(Topic ID: 202251)

Which Jersey Jack Machine Would You Buy if You Were Me?

By SwimLaw

6 years ago


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Topic Stats

  • 113 posts
  • 79 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 5 years ago by zaphX
  • Topic is favorited by 2 Pinsiders

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“Which Jersey Jack Machine Would You Buy If You Were Me?”

  • The Wizard of Oz 38 votes
    22%
  • The Hobbit 15 votes
    9%
  • Dialed In 74 votes
    43%
  • Wait for Pirates of the Caribbean 46 votes
    27%

(173 votes)

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#61 6 years ago

My take on all four, listed by date of production:

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WOZ - Great pin almost over-packed with features

- GAMEPLAY & DESIGN: This game plays wonderful and has awesome toys. The mini-playfields are neat and fun! My only criticism as that this game feels very crowded with its 5 flippers and two mini playfields. I feel like it's a congested Twilight Zone when I play it.

- THEME: It is based on a solid (yet dated) theme. If your kids haven't seen the movie, have them watch it. JJP did a good job of incorporating the theme into this game better than almost any pinball machine. It 'feels' 100% like WOZ.

- CRITICISM: The only issue I see with this game is maintenance and the packed feeling, if ether is a concern. The game has so much in it that it often has maintenance issues. If you're good at fixing pins, this won't be an issue at all.

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HOBBIT - Best pin for kids - slower play with longer ball times

- GAMEPLAY & DESIGN: This game plays wonderfully, but you must like a game that is on the easier side and offers longer ball times. This is the one pinball machine that I would argue that offers an amazing experience instead of a fast-paced pinball game. Remember that the playfield has a lot of pop-up characters, and the drop targets are utilised well. The side flipper does not have a ramp, but it is still integrated. The open playfield is nice.

- THEME: As with WOZ, they nailed the theme well. You get awe-inspiring call-outs, and the visuals are absolutely stunning. I would argue that this is the best looking pinball machine on the planet, hands down. I was almost lulled into buying it based on that alone.

- CRITICISM: I absolutely love to play this game when I see it routed, but I would not buy it for my collection based on the slower play and long ball times. I have heard from many others that the immersion in the game wears thin after a while. That being said, I do not have children and have heard that kids love it the most because it is awe-inspiring and on the easy side.

------------------------

DIALED-IN - Best all-around pin for pinheads

- GAMEPLAY & DESIGN: Having owned most of Lawlor's most famous titles, this is the culmination of all of them, all the good, none of the bad. I would argue that this is currently the best designed pinball machine ever made, for pinheads, that is. The quantum theatre is the absolute coolest, most functional toy ever! The bluetooth cell phone part is not integral to the game at all; it is simply a fun gimmick. This game will be tougher for kids, but on the plus side, it will turn them into pinheads if they learn to play it!

- THEME: I have no idea why people criticise this theme. it is SIMPLE! You use your phone to cause disasters in Quantum City. Yes, that is right: YOU cause the havoc on the city and get points for doing so. You charge your phone, shoot the phone and cause various disasters. Pretty simple. This theme is really fun and involves all sorts of characters from the city. The emojis and selfies are from 'Crazy Bob,' who sells cell phones in the city. Bob is presented through cheesy 'ads' and the game even responds negatively to his cheesiness. It's funny and far from annoying. That being said, the theme requires more imagination than the other themes. Children will be more familiar with TH for sure.

- CRITICISM: The only thing I can offer is that if you want a license, this is not a licensed game. To me, that is a plus, not a criticism. The more games we get like this, the more money that can go toward design. Oh, and making the trap door visible would have been cool.

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JJPOTC - The unknown

- GAMEPLAY & DESIGN: The moving mini-playfield looks fun, and the spinning center wheel looks very cool. I watched a video on the designer, and he seems to be a top-notch pick by Jack. the catapult looks cool as well, and the playfield doesn't look overly packed. It appears that this game is going to have the deepest ruleset in pinball history, and I think this could become somewhat of a new standard: never the same game twice.

- THEME: I'm not a "stick a movie star in front of your face" fan, nor am I much of a fan of re-themed pins. Also, without star call-outs, I'd argue that they should have went with a different license. In my opinion, they're missing too much of the puzzle here. However, the game looks nice, and they did a good job in giving the ol' pirate feel, arrr!

- CRITICISM: Only by looking at the videos, this game's design doesn't look like it will have lastability. It looks fun, but not enough for me to seriously think about purchasing it.

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CONCLUSION: I'd say that WOZ is right in the middle. If I had kids and don't mind the crowded playfield that may need a little extra maintanence, I'd hit the used market for one. If my kids don't play that much and I like to take my time with pinball, I would get the absolutely stunning Hobbit. If I want to go with design and playability, with hopes of sharpening up my skills, I would go with DI (my personal choice). If I absolutely love pirates and want to stare at Jonny Depp every time I turn on my very expensive toy (no bias here at all..) and can forgo some licencing issues, I'd wait for JJPOTC.

6 months later
#93 5 years ago
Quoted from FarFromHeaven26:

Does anyone have a recommendation of which version of The Wizard of Oz to buy? The Emerald City seems to be the way to go, but some are favoring RR.

RR 75th

3 weeks later
#103 5 years ago
Quoted from tdunbar:

WOZ because Dialed In is going to be too hard and frustrating for less experienced players DI is really challenging and better for more advanced players. Woz will have longer ball times and keep kids more interested in continuing to play it.
We don't know how POTC will play yet till released

For sims, yes, but the rest of the game isn’t bad at all. Pat always designs easy shots in his games. Left ramp is realy easy. Theatre is really easy. Right ramp is moderate. Phone scoop is moderate. Left loop is moderate. SIM card is so hard you might smash the glass.

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