Monday, February 26, 2018

Pinball FX3: Jurassic World Pinball - Nintendo Switch (Review)


Pinball FX3: Jurassic World Pinball (Switch(Reviewed), PS4, Xbox One, Steam)
Developer: Zen Studios
Publisher: Zen Studios
Price: $9.99

Raptors, shaving cream, and Goldblum, oh my!  Jurassic World Pinball is here, bringing with it three new tables, with two of them based on the actual movies.

Before we get into any of the tables, I want to tell you that you really should read the table guides for all three of them.  There is so much to do, if you don't take the time to do this, you will be confused and frustrated.  It will just take a minute, but will make your playtime a hundred times more enjoyable.


The first table we are going to look at is based on Jurassic Park.  Thankfully (unlike Universal Studios Pinball), all of the dialogue is straight from the movie.  I love it when you fail the T.Rex Jeep chase and Laura Dern yells "SHIT! SHIT! SHIIIIT!".  Oh, yeah, there is a bit of swearing in here, so if you don't want your kids to hear it, maybe turn the sound down.

I like the layout of this table, it feels very old school.  It has a bunch of gimmicks that would almost work on a physical table, and I really enjoy that.  The skill shot, however, is probably the most annoying one I've ever had to deal with.  I've yet to be successful at it, and now I don't even attempt it anymore.

The layout, the missions, and the nostalgia for the movie made this table my favorite of the three.

Plus, it has the most Goldblum.  That's pretty much an instant win right there.


Jurassic Park Pinball Mayhem, on the other hand, is my least favorite.  That's not to say I dislike this table, but as a Jurassic Park table, it is not as good as the other two.

It doesn't have a direct tie-in with an actual movie, and that is the biggest downside for me.  I would have enjoyed it more if it was just a generic dinosaur themed table.

Pinball Mayhem also feels much smaller and more frantic than the other two.

This table benefits the most from the table guide.  There is so much going on right out of  the gate with this table, you will be completely lost without at least skimming it.  I made that mistake, jumped right in, and had no clue as to what was going on.

My favorite part of this table is weaponizing the stegosaurus.


Finally, let's take a look at the biggest table of the three: I Don't Wanna Wait Anymore.  No, sorry, I mean Jurassic World.

This table has nearly everything from the movie: pteranodons flying around, raptors to train, mosasaurus snapping your ball from the water, and even Chris Pratt.  And yes, the Indominus Rex is here.

All of the sfx and dialogue (including "I don't wanna wait anymore!" which you will hear.  A lot.) is directly from the movie.  They have forty scenes from the movie on the dot matrix screen in the corner. You can even choose to go through everything in movie order if you want, which is how I played most of the time.  It's a nice option to have.

If this pack didn't have that Jurassic Park table, Jurassic World would definitely be my favorite.

Overall, the Jurassic World Pinball pack would be a great addition to anyone's Pinball FX3 library.

Who doesn't want more Goldblum in their life?

This title was reviewed using a copy supplied by Zen Studios.