iron Maiden - It's a great game that I owned for almost 2 years. Ultimately I grew a little tired of the music as I'm not much of an IM music fan. It's a really fun shooter much like Godzilla and feels more approachable than JP. The animations and light show aren't up to the level of Godzilla or JP but it is also an older game. The code doesn't also feel as deep and doesn't seem to have as many layers or ways to approach the game as JP and Godzilla have. I found that a lot of my games started to feel kind of the same when I had it. It only has a handful of modes that you see all of the time. The Power features just kind of come naturally through gameplay and I kind of felt that I hit a wall after owning it where I'd see the same stuff most games like Cyborg MB and I wasn't seeing much new as I tended to approach it the same way. Contrast that to a game like JP where there seems to be more ways to attack the game and one game I may go primarily for Paddocks, and the next try for T-Rex or Control room modes. I do really like the game but I feel like I don't need to own one since Godzilla does a lot of the same things Maiden does for me but better. Better theme, better humor, more going on, better lights sounds and video, etc.
4. AIQ - This is the only one I haven't owned. I play it quite a bit on route and was really hoping it would click for me but it hasn't yet. I love the layout and think it's a fun shooter but the theme integration falls flat for me. I don't really care for the display stuff or the sounds and the gem rules/grid. It's just not as fun and interesting to me as something like the Paddocks in JP or destroying stuff in Godzilla. It just feels like it is lacking in soul and immersiveness. It's a solid game and I think it's still a good game but I just don't the same feeling when I play it that I do with the other 3 KME games. Maybe someday I'll pick one up for home and grow to really like it.
Excellent, totally agree!