This thread should have more action because this is a really good question... not everyone has $17k to buy both.

So I've played BOTH! Here is my opinion WONKA.

Why?

Artwork: JP artwork is NOT the best Stern has ever done by a long shot. I would rate JP artwork a 6 out of 10. Wonka artwork is probably the best artwork JJP has ever done. 8 out 10. Winner: WONKA

CGI Screen: Clearly there is a winner here and that is WONKA all day long. One game has movie clips the other doesn't. Furthermore JJP is heads and tails better than Stern at screen graphics all day long. If we ranked the 5 best screen work done for a pinball JJP would take all five spots. I doubt even the biggest Stern fan wouldn't deny that. With that being said JP its hard to say if its good or cheesy. The work looks like something you'd see in a lego cartoon, but on the other hand its the best CGI work I've ever seen done by Stern. It really depends on what you're going for here... I really like how Stern made it like a game on the screen. I give Stern credit for doing the best they could since they couldn't use one ounce of movie clips. Wonka 8 out of 10 JW 7 out of 10. Winner WONKA

Theme: You have to give Wonka the win again because JP isn't really JP ... you could make the case they shouldn't even have licensed this movie and just done their own DINO Theme. Why not? Save the money. There is no real tie in to the movie other than they got to use the music, otherwise its just an original dino theme game. While Wonka is based on one of the most beloved movies of all time, uses call outs, movie clips and more. I like some of the things Stern did with JP, but its not that far off from most Stern games. I think Stern did a good job without being able to use movie assets.
Stern 7 out of 10. JJP 8 out 10 WINNER WONKA

Theming: So who themed the game better? That isn't even fair, Wonka by a long shoot. Stern couldn't use anything from the movies, everything about the game is just original looking artwork they created. When you look at the Wonka game you believe you're in the World of Willy Wonka and with JP not as much. I think both games are going to lend themselves to really cool mods, and I almost have to hold off until I see what mods come out for JP. I think Stern put more into this game than most others games they've made, but its still not on a JJP theming level. Wonka 8 out of 10 JP 7 out of 10. WINNER WONKA

Gameplay: Both games are very interesting. Both have a lot going on. You have the best there ever was Pat Lawlor doing Wonka, and the best pinball player in history doing JW. Both are good but I think the real pro here is JJP finally made a pinball players game with Wonka and included all the cool theming aspects on top of that. I'd say both games are have good gameplay. Tie 8 out of 10. WINNER TIE

Durability: Stern wins and will always win this category. JJP makes their games so custom they sometimes learn their mistakes after players bash them around some. Stern games are always tanks. JJP usually feels their way thru by the time the CE comes out, while Stern games are usually ready to go day one. Stern 10 out of 10 JJP 7 out of 10. WINNER STERN

Sound: I think everyone would agree JJP games are better overall on sound quality. They include mechs on the outside of the game for headphones, turn audio on or off, and JJP games are just using amazing sound equipment. Wonka also has so many sound FX for almost every part of the playfield, the sound fx are sick on this game. JJP 10 out of 10 JP 8 out of 10.

Toys: Both games have some really fun things going on... Wonka wins again with the spinning gobstopper, the mech right below it, wonkavator, wonkavision, etc. Although Stern tried to do some fun stuff the main thing that stands out is the T REX on the LE that throws the ball around. The jeep is kind of cheesy, the Raptor trap is nice, the spinner copter is nice as well. Wonka 8 out of 10 JP 7 out fo 10.

Lighting: This is a real problem for me on Lighting. Wonka I think is poorly lit ... I can't hardly see anything in the back of the playfield while Stern's game is very bright. Winner JP 9 out of 10. Wonka 7 out of 10.

Overall Lastability: I think we've seen that JJP games hold their value more so than Stern. There is a lot of reasons to this... for one the people who buy JJP games typically are collectors, while Stern games get more players. JJP has proven not only do they hold more value overall. I think 4 or 5 years from now a DINO themed game will be just that a DINO themed game, while Wonka is more of a collector type deal. A real gobstopper from the movie sold for over 1 million... this movie is like Wizard of Oz. I think JP movies are like popcorn flicks and have very little colllecterer market for that movie franchise. Their toys, blah, blah aren't collectable. I think a Wonka LE 5 years from now will still sell for $7500 to 8k, while the JP will be in the 6's just because of the theme. The other issue I think with most Stern games is they make so many more titles, so its always onto the next one, three or four a year, while JJP has a tough time doing one per year. So JJP will always be worth more. Stern 7 out of 10 JJP 8 out 10. Winner Wonka

Overall Winner: Wonka 80 to JP 76

Final conclusion: Both are good games, people are going to like both for different reasons. I stress I'm coming more from the collector side of things, so typically I'm always going to like a JJP game better because from a theming stand point they're better. However I really think Wonka is a players game with great shots, something most other JJP games get ripped for so I think with Wonka you get the best of both world.

To me Wonka is the winner. As for JP honestly I'm not that excited about the theme, because I don't really care that much about dinosaurs. I will say however I do care about Sterns next game, ELVIRA! I'm already super excited about this... and for me a Halloween guy I can honestly say I'm more excited about that game than ANYTHING from anyone.

Bring on Elvira!

I know you have trouble reading more than coloring books, but you can just skip over my post if you don't like it. I know you'd like a review that goes something like this...

I LIKED IT.

IT WAS GREAT

LOL

I gave my review in detail, and I'm sure some people will read it especially if you're trying to decide buy one or don't buy one. Some people don't care to read anyones review they'd rather determine themselves by playing both. Which is fine! But your sarcastic comment doesn't add anything to the conversation. So maybe you can skip it, or go back to Junior high and pick up on your reading where you left off in 7th grade.

Rather than discourage people to leave their reviews, maybe you should encourage them even if you don't agree. Keep in mind buying one of the other is essentially a 9k decision. You should have more respect.

BTW, I just wanted to mention that no matter how this poll turns out it's not going to determine how many games get sold. Wonka appeals more to the high end pinball collector, especially when their games cost typically is around 10k. JJP doesn't offer $5700 games, hopefully they will down the road but right now they do not. The mass majority of ALL Stern games will be pros everyone know that... those games cost $5700. If JJP had a version of Wonka for $5700 then maybe the poll would be fair.

You have a lot of buyers who won't buy a JJP because they don't want to spend 10k on a pinball... you can almost essentially buy two new Stern games for the price of one Wonka. So no matter what game you poll against a Stern from JJP, JJP game is going to lose.

A better poll would be to change it and say WILLY WONKA CE vs JURASSIC PARK LE

Not any version of Stern (80% are at $5700) vs. Wonka 80% are at $10k with shipping)

Hopefully someone sees the point.

Lastly, Stern has something JJP doesn't have the Stern (errr Kiss) Army. They have a lot more brand loyalty within the pinball community than all the other pinball suppliers combined! Polls on this website are always going to lean in sterns favor no matter the two games being compared.

I think early on JJP was going for something no other pinball company had ever tried... create a world within the machine.. Notice how I didn't say the dumb line 'World Under the Glass' I know Kaneda likes to use that line but that is OUTDATED!

Why? Because when you look at a JJP game and you play for example HOBBIT... the WORLD IS THE WHOLE MACHINE! When you're doing the battle of the five armies, even though you may not be looking at the video, the people around you are and they get sucked into the WORLD of the Hobbit. There isn't a game EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF PINBALL that has done more to bring you into a World than Hobbit.

So yeah we can agree its a grind of a game, but the theming is spot on the money.

Wizard of Oz same thing, they created a WORLD within the ENTIRE machine that brings you to the Wonderful World of Oz.

It could be the game itself was second priority. Then when they made their 3rd game they brought in a legendary pinball designer, the focus became first on the pinball game second on the theming. When you play Wonka its the mountain top for JJP a balance between a pinball game and detail.

Its taking both what you love about WOZ and Dialed In and putting them together.

From the standpoint of a pinball players game Wonka is JJP best game ever... Wonka is a home run game, because what they missed on detail was made up by companies like The Mod Couple.

Wonka is a home run game, but honestly there are Stern fans who will never give JJP a chance... thats okay because not everything is for everyone.

That is a matter of opinion. You don't like them maybe and that is fine. You say holding them back they've solve about 10,000 pinball games. So I wouldn't say themes are holding them back one bit. They're clear cut the second biggest pinball company. They look for magical themes, and Toy Story is going to fit into that line up... they did finally break away with Guns N Roses. So that is a different direction and who knows they could end up with Matrix, they do have a great track record with Warner Brothers. As long as JJP has been around they're still a young and growing company.

Name ONE just ONE game that ANY company has made that has as cool graphics as Hobbit or as many movie assets as Hobbit. If you say Horseshit then I'll sit here and fall asleep while you try SO VERY HARD to figure that one out... let me stop you NO GAME IN HISTORY NOT ONE has as many video assets as Hobbit. NOTHING IS EVEN CLOSE! Lets talk video assets... 1) Hobbit 2) WOZ 3) Star Wars 4) Willy Wonka 5) Batman 66 rank for video assets. Games with the best graphics overall on the screen... 1) Hobbit 2) WOZ 3) Wonka 4) Pirates 5) Batman 66 6) Star Wars 7) Dialed IN

Ah yeah I say that because now the world of the pinball game has been taken out from under the glass and you hear people constantly putting more stock in what is on the screen. Do they have movie assets do they not have movie assets. If it's not important to the value of the game then why do people talk about it constantly. All people are different maybe it means nothing to you, but without the video assets on WOZ, sorry but WOZ isn't the game it is today. Those video assets changed pinball forever and I think in a good way. It brings people with money in their hand over to the machine. So the WORLD of the pinball has been taken out from under the glass to the screen to under the glass to the artwork on the machine.

This coming from someone who calls themselves WhoDey isn't that the loser Bengals saying... probably the absolute worst franchise in the NFL and the only franchise that doesn't even have an indoor practice facility because the owner is such a cheap miser. Who whatever your name is ... in my book you will always be a lovable loser!! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Awesome!!! Have fun finding Wonka bars and capturing T-Rex's. Everyone should make themselves happy!!! I bought both as well... I bought Wonka for my house and Jurassic Park for my escape room. Inside my Escape Room we have a pincade. Come on down if you're ever in st Louis.