My daughter came home from college this weekend for her Thanksgiving Break and got to see the new JJ POTC for the first time. We have had at least one pinball machine in our house for the last ten years so she has experienced a number of games as my collection grew and changed. Typically, when a new game arrives she plays it once and never touches it again. That changed with JJ POTC. For the first time EVER, she has repeatedly gone back to the machine on her own to play.
So what is different about JJ POTC. First, unlike others on this site, she loves the theme, having grown up watching the early films on DVD and going to the theater to see the latest. Elizabeth Swan has always been one of her favorite characters but she appreciated that characters from the latest films were also part of the game.
Second, she finds the machine to be beautiful. (It deserves to be in the SDTM’s top ten world under glass.)
Third, everything anyone has ever written about how well this game shoots is true. Fun and fast, you can enjoy the game without having any idea as to what to do other than following the compass or shooting the ramp to the ship. She had fun with it the very first time she played.
Fourth, she is intrigued with the rule set and has quickly grasped the basics while playing the game and continues to go deeper into them as she advances her play. (Apparently, this rule set is not too challenging for the casual player.)
Finally, as she continued to play, guess what – all those inserts are important because, as advertised, no game is the same and there is always a different path, as highlighted by the inserts, that needs to be followed.
What I have enjoyed most is not just her interest in the machine, but the enjoyment in playing it with her as we discover new aspects of the game while plundering gold from each other. Looks like this one is a keeper at our house.