Obviously none of of us have played avengers, but with the information we have it’s JP and it’s not close IMO

JP to me feels like Keiths masterpiece. It’s so refined and unique, every aspect of the game works perfectly with each other. The toys and shots make sense, and they are part of the world and the code. The animations are so above anything else stern has done, to me it just feels like this was a true labor of love for the company.

Avengers feels like a cool layout that was slapped with the avengers theme.

I would also take an IMDN over avengers, but I’m a fan of the music.

Jurassic park seems like more fun every time I play it on location, it's a top pin for sure. But if you already have Avengers on order, I say go with your heart and get avengers. You must want Avengers of its already ordered. Nobody has played Avengers yet to give you a good opinion of play. But I bet Avengers is a very good playing Pin.

Had my JP pro for a month now. First I week wanted to sell it. Now I can't stop playing it. I Probably play 30 games on JP to every 1 on my IMDN.

JP is my favourite pin right now.
Second is Maiden.
So you can guess how I’m gonna feel about Avengers.
Thing about Avengers is, it’s a dream theme for me...
So only time will tell.
This question can’t be answered other then, your getting Avngers?
To answer your question.... You will be happy with JP, but maybe try to play it first?

I wouldn't trade my JP Premium for an Avengers Premium straight up. JP is still the gold standard and Avengers IQ is the new kid on the block and still has to prove itself.

Waaaaay too early to tell. Check back in 6 months.

^^^^ This.

I own IMDN and JP2. Without obviously playing AIQ yet I would currently rank KME's games IMDN > AIQ > JP2

JP2 is good game, but it gets old.

Kind of the way I felt as well. Solid game no doubt though.

I think it's too early to make a decision maybe go with the theme you prefer.

They all do. I figured Maiden was a pin I would never sell but once I beat it, lasted 2 weeks.

Have had JP since December - still trying to figure out all the rules
Feels like there is just so much to shoot at in this game it has not gotten old for me.
Animations and sound are also very good.

Avengers looks like it's going to be fun but JP still seems more unique to me.
For some reason, Avengers doesn't feel like a must own title like JP did.
That could change after I play it.

I agree.

As in you beat the beast or you got to RTTH?

Anyway, look I love the original JP movie and dinos in general, but despite people arguing with me about this on here, JP2 is linear. Sure you can make a couple choices, but at the end of the day you trying to get to the visitors center. If you're a better player, your games are all going to feel very, very similar. Someone on here referred to JP2 as a board game, which initially I didn't really agree with, but now I kind of do. Again, I think it's a good game, just at this moment after owning it for several months now, if someone were to offer me an AIQ for JP2, I would take that trade.

Yes its linear in the sense that you are navigating a map to get from point a to point b. But you can navigate the map in multiple different ways (the coolest part of this game IMO) plus you have the control room modes, t rex events, raptor tri ball, and chaos multi ball to attack it in different ways.

the Beast, but that was a very long game and after that I kinda knew it was done. I've sold games before beating them as well. When it gets feeling like chopping wood I know its time. Then again its been over a year and I'd like to play it again, might grab a used pro if it comes up and do it all over.

OK, so where do we stand 3 month later??
aiq or jp2??

Based on what the games are today, still JP for me. Not sure what code will bring for AIQ going forward... hard to know... but JP just has more depth right now.

I have both games and they’re both great. If I could only keep one though, it would be JP.

For people that get bored playing the paddocks and trying to get to Visitors Center, I have had some of my best games completely ignoring them. Between Control Room and T Rex modes and their mini wizard modes that’s 8 modes right there. Bringing in Raptor Multiball or Chaos Multiball Into those modes can lead to huge scores. There is also the Invalid Frenzy Multiball that you can get from the smart missile shot. I’ve not played it a lot so not super clear on the rules For that Multiball but last night I had it going good and it kept adding balls, got into a 6 ball Multiball with it. The Pteranodon attack mode can lead to huge scores as well and has a great risk reward to it as you decide when to cash it out.
So I would vote for JP as you can play it as a journey style game and go for visitors center or you can play it as a mode based game or you can just go for the multiballs or try to stack as much as you can together.

Mmhh. I was already convinced but JP is really not easy to get in France..
I ordered a JP Premium on Dec 2019..never got it due to covid..
And now, the prices are just.. Insane. 10k for the premium, I can't afford that

So when comparing Pro version? Still JP?
AIQ seems possible to get...

Any new thoughts on this? Looking at possibly ordering one of these two.

BOTH and add TMNT to the mix too! all 3 !!

I think right now, AIQ is one of the Stern greats, but JP might be GoaT.

Still JP2 for me and it is about code/rules. AIQ in comparison feels 75% done, but I don’t know if that is just my perception or real.

Okay, I want to bump this with the hope that now that some time has passed, some people who have experience with both can weigh in. I’m thinking of getting one or the other and would love some objective feedback.

Cheers

No wrong answer. Bought AIQ Prem as my first pin - the whole family loves it and we have been playing it daily since November. I have ordered Deadpool Prem as my next pin. Have played JP, love it, but wanted something a bit different and therefore went with DP.

Again, you will be delighted no matter what direction you go.

Well half of us like AIQ better and the other half prefer JP2.

Though I love JP and rate it very highly, AIQ is absolutely epic and candidate for best ever. JP is a home run, but AIQ is a grand slam.

As we all expected at the outset of this thread

I think AIQ can surpass JP if Stern will polish the code a bit more, specially the anims and some sounds. The layout of AIQ is fantastic, a masterpiece. The code right now at 1.0 is already very good.

Man, that's a tough call. Both are fantastic and probably top 5 of all time for me. I went through a brief phase where I fell out of love with JP and sold it, but thankfully I snapped out of it and got one back. Not sure what I was thinking, because this game is amazing.

AIQ is a slightly better layout to me. The shots are a bit easier overall and can lead to flowing a bunch of unique combos together...more than any other game I can think of. JP is no slouch there, but the shots are tighter and the flow isn't quite as prevalent. Both have some great "sharp shooter" type sniper shots as well as all of the flow/combos. Both have very unique layouts, not a copy or even really reminiscent of any other game. The pro/premium divide is bigger on AIQ, with the changes being major game/shot changes, where-as JPs are mostly eye-candy with minor affects on play. To me the AIQ premium upgrade was well worth it, but I am completely satisfied with JP as a pro. Many do disagree with that and consider the moving dinosaur to be a must-have, so YMMV there.

Rules are great on each. They each have some pretty simple surface code for beginners to have fun with, and then as much of a rabbit hole of depth as you could possibly want. Lots of strategy if you choose to utilize it, but you can ignore it and just shoot the blinky stuff and still have a blast. I have a really hard time choosing here. JP paddocks can seem a bit repetitive, which is part of why I sold my first one. They started to feel like a slog. But on further play, the unique movement of each dinosaur is really cool and thematic, and concentrating on keeping a good rescue streak going as opposed to just blasting through them quickly makes them much more interesting. AIQ does not have any sort of repetitious feeling as each of the gem quests are very unique in how you play them, and you can still choose to blast through them ASAP or concentrate on maximizing scoring, bringing in portal locks, etc. For that reason I would say AIQ has a slight lead from a "main mission" stand point. Both have plenty of "side missions" to do as well, and to me this is where JP really shines. Control Room modes are unique and fun, with slightly blah A/V. The T-Rex modes though...those are AWESOME. Pure adrenaline and heart pumping, so much fun. Just these side modes offer more depth than some entire games have. AIQ doesn't really have much that compares to these modes, instead having you collect the Avengers to progress through Soul Gem (which is crazy unique and amazing), Black Order Multiball, and Battle Royale. All very cool modes as well. Both games offer some very interesting strategic decisions. JP with your path through the map, perks for the different dinosaurs, and to fight or skip the super-predators. AIQ with the unique gem perks and how they interact with the various shots and Avenger levels. Great stuff on both, and again if that seems overwhelming they can be ignored and played in a much more simple way. Both have awesome wizard modes, as well as many other small modes (Hulk Rampage, Gamma, computer modes vs Pteranadon, Smart Missiles, DNA combos, etc). Both have some fun multiballs. AIQ's Thor and IM are slightly more generic feeling (probably partially my own lack of understanding them so far), but it does have the advantage of the portal lock system and the ability to turn every gem quest into a multiball. That's awesome. JP on the other hand has more unique feeling multiballs, which are a bit more fun to me. Spelling CHAOS for that multiball especially is a blast. Both have a bunch of very cool, unique skill shots, but JP definitely pulls ahead with it's insanely satisfying multi-level combo skill shot. I've only hit the 4 way twice and the MXV once, and there is no greater feeling in pinball. I am surprised there isn't a similar combo skill shot on AIQ. So...all that is a really long way of saying...they both have amazing code. I would almost call it a wash. If the paddocks were a little more unique feeling, JP would probably be the clear winner, but that is really the only place I can fault it.

A/V assets are pretty close. I truly enjoy both games as-is, but there are many that find them both lacking. Neither game is based on the movies, and therefore animations and voices are not what most expect them to be. I think they did a great job on both of them though. I love the dinosaur animations, sounds, and music on JP, though some of the voices are not great. AIQ has really beautiful "motion comic" style animations which I absolutely love, but some do not like them since they are not full motion. Music is a bit more generic than JP in my opinion, but not bad at all. Voices are fine for the most part. Maybe a little jarring when you are used to how the movie actors sound, but really not bad. AIQ has a more serious tone, not having much humor present. JP is slightly lighter. Again overall A/V to me is a wash between the two.

Art is pretty easily AIQ. Zombie Yeti is simply amazing and everything he touches is gold. I actually really like JP's art as well, especially the cabinet and translight (I have a pro that I love the look of, I am not as big of a premium fan, but the LE is gorgeous). The JP playfield is a big step down, especially the odd decision to have Nedry's ugly mug featured so prominently when there are no other actors anywhere else on the machine. Replacing him with a triceratops would have been a HUGE improvement. Don't hate it, but don't love it. Overall, AIQ takes it here.

So yeah...not sure that helped at all. Both are amazing games, and you can't go wrong with either. While I find them pretty much neck and neck, it does seem to me that JP is slightly more universally loved while AIQ may be a bit more polarizing. The depth and strategy seems to scare many people away, but it really shouldn't as that first layer is actually quite simple and still satisfying on its own. I would actually say AIQ is slightly more intuitive to people stepping up to it for the first time than JP is. Either way though, both games have a ton to offer.

That was an awesome response and exactly what I was looking for @jediturtle!

Thank you!

I have jp premium and played aiq pre and pro.
JP wins but both are great games.
Too many multiball on aiq for me. But it depends on the player, ball time are longer on AIQ

I have a AIQ NIB. Actually trading to a JP prem. Huge comic book guy and maybe that's why AIQ was let down to me. Love the art.. can live with the comic animations. What killed it for me was the voice acting. Its just very mono tone and has no personality. JP on the other hand even though lacks animations and art to some extent.. the game is just 100% exciting in your face. Who doesn't love a T-REX running through your subwoofer... to me that will never get old. Can totally understand why better players then me will gravitate too AIQ.. for the deep rule set and challenge. To me however I will pick theme in pinball everytime... I'm a sucka for theme. If Stern makes a Jaws machine and it has just two flippers and a pop bumper I will still buy it haha

I have JP and just put a few games on aiq. JP is a more difficult game, with tighter shots
Aiq was fun on location, and easier for me to shoot but I didn't leave thinking I needed one but I did enjoy it

Pretty much same here. I was really looking forward to trying out AIQ and finally had the chance several weeks back. Not going to say it wasn't fun but wasn't feeling it for some reason. Both IMDN and JP were a blast to play right from the start so not sure what I was missing.

I have a TMNT LE and thinking of replacing a couple games with JP and AIQ prems. Have yet to play JP and AIQ, but hoping to soon.

Are TMNT, AIQ, and JP all unique enough to warrant being in the same collection without feeling repetitive?

AIQ and JP2 are both unique to each other.

And when I played TMNT it didn't feel anything like them either.

I'm lucky enough to have all three, and they are three of my absolute favorites. They feel nothing alike at all in layout or code. Really the only similarity is they all have three flippers, but even the upper flipper shots are completely different between them.

I have a TMNT and AIQ and they don't feel similar at all with code or layout. AIQ plays longer and has a forgiving, combo-heavy layout. TMNT is brutally fast and while it has combos to be made, the feed to the upper left flipper is pretty damn hard to get down.

^Thanks, appreciate all the input

Amazing review. Thanks for taking the time.

Same here.
Aiq pro, jp prem and tmnt pro are really different and worth to be in the same line.

In terms of difficulty tmnt > jp > aiq