So, I Played Jersey Jack's AVATAR... 

I had to leave a comment because I never shut up ;) You are correct in that our streams don't show off the shots/layout well enough to really know how it actually feels to play the game. Partially because we are average players but you can also only see so much from a top down perspective. I ripped the Eclipse shot a few times last night and called you out for it. The spinner sound is fantastic! My high score from last night was almost 700k and my GC is like 750k so as of right now breaking 1 billion seems like an awesome scoring goal. Great review as always and thanks for the grief you gave us in chat :)

For the price you shouldn’t have to mod anything !!!

JJP games are great. It’s a shame they price them so high the average pinball player and operator can’t afford them.

IT looks great but i just dont care about Avatar at all.....its such a weird choice of IP imo

JJP: want to ensure that these games get moved? Heed Cary’s advice at the 5 minute mark and do not skimp out at Expo. Set up the games nicely, do them justice. Go above and beyond

Glad you enjoyed the game, I’d say I have the same thoughts on the lower playfield. But otherwise it’s a super fun flip. I didn’t get to play it as much as I would have liked yet but I keep thinking about it haha. Wondering when a local arcade will get it so I can put more time into it. They said they hope to have at least 10 Avatars at expo 🤯 so I hope they do that. People are going to really enjoy this game. I applaud Mark on his first release 👏

Layout looks fun can't wait to play it. Totally agree about the tree area it's such a letdown, cheap and lazy, should not happen at $12k minimum. But that code....I read the flow chart, I know some people love that stuff but it's just not for me.

We are looking forward to our shipment to TNT Amusements!

The best part about this game is that it is enough step in the right direction proving what Jersey Jack can do. Modern machines are blending so much multimedia in a slick enjoyable way. Cary I know you hope they then advance this even better on the Matrix, I am hoping they do so on Harry Potter.

I played it today and felt very similar to the way you did. I had a lot more fun with it than I thought I would. I only got like 2-3 games on it so I want to play it more, but If I was an avatar fan, I think I would absolutely pick this game up! Unlike you, I thought the underplayfield was really fun, I really liked that little area before you fight the crab.... Anyhow, great video as always!

I'm sure it plays great. I'll throw a dollar in it on location. Still a crap theme

To be fair to JJP, you don't have to buy art-blades, topper, UV kit, colored rubbers, external volume control, etc. Add all that stuff to a Stern LE and you're well beyond the price of a JJP LE. Heck, add that stuff to Stern Premium and you'll go beyond a JJP LE.

Played it at Showdown in Denver....Very beautiful game....Lights are awesome....Game play is much better than their older games...But I think my 2010 Stern Avatar is more of a true player?????!!!!!!! Thanks for the video!!!!!

Gotta say I'm happy with the choices: UXM, Avatar, or Labyrinth. All great! Labyrinth is my favorite theme, UXM is my favorite package, and Avatar just looks so cool it really pulls me in. It will at least pull a new audience in but I agree with the criticisms on price point, maintenance, resale value, and theme not being exactly what I'd want to play over an over.

Sounds like exactly how I felt about Elton John .Theme didn't so much for but it is beautiful and then I played it and it became my favorite JJP game at this time. I liked the Avatar movies so I can't wait to play it!

I am pleasantly surprised by this commentary. I will be bringing headphones and blinders to keep my sightlines clear. Hoping to see the game before Expo but time will tell. Thanks for sharing...m

I am not excited by jaws or pulp fiction but I LOVE those movies. Avatar I thought was a very good movie; decent plot but the effects were neat. I AM excited about avatar pinball though!! I’ll never have one as it’s so expensive but it looks so cool and the effects! Just a random thought! Thanks for the fun videos.

That’s why I keep watching your videos Cary . You are never scared to admit when you are wrong or why and how your opinion on something has changed. I know people sometimes put words in your mouth but I think you have Always been very clear about how you feel about something! Good stuff man !

I'm basically in the same boat. The theme does not speak to me, but it looks amazing and I'm happy it shoots well. Competition is good, so I honestly hope they do well and people like it. Part of me wishes that pins would move away from licenses and just make their own theme, save money, and go all out on gameplay. Themes are nice and I understand assets are worth a lot in the age of video, but what if you made a contemporary game with tons of stuff under glass and a DMD or no major video assets? I would be totally fine with that if the playfield was decked out, but I understand that is difficult to do for companies. I definitely love the JJP light shows, though. I played Elton John and thought I might have a seizure, in a mostly good way, but was a bit concerned. Elton was a flamboyant character, so it fits well, but it was F^&* in tents, and I was not camping! I really hope more manufacturers incorporate blacklight paint on their playfields. Yes, many of the people who buy pins don't have the lighting to make it amazing, but if it is not a detriment, it is only a benefit. The underwater/blue theme on Avatar looks amazing. I almost want to get it just for the experience/encounter, but I know nothing about Avatar and have no connection to the movies. "Deep Sea Sally with Sea Shells" would be just as important/unimportant to me, so I wish companies would put money elsewhere, but I know I am a minority. All in all, super happy you like this game and can't wait to play. I hope all pin companies do better, deliver more, and learn from each other. I feel like we get trapped in this "theme prison." We don't need to chase retro themes. We don't need to produce nostalgia. This ship is sailing, and let's just make great games that we enjoy. Let's step back and think about what we enjoy and why we enjoy it. New themes are fine and don't worry about video in the conventional sense. It should be entertaining, but we don't have to pull it from a movie. Just make the game play well. I like the game. [Yes, I stood on the soap-box for too long. Thank you for reading and happy flipping!!]

Nice job Cary. I love to hear good honest feedback. As much as I too like "mechs" like many others, what I want long-term is a great "shooting" game.

"The code on this game is not complete" - and knowing JJP it won't be for years, or ever...

Remember those huge lines to see Phantom Menace back in the day. Remember those huge lines for Avatar? Me neither. The whole “popularity “ around this franchise is completely non existent. So bizarre. Someone should into the conspiracy of how this franchise was at one time the highest grossing ever. 0 pop culture compared to other huge franchises

Are you going to do a video on Barry's BBQ because I've seen a lot of hate from that machine

Had a question about flipper I thought it was the spring but it isn’t look under the machine u know how it looks like a piston seems like it needs oil how u fix it

I played about 10 games on it. Very trippy most spectacular light show I’ve seen on a pinball machine but no excitement at all I was bored there no energy or drive to play any longer unfortunately

This game looks fantastic despite the theme. With matrix and potter rumored to be in the pipeline there’s no way I’m buying this though. It’s definitely got me hyped for the future of JJP

Cary, glad you like the game. Even though I could not find a machine to play near me, I just had to have it (loved the first movie, the second not so much). I ordered the CE. Yes, Sh** load of money for this retiree. But the Jersey Jack games I have played were all great. My machine should be here in a month. I honestly believe it will be a great addition to the machines I have. Jersey Jack demands a premium for their machines, I think most of them are worth it. I don't think they want to sell more, with 6K total games, I think they want to stay the "premium manufacturer" in the industry.

Elton John is JJP best so far

I finally played Avatar and here are my first impressions: 1. Very interesting ball paths. The way that the upper flipper shots feed each other is really nice. 2. I'm not a huge fan of lower playfields but love how they intentionally keep the ball times short down there. What makes the lower playfields work is how they play into the story. The lower playfields represent being under water. Very nice touch. 3. The eclipse effect is awesome in person. The cameras simply don't pick it up accurately. 4. Elton John and Avatar are the only two JJP games so far that have that "one more game" impact for me. I'm really liking the game and can't wait to play it again. As for the eclipse spinner, to me it sounds a bit like the sound a cartoon skeleton would make if he collapsed into a pile of bones. Like a skeleton xylophone or something.

Agree. Avatar is surprisingly fun. Got to play it this weekend. The arcade owner cranked up the volume so we could really enjoy the sound. Played 2 players with a top tournament player. He found a few strategies to boost bonuses, so that was fun. I only got around 250M but he was close to 1B… Not sure if I’ve seen a kickback that goes directly into wire form. I thought that was cool. Sets you up at the flipper shot.

Yeah....Naaa

I really enjoyed the first Avatar movie. Despite the crazy sticker price I am actually thinking of buying this. Any thoughts on the difference between the CE and the LE?

What type of headphones do you need to bring to the expo? Wireless or plug in headphones? I am assuming plug in

Honestly, the MacGubaMuga mountains are my favorite. Nobody integrates like JJP!

This is my main complaint with playing on location; I can never hear a damn thing. I think I would enjoy these games more if I could hear what is going on. Are there headphone jacks on all the modern games?? Bluetooth?

It is a very impressive looking machine to be sure ( that topper O_O ), but like Cary, I just have zero interest in the theme. After watching the featurette video, all I could keep thinking was. Damn that layout would have been awesome if JJP had gotten the license to Ghostbusters instead of Stern. Still could have incorporated the UV stuff and the lower playfields could have been river of slime stuff.

I dont really care for the theme but I have really been wanting to put more games on it. I do feel for this to be truly appreciated it needs to be in a home environment

If you like the little bit of time you've spent with playing this pin then you will really enjoy it even more after getting even more time with it! Trust me you will pick up that certain feel or sound that you won't ever get out of your head! Can't wait to get my hands on playing it!

I had no clue that JJP had a new release. That blows my mind that nobody at the arcades and barcades that I hang out at did anyone mention a new JJP machine. That tells me that their marketing dept. is lacking. Now I gotta look up the price tag. I read the comments. Thanks Cary for what you do, you do it well.

It has been a while since we hear you this excited, probably, after Godzilla. Definitely, this game is great for a homemaid locale. Having the game at a lame, regular location will not do it justice. If only this machine was X-men- it would be 10/10. It is worth every penny.

I’ve never lacked interest in Jersey Jack. They have some amazing games. I just don’t think the $ you pay is worth the value you receive compared to other options in the market. I can afford to buy multiple Jersey Jacks if I wanted to so it’s not a resource issue. It’s just the feeling of being price gouged a bit.

I wish I could have made it up there to play it with you. Looking forward to seeing it in person. That ball save bit is what is on my WOZ. It's not random but you do have a limited amount of time to complete the specific shot to save your ball. Nice to see them bring that back on Avatar.

For those that don't get the theme, I'm pretty sure it's just JJP playing to their strengths. And yeah it doesn't appeal to the larger older audience with money but there is enough of wealthy people with kids who are younger who'd buy this....

Game is legit. Super satisfying, and sounds like it is only going to get better. Very impressed.

my neck hurts watching this

"Better than Elton" are some bold words. You got me interested now. I wonder how much of that opinion is due to Avatar being the new hotness. I now need to get some game time on one.

Saved for tonight at work. Much love Cary

So now that you've played it, Avatar over Xmen in your game room?

The worst part of the game seems to be that the shot that does the eclipse is basically impossible to make lol Did the Flip N Out guys even hit the shot once in their streams?

This game really needed an upper playfield. Big miss.