Jack- Bot

Grandizer · May 11, 2012

Man I want to see Jack-Bot made. I told Norman but I'm sure I'm a select few.

One of my all time favorite tables. So much to go for and the flying saucer slot machine mode where you can take or risk your game score by getting winning pay lines based on what comes up on the pay line or bombs that wiped your winnings and left you decisions on if you wanted to keep going or possibly lose your score . I figure if they do the first 2, they have to do the third.

Kaoru · May 12, 2012

I never played this one... but it does look a lot like the original Pinbot table. What's the difference in the gameplay?

invitro · May 12, 2012

It's not a lot like it... it's exactly like it, with one very small difference. I think the game is tons and tons of fun, if a bit easy. Much easier than Pin*Bot. The saucer is the key shot. It spins a DMD slot machine and gives awards, including lots of EBs (which is what makes the game a bit easy) and Specials. The "wizard mode" is Casino Run, which is a timed mode that lets you gamble that you'll make shots before the timer runs out or until you hit a "bomb".

It seems likely that it will eventually be on TPA, because it's an unlicensed table from WMS's golden era. Main problem: it wasn't very popular. I believe players felt the playfield-copied-from-Pin*Bot made the game not original enough, even though it's really a completely different game because of the rules.

invitro · May 12, 2012

Trying to drum up interest in Jack*Bot...

View it in action during a Pinburgh A finals game:
http://pinball.org/videos/tournament/papa/pinburgh-2011-division-a-finals-jackbot/

View lots of pics and other stuff at IPDB:
http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?gid=3619

Read the rules:
http://pinball.org/rules/jackbot.html

Bowflex · May 12, 2012

Basically the playfield is the same layout but with tweaks so the ball doesn't drain so cheap. DMD is nothing too special but one more thing the original didn't have. Instead of achieving the planets you have "gambling" which is kind of unique. If you achieve a big point award or special you can take it or you can go for something even better.

Richard B · May 12, 2012

Bowflex said:
Basically the playfield is the same layout but with tweaks so the ball doesn't drain so cheap.

I know what you mean. I found an irl Pinbot, so I eagerly gave it a shot. Two of the three balls went down the outlanes straight from the plunge. The last ball went SDTM after a shot off the panel target. Needless to say, I didn't play it again. JB would be a much better addition that PB, since PB involves way to much luck. Yes, some will say you have to make better use of nudging to succeed in PB, but IMO, if you need to excessively nudge a table to stay alive, it's bad design.

Sean DonCarlos · May 12, 2012

The original Pinbot is indeed a very cruel table. I've never played a Jackbot, so I can't tell you what they did to change it, but I'd be interested in having a go at it on TPA. (Then again, with the exceptions of a few real duds, I'd be interested in damn near any table on TPA.

)

RetroBlast · May 12, 2012

I would love to have this table come to TPA .... I WANT THEM ALL ... PIN*BOT, BRIDE OF PIN*BOT, AND JACK*BOT !!!

Animator_pin_fan · May 13, 2012

Pin-Bot was actually the first table in the PHOF collection that got me hooked on the idea of playing "video pinball."
Jack-Bot is an amazinly fun table! And I think the DMD animations are really pretty cool! I couldn't really hear the music on it where I was playing but the light show was fantastic, and the play refinements from Pin-Bot greatly improve playtime. I think it would be an excellent addition to TPA. I'm sure Farsight must be planning on finishing the Bot family.

Richard B · May 13, 2012

I'd like to see them skip PB and go straight to JB, but doing both would make sense, since the nearly identical playfields would make rendering each table that much easier.

Fungi · May 13, 2012

I fear FarSight taking the easy way out and instead of adding the tweaks that make JB less drain happy, they would just use the same board with the rule changes. I say this out loud hoping FarSight accepts the challenge and not do that.

Jeff Strong · May 13, 2012

RetroBlast said:
I would love to have this table come to TPA .... I WANT THEM ALL ... PIN*BOT, BRIDE OF PIN*BOT, AND JACK*BOT !!!

Same here. I won't be able to sleep soundly until we have the trio.

Bowflex · May 13, 2012

Fungi said:
I fear FarSight taking the easy way out and instead of adding the tweaks that make JB less drain happy, they would just use the same board with the rule changes. I say this out loud hoping FarSight accepts the challenge and not do that.

I don't believe this will be an issue. The only thing similar is the layout and even that's not 100% the same when you really measure things out. The fact that they have gone back and not rehashed the WPHOF boards for this game would strongly suggest that they are interested in not taking shortcuts.

Crush3d_Turtle · May 15, 2012

I would love to see the entire Pinbot "series". Pinbot is my single favourite machine even though it is a real drain monster. Pinbot and Jackbot are both excellent and rewarding tables to play due to what I consider to be a fantastic layout.

RetroBlast · May 15, 2012

I am right with your on that I want all the PIN*BOT tables !!!

Jeff Strong · May 22, 2012

I discovered tonight that my favorite restaurant replaced Batman Dark Knight with Jack*Bot. I was happy to see it, but also a little bummed at the same time because it was my ritual to go there and play BDK, and I could play it forever on a couple credits, but tonight I blew through 3 credits in Jack*Bot before my food was even ready :/ .....the outlanes are just as rough as ever, but at least it has a ball saver. Don't get me wrong, it's still a fantastic table...but much more of a quarter gobbler than my old friend Mr. BDK, which I will miss.....but it is nice to have something fresh, and you can't go wrong with any of the Pin*Bot machines.

Neil L · Aug 17, 2012

RetroBlast said:
I would love to have this table come to TPA .... I WANT THEM ALL ... PIN*BOT, BRIDE OF PIN*BOT, AND JACK*BOT !!!

Jeff Strong said:
Same here. I won't be able to sleep soundly until we have the trio.

Crush3d_Turtle said:
I would love to see the entire Pinbot "series". Pinbot is my single favourite machine even though it is a real drain monster. Pinbot and Jackbot are both excellent and rewarding tables to play due to what I consider to be a fantastic layout.

RetroBlast said:
I am right with your on that I want all the PIN*BOT tables !!!

You can add me to this list also.

Sinistar · Aug 17, 2012

I'd Bet with some creative coding/ packaging they could do Pin*Bot and Jack*Bot into a 3 pack DLC , because with the exception of a table graphic change (skin) and rule changes and adding the Dot matrix display it should not take up much more space than 2 tables do . If they packed it with a old Gottlieb table , they might be able to pull it off.

Matt McIrvin · Aug 17, 2012

Sinistar said:
I'd Bet with some creative coding/ packaging they could do Pin*Bot and Jack*Bot into a 3 pack DLC , because with the exception of a table graphic change (skin) and rule changes and adding the Dot matrix display it should not take up much more space than 2 tables do . If they packed it with a old Gottlieb table , they might be able to pull it off.

I doubt that the 3D mesh data for a table is the primary consumer of bits. (And is it really identical between the two tables, or just superficially very similar?)

Richard B · Aug 17, 2012

Matt McIrvin said:
I doubt that the 3D mesh data for a table is the primary consumer of bits. (And is it really identical between the two tables, or just superficially very similar?). . . If they packed [Pin*Bot and Jack*Bot] with a old Gottlieb table , they might be able to pull it off.

It isn't identical. There are small but significant changes to the layout, particularly the outlanes.
Also, FS isn't stupid. Why release a 3 pack when they could do a two pack with Pin and Jack Bot together and a significant number of people (including myself) would happily buy it? Also, old Gottliebs cannot be emulated, so let's hope they don't do any more.

Jack- Bot

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Moderator

New member

New member

New member

Active member

Moderator

New member

New member

New member

Moderator

New member

New member

New member

New member