I've been owning this gem of a game for 2 months now. A pinball should be fun and exciting even when you don't know the ruleset, Willy Wonka is just like that. Genius geometry and shots design, smooth as butter, super combos, the best game that Pat Lawlor ever created IMHO. When you learn the extremely deep/fun/well integrated/almost impossible to beat ruleset, now we're somewhere else. Built quality is thru the roof, this is not a mere toy, this is a serious piece of amusement equipment and the theme is perfectly integrated.
I found the lower flippers to be a little too soft for my taste so I changed (+6) their strength. With the default settings, ramps were pretty hard to make. Now it's all good. There is a couple spots were airballs got caught up (beside the Wonkavator elevator, behind the Oompa Loompa) so I needed to add some plastic posts at these critical spots to solve the problem. Otherwise the game (late 2021 built) have been very reliable with no issue at all.
Since this is a 4 flippers design, be prepared for a lot of action. Every shots is satisfying. You always have something to shoot for no matter where the ball is.
The orchestral musical score is perfect and beautiful and fits the theme to perfection (it's the soundtrack from the movie). The sounds effects are extremely well made and not tiring by any means. This is a game about dream, wonder, youth, excitement and fantasy ... the sounds effects reflects that extremely well. There is not a single moment that this game is not exciting, you have to think when "to blink" because it might be too late when you do :). This might be a family theme, but the game can be really brutal. You'll have to bring your A game.
Lighting effects (flash and inserts) are magnificent but the GI is lackluster. You "can't" play this game in a dark environnement. Ambient lights needs to be on. I installed some Pinstadium's Neo Atom Fusion on it and ..... OMFG !!! Game changer !! ... it's literally a "new" game now, colors are vibrant, we see everything, and the flashers effects of the Pinstadium's Neo Atom Fusion are a sight to behold and puts Willy Wonka on a whole new level.
You can have cheap drains from the pops, that's been said over and over and that's 100% true. I prefer the "free pops" design that bring speed, danger and excitement to a boring "trapped pops" design like Medieval Madness or Theater of Magic (I own both) where the ball is hit by the pops but always comes out of the zone slowly without any challenge at all. Pops have to be "free" to bring excitement to a game, not trapped. There are some mods out there that cure the problem of cheap drain if it's something you prefer. To each is own.
It takes some time to get use to the upper right flipper as some shorter people might have a harder time seeing it but once you're used to it, that's not a problem at all. Slingshots are on the "soft" side even at their highest settings but some may find it a "blessing" as the game is so brutal anyway.
There is 6 magnets on the playfield that affects the direction on the ball in certain modes. They're arranged in 2 clusters of 3 magnets. On this game, even the "empty space" can add speed and unpredictability/excitement. It's not overdone but when it's in action, better stay focused as the ball can go in any directions at the most unexpected moment.
Sound quality is pretty good out of the box but not great, the high/midrange seems a little "muffled" ... this is not a "bass heavy" soundtrack pinball but you can really hear/feel some bass there if you install the Pinwoofer JJP super kit, which I did. Now, the dynamic is way better and everything is much clearer.
I've been collecting pinballs since 1993, this is the best one I've ever owned and the more fun I've ever had. It's not bolted to the floor, it's welded.
Portland, OR
Marseille
Brisbane
Québec, QC
