Every game is not for everybody.
I have both IMDN and JP
I also find some the of shots difficult, It's a tough game for me but I still like it
Art to me was better once i saw it in person but understand not every body will like it.

Lots of other games around, go check out TMNT - heard good things about that

You played the pro.

You didn’t play Jurassic Park.

When I first played JP at ReplayFX I had the same reaction. Then I put about 30 games on it during a tournament in December. I fell in love with it. It's now in my basement! With that said, my family barely plays it. The rules are just too deep for them. They are not a die-hard pinball player like myself.

I don’t get all the love for the premium vs. pro that seems to go well beyond even the usual owner hype/love. I’ve played both numerous times, and while the T-Rex is very cool, there is no major difference in game play between models. And numerous owners saying an animated T-Rex head is “the greatest toy ever” in pinball is ridiculous IMO.

I own the premium and love it, as well as IMDN premium (which I love more, including the theme and music.)

Different strokes... that’s just reality.

I had the same exact reaction when I first played it. I played it maybe a dozen times since and I've found something new and unique each time. That's made it more fun and interesting. I look forward to playing it now. I had the same reaction with Iron Maiden too.

They won't be in my top 5 or top 10, but I'll still enjoy myself playing them.

I don't get the reason that one moving trex head makes all the difference. Gameplay on the pro is practically identical. Most people would not be able to tell the difference if the premium and pro were setting side by side. Same trim, same looking art, same lighting, same code, same shots, etc. Give it a few more tries and see if it gets better. I didn't like MET when I first played it. After I started learning some rules and playing more I loved it. Same for DP. Hated it at first but starting to really like it now. That probably has a lot to do with code updates.

Respectfully disagree. But clearly one of the 20 best.

Some shots are way to narrow. Almost everything is depending on the left ramp. Sometimes there is absolutely nothing to shoot at with the left flipper.
Play is linear, with a couple of side things to do.
T-rex multiball is terrible unbalanced and recommended to skip.
Most stuff isnt that rewarding, due to lack of assets.
To much stop and go, combined with clunkiness, you can play forever, whilst getting nowhere.
Barren and low quality.

That said.
Rules are straight forward and the format and paddock progression system is imo awesome.
The options and varity is there and there's a lot to shoot for.
I feel risky shots/rewards are greatly balanced.
Has that one more game and will probably stand the test of time in a five pin collection.
The known factor will draw guests and visitors in and if you get a prem/le there is great fun factor for kids.
(Plz stern for the kids incorperate daily high-scores and picture taken. Kids will love)

There are some snags, its not perfect, but there is clearly fun to be had with this game.

I am really split on this game as well.
I have to admit that the shots are a great mix of tough and easy so it meets the requirements of novice fun and long term lasting ability. I have never played the premium and I could see that being a difference maker. I think the artwork and sound stopped me from buying it but it was a close call!
I’m with you on hating the IM theme. Other than the theme/music it is a great game
Deadpool is a really fun game for sure, not big on the theme but really fun video game style.
My theory on ranking is that....any of the top 50 could be a top 5 to You Personally!

I agree.

Was playing premium on location and the entire lower jaw was missing.

Shots too narrow? That's kind of the point. If shots are all easy it gets boring quick and not rewarding to hit shots.
Nothing to shoot from left flipper? You should read up on the rules. There is always something to hit. The truck to progress to the next t-rex mode, increasing combo shots such as the tower shot to gain rewards, backhand into the raptor pen, etc. Or just pass to the right flipper.
Play is linear? It can be if you play it that way but again see above.
T-rex multiball terrible? It's the easy first multiball so lower skill levels have a multi ball to enjoy. Higher skilled can hit the red arrows to increase the score value.
To much stop and go? Yea it's a shooter game and not a flail balls everywhere game.
Barren and low quality? I'm not sure what game you are even referring to here. The layout is more unique and packed than most games. Quality is same as any other Stern game.

Not everyone likes the same thing but some of your opinions aren't accurate if you know the full ruleset.

Totally agree with the OP's original post. My first impression was lackluster. The second time I played it, after watching some videos was better. But still didn't click. I really would have preferred they went with the films and not the "influenced by Jurassic Park" route. Even my kids didn't enjoy it at the Louisville Expo. However, I have enjoyed playing Deadpool every time. I thought I would hate it, because the little Deadpool aspect was annoying on stream. But my first impression was way better. I would own a Deadpool if every playfield I've seen wasn't horribly beaten up with ribbing or craters.

Its ok to be wrong from time to time. Happens to everyone! Just kidding. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I love the game and this will be one that stays in my collection.....right next to Dialed In LE. Play it some more and I bet that it will click.

Yeah I’m definitely in that boat of the game just not clicking for me. Just for whatever reason can’t find the groove or whatever

I totally understand where you are coming from, except I don't dislike the art. The sound is fine to me, but movie callouts/edits would make it better.

I felt meh after playing it, then my bar friend bought the game for his bar. I put more games on. I never get a super good fuzzy feeling playing it, because it feels like I can't hit much or make all the shots. It is a sharp shooter players game. The only easy shot is the trex left ramp, imo. The escape nublar mode however was super fun, because you knew exactly what to go for, where the normal gameplay, unless you know what to do, feels like flailing. I love JP books and movies, but haven't fallen in love with the game, but I still enjoy putting some dollars in to play. I have said many times lately, that I need to start learning gameplay/code, because I am not that great of a player, and any good games I have are pretty much luck. I think the only times I learn are the tutorial videos on PAPA's youtube.

JP has a great ruleset and a diverse layout of shots. As many on this thread have pointed out, it is not intended to be an easy game and a casual player or someone playing it a few times will likely find it challenging or possibly frustrating in terms of a first impression. The more you play it and get used to the shots and learn the code, the more addicting it becomes. There are some great mini-wizard modes to achieve on the way to the harder milestones which are fun. I have played a bunch of the pro and premium and ultimately decided to purchase the premium which I would highly recommend. I would certainly argue that the animated TREX and changes to the raptor pen are much better on the premium. For folks making the point that the gameplay isn't fundamentally changed between pro and premium, I could make that same argument for the majority of pro vs. premiums...look at Deadpool pro vs. premium for instance with only the left orbit shot being different. On that machine, that is really the only difference that matters at all...the disco ball is not even in the same ballpark as the animated TREX as a playfield toy and can be purchased from multiple modding sites fairly inexpensively. I think Deadpool is a fun game, but I feel like JP has a lot more depth and is definitely more challenging.

JP makes you a better player and is a killer machine. I would agree that I wish the sound package had better theme integration, but the new sound mod package is EXCELLENT and completely solves that problem. The animated TREX toy is super cool and it definitely draws the attention of everyone that plays the machine. I'm by no means saying that the pro is shit...it's a great machine but I decided to go the premium route which I've never done before and haven't regretted it for one second. The game may not be for everyone, but I haven't found a single machine that everyone loves yet. There are plenty of people out there that shit on classics like TZ or MM...to each their own people!

This is my issue with it as well. It's not a good theme for me, and it does basically uh.....nothing at all.... to pull you into a story or wanting to advance. That's not Keith's fault with the layout, that's on the sound and rules. The game isn't too difficult for me, but it's not engaging at all, IMO. Maiden is so much better in that regard.

You know...I think that might be my problem too. I LOVED this game at first...thought it was the second coming and best game ever made. Now having lived with it a few months...I donno. I mean, I like the game, but I've definitely fallen out of love with it, and I have been thinking of all the games I think I would rather own. Yes, it shoots well with a very unique layout that packs shots into every inch. But making those shots somehow doesn't feel as good/satisfying/juicy as some of my favorite games. And if you are off...it's a flail fest for sure watching the ball dribble half into the helipad, tower, C shot, etc. Ugg. Yes, it's deep with unique and well thought out rules. But...something is missing from them for me...there just isn't that "spark" I guess. I don't mind that it's set in the JP world rather than being movie based. The animations and A/V are well done. But it just doesn't pull me in and get me invested. I'll get frowned on for saying it, but I have a Data East JP right next to it, which I have had many years. While I know the new one has a better layout, better rules, better art, etc...I get WAY more pulled into the DE, and end up enjoying it more, even after all these years. The start of Tri-Ball...that is a serious MOMENT! As is CHAOS, System Failure, etc even if they weren't based on the movie at all. There just isn't anything in the Stern that compares on that level...which is weird to admit. Heck, compare the "Feed T-Rex" mode in the DE to the "T-Rex Hurry-up / Multiball"...something about the DE just puts the pressure on WAY more and is so much more satisfying to complete. Maybe it's just me.

I donno...I keep playing and keep trying to fall in love with it again. It's a great game. I do enjoy it, but can't help but feel with my limited budget, there are other games that would better suit me. And it's not for lack of getting to the good stuff. Just today I had a few great games...one where I got both Secure Control Room (sucked at it) and got to The Visitor Center (finished it for the first time), one where I hit King of the Island and Visitor Center again, and another game where I hit Museum Mayhem. I haven't quite put them all together to get to Nublar in-game though. I have played Escape Nublar Challenge, and I will admit that is sweet, and gets the adrenaline pumping. Something about the others though just leave me flat compared to most other games wizard / mini-wizard modes.

Glad this thread exists as I was feeling pretty alone here, LOL. I'm not quite ready to give up on it...it really is a good game. I just feel like I do not love it quite as much as I should, and thought I did at first.

Seems like some collectors love it. In general players don’t care for it. It’s a turd on location earningswise.

You need to play the premium. The Trex and Raptor pit are literally game changing.

Having said that DP did absolutely nothing for me. As Yelobird said earlier, JP is about shots, accuracy and rules. DP by comparison you could have an off game, missing shots and flailing and eventually something would happen. Got no (kinetic) satisfaction from that game at all.

I somewhat agree with the original post, but...I really do appreciate the variety of shots and some of the more challenging shots on JP compared to most other "predictable, cookie-cutter" layouts. I also dislike the art, I find the rules unnecessarily cumbersome, and the requirement to HAVE to shoot all shots a bit heavy handed (especially if you just need the "O" shot). I find the truck captive ball shot super boring as well, and the missile launch shot is difficult, but I don't find it super rewarding. Without the giant T-Rex head moving around and eating the ball, you also lose the #1 feature from the Prem/LE that gets people excited.

Then the theme integration: I also just don't care for it. Graphics and effects are amazing at times when the dinos show up, but the call outs seem dated and generic, and I just don't get into the progression of the "moving around the park."

All that being said, JP and IM are 2 of Stern's best layouts ever. It's the layout (and pure quantity of shots and geometry). They're challenging and different. I'm a decent location player, not special by any means, but I get bored of many layouts that are just so easy to hit repeated shots (Willy Wonka, Munsters). JP is deeper and more challenging than most, so good players love it. I really like it too. But Deadpool (and a few other Sterns) trumps it in many categories, except layout in my opinion. And what DP lacks in QUANTITY of shots or toys (T-Rex head, 3 flippers, cool ramps, Raptor pin), it offers some of the most rewarding shots and combos ever (Snikt!, Katanarama combo, final battle/quest finishing blow at the scoop). It has so much VARIETY and player-oriented options of strategy. I feel like I have to play JP the same each time in a more linear way. Yes, if you STUDY the rules, JP's enjoyability and fun factor go way up, but if you're not a "rules nerd," JP might not be for you.

I have the LE ranked #10 all-time, so I obviously appreciate it, but it's all just love for Keith's layout and the T-rex. If Stern can finally give him Zombie Yeti and Lyman on his next design, we might end up with the greatest game ever. The Pro is solid, but I think your criticisms are very valid. Personally, I would not put the Pro ahead of LOR, DP, IM, WD, Tron, Star Trek, or MET Pro models. But I do rank the Prem/LE above all of those except DP, LOR, and IM. (side note: my wife also shares your wife's opinion as she was super underwhelmed by it, and ruled it out early in our search for a Pro pin for our home. and yes, we went with DP and have zero regrets). But to each their own. Everyone likes and appreciates different things. I do think if you spent more time with the game and gave the rules a once-over, your opinion may improve. Mine did.

Hoping we see stronger animation in the near future. JP2 has some mediocre images that should be better in my opinion. The art and call outs are weak but layout and code are excellent. No game is without flaws.

No question the game is in the layout m, rules and shot geometry, together with the brilliant choreography of the animatronic dinosaur head. It’s hard to overstate how good that toy is. I’m putting it up there with MM castle. Maybe even better when you factor in the lighting, sound, shaker and animations that accompany it in a modern game.

At our bar, Munsters beats JP pro in coin drop......

Funny, I had to get another pin for the wife to enjoy, cos she hated Pirates so much. Was bored to tears by it. So I offered that we get another one that she would enjoy (very good of me I know).

Anyway we were looking through the options, was about to go play a DP, and JP2 was just revealed.

I said to good wife, "You have to look at this reveal, JP2 is meant to be the best pin ever"

After watching the review for 2 minutes she said "Why the fuck would I want to play that, looks boring just like pirates!"

So definitely was not a popular choice in our home. DP she loooooooves (along with NGG). Seriously DP is so good, better than the sum of its parts. We find it challenging and deep enough. Has so much personality. Really good breadth of things to do, not to multiball heavy but enough of them to keep you happy. Recommend the premium if you can, but you would still have heaps of fun with the pro.

Like anything, I have recommended this pin to others and they have sold it quickly saying it was not there cup of tea. They love JP2.

Can't predict what will float your boat, but everyone who has played DP at my house loves it (many found pirates confusing. Note: not saying pirates is a bad game. Some shots and features are awesome. It's not number 5 for nothing.). I haven't played JP2 yet, so can't comment. Mate of mine gets his pro soon. Just know it would not get the approval I need to own it. Looking forward to trying it out.

What is it about this game where everybody who doesn’t absolutely love it feels like they need to apologize?

There’s not a single game everybody is gonna love and there never will be. There’s people who think the Beatles (the band) are overrated and there’s people who think Addams family is overrated and there people who think lobster is overrated.

Myself, I like JP but don’t love it. Prefer maiden.

I feel you OP; I bought my JPPrem NIB 6 months ago, loved it for the first two days, then hated it for 5.5 months; now it's clicking and I am loving it.

It is definitely the TSPP of this gen, many more shots than TSPP though, that top right flipper is so satisfying, that's what really keeps me coming back.

It does have to be leveled correctly for all the shots to really flow IMO; and definitely not an easy shooting pin.

So true. People have lost the ability to recognise that enjoyment and quality can be mutually exclusive. Something can be great and you can personally not enjoy it (and vise-versa).

If we could all recognise this Pinside would be 1/2 as clogged with crap and Robin could save alot of money on server capacity.

That's ridiculous. Its probably the best pro out there.

I 2nd that

That's why I said probably. I agree all of those are good. Its just those certain pinheads who base a great pin more on cosmetics and mechanical toys that get boring real fast than game play. JJP is guilty of this in my opinion. They make good pins not saying that they don't but its all about flash and BOM. I couldn't care less if she plays fast and has good shots with a theme I like, I'm in.

Biased Pro Owner here!

I can get why you didn’t like it at first. I work at an arcade and I watch people play the various games in our lineup. Lots of people play Jurassic Park but maybe around 30-40% play it a second time.

It’s not an easy game at all and the progression isn’t as obvious as a lot of other sterns. But that is exactly why it’s turned into my favorite game.

Did you progress in the game at all? It took awhile for the various modes to click with me. The paddock, control room, trex modes, chaos Mb , and raptor mb are enough to make this a fun and interesting game, but the game started getting addicting once I started getting to Visitor center which is such a cool and unique mode. Invalid frenzy is funny but also a really fun and a unique mode. Museum mayhem and secure control room are also great. I didn’t start reaching these modes until I moved JP to where I work and now I obsess over it. We have 21 other pins at this location and I still only play JP 95% of the time.

This game forces you to be a better player for sure. The O shot was frustrating at first, but I find that I can hit it regularly as well as the smart missile shot which also helps with progressing further into the game.

It’s totally fine that we have differing opinions on games too, I just hope JP does gets ahold of you one day

I had the same experience as the OP until I had another shot at it.

When first released I stopped by Luckys Lounge in Edmonton and played four or five games. They were all short, terrible games. Admittedly I usually flail the first few games to see what a game offers. Played some of the other games and left. Next trip back a few months later I went to play some pins and there was 8 credits in JP. Figured why not? Started a four player game and exact same thing happened my first time. Four, very terrible, very short games.

WTF??? I'm pretty good and can get high scores usually. Why do I suck so bad at this game?

Alright. Press start four more times and lets get this shit over. Well something clicked. I slowed down and started to get the feel for it. Got replays on 3/4 games. Entered my initials and I left, went on pinside and started to look at rules. Went back the next day and played at least 10 games. Even fit in a few more games the last day before going home. The whole four hour drive home I thought of scoring strategy.

That was late December and I haven't had a chance to play it again. I think about it daily. I can't wait for this covid shit to lift and get somewhere to play it again. If I could afford to buy a nib game, without hesitation it would be a JP.

For me it may take many tries on a pin before it clicks that's OK too. I didn't like Woz or SW when I played them the first 5+ times, but some games are like that and I need to work up to my understanding and enjoyment over time. I don't mean the first 5-10 games either I am talking about walking up to Woz and playing 5-10 games and not liking it at all, give it another chance later and again and again. Something was there or else I wouldn't really want to keep playing but something was missing also until it all clicked.

Some other games like AFM, SM, Tron etc.. I love from the first instant.

I have JP2 premium and DP premium and they are both keepers for me. JP2 is a better game IMO and perhaps the best game I’ve ever played. With that being said, I find myself in the mood to play DP more often. I think it’s the light humor, where I feel like I can just hop on for a quick game. JP2 feels more like an adventure for me and I have to be in the right mood for it.

I for one think this has been a very good discussion about this game. All good points

After the novelty of the TREX wears of, it doesn’t add much to the game. From a scoring perspective, you are actually better off if the TREX doesn’t catch the ball on the first TREX multiball. You get a ballsave while you wait for the game to plunge ball 2, can use that time to earn points.

Raptor multiball is easier to start on the Pre/LE so there is that.

I’m not 100% sure why delt thinks the JP pro isn’t JP, its a very good pro. The whole package on the LE is great, but you can easily enjoy the pro.

Had a few Sterns here on rental over the last few months to help out an operator mate and get to have games at home i'd never buy. I was very happy to see Jurrasic Park go as i couldn't stand the callouts. That nedry wagging his finger at me all the time for tilt warnings...ahahah...ahahah...
And 'shoot the left ramp'.

I din't learn the rules either i have to say, but i did like the shots. call outs and art did me in.
I've owned a deadpool since my first machine last year and absolutlely love it. The other game that took me by surprise was Aerosmith. Bought an LE because i didn't want to be left without the machine when my mate takes his pro back.

I'm really starting to think that Deadpool only tops it on theme for me, Aerosmith is such an underated game and my favourite music pin by far.

I absolutely love my JP LE with the sound mod. Huge fan of the movie and the Welcome to Jurassic Park line is worth the price of admission to me. Plus just love having the JP music go off in the attract mode in my arcade.

agreed. Pro is a masterpiece. Don’t even really want a Premium anymore. Pro is too fun.

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So JP, I played the pro first at a friend, did not impress me a bit. The art, the shots, did nothing. Later he upgraded the Pro to a premium, now I was hooked. Could be that later turned out that the Pro's coilstops were crap. The upgraded cabinet speaker to a 10", the moving T-Rex, but that premium machine got me hooked. I ran into a JPLE. Bought that and added some mods, looks amazing. The amber shooting rod, the raptor pen, the T-REX gate, all look so good. Only the playfield art is not top notch and a bit dark in the middle (maybee add some additional lights or pinstadium).
Now on the gameplay, this is a hard machine, and following the path on the island is a bit repetative. Spell map, start the paddock, shoot some rescues, shoot the capture targets, sometimes get the heli, catch the dino. All not very easy, and these things will time out eventualy but not at ball loss. But getting the dino is satisfying. Outlanes are also brutal! On the left you have an escape but the Nedry lane is sometimes just frustrating. Also STDM due to the trucks ball position. So you need to dail this machine in very securely. Otherwise you get a drain from the control center, or from not making the helipad. Also the pingpong between slings can result in a side drain. I hope code will do something with this like on Ghostbusters. Just a select to progress after ball loss.
With the movie soundtrack on it, and the movie call outs the soundtrack is just great, animations are also great. The T-REX multiball animation with the roar over the 10" speaker is just awesome. Raptor multiball is great to help you out in a hard mode (especially the middle paddocks). But still a very hard game, or I am just not a good player for this machine.

So, played a lot of games on it yesterday.
Had to leave the pub that has an obligatory closing time at 1pm, score was 1B and some balls left to play...they cut the power.. aargh..

I like the game a lot, it's deep and offers a lot on scoring strategies. Light, sound, animations all very good

My remarks:
- the 'set the trap' + helipad + yellow shot for catching a dino can get a little repetitive
- though I can shoot the right ramp very good (helipad) I still don't feel convident about it when I shoot it
- O and tower shots are hard, especially if you have a dino and rescue on these shots with little time, guess I have to use the tranquilizer on them.

I think the game doesn't click with everyone because you have to make your shots, and you are in for a long run if you want to reach the wizard modes.
It's not quick and dirty and blow up the game for pionts, but it's precise well though shooting.

I still like it enough to have one for the collection.
I want to learn the little nuances in the perk benefits and not use them without realizing them (like add 10x pternadon must be used with care)
I need to play stuff seperately to avoid to have to shoot too much in too little time

Ok, time to close the thread. I think we have successfully proven that Doctor6 is just a really bad pinball player.