On October 12 at the Pinball Expo in Chicago, pinball pro Jersey Jack Guarnieri debuted his company’s fourth title, Pirates of The Caribbean. Design details and gameplay were streamed worldwide on Twitch.TV, and the game had pinheads immediately dissecting it on forums and in person at the Expo.
JJP’s Pirates of the Caribbean condenses the best bits of the brands’ five feature films, giving fans the chance to play as one of 22 recognizable characters. There are three separate versions of the game: A Collector’s Edition ($12,500), Limited Edition ($9,500) and Standard ($8,500). The differences are numerous between versions; the CE has barnacle-covered legs and siding, a moving ship in a bottle topper, rotating pop bumpers, extra toys and a custom, hand-drawn playfield art package featuring the villainous Davy Jones.
Differences between the Standard and Limited Edition mainly focus on features and cosmetics. The LE comes with a headphone jack, black legs and siding, more toys, a topper and a 72-light “starfield” on the back panel (also included in the CE).
Unique features dot the playfield no matter what version you buy, though. Each table has a spinning wheel that can be activated directly above the main flippers, which when lit can give you extra points or even allow you to plunder your opponent’s points or balls. A secondary display showing Captain Jack’s compass, which in the film’s shows the direction of his heart’s desire, constantly shows the player the best shot they can take at that time.
From the bit of gameplay saw through the Twitch stream, the pin seems to play very well, with five flippers giving the player great chances to make the most of JJP’s wide body machines. An upper playfield placed on the rocking deck of a boat gives players the “out-at-sea” experience, while a smooth loop in the middle of the playfield can see satisfyingly repetitive, point-procuring action.
Each game comes with a refundable deposit ($1,000 for CE, $250 for LE, Standard). According to designers at the event, the game is set to ship in the first quarter of 2018. Pre-orders are available now. You can also see it firsthand at the IAAPA show (JJP is at booth 1011).