Fun to flip, beautiful playfield, tons to do. A great freshman effort by Eric Meunier. This pin earns my quarters every time I see one.

I love Pirates. I played this at a show a bunch of times and thought I hated it. Then I had an amazing game where it all clicked, the multiballs all started and I knew I had to have one. I love the way you work toward the wizard modes on this game, I love that you can choose a character with perks, I love the black pearl and it's cannon, I haven't played much with friends but plundering would be very fun with a group of friends. The biggest negative for me is the lack of assets. I would have liked to have the pirates theme music, callouts from more than 1 character, and clips with characters instead of just scenery.

This game is the most fun out of all of the games I have owned. Yes it has some issues but I would buy it again in a heartbeat. Pure - Pinball - Fun!

This is one pin I would suggest getting the LE on. It is great regardless. Get it while you can. It is an instant classic.

Loved the JJP Pirates from first flip. The rules are so complex with all the characters that I feel like I could play the game for years and not get bored with it. The upper playfield is probably my favorite of all time! Really unique playfield layout (no Stern copy paste fan layout here). I really don't like the theme, but it definitely wouldn't stop me from owning the game because it's so fun to play.

fun game with some cool toys. not sure I could ever get $9000 worth of enjoyment out of it, but will flip it around at friends house from time to time.

Perhaps I am still in the honeymoon stage, but this machine really hits all the right buttons. I had a few minor issues to deal with coming out of the box, but it keeps calling me back. Re-playability is one of its greatest strengths; there is just so much to do and so many approaches. The plundering component also makes it more fun to play with others, which is a real plus in a competitive family. You can't take the high scores too seriously if you got there by taking other's points, balls, etc.

I completely understand those that say it is never leaving their collection. Although I only have an SE, I would only let this one leave if an LE was taking its place. I only hope that this is not the pinnacle of pinball and that I eat my words later when an even better pin comes out.

Just purchase this bad boy and enjoying every minute of it beautiful machine, colors and mechanics.
I originally played it on route was fun but it’s much more enjoyable on a home Environment. Miss the boat on the LE but don’t be Fooled the standard is just a good or better. It plays the same still has the beautiful lighting and all the good stuff you only loose the following star map not useful, invisible glass no biggi, shaker motor no biggi, toys spinning Tom and Devil’s Triangle, other than that you won’t notice a thing oh yeah topper sucks not missing much. Great code, slick Playfield etc, awsome game play.

Had the opportunity to play this a lot when I was on travel for work in Georgia. From the very first game I was hooked. The design, the different rule sets for all the different characters, it all meshed very well.

I immediately added this to my wish list and hope to have it in my home very soon.

This is one of the best pinball machines we have played. We followed this one from the reveal, to playing prototypes, to playing the first production LE pin on the line at JJP (the first non-employees to play the production model), to playing a SE in a league and on locations, to finally owning a LE.

It takes about the first 20 or so times playing it to get a handle on what to shoot for and how to progress in the game. It's not "hard" to figure out, there is just a lot going on in this packed playfield. The rocking upper playfield with flippers on it is probably it's most unique feature. The shots all have a purpose in the plot/progressing of the pin and you really need to play it to understand it. Yes, there is a kind of quest to work your way through the game with several parallel paths to get to the super wizard mode (very hard to get to). With all the character selections at the beginning of the game with the advantages and disadvantages of each character, it creates several different approaches for strategy. The code is fantastic. The "gold collecting" for a multiball is pretty cool. The plundering creates some comradery and heckling that means something in multi-player games. The theming is great considering the licensing limitations. Sometimes games take a while to play, other times it can kick your butt. And that's one of the many reasons to keep pressing that start button. You can tell that Eric put a ton of effort into his first design, Keith and Joe supported that with a ton of effort in programming with lots of game variations, the Jean-Paul created animations that were done very well. David Thiel created some great music and sound effects that are theme appropriate and sound good. The call outs from the character "Gibbs" are very piratey.

The LE and CE have the RGB general illumination that accent the different chapters/modes/wizard modes. The SE doesn't have that, but it still looks good. The SE also doesn't have the rotating poppers and the mountain structures. It still has the same game play as the LE and CE though at a cheaper price.

Give this game at least 20 tries.

I feel I need to spend more time with this game, because I walked away afterwards feeling like it was a decent player but nothing extraordinary, but everyone seems to be raving about it being a top 10 game! The toys were sweet and this table is jam-packed as most JJP games are. Artwork is stunning and it's well-built.

My issues with the game are the same as my issues for all JJP games (aside from the awesome Dialed In). Not enough flow to be found from such a massive widebody game...ball spends alot of time falling in places and dribbling round things and I just can't get into it. Over-complicated ruleset with so many characters, only 4 of which we care about, made even more complicated by the huge LCD telling you everything at once. Sometimes I want to know how to get multiball without doing weeks of research! And lastly the scoring system leaves a bad taste in the mouth...finish a good game but walk away with less then a million points? No thanks. It's better than the Hobbit and Wizard of Oz, but I still find these huge JJP games more of an oddity than a serious machine I could own.

Seemed to play pretty good, wasn't blown away by the shots or playfield design. The music, art, and animations are great. The ship is a cool toy/feature.

I enjoyed the game, but top right mini-playfield got real old, real quick. This a visual stunning game like all JJP games. I don't know though.

What more do you want Don't over think this it's pinball , It's fun , it's has a great Theme, Great Art, Sound is crisp and clear, Play's very fast for wide body pin , Toy's yeah it would be nice to have the disk's spinning and trunk open but in the end this game is loaded. For a new era of Pin's that are mostly stripped down bare boned machines, this game has it. Deep code that is a little hard to grasp at first but with time you can grab it. I would have to say It is one of the best machines made . With a new fresh design not some revamped 25 year old design (not that they are bad) . Lack's some of the movie clips but still has enough in to keep the theme. The big problem is the cost but other pin's are on the rise so it's not that bad.

The mini game is very fun for casual play — it gives something to go after beyond just the basics of most game.

I have gotten play POTC and Dialed In from JJP. I can understand the appeal, but both fell short of my expectations based off of the reviews I have read on each of them. I did enjoy how smooth the game played. I think what holds it back to a certain degree is that I am not a fan of the theme. Despite that, I did feel like the game represents that theme well. I am hoping that Wonka makes me a bit more excited when I finally get to try it.

SUMMMARY
Context: This is another strong contender for best “world under glass experience” ever — from JJP. It’s mysterious, as there are what seems like 30+ targets and inserts to shoot for… It takes many many plays to learn where the ball will go based on every shot. I think that kind of magic is what JJP is great at bringing back to pinball. “Where is the ball? Where is the ball going?” I’ve played this on two occasions.

Mofscore: B+ (I am basing this mostly on the layout and how it shoots. I could not hear it, nor do I know the rules, thus will need to update several times in the future.

GOOD/VERY GOOD
Asymmetry: good, there are no symmetrical areas on the playfield
Shotmap Balance: good, you are asked to shoot the entire map
Shots (total): very good, 20 (at least)
Inlane Swoosh: good, left inlane is like fathom.
Skill Shot: good, strength test like Rudy in FH
Slap-Saves: good, normal stuff
MB Fun: very good, incredible amount of space to shoot and plenty of detain shots
Toy/Gimmick: very good, incredible ship (and wondering what the ship is for on the upper left area)
Flippers: good, three

AVERAGE
Action/Per/Minute: average, the stop n go is brief, but frequent with scoops and ball locks
Dink Donk: average, ball dinks and donks to come out of the middle area often
Innovation: very good. Top-10 upper PF all-time, that rocks back and forth…
Spinners: average, one spinner, but it’s wide-left not the easiest shot
Outlane Fun: good, you really have to keep the ball out of the fathom lane
Obfuscation: average, it’s not as bad as you’d think, you can’t quite see what you are shooting with the upper flipper (like TZ), but once you understand what is there, it’s not as big of a deal.

FAIR/POOR
Ball-time: poor, long ball times, like most JJPs
Drops: poor, none
Drops Sweep: poor, none
Lane Change: poor (no rollover lanes)
Pops: fair, they do not help or hurt much, but don’t hold up the ball much, since they are spaced apart fairly well
Inlane Ramp Release: poor, two spoon-fed-ramp-returns, where the ball does not fly through the system
Stop'n'Go: fair, lots of stop…
Nudging: fair, not easy to do on a wide body
Orbits (Repeatable): poor, you have an orbit, but it does not repeat as the pops catch it

UNKNOWN
Backhands: unknown
Hurry-ups: unknown
Inlane Lane Change: unknown
Taunting: unknown
Voice / V. choreography: unknown can’t hear in an arcade

LAYOUT/PHYSICS: B+ ,a very fun layout with tons to do, more so than TZ
ART: B- ,(it’s all photoshopped movie actor art, but it feels good overall
DISPLAYS: unknown, I was actually happy that it wasn’t all movie clips like most moderns with LCDs
PASSION/INNOVATION: A- (I didn’t feel like anyone was holding back, this was a project of passion!), the 3-discs to 1-disc is not something I’m disappointed by — it still adds fun variance to the ball travel. I have to ding a little with no drop targets
FEEL: B+ (solid feel, and I can’t give a wide-body an A since they are so difficult to nudge)
MUSIC/SOUND EFFECTS: unknown

Mofscore: B+

Only issue I have is that this is a very low scoring game. A decent score is merely 250-300 thousand. Aside from that, this is easily the best table I have played.

played this quickly at a pin show and thought it was pretty cool. wouldnt mind getting some quality time into it and really learning how to play.

#pinballperfection

I find that Linear playing games do not stay in my collection for very long despite the original "I really like this game" feeling. JJP Pirates is the most unlinear game I have played. The multidude of ways to play this game prevent any concerns about seeing the same thing over and over. It will be interesting to see how the experts decide to play this game to maximize point value. It should take it a while for even those players to figure those strategies out.
I have been fortunate enough to own both Hobbit LE ( still in collection) and DILE (gone to being too linear for me) and will compare it to those games.
As compared to Hobbit, I like the shot pattern far better on Pirates. Pirates has nine different major shots and has the the most interesting shot pattern I have seen on any game. I am a Hobbit fan, but, Hobbit is more of a fan approach to shot pattern where as you have significantly more interesting shots in Pirates. Choreography, a big draw for me, easily goes to Hobbit at this point. Granted Hobbit has been out longer and software version 3.1 is the best I have played in any game. As stated many places, it is immersive. I think the Hobbit modes are extremely creative and with the mode add a ball feature , several of the individual the modes feel like mini wizard modes in themselves. Pirates is limited due to Licensing structure and can not do the extensive movie clips. Pirates choreography in itself is very good, but not near Hobbit standards. Looking forward to what choreography level Kieth ends up taking Pirates. If he improves the light show and sounds alone , he could make Pirates a serious contender to over take the big three (MM,AFM,MB) for the title "best game" to this date.

Comparing Pirates to DILE, I believe Pirates out shines DILE in every category except shot "smoothness". DILE is an excellent shooting game and I really like the way the shots flow together. When I first got DI, I was extremely impressed and thought it would be a keeper. It does have some nice features, such as the attacking multi ball but for me it seemed the same game over and over. Yes it does have several different modes, but, similar to Ghostbusters for me ,the initial wow factor was overcome by my percieved view it is a linear game. Pirates shots are clean and the ramp shots are very satisfying. There are two shots the first time I hit said, where did the ball go?. One is right be hind the third flipper. The other is to the far left of the play field.

The one aspect neither Hobbit nor DI can compete with Pirates is the mini play field. The mini play field may be my favorite ever. It rocks, there are spinners ,you have a pretty difficult objective of loading the cannon and once loaded , you get to fire the cannon to sink a ship. Very satisfying ramp shot to get to the mini play field as well.

Yes, it seems the LE may be a better buy for the additional one K. One definite thing the SE has going for it is the brushed Stainless trim. It in my opinion is far nicer then powder coating. I can add a shaker , the other stuff is just mod type stuff to me ,so I am pretty satisfied with the SE. With the apparent limited run on this title, by JJP , all the versions may be considered "Limited Editions".

Interesting to see where the code ends on this game. There is a lot Kieth can do to improve the wow factor of this game within the licensing limitations. I just hope he continues his magic despite the limitations of a smaller run of salable games.

Do not think from this review I am a JJP "fanboy". I am a fan of Stern (ACDC,TWD,LOTR,TSPP,RBION,Avatar,GOT) and B/W (TZ,MM,CFTBL,DW,STTNG,AFM,) etc. I just think that comparing JJP's games to each other is a more "apples to apples" comparison. Not sure how Pirates compares to WOZ. I have only played WOZ in the field and while a game I would like to own, not allowed by the wife hating "flying Monkees" :).

So I played the standard edition at a dealer... and am weighing purchasing it. This machine is different than anything I've played before. Part of that might be that this is the first JJP pin I've played. It feels so different from Stern machines in every way.

So, let's talk the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good:

1. The build quality of this pin is amazing. Everything about it, from the cabinet (no MDF bottom - full ply) to the screen mounting on an extendable arm for servicing the computer, to the daughter boards connected via RJ45. The quality of JJP builds is like nothing I've ever seen before. It blows Stern out of the water, and frankly outstrips even Bally/Williams build quality. This pin is built to LAST.

2. Upper playfield. This rocking upper playfield - adjustable in the amount/speed of rock based on player selection - is unique and fun. Best upper playfield I've seen in a long time.

3. Whirlpool ramp. This is really innovative and cool. It's also a comfortable shot to nail.

4. The attention to detail is insane. There's a drop hidden behind the third flipper, even. The shots are interesting, the orbit, the ramps, the CANNON on the upper playfield. This is fun, dynamic, and interesting.

5. The sound. Quality of sound is impressive, and while at first I thought I'd be disappointed by the lack of the PotC soundtrack... I'm really not. The music is excellent, and fits the theme very well - and unlike the titular soundtrack, isn't likely to get stuck in your head for extended periods of time. Excellent sound effects, too.

6. Animations. JJP does display screen animations and effects WAY better than anybody else. It's a whole different level.

7. Toys. Since this is the standard edition, you don't get the spinning pop bumpers, the starfield, or the rock outcroppings - but the cannon, ship, chest, and mini display are all excellent. The upper playfield itself is kind of like a toy, in a way, too. For their standard level, it's great.

8. RGB lighting. The effects and lighting are amazing. JJP really shines here.

The Bad:

1. Cabinet decals. This is the one and only area in which I think JJP is inferior to Stern. The decals feel cheap - they lack the silkscreen texture of Stern cabinet art. The decal art itself is good - not great, but good. But I just don't like the cabinet decal quality. I can forgive based on the rest, but still.

2. Backbox art. Not terrible. Nothing to write home about either. I wouldn't put this under "bad" except that since everything else is so top notch, this stands out.

3. Playfield art. Like the backbox art... not really bad. It gets the job done. It's not ugly. But it's not amazing either. Fortunately, the RGB lighting kind of takes over anyway, so you aren't likely to get stuck on it.


The Ugly:

1. The price. There's no getting around it, even the standard edition outstrips Stern's LE line. It's a LOT to spend on a pin. I get it. They are on a different level than Stern pro pins. Nonetheless, the pricing is a lot to chew on. And if a JJP isn't a legendary winner, the depreciation hit will suck. Hobbit owners are already complaining about this, AFAIK. WOZ and DI owners, OTOH... are sitting pretty. Where will PotC end up? I don't know. And that scares me.

Edit: Bought one.

Some extra notes. In case it's not clear, the Standard Edition has the EXACT same gameplay as the LE and CE. The differences are purely visual/aesthetic.

-Standard doesn't have spinning pop bumper with pirate figure (easy to mod figure in place - but it won't spin - kind of a bummer).
-Standard has piece of printed plastic with a starfield design instead of LED Starfield. Could mod with LED strip - but won't get twinkle effects, etc... Don't really care.
-Standard has white LED GI - not RGB GI (under playfield and flashers still RGB). I actually prefer this to the LE/CE. The white GI helps with visibility.
-Standard has stainless rails/lockbar/legs.
-Standard doesn't come with topper.
-Standard doesn't come with Invisiglass. Also kind of a bummer.

LE is probably worth the price difference - but I was maxed out on my pinball purchases this year with this Standard. JJP Standards are a cut above even Stern Premiums/LEs. So you're getting a lot for that price. Still high though!

Opinion of game hasn't changed. Love it. Definitely top 5 of pins I've ever played. Case could be made for the absolute best.

This is one of the best pinball machines ever made, if not THE best. Keith Johnson’s code is a masterpiece and is much better than even his widely-praised is LotR. It’s like you’re playing five games of LotR quality in one. The layout is genius because it somehow combines an adventurous widebody loaded with toys with a fast-paced shooter with great flow. The upper flipper is integrated incredibly well, and the wonderful flow is largely a result of this. The upper playfield is by far the best upper playfield in pinball. It is fun, beautiful, and most importantly - it’s actually skill-testing and not simply the tiny-flipper-basher you often see with other upper playfields.

The only points I took off were for music and playfield art. It’s obvious that the music would be better if it included original music from the movies, but it is still great. Playfield art is solid, but floating head art isn’t exciting, and I can’t give this a perfect score when pins like Ghostbusters exist.

Thought I'd be disappointed with the lack of licensed character callouts and clips, but without them, it feels like you're closer to the game itself. That would be a problem if the game wasn't top notch, but as it is, the theme could be white rice and it would still be a winner!

Pirates of the Caribbean by JJP is a fun game, however it is a bit overwhelming with so much going on. I've played this quite a few times and still really don't have a grasp on what I should REALLY be going for. I'm not crazy about the middle lane on the left being the outlane. In fact, that drives me crazy. Also, when you plunge the ball it shoots right towards the drain unless you use the upper flipper. With an almost non-existent ball save, it's a real annoyance.

Plus side, the rocking-ship mini playfield thing is cool. There's a lot of action and even without really knowing the ruleset, it's a fun game to play. Would have been cooler if they would show clips from the movies on the display, but that's not a big deal.