Jurassic Park

> "[The velociraptors] show extreme intelligence, even problem-solving intelligence."
>
> - Robert Muldoon

## Jurassic Park

### Based on

*Jurassic Park*
directed by Steven Spielberg

### Skill shot type

Plunger strength and timing (normal), flipper-assisted (secret)

### Number of multiball modes

3 (all mandatory)

***Jurassic Park*** is one of the three pinball tables in the *Jurassic World* table pack, released in 2018 and available for *Pinball FX 3*. Based on the 1993 film adaptation of Michael Crichton's 1990 best-selling novel, *Jurassic Park*, it features iconic scenes that capture the operations of Jurassic Park, built on Isla Nublar (a fictional island west of Costa Rica) to exhibit de-extinct dinosaurs, as well as the chaos that ensues when its containment technology fails and allows the dinosaurs to roam free, threatening employees and visitors alike.

This is the second pinball adaptation of the film, with the first one being a physical table designed by Data East in the same year the film was released.

## Table overview

### The upper half of the table

At the back wall of the table, there is a diorama of one of the roads inside Jurassic Park containing a straight track nearly running across the width of the table. It begins from a tunnel on the left back corner of the table, but ends short of the opposite corner. A toy replica of one of the park's tour vehicles emerges from the tunnel and travels along the track to the end towards a pit. A conveyor belt branches away from the track and towards the rest of the table, and it can be extended towards the right wall of the table.

All the table's major lanes are wrapped around a big orbit marked with the word STAMPEDE on each side, with the left orbit gated by one of the electric fences used by the park to restrict dinosaur movement. Each side also has a diverter mechanism. The left orbit has a diverter that when active, sends balls shot up the right orbit towards a branching path running along the left side of the table marked with the word CAPTURE, leading to a ball locker and game-controlled plunger lane described later. The other orbit has a diverter that can divert balls shot up that lane towards the tree at the back right of the playfield. In front of the left orbit is a jump ramp that can raise to hit a magnetically captured ball on the electric fence above its entrance.

To the right of the left orbit is a long left ramp that loops around the bumper area before dropping the ball into the left inlane. Its entrance is blocked by the trademark entrance gates of Jurassic Park that open when the ball hits them, and there is a spinner further up the entrance to this ramp that can be spun to advance the toy tour vehicle along the track. The gate is flanked by two yellow standup targets, which collect embryos and cause the Barbasol canister at the front of the game to open. The ramp is usually closed off, and must be opened with one hit of the park gates, which will allow only one full shot up the ramp before the gates close again. After the toy tour vehicle stops at the pit, the entrance of the ramp will open to reveal a sinkhole where the ball can be locked inside to choose a path and start one of the main missions.

The table's second major ramp, the right ramp, has an entrance to the left of the right orbit and passes through a funnel before feeding the right inlane. Strong shots to the right ramp will pass directly through the funnel, but weak shots will drop the ball through the funnel into the bumper area, consisting of three glass canisters of prehistoric amber. Each bumper hit will advance the conveyor belt carrying pieces of amber slowly, eventually dropping them into a large sinkhole to the right of the bumper area, which also acts as the exit to the bumper area. When a ball exits the bumper area, it will be kicked out via the center sinkhole. To the left of the bumper area is the side ramp, which can only be shot from the upper flipper and feeds a sinkhole underneath the car track that ejects balls out the aforementioned center sinkhole.

Directly to the right of the bumper area is a replica of a maintenance shed that functions as a reverse scoop. Shots into the open door will pop the ball out of a grate directly in front of the shed, usually sending the ball to the right flipper but occasionally throwing the ball straight down the middle. The shed door is flanked by two standup targets each marked with the word DANGER, and the grate itself can be shot directly from the flippers by shooting either orbit, then the grate within 5 seconds of the orbit shot. To the right of this shed is the mini-orbit, which also behaves as the exit to the left orbit, and is marked with an electric shock hazard symbol. The table's only upper flipper is lodged between the mini-orbit and the right ramp. A figure of a Tyrannosaurus Rex stands on a transparent platform above the right ramp and right orbit, and can jump onto the extended conveyor belt to simulate a chase or walk right down in front of the shed, obstructing most of the center lanes.

### The lower half of the table

The Capture lane that branches from the left orbit leads to a pop-up raptor pen. When the raptor pen is lowered, the top of the pen brings the ball down to the table's automatically-controlled left plunger, which must then be used to pop the ball into the pen as it rises by strong shots to the vari-target directly to the right of it, which must also be used to open the Capture lane diverter. The pen can also release figures of the park's velociraptors, which activate during certain missions and head back into the box once they have been finished.

The center sinkhole is located in front of the side ramp and directly to the right of the tour ramp; it can be shot directly through either lower flipper, and also ejects balls whenever either a shot to the raised left ramp, side ramp, or a weak shot to the shed is made, or when a ball exits the bumper area. It also lights to start the **video mode** once it has been qualified, and collects lit **extra balls**.

A miniature can of Barbasol used to hold dinosaur embryos can be seen in front of the left outlane, which opens whenever a shot to either standup target flanking the left ramp is made. A replica of a robot arm can be seen on the opposite side of the table to transfer balls that make the skill shot onto the playfield, directly in front of the right return lanes. There are four return lanes that spell the word ROAR, along with two slingshots and two lower flippers. A stun rod and a rifle are placed near the flippers, and a launch button-controlled magna-save is installed at both outlanes to save balls from draining.

Between the right outlane and the primary plunger is another pop-up robot arm crane which rises and pivots during the **In the Kitchen** mission, dangling a few metallic kitchen utensils over the bottom half of the table that can be struck to make distracting noises to the raptors. The walls of the table in their entirety are lined with electric fences; the aprons contain dinosaur skeleton fossils, as well as some park equipment.

### The plungers

The primary plunger on the right side of the table is a spring-loaded mechanism that launches the ball up a slanted shaft that jumps over a pit, and ends at the right orbit. The large pit is where the toy tour vehicle can fall into when the conveyor belt is extended, but it isn't just for display - a plunge with weak strength that falls down the pit will fail the skill shot and eject the ball out the center sinkhole. The pit is guarded by a dinosaur egg nest that moves along the length of the pit when the ball enters the plunger for a skill shot attempt. To aid in jumping the ball over the pit or at the nest, there is a hinged ramp in front of the pit. If the ball is shot weak enough that it falls short of the pit, it will roll back down the shaft to the plunger, briefly rolling under and propping up the jump ramp on the way back. The secondary left plunger is also powered by a spring-loaded mechanism, but it can only trigger when a ball is captured in that plunger via a shot into the open Capture lane and the capture varitarget behind the left inlane is hit hard enough, which would propel the captured ball into the raptor pen. The pen door must be hit twice with this plunger, first to open the door and again to put the ball into the pen to lock a ball for the Leader of the Pack Multiball mode described later.

To perform a **skill shot**, the player has to plunge the ball with correct strength and timing so that it lands into the moving dinosaur nest in the pit. Skill shots score 500,000 points, increase the bonus multiplier by +1x, and send the ball into play at the right inlane.

The player can also attempt a **secret skill shot** by shooting the ball such that it crosses the pit and lands into the right orbit, so that it quickly drops to the flippers for a chance to shoot the center sinkhole within 5 seconds. A successful secret skill shot allows the player to quickly choose one of several rewards using the flippers and launch button within 10 seconds. These awards alternate between small points (less than 1,000) and giving credit for a **mission** that hasn't yet been completed. The secret skill shot is only available at the start of each ball.

## Objective and missions

The goal of this table is to relive several iconic scenes from the *Jurassic Park* film through seven missions (including two mandatory multiball modes), and each mission has its own unique startup process. Missions can be successfully completed (or started, in the case of multiballs) as many times as possible to raise wizard mode scores by 1 million per mode completed, but each mission must be completed successfully and each multiball must be started up once to unlock the wizard mode. Each time a single-ball mission is completed successfully, the base value of the shots for that mission will increase by 1 million points for the rest of the game.

The following 2 multiball modes must be started to progress to the wizard mode:

* **Stampede Multiball**: When the containment technology fails, the dinosaurs roam free, causing a stampede as they move rapidly in large numbers. Every time either orbit entrance is shot, the grate in front of the shed reverse scoop will open for 5 seconds to allow a ball to be locked. A successful ball lock will send a new ball to the plunger. Once four balls are locked, the T-rex figure will move to block the inner lanes as the 4-ball multiball begins. Shooting either orbit will award **jackpots** starting at 3 million, which increase by 1 million each time the side ramp is hit; while shots to the shed reverse scoop will award a **super jackpot** worth 5x the normal jackpot value. The vari-target adds a **jackpot multiplier** to the next collected jackpot if a shot to the target is made with maximum strength during multiball. Credit for this mission's completion is obtained as soon as the player starts the multiball, which ends when the player drains down to a single ball. Collecting 5 super jackpots during this multiball lights an **extra ball**.
* **Leader of the Pack Multiball**: The park's velociraptors attack in packs, headed by an alpha raptor. A 3-ball multiball representing the velociraptors' hunting habits begins once three balls are captured in the following manner:
	1. Hit the varitarget to briefly divert the perimeter fence mini-orbit and right orbit to the capture lane, with harder hits granting more time. (*Collecting Fast Lock off of the **Chaotician Award** will open the raptor pen indefinitely until the ball is captured or lost.*)
	2. Before the capture lane closes, shoot either orbit to capture the ball.
	3. After either the first or second ball has been captured, a new ball will be fed to the plunger. Use this ball to make two strong shots to the vari-target, with the first one opening the raptor pen and the second one plunging the ball inside to lock it.
* Once the multiball begins, the velociraptors will enter the table from the pen and the player can shoot one of three lit lanes to earn a **jackpot** starting at 3 million, which increases by 1 million every time the side ramp is hit. The third jackpot shot collected during the first set of jackpots will always be a **super jackpot** worth 5x the value and identify the raptor leader; the raptors will then move to different shots, and whatever shot the leader is on will always award a super jackpot. The vari-target adds a **jackpot multiplier** to the next collected jackpot if a shot to the target is made with maximum strength during multiball. Credit for this mission's completion is obtained as soon as the player starts the multiball, which ends when the player drains down to a single ball. Collecting 5 super jackpots during this multiball lights an **extra ball**.

The following five missions must be completed successfully to progress to the wizard mode:

* **Tour Missions**: There are two missions depicting Alan Grant & Ian Malcolm's tours and their subsequent escape from the T-Rex. Both missions can be started by repeatedly shooting the left ramp's spinner enough times to advance the tour vehicle to the pit (lighting **video mode** at the center sinkhole in the process), then shooting the left ramp again to choose the desired mission using the flippers and launch button.
	+ **Get Out of the Car! (Dr. Grant's Path)**: Dr. Alan Grant, an expert paleontologist invited to Jurassic Park, becomes an unlikely hero leading the kids to safety from a runaway T-Rex. This mission starts when "Dr. Grant's Path" is selected on the scoring display when the left ramp is shot to choose a mission. The T-Rex will push the car over to the pit and begin chewing off a tire, while the ball returns to play via the center sinkhole. The player must shoot the right orbit three times for 3, 6, and 9 million - each shot diverting the ball to the pit to help Dr. Grant get the children out of the tour vehicle he used to try and escape. Each shot to the right orbit in this mode returns via the center sinkhole instead of the left orbit entrance. The 20 second timer resets with each successful shot.
	+ **T-Rex Chase (Malcolm's Path**): Ian Malcolm, a mathematician who studies chaos theory, ends up having to drive a jeep to escape the runaway T-Rex. This mission starts when "Malcolm's Path" is selected on the scoring display when the left ramp is shot to choose a mission. The conveyor belt will extend, and Malcolm's jeep will drive onto it as the belt starts up rolling backward like a treadmill and the T-Rex drops in behind the jeep to chase it. To escape the T-rex, the player must continuously shoot the left ramp to score 2 million per shot and add 5 seconds to a ticking timer starting at 20 seconds. When the timer reaches 40 seconds, the jeep will overcome the conveyor belt and fall into the pit in the plunger shaft. (*To prevent exploiting this mode, shots past the three required to finish the mode will score a flat 100,000 points.*) The T-Rex will frequently stomp, causing the table to auto-nudge; the tilt alarm will be disabled during this mission.
* **Being Hunted**: When velociraptors hunt, they attack from the sides for a vantage point against their prey. If the player shoots the shed five times, the shed will seal shut and velociraptors will appear at the table aprons, waiting to snatch the ball away and end the mission prematurely if the player either rolls the ball through an inlane or traps the ball with a flipper for a few seconds. The player must shoot three randomly selected shots (any of the three orbits or the center sinkhole) to reopen the shed for 3 million points each, then shoot the shed to finish the mission successfully for 6 million. 20 seconds are given to make each shot.
* **In the Kitchen**:Lex and Tim hide in the visitor center kitchen to escape the velociraptors, and the two must take advantage of the fact that loud noises can confuse the raptors to survive. This mission begins when the player makes five strong shots up the right ramp, such that the raptor intelligence gauge completely fills on the scoring display. The sixth shot will raise a robot crane arm in between the right inlane and primary plunger, dangling a few metal kitchen tools that must be struck with the ball to generate loud noises to distract the raptors. The player must hit all three utensils with a single shot to get them to register a hit (for 2, 3, 4, and 5 million), and the time to perform hits lowers when a hit is made successfully, from 20 seconds down to 5 seconds. (*A short free ball saver will be awarded after each successful hit to compensate for potentially unfair drains*.) If the player makes two ramp shots during this mission, it will fail prematurely. Making four shots to the utensils will complete the mission.
* **Perimeter Fence**: Electric fences are used to keep the dinosaurs under control, but they can be dangerous for children who touch it - as is the case for Tim. The player must shoot the mini-orbit 10 times during normal play (each shot scoring a value starting at 10,000 and increasing up to 100,000 points). The tenth shot will trap the ball at the electric fence in the mini-orbit, and the player will have 20 seconds (which resets for each shot) to use a second ball ejected from the right plunger to first hit the trapped ball, then use the jump ramp at the left orbit to make further shots. Four shots are required to free the ball and save Tim to complete the mission, scoring 2, 3, 4, and 5 million points, and starting the optional Shocking Multiball described below. (*If time runs out, or if the second ball drains, the mission ends in failure and the captured ball is released back into play; the second ball will be automatically drained if it's still in play when the timer runs out. A free short ball saver is also granted for each hit due to the jump ramp's proximity to the outhole. A ballout thus cannot occur during any attempt to complete Perimeter Fence after the mini-orbit is hit enough times.*)
	+ **Shocking Multiball**: After completing the Perimeter Fence mission, a quick 2-ball multiball will begin where the freed ball will move unpredictably as it is electrocuted. The electrocuted ball must be given a counter-shock by hitting it with the other ball for 5 million, opening up a brief chance to lock that counter-shocked ball into the sinkhole for another 5 million and the end of the multiball. The value for locking the counter-shocked ball increases by 5 million each time this multiball is completed successfully.

Completing all 5 main missions and starting the 2 multiballs at least once will start the wizard mode, **When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth**. The jackpot value will be calculated at the start of the wizard mode: 1 million points multiplied by the number of times each mission has been completed. This is a 4-ball victory multiball, where the dinosaurs take control of Isla Nublar and Jurassic Park as its personnel are evacuated, and the player is tasked with trying to make a shot up the side ramp for the **wizard jackpot** worth 10x the **jackpot** value, which can be collected at all other major shots. The velociraptors and the T-Rex will both make their presence known during this mode - the T-Rex blocking the center lanes, and the velociraptors stealing balls that enter either inlane or are held for too long. The wizard mode continues until the player returns to single-ball play, either by draining three balls or by having them stolen by the raptors. The progress towards starting the wizard mode will then reset.

## Side modes

The following side modes can be activated:

* **Chaos Hurry-Up**: Ian Malcolm studies chaos theory and understands that it's dangerously impossible to predict the future of Jurassic Park. Every 5th shot to the side ramp will start a hurry-up in place of the **Chaotician Award**, where magnets underneath the table will cause the ball to move erratically and the lit shot will move between shots every 3 seconds. A free short ball saver will activate at the start of this mode, and the player will have 10 chances to shoot a randomly lit lane to earn a big score that decreases by 1 million points per second. The base value of the Chaos Hurry-Up reward is 20 million points, increasing by 10 million each time the side mode is started. The seventh Chaos Hurry-Up will start at 200 million points instead, and reset the hurry-up value following the end of the mode.
* **Spared No Expense**: Jurassic Park workers are able to identify dinosaurs by their amber. Every time the bumpers are hit, the conveyor belt will slowly move some pieces of amber into a sinkhole next to the bumper area. Once the pieces fall into the hole with a total of 50 bumper hits, a side mode will begin where the player identify a dinosaur by sorting the amber pieces from smallest to largest, by shooting lanes in a certain order based on which chunk of amber appears in front of them. Shots score 1, 2, and 3 million, with the third shot identifying the dinosaur and lighting an **extra ball** at the center sinkhole. 100 bumper hits will be required to start the side mode on subsequent attempts.
* **Triceratops Pasture Video Mode**: Triceratops are herbivores, and the park seeks to ensure that they are fed properly. Once the player advances the tour vehicle halfway to the pit with enough shots to the left ramp, the center sinkhole will light for 6 seconds to start the video mode. Shooting the center sinkhole before the insert is unlit will begin the video mode, where the player will be shown and must memorize the appearance of three poisonous plants. The player will then watch a triceratops as she travels through the pasture, and press the left flipper to skip over the poisonous plants or the right flipper to eat all others. Every time the triceratops eats a safe plant, 3 seconds are added back to the video mode's 15-second long timer, while eating 3 poisonous plants will exhaust and sicken the triceratops. The mode ends when the triceratops is sickened or when the timer runs out. The value for each correct plant eaten starts at 1 million, and increases by 1 million for each successful video mode played.
* **You Didn't Say the Magic Word!**: If the embryo targets at the corners of the tour ramp entrance are struck 15 times, a hurry-up side mode will begin where the player must push the park gates open with the ball after Dennis Nedry, a computer hacker who collected dinosaur embryos, disables the park's containment systems. The hurry-up value starts at 10 million points and decreases to 1 million over 30 seconds; five shots to the park gates, followed by a shot to the left ramp sinkhole, will collect the hurry-up value. Each completed hurry-up increases the base value for the next by 5 million points.

## Perks

The following perks can be activated during play:

* **Ball Saver**: At the start of each ball and multiball, a 15-second ball saver will activate. Once it expires, it cannot be reactivated; instead, a short free ball saver will be granted during the following events:
	+ At the start of the **Being Hunted** mission or the **Chaos Hurry-Up**
	+ Whenever the magnetized ball is hit while attempting to complete **Perimeter Fence**
	+ Every time the kitchen utensils are successfully hit during the **In the Kitchen** mission
	+ Whenever a **magna-save** is activated via an outlane drain
* **Magna-Save**: When ROAR is spelled completely at the return lane rollovers, which cycle with the flippers, one activation of the magna-save will be available to save the ball from draining down either outlane by pressing the launch button. After one magna-save is acquired, up to two more can be stacked by hitting a lit return lane rollover four times, which cycles the same way as the ROAR letters; if three magna-saves are stacked, this will instead reward a bonus of 300,000 points + 100,000 points each time a magna-save would have been lit. Magna-save activations carry over between balls, and one can also be lit as a **Chaotician Award**.
* **Butterfinger Save**: If the player isn't paying attention, shots to the shed might send the ball straight between the flippers. The player can earn a unique ball saver called a Butterfinger Save that compensates for these drains by hitting the two standup targets marked with the word DANGER that flank the shed door within 10 seconds, and without shooting the shed itself. Up to 3 Butterfinger Saves can be stacked, and will carry between balls.
* **Bonus Multiplier**: The bonus multiplier increases by +1x every time a **skill shot** is made, or as one of the choices from the **Chaotician Award**, which can also hold the bonus multiplier between balls.
* **Combos**: Shooting unique shots within 10 seconds of each other will award combo points. A 7-way "Master Combo" using all the major shots will light an extra ball the first time one is collected, and multiply the base combo value by +1x for the rest of the game. Combos are normally worth 1 million times the ordinal number of the combo, outside of the Master Combo which is worth 10 million points.
* **Chaotician Awards**: Every shot to the side ramp that doesn't start **Chaos Hurry-Up** will score a random reward. These are:
	+ Points (10,000 plus 10,000 points each time collected)
	+ Fast Lock (The raptor pen is open for good; no timer for the next lock + lights it instantly)
	+ Magna-Save (1 activation)
	+ Bonus Multiplier (+1x)
	+ Hold Bonus X (holds bonus multipliers for the next ball)
	+ Spinner Millions (left ramp spinner is lit to score 1 million points per spin for the next shot + 1 million each time collected)
	+ Light Extra Ball (at the center sinkhole; once per game)
* **Extra Ball**: Extra balls can be lit at the center sinkhole by scoring *Light Extra Ball* off of the **Chaotician Award**, collecting 5 **super jackpots** from either multiball mission, completing the **Spared No Expense** side mode successfully, or executing a **Master** **Combo**. All extra balls can only be lit once per game.

## Tips

* Like *Ant-Man* before it (also designed by Zoltan Vari), *Jurassic Park* is an arcade-styled table with fast shots. The player will need to get used to the angles of all major lanes to have any chance of completing all 7 missions to get to the wizard mode. The locks for Stampede Multiball can be particularly frustrating in this regard, but remember: you don't always have to use the upper flipper when you shoot the left orbit. Try not using it, and instead using the lower flippers to shoot for the lock.
* The center sinkhole frequently ejects balls, which you can use to your advantage if you need to get the ball to a certain flipper. If you want it on the left flipper, raise it as the ball pops out of the hole; otherwise, use the dead flipper pass and let the ball bounce to the right flipper.
* Since the ball saver cannot be reactivated normally and only free short savers are given in certain situations, focus on gathering up magna-saves to increase ball survivability. Many missions on this table discourage flipper trapping and require shots to be made on the fly, so these magna-saves will prove very helpful in rescuing a ball from a quick drain. If you're having trouble with the feed from the shed you can go for Butterfinger Saves, but you can generally avoid straight-down-the-middle feeds if you dead bounce the ball.
* You Didn't Say The Magic Word is generally not worth the effort to complete, as the closed left ramp has a tendency to drain the ball between the flippers. Spend this time either holding the ball to time out the mode, or progressing towards either Chaos Hurry-Up at the side ramp or magna-saves by shooting the right ramp.

## References & Easter Eggs

* The table shares many similarities to Data East's 1993 pinball machine of the same name. Both tables have a ramp blocked by a representation of the park gates, and are designed to play fast and loose with minimal focus on deep rules; they also share missions depicting the electric fence, stampede, and kitchen scenes from the film.
* Every time the **Spared No Expense** side mode is completed, a different dinosaur's data will be shown on the display. This is solely cosmetic and doesn't contribute to gameplay.
* Try plunging the ball right when the car enters the pit at the end of a failed **T-Rex Chase**, for a "hidden skill shot" worth 5 million points.

## External links

* Table walkthrough by ShoryukenToTheChin (PDF)