Hey all. I’m joining the club! About to unbox my LE. As a newb to this machine any common issues to watch out for or must have protectors etc? TIA

Thank you both for the tips. Everything about this game worked out of the box. Not only that, it seemed all dialed in and played great. The only thing was it seems awful hard to hit the right ramp. I increased the left flipper strength by a few points and solved that. There was some minor cleaning to do from the factory. There was a foot print on the plywood on the underside which was kind of funny actually but it wiped off. Some fingerprints on the display which came off. The invisiglass has a couple of small blemishes that don’t clean off, seems like some kind of damage or flaw. Can’t notice too much during gameplay but I might see if distro can replace. A washer and a nut fell into the cabinet during the first few games so need to try to figure if they came off something important or maybe they were just lost during manufacturing and finally fell out.

You are right, it’s a beauty. I’m really impressed with the build quality and the game itself is pretty amazing. The idea was to have a family friendly pin my son and wife could enjoy and it really lives up to that. I did connect to Wi-Fi but it was up to date. I tried Bluetooth but apparently no Bluetooth dongle included. I suppose it would plug into the same place. Although I don’t know what I’d do with the Bluetooth. Maybe to sync it to an external sound system?

The ramps drop onto the inlane switches so I was thinking could use metal switch protectors. But there is Mylar there so maybe that’s fine. It seems like the game came with lots of protectors in the right places.

Cheers
Jack

What’s considered the hardest spot? I suppose it would be the lower of the two spots?

I’d love to see what folks have done for custom rubber colors on this game. Please share!

Same happened to my glass. I complained to my distributor but haven’t heard much. I will try the ticket. Is this the place?

http://store.jerseyjackpinball.com/Support-Form/

This is how I have finally settled on setting mine up. Rubber on the optional post, far left, and not on the post between the inlanes (btw my game came with that rubber there). Reason is, with rubber on the outermost post it is more viable to nudge to save from from the left drain, which adds a little more fun for me. Something more to interact with. The rubber can’t go on both because the ball won’t clear through so in choosing one vs the other I chose the left most for that reason.

Ps - this is not a comment about what jjp intended or not, just what I decided I like best. I think at this point everyone should just decide for themselves. It seems like this is just a bit of a design oversight and their only “fix” was to advise removing the rubber

Update: I contacted JJP about blemish on invisiglass from gobtopper rub during ship and they are sending me a new glass. Yay!

Is it just me or are the callouts inconsistent regarding naming of shots? Sometime the calls “camera ramp” the “left ramp”? And sometimes “left ramp” meaning the actual furthest left ramp and sometimes that ramp is “gobstopper ramp”?

Automated services in CT had ww in stock in early January. That is when/where I bought mine. Easy to deal with. I went to pick up myself and Mike let me play all the games in the showroom as long as I wanted. Great fun.

Congrats. I’ve had mine about a month and liked it right away and then it’s only grown since then. It’s great for the whole family too. Not sure if that applies to you. Here’s my only tip. Check your invisiglass for any wear around the gobstopper toy. It tends to rub the glass in shipping. If you find any contact jjp support via website. They may send you a new piece of glass. Did for me.

Hey all. Having an issue where the right (factory) ramp seems to spontaneously trigger during gameplay, as if you hit the ramp, but you did not. It is hard to determine if any actions are causing it. At least once it seemed to be caused by the upper right flipper actuating. It also seems to happen generally if the ball is in the right hand area of the playfield. In inspecting the switch and opto on the ramp visually, they look ok. Haven't dived in too deep into troubleshooting, just wanted to see if anyone encountered this or has any tips. TIA.

Thanks for the tip. Reseating opto cable seems to have fixed it. Cheers.

My internal monologue from many recent games…

Oh yeah, I’m flowing. Hitting those ramps.
Oo multiball.
Oo got 3 multiballs going. I’m kicking ass
Oh yeah, so many extra balls!
30 minute game, epic!
Drain drain drain! Shit!
And my score is… oh… 3 million.

Anyone recommend a good rule sheet for Wonka? Been using this one and it is helpful. But noticed a few details are outdated. I was surprised not to find more write ups while searching the webs. http://tiltforums.com/t/willy-wonka-rulesheet-early-wip/5406

Thanks
Jack

I posted a rule sheet here a few days ago that has a lot of good info. also you can learn a lot about these subtle rules by going into the game settings and reading all the settings and their descriptions carefully.

Exactly how I’ve been playing. It’s so different not hearing the mechs of the pinball and just the audio. It lets me focus so much more in the game and be more immersed. It gives me a floating on a cloud type feeling. Has me considering putting audio jack mods on other machines. Highly recommend to try this and using noise cancelling in particular.

I think that post has a nylon locking nut on the underside of the playfield. You need to raise the playfield and hold or twist that nut with a socket driver while holding or twisting the post on top at the same time. Sometimes it's enough to just hold the post with your fingers while twisting on the nut underneath, sometimes you may need to carefully grip the post with a plier or small crescent wrench (use a cloth to protect post if using pliers).

That seems true. You can also cycle the qualified computer mode by hitting the stand-up target immediately to the right of the camera ramp. This is good when you are needing that Super Lock for wonkavator!

Super lock is qualified in a few ways. One it’s one of the computer awards. Two it’s one of the captive ball mystery awards. Three every third factory mode you start will light super lock. On this last point, every three is what the game manual indicates however my WW came with this set to four, so I changed it to three.

On your second question. If super lock is lit, that will activate the diverter so you just need to hit the gobstopper or camera ramp. However if scumdiddlyumptious collection is lit (the hat lamp by gobstopper target) the diverter won’t activate. That is really annoying when trying to score super lock. So in that case you have to wait for the hat to unlite or collect it first.

Ah. It’s basically when there are any worthy shots for the upper left flipper qualified, like gum targets or something for the right loop. There’s a number of cases for that. Like say fizzy lifting drink room shot in the right loop or any other mode lit there. The yellow light by the upper left flipper will be lit when diverter is active.

Has anyone noticed WW chewing up pinballs comparatively faster than other games? After 100 games or so the balls are rougher than many hundreds of games in other machines. Same type of balls (standard balls from Marco or pinball life). Not really complaining Just finding this curious. I’ve changed balls about five times ina month. Here’s a pic like I said can’t be more than 100 games

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The same grumpy old man is all over my machine. So weird!

Has anyone used this customer shooter rod from mod father? Do you like it?

https://modfatherpinball.com/collections/willy-wonka/products/wonka-everlasting-gobstopper-shooter

I think it looks more like a gobstopper than the other mod I’ve seen at many sites which is like a bunch of hexagons bunched together.

Is the JJP part used on the CE’s available anywhere? Anyone tried to get one from JJP?

Thx
Jack

Here is what I think about this. First off, the theme doesn't grab a certain proportion of pinheads. It's seen as childlike or whimsical. And, well, it is, of course, compared to the more common fare of rock band pins, edgy, scary, spooky, intense themes etc. But this is exactly what I like about the theme and it makes a good contrast to my other games. I have grown to love the vibe. It's a welcoming fun kind of place I want to come back and visit. Next, I did play it a few times at a show, and it seemed okay, but it didn't really grab me right away. I bought WW mainly because my kid and wife played it on location and really liked it. So I said, "well if they are on board, this is a worthy purchase, and I get a new pin to fart around with". Now, when I started playing it myself, and got to know it better, I began to realize what a great game it is. Fun and approachable on the surface, but vastly deep. There is so much to learn on this machine, it is great for home use. It has a great balance between single ball and multi-ball modes. When you stack modes and multi-balls, it gets really exciting, but then calms down again. Some other recent pins are like all multi ball all the time and that is no fun. Overall, I can compare it most easily to Simpsons Pinball Party in terms of fun factor but also depth of gameplay. I also really love that it is a Pat Lawlor design and has a lot of his hallmarks, but it's also very unlike his 90s games with the stop-n-go and the horizontal jackpot shots and all that (not that those are bad, just that I have played those so much already). It flows great and is very modern in the game design, modes, and code. Each multiball mode is like a game in itself and each one plays very different (they're not all just hit the jackpots). The machine is high quality, the code is deep very polished. The music, sound effects, and especially use of assets from the film are all very well integrated with the gameplay and the theme. It's fun and approachable, but also can be brutal and challenging once you reach a certain knowledge of the rules and skill level, but that just keeps me coming back for more. You do hit plateaus with this game where it feels like it's hard to get a satisfying game in, but then you break through and reach new realms. In summary, WW feels right up there with the all-time-great pins to me, and I happen to own many of them! I believe you are correct in recognizing there is an under-rated factor to this pin. I contribute this to the theme as a barrier for some folks and that you have to get some play time to start uncovering the depth and greatness of it. In a few years time I think its esteem will rise as people have more of a chance to experience it.

I will add that I did have a few small quality issues. Some I took care of myself (few loose screws kind of thing). There was a couple of issues that I brought to JJP support and they resolved them both promptly by sending me new parts and which arrived in 2-3 days. I was impressed with their support and that I could get it directly from JJP and not through a distributor. I take these issues in stride because I was really taken with the overall build and design quality. It's like Bob Dylan once said, "it's more important to be great than it is to be perfect" and I will forgive these issues for a great package.

I find this a tough question to answer with WW. Raising the score is very dependent on under standing the modes and getting the right shots. You can grind out a 20 minute game and have 2 million points. Or you can get to Wonkas Office and get the right shots in a minute you can get 10 million right there. Until I learned the game well, a couple million felt good. After six weeks 10m feels like I did pretty good. 20m+ is better. Highest score is about 40m. I’ve got pure imagination on two occasions and it took several weeks of intense play for the first one.

11k is Msrp. Bought my WW NIB from Automated services in early January at that price. Went there to pick it up. Let me stay as long as I wanted to play all the games in the show room. Helped me load it into my van. Fine experience and easy as pie.

I had some loose screws. Same deal, I didn’t know where from. It bothered me a lot so one day I just spent a long time looking all over. It helped to recognize the exact type of screw then realize what type of thing they were used for in general on the playfield. In my case They were falling out from behind the Wonkavator physical lock assembly - Four screws in the back right on top holding the solenoid that controls the lock plunger. I also had one screw fall out from under the smokestack causing the smokestack to rotate to the right.

Loose screws seems to be a recurring theme. Is this common with Nib games? Or is it a JJP or ww thing? Ww was my first nib so it’s an honest unloaded question.

This may not be the solution you’re looking for but I got this floor lamp for the game room. It’s great for pins because you can adjust the color temp and brightness to add the perfect amount of light and it’s remote controlled. The lamp can also be pointed like a spot light. Didn’t by for ww specifically but as I get older just can’t see as well and it’s been good a solution for me.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09J1YWN8X

You can adjust the posts on right and/or add a post on the left to suit you. Extra post for left should be in goodie bag.

I had this too. The solution was to reseat the connector for that opto to where it plugs in to the opto board under the playfield. There was a post somewhere earlier in this thread that shows you which cable. Or you can look it up in the manual.

My 12 year old is a wiz. Here’s his accomplishment from the Western MA pinball club last night.

(Yes, the inevitable has happened. He’s better than his old man).

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Pic? I got an le in January and can compare.

This is a game that people seem to like to add a lot of mods all over to. I really think many over do it (to each their own though!) two that I deemed worthy were a gobstopper shooter rod from Mod Father. This particular mod looks like an actual gobstopper whereas some do not really have the right shape. The pic on the website is not great but in reality it’s good quality. https://modfatherpinball.com/products/wonka-everlasting-gobstopper-shooter

Second is flipper toppers from the mod couple. They are just a hair off from perfectly fitting the flipper but I found that aligning them at the tip end makes a good result. https://themodcouplepinball.com/products/jjp-willy-wonka-custom-grass-flipper-set

Enjoy your game!

It’s true however as another mentioned there’s an instrumental version of the song during Oompa Loompa odyssey. Although lacking the lyrics It’s a nice high energy piece of music and compliments the mode well.

Yes, that’s where you put the extra post to tone down the left drain difficulty. You can put it in the lower or upper slot. Upper slot makes for easier difficulty setting.

Is there a more cruel and infuriating moment in all of pinball than losing Wonka’s Office and getting berated by Gene Wilder? If so, I’d like to hear you try to name it.

It makes me remove my headphones and look away from the game. Hah. I agree it’s great. Too great.

Much has been discussed about the tinny stock speakers. Has anyone replaced the backbox speakers with something off the shelf and, if so, what did you buy and how was the result? I am planning to add an external sub (Polk with pinnovators connector) so I’m just thinking about the backbox ones now and if I can improve them for a reasonable cost. Thanks in advance.

It is odd that guy just said it’s rare so don’t worry. It’s not rare if you know how it works and are locking balls. In a single game I put at least 2-3 balls up there and sometimes like 10. He should have told you how it’s supposed to work and how to test it as the other poster just did!

Is that just the rubber shooter tip? That’s a little unusual but an easy fix.

Curious about highest scores ever known for Wonka. I know there are scores in this thread, etc, however I’m sure some of the world-class players have gotten some out-there scores. What’s highest you’ve heard of?

Ah, is that it? I took mine out because 2 balls kept piling up there. I'll give it another try.

Congrats! That’s a great pinball moment and especially shared with your son.

Here is a fun challenge for those who need a new goal after Pure Imagination. Complete all five kids (complete, not just qualify), start kid multiball, get the kid golden ticket. My 12 y/o pinball wiz actually did it. I’m working on it. It’s a pain because it’s easy to insta-fail if you drain during a kid mode.

Ditto. And ditto newest batch (nov 2021)

Given all that, you will really love this pin!

I have a Nov, ‘21 build. I don’t know what, if anything, was changed on newer runs, but the infamous sdtm from pops is not a problem. When the ball comes around the orbit, it glances the rubber (circled in pic - you can even see the black dust where it hits) and that throws it into the pops and it bounces around randomly and falls out.

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Playfield angle is about 6.5 degrees and level side to side.

A classic case of ass-clownism.

Regarding the blemish on your invisiglass, report that to JJP directly via their website. I did this and they sent me new glass within a week and it was painless. They just asked for a picture and then shipped the new glass.

I would also ask for a new lockdown bar. It should match the other powder coated pieces.

To get to Wonkavator MB, you need to light super lock three times and make the super lock shot three times. It’s the shot from the upper left flipper into the right loop. Needs to be a clean shot to go all the way around the back of the orbit. There are different ways to light super lock - by completing 4 factory modes, it’s a random computer award, it’s a captive ball mystery award. And maybe one other way I am forgetting at the moment. Check the flow chart in the manual. Good luck!

Know what you mean. I love that Wonka’s multiball modes (once started) are really unique and varied. It’s not all “hit the jackpots”. They have really interesting progressions and each is different. Enjoying learning the game, it’s a great trip.

He just did it again. Here’s a couple pics

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Any strategies for getting great scores, say 70 mil+? I am getting through modes great and often getting pure imagination and beyond but just plateauing points wise around 30-50 mil. Meanwhile my 12 year old holds the grand champ at 76 mil and I really need to beat him. Just seems like I play and grind for a very long time and score just creeps along.

I have never *beat* PI and I believe that holds a lot of Points based on watching aforementioned 12 yo do it.

So yeah, looking for advanced strategies like set ups of particular modes and multipliers or stacks of modes etc. thanks in advance.

Who all has found the secret super skill shot? Not sure how much it is common knowledge. It’s a four-shot combo that begins with hitting the camera ramp after the plunge (and after holding left flipper to indicate you want to try for super skill shot). I can give the remaining spoiler if anyone wants.

It shows the super skill shot, but not the secret super skill shot, which is a 4 shot combo skill shot, as opposed to 2.

Adjusting posts however you want them is all good. Make it play how you like! I don't think anyone considers it cheating. I also added the left outlane post in the same position you did because the left lane was a drain monster and was no fun for me and also my family (wife and 12 y.o.), so the game is more fun for everyone now. Even with the post, the left drain is still pretty hungry. Enjoy your game.

It’s to collect scrumdiddlyumptious. Every time you hit a successive shot, (forget if it’s any shot or just ramps), you spell a part of the word (seen on the screen). Then you hit the gobstopper to collect on your combo. If a few seconds go by and you have not either hit another shot or the gobstopper the hat stops flashing.

This can be an annoying obstacle when you need a shot from the upper left flipper because if the hat is lit, the diverter on the gob ramp will not activate and ball is always returned to lower left flipper. A lot of times I cradle the ball till the dang hat shuts off so I can then go for my shot (usually when trying to get a super lock).

I’ve seen it, too. I think it’s a bug.

Early in the game the easiest way to light super lock is starting factory modes. Every 4 lights a super lock. You can get three modes qualified at once and get one saucer shot to collect three at a time. Later in the game it is more difficult to qualify factory modes so I just keep collecting computer awards until it comes up as a random computer award. Keep hitting the saucer to cycle to a new computer award and while you are doing that you can also try to hit the green target to the immediate right of the camera ramp which also cycles a new computer award. It can also come up as a captive ball mystery award. You can also just start other multi balls and while all the balls are flying around you make make progress toward a super lock in all of the above ways.

Check audio settings for volume controls. I think there may be a separate setting for voice volume.

I like the music and the integration with gameplay is top notch. The main theme does get stuck in my head sometimes. I believe there is a music volume control and you could always turn it down while leaving other sounds.

(Spoiler warning)

I love the game but agree PI is a bit underwhelming. It’s like the most conventional style multiball in the game compared to the other MB modes. Although, now that it’s more frequent I get there, it is keeping me engaged trying to *beat* the mode, which I have not done yet. My 12 year old pinball wiz has beaten it a couple of times and he says it can give you about 30 million points, though it is pretty hard and my son says it took about 20 PIs.

After you start the mode and it tells you to hit the spinner/jets, you just need to keep hitting the spinner and jets and eventually it’ll start a hurry up to shoot the gobstopper target. Upon hitting it, the mode ends and Charlie is completed. I find that this is one of the harder modes because of the sheer amount of times you need to hit the spinner/jets. Lubing the spinner makes it a lot easier

Use super lube. Just one drop on each side. Put a cloth underneath to catch any accidentally drips.

https://www.amazon.com/Super-Lube-51010-Oil/dp/B000BXOGHY/ref=asc_df_B000BXOGHY/

Don’t know the exact sound you’re getting but it’s common for flippers to make a little hum when held.

There are good guides for rebuilding flipper (just google that). Although if this is a home use Wonka you won’t have to replace the flipper or rebuild them for years, if ever. Just change the rubber when it gets worn, and check on the mechanisms under the PF every once in a while and make sure everything is sound, intact, the end of stroke switches are adjusted well. After a few years you may think about changing the coil stops. I think there is a good video on JJPs website about flipper maintenance.

I prefer this from modfather. To me it looks most like the gobstopper from the movie.

https://modfatherpinball.com/products/wonka-everlasting-gobstopper-shooter

You need to get a clean shot and to the right spot but it should not be terribly difficult. If the spinner is bent a little wrong it can make the shot a lot more difficult

If you hit every green shot, then there are several roving red/white shots and if you hit any you get a super jackpot. Then the mode starts over.

External sub helped a bit but those backbox speakers are still tinny as hell. It’s still missing mids. Noise cancelling headphones in the headphone Jack sounds wonderful though.

At Target yesterday on a whim bought a Wonka board game. It turned out to be a fun game. The art style and many assets are same as the pinball. It has some interesting parts that could be used as mods or decorations for those that like that kind of thing. Namely Wonka Bar wrappers, chocolate bars, and 5 smallish but nice looking Golden Tickets. It was $20 and the parts are surprisingly good quality for that price.

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I love Wonka but am really curious how jjp messed up the sound so bad. I’ve read in the diy sound thread supposedly the jjp speakers are high quality. So is it the eq?? My 30 year old pins sound better.

Upon more reflection, I feel it must have a lot to do with the speakers, because when I plug in good quality noise cancelling headphones into the jack, it sounds fantastic. Everything is clear, and great balance of highs, mids, and lows. Although, maybe the headphone jack line has a different EQ? Either way, headphones sounds wonderful.

I've played GNR something like 20 times now. Every time my experience is the same: multi balls start flying out of nowhere and go on for 10 or 15 minutes. I get so tired of multi balls I just wish it would stop. Then I walk away not knowing WTF happened, why, or how I did. It just seems a muddled mess. No disrespect to fans of the game, but that's just how it's been for me. I could see how non pinheads might find that exciting, I suppose. I'm a big fan of the band and really wanted to like it.

It’s a really unique mode! I love the gambling aspect (cash in or go for more) but it is so painful if you lose - and one if the best/most infuriating call outs in all of pinball. Just wait and you will see. You qualify the mode after getting Golden tickets (after 2nd or 3rd) and start it at the tv shot. Enjoy your game.

Automated Services in CT has one or two.

I had same on another machine. I couldn’t solve it via LTGs suggestion. I put a small piece of bear seal foam (sticky one side, foam the other) on the underside of the pf where the elbow of the auto plunger arm makes contact with the underside of the pf. It prevented the auto plunger from tilting all the way forward by a few mm which helped it clear the plunger tip. Silly problem that shouldn’t be a problem!

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I have also found that Most Secret Machine is one of the most points-earning modes in the whole game, but you have to get many jackpots, after 10+ jackpots each one is worth over a million and it keeps going up. At the start of the mode, i tend to focus on catching one ball on the left flipper and getting it into the Gob and just let others drain. Getting them off the PF actually makes it easier to get some of those early Jackpots. If you can get through the phases where the Gob hole is spinning, it actually stops again, and by then each jackpot is worth a ton, so that's the real glory hole of points right there.

duplicate, delete please

That’s the normal default behavior. I think there may be an option in gameplay settings to change it.

Look behind the Wonkavator assembly and check that the solenoid that releases the ball is secured well. Often those screws are loose causing problems.

I love Wonka but yea the sound is bad, like a 1928 Victrola. No eq setting unfortunately. I added a sub and it helped a bit. Noise cancelling headphones in the Jack sounds great.

They show how many Wonka bars you’ll get if you hit the ramp. If three are pulsing red, you’ll get three Wonka bars, and so on. If they are any other color, it’s because there is a mode shot or jackpot at the camera ramp.

This is a real thing. Taking time off (but not too much) can help in many endeavors. I’ve seen this in music and other things. Congrats on the score.

Left bottom hole. Right lowest position.

Check the solenoid that controls the white plastic plunger which holds/releases the balls, and check that the four screws securing the coil,s bracket are in place and tight.

I also had issues with the same protector on left side. But my issue was two balls getting stuck, stacked on top of each other, when exiting the wire form return. I tried raising the return with washers and other things. I finally gave up and decided to live dangerously with no cliffy on the left.

What parts? Marco Specialties or Pinball Life for general parts. Maybe some place else for a specific part or special balls or rubber.

Is not all the source material at 1080p?

Is the right side of the spinner wire getting hung up on the nearby plastic? Was a problem on mine. I forced the plastic lower by wedging a piece of rubber between the bottom of the factory ramp and the plastic to clear up the hang up. Also may have bent the spinner assembly away from the plastic a little bit. Have to be careful with that though so you don’t ruin the loop shot.

For the golden ticket you need to get at least one regular jackpot from each kid, the super jackpot, and the double kid jackpot. You can do it across different multiball instances. You can see your progress by holding left flipper then cycling to the golden ticket status screen.

I never understood that critique. I have several classic Bally/Williams in the same room. Honestly can’t tell
any difference in the flippers with Wonka. Sure, I bumped up the power a bit. Can’t speak for other JJP’s.

Acoustics of the room you are in can make a difference as well.

Also check the screws holding the coil that controls the ball release to the back of the Wonkavator assembly. They’re often loose and could cause something like that.

Yeah I think that is correct. About the factory inlane switch, if I remember correctly, it briefly lights the factory stand up target (to right of factory ramp) and if you hit the target while lit it qualifies a factory mode instantly without having to spell out Wonka. It’s like a short cut to do it.

Oh, thank god. I suspected the poor sound had a lot to do with eq settings since it had been said JjP actually uses decent speakers. Is this update live or in beta/limited release?