Wizard of Oz

Pinside rating

This game received 915 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.410 /10

8.41

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #42 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.



Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.305

Artwork: 8.859

Sounds/Music: 8.199

Other Aspects: 8.21


Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 8 of us have rated this game.

8.125

Your Rating?

You need to be logged in before you can rate pinball machines. No account yet? Registering only takes a sec!


This title is part of group: "Wizard of Oz"


Found 540 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 540 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 19 of 22.

List options






9.080/10
10 years ago
That game is off-the-charts in so many aspects ! Ranking it fairly would mean changing my ratings for all other pins for some aspects... Animations for example. I give the max mark here, and all other pins should be at best 3/6...

A milestone in Pinball history. Great game, so many innovations there!

Only regret: rules are not that obvious for a casual player... too many shots lit.
8.527/10
10 years ago
Finally decided to rank this one after receiving the game and playing it for a good amount of time with software ver 1.22. No question JJP is taking pinball to another level relative to innovation and quality. The game in person is striking, a real work of art really. The gameplay has great flow and is faster than I anticipated. Features such as reverse flipper mode, and ball save attempts through TOTO and 'There's No Place Like Home' (balloon pop bumper) are very cool. The LCD is simply amazing, which in my opinion, is sized appropriately for the effect it is trying to deliver. I enjoy and appreciate the variety of games within the pinball hobby. I've owned several games that my family and I have enjoyed, including MM & MB, that we currently enjoy (not sure those are going anywhere soon either). They all offer something different based on their game theme and design, however when playing WOZ, the consensus with those we know (that have played the game) is that this is truly a new breed of pinball that feels new and refreshing. If you're looking for one game that has a lot to offer, this is one to not overlook!
9.760/10
10 years ago
Best pin of all time. Instant classic
8.504/10
10 years ago
I've played a proto type about 15 times and today I played the LE production model about 10 times. The game is a lot of fun, I scored 150k on my best game and got multiple multiballs going at once. I like the overall flow and shots of the game reminds me a little of TZ which is my favorite game. When the code is finished this game will shine. Good times for pinball.

update: I own the game and have about 200 plays on my machine (a standard)
The game has a lot going for it. The ability to stack the modes and multi-balls is where the fun is. starting the main multi ball (emerald city) and then starting a crystal ball mode (2x scoring) and then starting a rescue multi ball (upper left play field) is awesome!. When you have ball on every play field and then get an extra ball the machine go's crazy (lol). I enjoy playing this game a lot, but I am still in the honey moon phase. The music is all instrumental which is good. It's a nice change of pace from my other superhero and rock band themed games. Not sure why this game gets a lot of hate. The theme is basically battle the witch and works well for pinball.
8.432/10
10 years ago
Finally able to play this one, the theme is great. It has some great toys & gimmicks. The full RGB LED's are great, the fact the whole table can change color I really like. I only have a few complaints about it, the right and left drains happen way too much, and those are designed for pro-players like the Oz balloon bumper field. Sure it's a enthusiast machine I get it. I also not a fan of the single point scoring, just doesn't feel as rewarding, you would think that it would be an option to change in the machines setup. But over all it's a beautiful machine, and happy to see another maker of pinball come about.
9.620/10
10 years ago
A game that has it all! 5 magnets. 5 flippers. Two mini playfields. Crystal ball toy. Spinning house. Monkey mech. Stereo sound. Outland mini games, deep rules and more. WOZ is the best pinball machine I have ever seen and play. The cabinet and playfield are a work of art with clear coating making it really stand out. Like I already mentioned there are so many toys on this game that I find myself thinking that it's more complex then even my TZ. The LCD is implemented extremely well with it doing it a great job of displaying progress for multiple modes. Seeing this game with an LCD is an evolution for pinball, DMD's are fine but this game is something else with an LCD. The animations are also very nice and integrate with the game well. I love the theme of WOZ as it's timeless just like TZ. The playfield is also so well thought out that the right half represents good (Munchkin Land, Emerald City) while the left represents evil with that being the Wicked Witch. The quality of this game is something that I have never seen before for a NIB pin. WOZ seems like the Ferrari of pinball machines due to the attention to detail that goes into building it as well as the number of features that the game offers. There's too many features to go into detail about but I'll comment on two of my favorites with that being the mini outlane games. Those two mini games are such a blast and add a lot of extra fun and depth to this game.

Finally, Keith has been doing a great job with the games code and with 1.21 the signs of a deep quest based ruleset are already in place and will only get better thanks to the game getting regular updates. Jersey Jack said that JJP set out to make the best pinball machine ever and I have to say that they have done that with hitting it out of the park with WOZ.
8.905/10
10 years ago
This is the 1st brand new pin I ever played and I had a really good time! I'd love to own one for myself. I had a great time playing WOZ!
9.164/10
10 years ago
Very fun game with great game play. Played this for about an hour straight at local arcade. I found the lighting to be a bit blinding at times especially when in a dark room. However, these are the only aspects that jump out as issues to me.

This will be the first pinball machine I buy to start my collection.
8.972/10
10 years ago
Jersey Jack is here to stay. This machine feels rock solid and represents the creativity, craftsmanship and love that should go into the engineering of pinball. Definitely sets a standard.
8.704/10
10 years ago
Wow finally got to play this in Australia, did not disappoint from colour, to toys and lighting and flow very impressed and i would buy one for the collection.
4.907/10
10 years ago
Had the oppertunity to play this quite a few times during the last weekend and went in with an open mind hoping I would like it a lot.
Game is kind of a mixed bag though, but I'll start with the good points.
The good:
- It really stands out in a row, the lcd really drawes your attention.
- Gameflow was quite ok and the flippers felt really good.
- Nice gimmicky toys all over the playfield.
- Theme is incorporated very well
- it's nice to be able to get your ball back after an outlane drain.

Unfortunatly I found a lot of bad points to.
- Insert lighting is way to bright(almost blinding) while the GI is very dim. There was one mode where all the lights where changing in all the colors of the Rainbow, I don't now who thought that was a good idea. Normaly you would shoot the blinking lights, only with this title almost all lights are blinking constantly, very confusing, especially for newby players.
- Those shoes on the flippers are really distracting, so they wheren't the best idea.
- LCD doesn't add a lot to the gameplay and the gameplay itself lacked the fun factor.
- I didn't like the choice for this theme from the beginning, but as I sead I went in with an open mind because I didn't care for the RBION theme at the beginning, but that really is a well coded and fun game, unfortunately this one isn't.
- You really have to make to many shots to continue the game after an outlane drain.
- But it's weakest point where the sounds and music, they really wheren't my cup of tea

All in all, the game has it's charmes but i just couldn't get into it. Hopefully this one will get better as more code is programmed in.
7.759/10
10 years ago
Hard to see the ball in a dark room when playing WOZ with the newest code. Game itself is beautiful and well built. Monitor is really cool for video clips. Game play is just so-so.
8.420/10
10 years ago
Loved it! Hated it! Loving it again! Code has come a long way on this pin from it's inception. Keith has basically worked on this pins software continuously, & man is it dialed in. Not my favorite theme in the world, but it's a loaded playfield full of fun shots & a incredible set of rules!
6.055/10
10 years ago
I received my new WOZ LE today and was not disappointed. Jack came through as always and has built what I believe is the most solid pinball machine ever. The machine quality, graphics, construction, sound and lighting are amazing. The theme fits nicely among our pinball machines although the quality of this machine stands out even when placed next to other “A” titles. I set the machine up with a pretty steep slope and the game plays fast and while some of the shots are challenging, this will keep the game interesting as the code continues to progress. This game will continue to climb the top 100 list.
9.568/10
10 years ago
I own #120 WOZECLE. I rated the Game Rules 'poor' because until the code is fully implemented there is not much else you can do to be fair. I have high expectations that this aspect will be rated 'Superior' sometime down the (Yellow Brick) road. The artwork, cabinetry, the LCD, the RGB lighting, the sound system, the toys on the PF and the layout . . . WHOOOO! ALL these things are absolutely SUPERIOR!!! This pin will go down in history as the 'line of demarcation' for a whole new era of pins. I'm proud to be a 'sponsor' of Jersey Jack Pinball and an owner. This pin will probably stay with our family for many years.
Mike in Kentucky
8.920/10
10 years ago
Very fun game. Very appealing game. I want one!
9.340/10
10 years ago
6.06 code has turned this into an epic machine. Keith really is a genius.
8.565/10
10 years ago
The Wizard of Oz is the first game from Jersey Jack and I am happy to say that I got the chance to play it at 3 different locations within the past month. I never thought this would be a good theme. I'm glad to be proven wrong.

The Pros:
The art is great. The lights a bright. The screen will tell you everything you need. Is it a good game? Yes. And I think it is getting better with each S/W revision for sure. Has there ever been another game with 2 upper PF's before? I really like the left one. As good as the upper PF on TSPP!

The Cons:
My problem isn't with the game. It's with all the whiny, bitchy negative people here. I mean really...

The game has no flow... nyeeeeehhhh. Play a Pat Lawlor game and quitcher' bitchin'!

The game takes the ball away from me and gives it back to me for one shot... Baaaaahhhh! Well maybe you should stick with the old fashioned way of playing a game and 1) realize that you are getting a chance to save the ball you lost, and thatis more than what playing EM games give you when you drain the ball. 2) Play Better!!!! (monkey screech in the background) - Norm: from This Old Pinball

It took them forever to get this game on the street... myyeeeehhhh. The reason why Stern made games cheaper and less interesting for years is because they had no reason to improve and innovate. Ever since mid-2011 (about the time Jack started making his intentions known) GaryCo. has put out solid and a few damn fine games. Competition breeds the impetus to succeed.

And then we have the cheerleaders (doling out 10's like they've been' drinkin' the Kool-Aid) that are just the other side of the emotional fence. This is not the best game ever made, go play some TZ or some AFM already... I will say that I am VERY much looking towards the Hobbit though.

The Takeaway:
Forget the incredible art package, new visual and mechanical technology to the kit, the brilliant LED show or the solid feel of this game. What this game really brings to our little hobby is hope. Hope that someone out there believes enough in our little corner of reality to bring some more goodies to the table. Hope that this little thing we've got is gonna keep on keepin' on.

That's a fact Jack! -Bill Murray in Stripes

Update:
I just played the 1.23 S/W last night at Lyons Classic Pinball (It's back from the 500 year flood!) and this game keeps getting more interesting. The "Weak Flippers" mode in particular was impressive to me as well as the light show which keeps on getting brighter and more mesmerizing. I think I'm starting to get the hang of the ruleset and the audio/ screen cues keep getting more and more refined. I "may" have to look into purchasing a Hobbit...

Update v.2:
The more I play this game, the more I discover about it... but I also enjoy playing this game less than I used to. Every once in a while I find some incredibly obscure feature of the game that stacks on top of another mode/multiball and the game sings, but I'm just not feeling the thrill of a great pinball game in this box. The theater is incredible. The game guides you where you need to go, but this game is that beautiful car that looks great, has a great engine, and all the stats are through the roof. But when you drive it... it just doesn't come together. I think that's the best analogy I can make with WOZ. It should be, but it isn't. Here's to a fantastic first effort. I can't wait to see what else JJP puts together with The Hobbit and Pat Lawlor's new design.

Update V3:
Most games that I play, I really like the layout and am let down by the rules. This is one of the few decks that bucks the trend. I don't care that much for the layout, and am amazed by the ruleset. I still like to play this game. It reminds me of TSPP.

Update V4:
I have finally gotten to the point where I "think" I understand Woz. Now that I have finally been able to grasp what Keith Johnson has been up to, I am amazed. This game is really incredible. The "journey" that one takes when this game is played is true to the journey you feel when you watch the movie. Nothing like this has been done since LotR. If I could find a copy that had new boards in it, I'd seriously consider having one. It took me about 3 years to do so, but I really like this game quite a bit now. There is so much to do on this game and how you set up your stacks makes the difference between a great score and a GC. Strategy, chaotic shots and brilliant colors all around. Between all the growing pains that JJP went through and the software revisions, the end product is brilliant. I am so proud of the people that went through all of that work and trial and errors. Was it worth it? I believe it is.

Update v5:
Never in all of my time playing pin have I ever felt so conflicted about a pinball design. This game has so much to it and all I ever feel about this game after a long session comes down to two words.

Luck

Fest

Serious. I LOVE playing games where a 4 year old can look at the "pretty lights" and get a half a million point score when the next experienced player gets housed 3 balls straight. Yes, that's pinball. Yes, these things happen. No, this is not 1972. No, this should not happen with such frequency. I will get better at playing this game, but part of this for me is now, Do I really want to? Not a good sign.
9.700/10
10 years ago
A 10 based on the videos I've seen and the "hearsay" stories.....I'll re rate it when I get my pin in a few weeks....

Set up Woz finally and absolutely love it.........I will detail the review after I upload 1.22.....
8.808/10
10 years ago
Spent some time now on the LE, just amazing. I can't see buying any Stern LE built from here on out with what the JJP platform offers. WOZ is not perfect, but it shows what you can do with current technology. If Stern could put half the effort JJP has into WOZ into their titles, I would probably buy them all. This machine is just incredible, from cabinet to art to toys, once the rules are finished it will be beyond anything made, ever. The new standard has been set, the future so bright, I gotta wear shades! The game has changed, will you Stern??
7.263/10
10 years ago
Well, I got to play this one finally the other day. I have to say that as much as it was awesome to see a new company producing pinballs, this one has some issues unfortunately. Maybe they should have had some regular players come in during production to play around and test these out, they may have been stuck in their own microcosm and were unable to see some of the initial reactionary things new players would have to it, like the distraction of the LCD display, the terribly repetitive music, the annoying twinkling sound that repeats over and over, and some of the issues with flow and not having any real inherent understanding of the ruleset, even after playing several games on it. I understand they are still doing updates and whatnot to it, but this machine did not click with me. BTW, I'm 32 and grew up playing late 80's & 90's machines. I have played some of the newer Stern games and like them a lot, so I'm not biased to older games. I find that the whole POINT and the escape of pinball is that it is a mechanical experience based in the REAL world, and that the display and "digital" aspects of video games should be a minimal point of attention. Little animations are okay, but it should not distract you from focusing in on the playfield in the way WOZ does. Have to say that for as polished looking the machine was, it wasn't entirely enjoyable to play unfortunately. Hopefully their next machine takes these comments as critique in a good way. I wish them the best, and they definitely can churn out a polished and beautiful looking machine. I edited this rating as I got another chance to play a machine with more updated code and can see they are working hard to fix some of the kinks.

Update: Got to play this again recently with newer code. Game is better, but still too complicated for its own good. Just does not match my taste. It is awfully impressive to look at, the RGB lighting is awesome, but the LCD is useless, you can't pay attention to it while playing without loosing track of the ball.
6.383/10
10 years ago
Will review this as and when the software is updated, but have played this enough to offer my judgement - which is currently "what a shame, this could have been a whole lot better than it is"
This game has the most annoying sound ever in pinball, which is that "ting" sound - aaaaggghh!
8.787/10
10 years ago
Hard to rate as code keeps updating, and the rule set is improving with each rev. Better general lighting would help, a bit hard to play this game in the dark. But wow this game feels soooooo good to play.
5.146/10
10 years ago
I don't think any amount of rule updates addresses that the machine just doesn't play well. Lots of shots into nothingness. Big flow problems. Both mini playfields don't add much to the game. Crystal ball toy looks awesome, but again, where is the game? Really beautiful machine, cool uses of lights, someone new to pinball might enjoy it as just lighting things by bouncing the ball around randomly is surprisingly fun.
2.022/10
10 years ago
I don't get it. I've played WOZ and I don't understand why people keep talking about this machine as if it's... GOOD.

Here's the thing: I think a lot of people were so excited to hear about JJP and a new line of pinballs, that they're in denial about how awful this game actually is.

The way I describe WOZ is, let's throw every gimmick and toy in the machine because those are what people want! People want toys and multicolored LEDs and full screen video, so let's just give them those things and not worry about anything else.

Toys are fine, but most of them don't add anything to the machine. If you look past the toys, the playfield layout is lazy, clumsy, and not intuitive. The RAINBOW shots - kind of a big deal - have no obvious path to reach them and your best chance of hitting them is a ricochet off the pop bumpers or something else in that area.

The sound feels like sound torture used in Guantanamo Bay to force prisoners to talk. The best sounds in the game are forgettable, but when I go through the OZ rollovers and get that nails-on-the-chalkboard chime, I feel a headache coming on. (It doesn't help that my arcade has this machine on maximum volume, meanwhile the Stern pins with GOOD sound are turned way down.) The only way the sound could have been worse is if there was a "brown note" in the sound effects. The music is just the ONE SONG all the time - the Yellow Brick Road song. Sure, you get different songs when you start modes, but the modes are short and then you're back to the YBR again. The MIDI soundtrack is very stock and boring, and I would actually have preferred if they had the munchkins singing. Really, would it have killed them to sample the real music from the movie?

The lighting - I love LEDs. I have converted all of my machines, and I love finding LEDs in the wild. The all-LED lighting in ACDC Premium is top notch. This machine is just a rainbow-colored pile of puke. I get it - the theme is rainbow - but you can't ONLY have rainbow lighting in a pinball. If it were balanced out with some basic cool white or warm white lighting, it would be much better. In a dark arcade, the lower center of the playfield (i.e. where the flippers are) is BLACK - there is no GI on this machine and you're playing blind.

The only thing that makes me keep putting tokens in is just how punishing the machine is. I hate center drains like this with a rubber post, and this is no exception. The center drain is where I lose the most balls on this machine. The outlanes are extra-wide, but both sides have a recovery feature that isn't too difficult to activate - however it's just a waste of time and makes me miss a traditional set of outlanes.

The scoring - it's LOW. I'm used to high scoring seen on most DMD machines - a lot of them give you a million points just for pulling the plunger at the beginning of the game. Good luck EVER getting a million points on WOZ. This is the first machine in a long, long time where the match game is on the ones digit instead of the tens digit.

And the display. This was supposed to be a big deal. There are moments when a full-motion video appears on the screen, and that's cool. However, most of the time, the screen just doesn't have anything to do because all the action is on the playfield! What do you end up with? A goofy scarecrow doing a lame dance next to the score display. This technology upgrade is not in and of itself a good thing unless you can come up with better video for it to show, ALL THE TIME. Of course this display was at the expense of backglass art, which is non-existent. Instead, have a little backlit strip with the WOZ logo.

One last criticism, the objectives of the game are not clear. Instruction card? Nope! The LCD tells you to hit RAINBOW to start TWISTER, but tells you nothing of any other objectives available to you. This game must have been made for home owners, the type of people who give you a personal tutorial whether you want one or not. But in the arcade, this machine seems WAY out of place.
There are 540 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 19 of 22.

You too can add your own comment by rating this game! Click here to rate this game!

Over the years

Visualizing this game's rating and rank over the years

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/machine/wizard-of-oz/ratings/19 and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.