Visually appealing and if you like GNR, the sound is excellent.

I've played the SE model a fair bit on location and I get what they tried to do, but there are some problems, particularly with the SE - the plunge is not fun and it dribbles badly onto the playfield - the missing upper playfield makes the left inlane (how a multiball is started) totally nerfed - the scoop is not fun (it rejects and is hard to hit for such a key shot).

The risk reward of the song jackpots is fun...for a little while, but the game feels tired because of the constant multiball and really only one strategy (build the song jackpot and song level). The side (album modes, tour multiball, slash solo, etc) modes (in the code I've played) are not balanced and so are skippable and risky for low value, which makes the pin a one trick pony. Hopefully software updates will fix this.

Have not played a LE or CE yet, but fell like it would make a big improvement to the layout, but the software is weighing the game down for now and I don't think the upper playfield would be enough to counter that.

I love GnR... the band. I could'nt wait to sell this machine once I had purchased it. I don't think I've ever owned a game that I wanted to sell so fast.

Overall, lots to do on this game with a variety of shots.

On the game I played, the scoop ejected the ball so that it drain straight down the middle almost every time, but on an LE I played, it seemed to be fine and didn't do that.

The empty space where the upper playfield should be on other models looked a bit odd, but I kind of forgot about it after getting into the game.

The light shows were basically like fireworks going off inside the game.

The post on the spinning disc often got in the way of shots to the right ramp.

The skill shot was difficult since you had to be incredibly precise with the plunger. I think either there should have been fewer targets, or they should have been spaced out a bit more.

top machine, i hope i don't have problems with playfield

Game is super fun even for the SE version. You will be missing some nice features but speed will make up for any loss. This pinball is surely a dream for any pinball and GnR fan.

it's an ok game. i dislike the sound effects and wish the game actually played more music. most people get to hear one or maybe 2 songs at most during a game. My biggest gripe is with the low power flippers and slings. the game would be a lot more fun if it flipped better.

I'm not a big fan of the band. Their music rocks. But most 80s metal never held my interest for very long. I once played the Data East Guns N Roses pin and absolutely hated it. I've talked to other pinheads that swore by it and, admittedly, the Data East copy that I played was NOT in good shape. Finally, JJ's WWATCF was a big disappointment for me.

So needless to say, my confidence was very low for this machine. So imagine my delight to discover just how awesome this machine actually is to play. Checking it out, it doesn't look like much. A couple of small ramps, a scoop and an outer orbit. But man, it knocks you out like when "Welcome to the Jungle" kicks into its main riff. Wow! It is hard to articulate exactly why it is so successful. Early into play as you shoot the ball around the playfield and hit various targets, you trigger different sounds and instruments like the band tuning up. The jet bumpers are the drums, etc. The quest is for the player to get the band to play one of their songs. Once you get there, this machine transcends itself from pinball to interactive art. This game is clever and surprising, nuanced and playful.

Jersey Jack's strength has always been in its build quality and game programming. All of their machines have their attributes. But after the let-down of Willy Wonka, they are back to form here with the VERY welcome addition of even greater ball flow and faster game action. It is my understanding that Slash is a major pinhead and contributed to the design of this pin. Who better? My only caveat is the small, inert stage figures in the back, left corner of the playfield. While very cool looking, it doesn't add anything to gameplay. This pin is a near perfect example of mingling theme with game design and execution. I can't wait to play a copy of the LE or CE.

Finally got an opportunity to put my hands on this pin. Let me start by saying this is the first JJP machine I have ever played. I have been reading all of the mostly positive reviews for years but I don't have a local distributor and there are no JJP machines in the wild near me so it has taken until now for me to actually get to play one. Maybe all of those positive reviews set me up for too high of an expectation. Or maybe all of the Bally, Williams, and Stern games I have owned over the years are just that much better. But man, what a disappointment. From the minute I pushed the start button and pulled the "soft plunge" the machine felt, for lack of a better term, cheap. The lighting is great. The audio is great. The layout was fun. But the overall fit, finish, and feel of the machine as a whole really felt poorly put together. I just cant wrap my head around the let down that I felt while playing the game. I have been considering adding this JJP title to the lineup for some time, I love the Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin I have, but I am really reconsidering JJP after playing this title.

My rating stood at a 9.76 for over a year. I am revisiting the rating because JJP is now onto their next game and haven’t finished the code for this game. You can light special, but it doesn’t light, the scoring is very unbalanced between songs and albums and other modes(Tour, Coma, Slash, wizard modes). If they ever get around to fixing it as promised I’ll then rerate it.

An amazing game for the ages. Sound, lighting and layout are unrivaled.

Previously my rating took away points for Desert Demolition being incomplete, since that is complete now I could have added that point, but no I am still slightly disappointed with the scoring, where 10 million is a mediocre song JP, but 1 million is an amazing album, slash or tour JP which takes far more to progress to than a song.

I’ve played the CE and the SE. I prefer the SE to the CE and LE because I think the upper playfield is clunky on such a multiball heavy game. The SE has amazing flow that the LE and CE don’t.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not, never have been, or never will be a guns and roses fan.

The Pros:
This game is the best integration of a rock and roll show into a pinball game. Ever. This game looks, sounds and feels fantastic! The art package is brilliantly done and all aspects of the video, cabinet, GUI, custom quotes, themACe integration and involvement with Slash to give the team at JJP everything they could ever want and more. It's a beautiful thing when the people who own an IP love pinball as much as the pinheads who play it do. The upper playfield and the 6 ball lock over the center saucer makes things random in multiball from the get go. The light show on this game is stellar. Bar none, the best I have ever seen on a pinball game. The orbits and the ramps feel great and the inner loop from the upper flipper has that PotC feel that is most satisfying. The toys on this game are varied and offer more than just a good look to the game. The upper playfield doesn't have much to it, but the shots there are good. Kind of reminds me of the winkie pf on WoZ. 6 ball multiball is a mindbender with all the other activity going on! Most importantly, the rules. While I have only had a few games on it, The feel of the rules of the game is solid. Options to choose songs as well as to collect or to continue/add-a-ball make for interesting and valuable choices. Each mode is clearly it's own choreography and while some may not like the "shoot for the colored lights" treatment, it works and requires minimal translation. You are still guided around the playfield differently with each song/mode, but confusion is at a minimum. I am still learning more about this game and will add updates as I figure more stuff out.

The Cons:
It's a Guns and Roses game. I don't care for the center saucer unless it is shot from the upper right hand flipper. Shots from the pops find their way SDTM with more frequency than any other game that I can remember in recent history. The FIRE! skillshot is well done, but the exit onto the PF keeps insta-draining out the right hand side of the PF (who turned the ball saver off?). This is a HUGE design flaw. This is the kind of mistake that no amount of software will save. Are you ready for a 30% chance of a bullshit drain off each and every plunge into the game? Well, here you go! This is BAAAAAAAAAAAD. Tank the playfield design right there. Because you can't play a pinball game if you can't get the ball into the playfield without a ridiculously high chance of failure. This skill shot is anti-fun. And that is what people play pinball for, first and foremost... FUN! You had better make all of your shots because those outlanes are incredibly hungry. Casuals are going to play a game or two and say "huh?" I paid a dollar a game for this?!? Ops better set their outlines to as tight as they can until a player who can nudge gets a hold of it. Get the balance right... I also want to say that I have only played one copy of this game. I hope that this is not the case with other copies of this design. The elimination of the upper playfield and the guitar head lock mechanism on this game is a huge loss. Kind of like playing AC/DC without the lower playfield. It just doesn't feel right and that plastic topper over the upper right hand side of the playfield only makes the missing items more obvious.

The Takeaway:
If you like Guns and Roses, you will absolutely fall in love with this game and your life will not be complete without it. If you are not, it's an incredibly well put together pinball game with lots to do on it and has very long legs (the RULES!). Along with Willy Wonka, this game has enough depth of rules (once you actually get to play the game...) AND direct simplicity to entertain casual players and enough depth to keep the tourney monkeys and the home players entertained and challenged for a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG time! JJP is getting better at what they do. Good for them!

Update:
The exit out of the skill shot can be adjusted/fixed. Now the center scoop has a high percentage of sdtm drains. This game will probably be fine in a home collection, but operators may not have the time for these details. Learning this game is a hoot!

Update v.2:
The rules on this game take a bit to learn fortunately, the programming team at jjp has implemented so many different options on gameplay, rules and effective actions on the mechanics of the playfield that this game can be "tuned" to your desired performance of the design ad nauseum. Most impressive. The extra lights on the playfield make the rock and roll experience in a box a wonder to behold. While the playfield layout isn't perfect, the implementation and depth of this design make this game a possible "collection of one" for the pinhead willing to put the time, effort and interest into this game.

Update v.3:
I do not like playing this game. This layout without the upper playfield feels like a cost cutting consideration at the cost of the vision of the designer and the experience of the player. I just walk past this game now.

Own the SE and had a chance to play a LE. Amazing pin. Best light show ever. I actually prefer the SE as it plays faster and the mini playfield in the LE kind of slows the game down and gets a little annoying. The art package is a little better on the LE but that's the only plus IMO. Overall the SE is a better pin and it definitely helps that it's cheaper.

This is my first JJP game, and it's amazing on many levels. Theme integration, sounds, lights, layout and overall fun factor are top notch. The flippers definitely aren't as snappy as Stern, but make all shots and orbits with ease. The multiballs are amazing, and it's mandatory that you like multi-ball play to enjoy this game! I added a shooter lane protector to help minimize wear from the number of balls that get ejected during a normal game (guessing 30+). But adding all of this to the concert atmosphere lends to a high-energy, addicting game that is just amazing. I added a subwoofer to mine, and this brought it to life even more.

We had this for about a month, and enjoyed it while it was here. Great playfield layout and some really interesting shots. Working through the game rules is fun and challenging. I don't think you have to be a Guns N' Roses fan to enjoy the game, but it probably helps. I gave the sound - music/quality on this 6/6 even though I'm not someone who would listen to GNR unless it came up randomly on the radio or in a shuffle - simply because the track selections on the game are great, the music is well integrated into the game, and the sound quality is top notch. Excellent theme integration and artwork on this pin. The light show is amazing in a darker environment. The only issue we had was with the launch - the ball would constantly go STDM after launch (and even after a ball save or two), it took many adjustments to improve that - but it never was fully resolved. Would I buy it for my collection? Probably not - but I would play it on location or in anyone else's collection in a heartbeat! Would be great to try the LE/CE sometime!

When I saw it irl it grew on me quickly to the point I prefer this back glass. The hot rails that are gone aren’t too bad since the playfield inserts are super expressive. I really love the LE upper playfield, but it isn’t missed and the ramps are better.

Basically I believe the SE is better because the state of the art theme integration is still the same. It’s only drawback is the left ramp white guitar light is kinda odd looking and I would have preferred something else (red rose light?).

Have seen a lot of the reviews and research on this game and took the plunge on an SE not wanting to wait for an LE and I couldn’t be happier... and the kids love it.
The lighting, music, and video are as advertised, out of this world. The playfield is good but not incredible. The game play is fast and fun. The setup gives so many options to be interactive with the game along with many different high score options for each song, etc.
I think the LE and CE playfield offers a bit more but the value for the cost on the SE is difficult to beat...
This is a great machine and right out of the box it’s an “experience”. I’ve not been disappointed with any aspect of this epic pin.
Get one, if you can.

This game is a blast to play. Theme integration is probably one of the best in pinball. Lots of Risk/Reward going on in this game. The light show on all versions is over the top. It really feels like a concert behind the glass. With some tweaking of the rules you can limit the amount of multi-ball if that is what you like as well.

Honestly. I absolutely am biased to JJP machines.. woz is my fav game of all times.. but gnr might take it away. It's a beautiful blast of colour. Light show..you name it. Worth every penny

I'll update as I play more and give a proper review.. but the light show compared to any other pinball (including other JJPs) is off the charts. I think I'll have to downgrade the GAME LIGHTING scores on all my other ratings just to emphasize how incomparable the lighting logic is in this game, and this is only the STANDARD edition.

Comparing the underside of the playfield on a GNRSE vs any of the previous JJP pins... wow! It's bare. There is only one toy - Slash's CD spinner. Even though the playfield is simple, it doesn't feel that way. The shots are smooth and are unique (center loop through pops and up into top lanes is sweet!) , the integration with both screens and the light shows and the strategies are a feast for the senses. What is nice - I won't have to fix JJP mechanisms all the time like I have to in or all my other machines. I LOVE THAT. I think with the SE, you can look forward to more playing, less tuning/fixing.

UPDATE: I sold this after about a year. It just didn’t have any legs. After about six months, nobody played it. Kinda seemed like a chore to bring the band on stage. The pressure of playing out a whole song only to miss out on the jackpot more than not became too discouraging. The shot variety also just simply got old, at least on the SE.

I am blown away! This game is the absolute business. I thought I would like it, but this is amazing.
The lighting is phenomenal. The sound quality is outstanding. I though ACDC premium was good for quality of sound and this blows it out of the water. And this is all on the Standard Edition, the higher end ones must be amazing.
Love it.

This is the one and only version of this game I’ve played.....and I’ve played a hell of a lot in the past couple months- enough for me to purchase a new one! New titles rarely if ever blow me away like this one did or at least enough to throw down a big chunk of change on a new pin. (I’ve always liked 80s-90s titles) But something keeps drawing me back out on location just to play a couple more games. The light show, the sounds, call outs, live concert footage and visuals on screen....this game has everything including a pretty deep rule set. The LE & CE have more added excitement with extra goodies on the playfield and cooler cab art (not to mention 100s more lights etc) but for me it was this or a Stern Pro. GNR is a masterpiece in modern pinball design and I feel like this game will only get better with new code updates. My only complaint on the standard would be the cab art but you don’t buy a pin to “just look at it”. Get one while you still can or splurge and get the LE!

The SE Is superior to the LE or CE. Very fun game and pretty smooth once you get hang of it.

This game took me for a surprise. I am by no means a Guns and Roses fan, however, I watched some Gameplay videos of it, and with in the fist 10 min, my mind was blown. Finally went looking for a SE and found one, and have been playing it everyday. Game is a ton of fun. Lights, rules, and gameplay is amazing. Yes, Mulitball is a big part of the game, BUT the thing is, they don’t last long at all. This game will be in my collection for a long time!

The overall package is just stunning and top notch - well lit with amazing animations, artwork and of course music. The rules and what to shoot for take a little getting used to right out of the gate. Ill admit, at first I was confused on what to shoot and when. But the more I played it, I started to get it and then was sucked into the whole risk/reward aspect which is a thrill and total rush. The game is addictive and awesome. A very different type of gameplay to what I have in my collection which is why I really like it - and I grew up listening to GNR so thats a no brainer. The more I play, the more I love it. Theme integration and player immersion is best of the best and it's the total package. I don't find the multiballs to be overwhelming at all (I WANT them during song mode) The SE is plenty loaded, beautiful machine that has an amazing light display and shoots well. Excellent value. Not floaty and not blazing fast - just right with good flow.

A local location brought in an SE really early, so I've had some time to flip it now. Every time, I just can't get into it. The lighting and theme integration is definitely some of the best I've ever seen, but the gameplay is just not my cup of tea. I hate the entry of the ball into the playfield. It's just kind of a limp flop out of the shooter lane to the right flipper (or sometimes the upper sling or right down the middle). I do like the flow of the orbit shots, but the short ramps don't really offer much kinetic satisfaction. Overall, my biggest gripe in terms of gameplay is that it feels just like another MB heavy JJP game. To me that ends up drawing all the attention to the point I have no idea what I'm even trying to shot for. That gets old quick for me. The constant flow interruption by needing to hit the center scoop is really a let down as well. I really wanted to be excited about this game after seeing the reveal and the super cool lighting on the pf, but for me the gameplay just isn't there.

Really fun Pin that truly is an experience to play. I have yet to play the LE/CE version of this game, so I can't can't compare. However, this game doesn't feel like it's missing anything and the experience it delivers, at the very least, is on par with Stern Premiums and LE's. The light show is amazing on this pin and I feel it could compete with any other machine on the market. This game is easily the most immersive music pin and features 20+ songs, well thought out light choreography, tons of video content and fun custom callouts. The shot variety is good, but it's a hard shooter and slightly missing shots can cause quick drains. The rules are solid in their current state, maybe a little multiball heavy, but I imagine they will only get better with future updates. The risk/reward component of building up and cashing out jackpots is very addictive. The cab art on this model is decent, but I feel the cartoony monsters are very taste specific. I don't hate the cab art, but I feel it's the weakest part of this machine. The playfield artwork is good, and I like how all the band members are represented by skeletons. It's probably smart not having actual band member faces plastered all over the cab, backglass, and playfield, since GNR's band member lineup consistency hasn't exactly been the band's strong point over the last 30 years. However, seeing Axl, Duff, and Slash in front of the band makes the late 80's/90's GNR fan in me very happy.

The adult mode offers a complete experience, and I love having a "family mode" option for when my 6 year old wants to play. My wife and guests are blown away by the experience this pin offers, and it seems to impress them like no other pin I've owned.
However, it still offers plenty of challenge and ways of blowing up the score that veteran pinheads will appreciate. I feel this pin offers a very unique and immersive experience and adds a nice touch of variety to my collection.