I’m sure this post will elicit a group “well f’ing DUH” ...but, I have to apologize for writing off Stern’s JP from the initial reveal. The voices and art turned me off, and since I haven’t really dug any Spike era games, I figured this one wouldn’t be any different.

Today I finally played a JP Premium at snaroff ’s house.

Holy. F’ing. Crap.

I was a F’ing A-hole.

What a phenomenal game.

Not gonna write some big review, cuz you guys already know what’s up with this game. But wow. Keith Elwin is a gaddamn American treasure. Everyone involved with this game deserves all the microwave burritos & TWIPYs. Anyone who was cynical and skeptical like I was, try to play one. Feeling this game in action erases the surface nitpicks completely. The design is bonkers fun. Every shot, ramp and combo feels satisfying and new. The sound design is cinematic and exciting. I can’t say I understand the rules yet, but it has that up-front fun factor which makes me want to keep playing to learn the nuance. I picked up on a bit of it, and what was there was fun. The concepts seem new, but still feel firmly pinballish. The T-Rex is awesome...probably the most “alive” character toy since Red & Ted. Loved the raptor paddock & all the little trap posts everywhere.

Dang...haven’t been this impressed with a game in a long time.

Seriously...sorry to everyone I badgered about this game when I wrote it off as “just another Stern”...nope, no way....I get it now. Absolutely special, masterclass in design, first class pinballing. Smile-on-your-face FUN.

Hah...I’m relatively neutral on DI. I enjoy it...it has some unique, unexpected things about the layout. I’d play one if it was in front of me. I don’t think I’d ever love it like I do a bunch of other Lawlor games.

A couple people already explained it better than I could! For some, simply - it felt great. Every shot felt great, linked to multiple other shots that felt great. Geometry just had nothing goofy about it to complain about. Each shot had multiple purposes to exist, which added to the satisfaction.

I won’t argue with those who love Maiden...for whatever reason I could never get a hang of it or get a feel for the shots and flow. JP on the other hand, after a few games felt “just right” to me.

That always seems to be a crapshoot with Stern. I’ve been very vocal about cratery playfields...the particular machine I played looked very nice still after a few hundred plays. Still, that’s going to be the reason I’m not gonna just run out and order one. I’ll keep my eyes open for a used one I can check out first.

There are inserts that change color. There was a T-Rex chase mode where you had to shoot orange inserts, and they would flicker orange/white...in other instances they were green. I could have sworn the inserts for the car were sometimes white and sometimes red.

I’ve said I’ve wanted to play Stranger Things Prem due to the interesting projector gimmick. Not really interested in the Pro, though.

I played a Premium. I just looked at a playfield pic to refresh my memory - it shows white inserts for T-Rex & the car. Those are def color changing.

Which was good, which was bad?

I agree with you in spirit, but it seems to me like JP works on multiple levels & you can kind of play it the way you want. If you want to play for points strategies, you’ve got all that craziness...but with the map aspect of the rules, you can just play for progression, enjoy the various chases and rescues...”let’s see how far I can get”. That’s generally how I approach games, the points just come with the progress. I didn’t get Maiden...that’s a bit more “pointsy”, but JP seems to have a more grounded understandable aspect. I love TNA, but I don’t really know the “tourney way” to play...I generally try to just get through as many reactors as I can, and that’s fun for me.