Thank you Steve, always a pleasure to see you and visit with you.

LTG : )

105 million? LTG did the scoring change on
The last update I thought 200k was a good score??

Last time I played it at MGC I got 9,713.

So they changed the scoring or I really suck.

Steve may have erred on this. highest I've seen is around 200,000.

LTG : )

LTG probably installed the ",000" sticky note mod.

LTG Do you think the scoring will ever be changed? I think it would be cool if they added 2 zeros
Onto the current scoring.

Nope . A million will be a beast game.

I hope not.

LTG : )

I took a few minutes to stop by today and played a couple of games! I was very impressed in the whole package. Congrats Lloyd you deserve it.

Hi Lloyd,
Cool, you got a WOZ!

I kind of needed one since I'm the JJP Help Desk Tech Support.

Exciting times !

LTG : )

How many plays has the machine gotten since it arrived?

It is going to be awhile. D&G is getting one for Mortimer's and he was told end of July, early August and that is with pulling some strings with people who know Jack well.

I am going over to SS Billiards today, having lunch next door and getting in a few games if anyone local wants to sneak away for a little while.

I think its great that WOZ isn't a "bazillion jillion JACKPOT!" type game. Its pretty ridiculous on some games.

I am going now. I need to be back by 1:30. I'll either be in SS or at the asian restaurant next door eating the buffet.

I think WoZ scoring is crappily low.
One area that I think the game could easily be improved upon. and should be.
Who the Fuc< wants to play this awesome game with EVERYTHING!,
and score 26,210?? or 126,210?
All newbs are going to be like, "WTF?, is that any good?"
Come on, pinball should score in the millions, at least.

I have that exact same thought every time I'm cleaning and adjusting score reels and relays.

I like the "old school" scoring and rollovers. I was able to get 222,000 on my first game. The best place in town for pinball is SS Billiards in Hopkins, Minnesota Stop in today and say hello to LLOYD.

Come on. They used to have painted numbers on the backglass. Then a few score reels. Then kept adding zeros forever and ever.

I like the lower scoring.

LTG : )

...That often went to.....Millions!

Scoring Millions in 1950..
http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=1991&picno=29749&zoom=1
Hell, even the 3 Musketeers could get millions!
http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2541&picno=2434

I can still remember the good old days when you had to tilt a machine to be able to get the high score before it rolled back to zero.

Steve, that was a good time! We will have to do it again next week!

Les how did you like the game?

Les (John), I was wondering if you'd care to share a brief review of WOZ in its current state? I've always enjoyed your unbiased and honest reviews of past Stern games and was just curious of how you think WOZ stacks up and what you both like and dislike about it? I have one on order but haven't played anything besides a proto at MGC and Expo. Thanks!

Sure. Glad to. Right now I really think the game is getting to be something special. I played it at Expo last October and, like many others, was shocked to see how slow and boring it was at the time. Granted, I know it was very code incomplete at the time and I know Jack wanted to show the game off, but I couldn't believe he allowed people to play it like it was. Fast forward to a week ago, when I got to play it again at SS for the first time. I really liked it.

The physical look:
The color changing LEDs in the game are like nothing I have ever seen. They are so varied and intense that JJP actually toned them down in the last release...which I think was a good idea since they were overpowering. They really are amazing to see though, just the ranges of colors from blues to hot pinks. When you get Munchkinland Frenzy it 's like the playfield exploded into a prism.

The cabinet is built like a tank. Clear coated, external sub output jack, headphone jack. LCD looks great and clear. Topper isn't my thing, was never big on the clear acrylic, but it fits. SS has a regular edition WOZ with some Emerald City elements, but it doesn't have the green armor, so I can't comment on that. Lloyd had the playfield up when I got there and it was nice to see a pinball machine that looks like a pinball machine under the playfield again. Lots of stuff going on there with mech, coils and boards. The ruby slipper flippers are nice too. I originally thought I would not like them, but I don't think they are distracting at all and they obviously fit the theme well.

The game:
It has lots of standard and unique shots. Tree pop bumpers hit hard and work well. Crystal ball is a neat idea. I forget to look at it during gameplay much and bystanders can't see what is on it, but a fun idea nevertheless. It has old school rollovers to spell out LION, SCARECROW and TIN MAN to start a 3 ball lock multiball which is neat. Multiple skill shots, which mean a lot as 5,000 points incremented by 1,000 each time is huge in this game. The latest code revision implemented the spinning house, so now you don't just get Munchkinland Frenzy by spelling RAINBOW and shooting the right ramp, you have to earn it with multiple shots around the house in a set time period. We did see multiple balls get stuck under the upper flipper on the house mini playfield, which was odd. You have to shake the machine to get them out and this never happened the first time we played the game. The castle upper playfield doesn't do much yet, unless you captured dorothy with the flying monkey. You'll find yourself shooting around up there when Dorothy isn't captured and not getting anywhere, but I'm sure there is more to come there. I love the multiple levels of some of the features. For instance, with the Haunted Forest you have to complete 4 different sets of objectives in order during normal gameplay to light just the Haunted Forest Mode. The outlane ball save ideas are really ingenious. The TOTO rollovers for a last chance time shot add a great element. The balloon save on the other side is neat too, but really difficult. You have to go through 4 frames of modes, with no other scoring elements on, just to get your ball back. I have only ever gotten to 3 of the 4.

Pros:

• Cabinet build and game quality
• Color changing LED lightshow
• LCD screen (clear, great video clips, tons of information)
• Integration of old and new features
• Creative ball saves
• Stackable modes and multiballs (Absolute must to get high scores, adding Munchkinland Frenzy to a multiball for instance and your score grows amazingly fast.)

Cons:

• Currently has pretty repetitive call outs and audio. Not horrible, but could and will be so much better I imagine. The main theme we all heard years ago is not as grinding on me as I thought it would be. Probably because I am so focused on figuring out what to do in the game.
• LEDs for the yellow brick road can be blinding & are dead center between the flippers
• LEDs seem to almost always be cycled on, it is sensory overload and makes it hard to tell what to shoot at sometimes.
• Castle playfield and some other features (rising witch & wizard of oz scoop) don't do much yet
• LCD takes a lot of getting used to. It displays so much info and cycles, it can be hard to follow some things
• Incomplete code (It is in a great playable state currently, but I can't wait to see what's coming)

Final Judgement:
If I wasn't a cheap bastard, I would own one. It is over the top and really not even comparable to Stern limited edition that cost about the same. It raises the standard for pinball machines. I am really curious if Jack can match it with the Hobbit. Everything that is there is well put together, the only unknown is the final code state. With Keith working on that, I don't have much concern for that, it's just a matter of when really. For those who got one for $6,500, you are really getting a pinball bargain in today's market, that's for sure!

Thanks for the feedback John. The pulsing yellow brick road is an interesting one. Some people love it others think its distracting. We may play with it both ways to see which works.

We greatly appreciate unbiased candid feedback

It's neat and looks good. It has two levels. It is always lit and when you start advancing each circle get's bright as you collect it. It's when you start collecting the first few that it gets blinding down low. Lloyd has it up front and the ceiling lights removed, so it is played in lower light levels which make the LEDs more in your face as they are. In brighter light, it probably isn't as big of a deal.

Noted! Thanks. Much appreciated.

Thanks for the candid review John. I know the game has been out for a couple months but there doesn't seem to be many unbiased reviews out there. It's either owner's saying it's the greatest game ever or other people basing their reviews on broken or proto games that aren't setup or functioning correctly. Since this is a production game (and Lloyd's) which he keeps in tip top shape I know this isn't an issue. Plus I know your an experienced player and have been very candid with your reviews of location games in the past.

When I played the proto game at Expo and MGC I was highly impressed with the look/feel/build quality but was really disappointed in how the game played and the lack of pitch and flipper power. It's great to hear that these issues have been resolved and that the game is making strides both mechanically and with the rule-set. I took a bit of a leap with purchasing this game as It's only my 2nd NIB game and it cost nearly double what I've spent on any game in the past. I wouldn't have done this if Keith wasn't the guy behind the code. I am also not one for toppers and some of your cons were things that I was foreseeing.-luckily nearly all of these can be corrected by code. Thanks again.

If you want an opinion of the game from a players point of view, instead of collectors who like things bright and shiny, listen to John. He's a damn good player and pretty much tells it like it is.

John's good people.

Thanks Bryan. I appreciate that.

You have time to write all this at work ???

100% true

I 2nd what BK said. Now I'm going to play it tomorrow (or Friday, damnit I need to find some time!).

If you need before I open or after I close, to fit your schedule, let me know.

LTG : )

I have a business meeting at the Sofitel the end of the month, needless to say I'm hoping to slip out every night for some pinball action!Looking forward to meeting you LTG! Also can't wait to try out WOZ

Thanks for the in-depth review. Can't wait to play one!