Sugar Grove, IL
My Jetson’s Review
Okay, I have now had my Jetson’s game for almost 2 weeks and I feel I owe The Pinball Company, Spooky Pinball and the Pinside Community an honest review. I will use most of the Pinside review structure to try to tell you my thoughts on this game.
Game Design
The layout of the playfield is great and it really works with this game. It (kind of) reminds me of Avatar. Obviously, it only has the one ramp (like Avatar). But it has plenty of shots including the target on the far left, the Spacely scoop on the far left to lock balls, Astro spinner loop shot on the left, the long Judy ramp, Elroy shot to the right of the ramp, the 6 George targets, the captive ball, the Cogswell lock and the Orbitty spinner loop on the far right. There is plenty to shoot at and the game is very fast as are all of the Spooky games. For some reason, maybe speed, Spooky games always feel a little small to me. Overall, it shoots smooth and feels solid to play.
Rules
I have been running Version 2 since the second day I had it. We played our local league night last Saturday night with these rules. First, I have to mention that the scoring is very balanced. There are 28 people in our league. Everybody had time to practice and the scores ranged from 5 million to 37 million. Most were in the 6-12 million range. There was no easy route to a big score. The three skill shots are made by holding the launch button to get different amounts of power on your plunge. There are left, center and right skill shots. I understand a super skill shot is coming where you collect all 3 skill shots in the game and then make a shot to collect it. I also understand that some new “hurry ups” are coming. I just got some new code today.Collecting the different characters is intuitive and the Spacely vs. Cogswell multiball is achieved by hitting the Spacely scoop 3X and then hitting the Cogswell shot. You then collect jackpots by alternating those 2 shots. There are 3 multiballs to achieve, but the best is the “EEK OPP ORK” multiball that lasts the length of the famous Jetson’s song.
Toys and Gimmicks
The game hits a home run here in innovation. Really, I am serious. What the playfield lacks in innovative toys is more than made up for with the innovative and interactive topper. Orbitty is achieved by cranking the right spinner shot over and over. The topper has a hand like a clock that moves from pointing left to right as the spinner is hit. When the “hand” moves all the way to the right, the character and multiball are started if this is your last character. This was the most commented on feature during my league night. The rest is targets, scoops, pop bumpers and a ramp. Most games are lucky to get one innovative feature (like the toy-box on Aerosmith). This one is very cool!
Artwork
The artwork on the game is exceptional. The cabinet is beautiful and the backglass (real heavy glass) is stunning. Multi-color LED’s behind the glass really enhance the beauty. The art blades are included and they really extend the great work done on the playfield. Some sculpted buildings and an Astro and Rosie toy really bring it all together. I would not change a thing on the artwork. I will add some photos to this review this evening. I have just a couple I am including right now from our league night.
Sounds and Music
When you start the game, you get to hear the whole Jetsons theme song while the game goes through the start-up menu and credits. As a 50+ year old guy, this part really brings a smile to my face. The music and sound effects are excellent. The call outs are mediocre. This is probably my one and only gripe about the game. I am certain that there are licensing limitations, but I am hoping somebody can crack the code and give me a few moments like this (I would pay for this):
I also wish everything could be turned up a little louder. Not sure if anyone has put a bigger amp on a Spooky game, but I sure would like to know my options. When it is the only game on, it sounds great. When my newer Stern games are on and others are playing, this game struggles to compete in volume.
Lighting
The lighting on the game is excellent. The inserts are intuitive, but some features are still catching up with the code. The game is bright and the balls are easy to follow. The topper and backbox are lit very well.
Theme and Lastability
I love the theme and the game definitely has that “one more game” factor. I’m not sure how many they will make, but I am very happy to have one. I have owned AMH and RZLE by Spooky. IMO, this one is better than both of those. At $6 grand, it is not cheap, but it includes an interactive topper, art blades, beautiful armor and some nicely crafted toys on the playfield.
Dependability and Build
The game is rock solid and has not had an issue with about 300 plays. No stuck balls; No removing the glass; No loose screws; No inserts ghosting and no cabinet issues. Feels solid when you play.
Overall, I would give this game an 8.5/10 and would say it is an excellent addition to collections of 5 games or more.
Jetsons with crowd (resized).jpg
Brian on Jetsons (resized).jpg
