Jurassic Park. T Rex not pick up ball.

[RetroGamingBlog]

Hey guys.

Just picked up Jurassic Park pinball. I’m having an issue with th T rex being off centre, which I believe affects the pick up. Unless I’m not in the right mode (feed the t-Rex) and the T rex is a bash toy too?

I found the horz and vert menu, and I made the -3 adjust on the bias. But this doesn’t do anything.

Is there a guide to adjust this. I saw the stern video but it doesn’t cover any way to adjust the positioning - just how to run a test. Also I have to close the door every time run a test due to the 48v power.

Any help, tips or tricks would be great in getting this running. Thanks.

 

[Jib]

The middle position bias goes far past 3 either way have you tried a greater adjustment?

Also you can have the door open and pull the interlock switch out to keep the power on, see video if you don’t know what I’m talking about!

 

[RetroGamingBlog]

That’s great. Thanks. Will work on this in the week!

 

[RetroGamingBlog]

When should the t-Rex eat the ball? I have it centred, but the head is always to high off the ramp.

 

[Matt Adams]

Have you checked the wiring loom? I have had a few JP's and this has often caused problems. Where the wiring goes round Trex it often breaks inside the insulation (so you can't physically see it) and it fails while he's moving about.

 

[EduardoGaleano]

Maybe you can try this for vertical adjustment:

 

[Matt Adams]

Sorry, I was assuming it was a Data East JP

 

[zxspectrum16k]

When should the t-Rex eat the ball? I have it centred, but the head is always to high off the ramp.

from CHATGPT if it helps.
Also, not related to the physical location of the head. But when you need to hit it. I used to run with the movie code on my machine, but I switched back to Stern latest version as I thought I was missing some of the call outs.

----------
On Stern Jurassic Park (Elwin) the T-Rex head is not something you casually smack whenever you feel like it — timing the shot makes a huge difference to scoring and progression.


Here’s when you should hit the T-Rex head:

---

1. When T-Rex Is “Eating” the Ball (T-Rex Events)​

During T-Rex events (like T-Rex Chase, T-Rex Rampage, etc.) the head will lunge or move.
You want to hit it when the mouth is open so the game registers the mode progress properly.


Why:

• Advancing the T-Rex modes
• Better points
• Sometimes locks the ball for animations
• Builds toward T-Rex Multiball / T-Rex Chaos

---

2. When the Insert at the T-Rex Is Lit​

If the T-Rex insert is solid or flashing, that means a mode step or scoring opportunity is ready.


Hit it when the light tells you:

• Solid: Hit asap — progression shot
• Flashing: Often higher-value or timed shot
• Strobing: Mode start or completion is near

---

3. During T-Rex Multiball​

You want to pound the T-Rex head here to:

• Build Jackpots
• Score Super Jackpot when lit
• Add-a-ball opportunities depending on your settings

The most efficient timing is when the head is centred and stable so you get a clean, safe hit.

---

4. When Going for Control or Safety​

Believe it or not, hitting the moving head can sometimes act as a dead stop to settle the ball.

• If you’re losing control on the upper playfield
• If the ball is coming in hot from the right ramp or tower

A controlled T-Rex hit can drop the ball to a cradle on the left flipper — a little pro-player trick.

---

5. NOT Worth Hitting​

Avoid hitting the head when:

• It’s not lit (low/no value)
• During random movement phases (higher drain risk)
• When you’re trying to build combos or control for control room shots

 

[zxspectrum16k]

Tried to take some pics of the positioning, but tricky to tell. When the mouth is open, the trex bottom jaw is on my ramp.

The first pic is position of trex when game starts. The others are when it’s asking to hit the head

 

[Andydn]

from CHATGPT if it helps.
Also, not related to the physical location of the head. But when you need to hit it. I used to run with the movie code on my machine, but I switched back to Stern latest version as I thought I was missing some of the call outs.

----------
On Stern Jurassic Park (Elwin) the T-Rex head is not something you casually smack whenever you feel like it — timing the shot makes a huge difference to scoring and progression.


Here’s when you should hit the T-Rex head:

---

1. When T-Rex Is “Eating” the Ball (T-Rex Events)​

During T-Rex events (like T-Rex Chase, T-Rex Rampage, etc.) the head will lunge or move.
You want to hit it when the mouth is open so the game registers the mode progress properly.


Why:

• Advancing the T-Rex modes
• Better points
• Sometimes locks the ball for animations
• Builds toward T-Rex Multiball / T-Rex Chaos

---

2. When the Insert at the T-Rex Is Lit​

If the T-Rex insert is solid or flashing, that means a mode step or scoring opportunity is ready.


Hit it when the light tells you:

• Solid: Hit asap — progression shot
• Flashing: Often higher-value or timed shot
• Strobing: Mode start or completion is near

---

3. During T-Rex Multiball​

You want to pound the T-Rex head here to:

• Build Jackpots
• Score Super Jackpot when lit
• Add-a-ball opportunities depending on your settings

The most efficient timing is when the head is centred and stable so you get a clean, safe hit.

---

4. When Going for Control or Safety​

Believe it or not, hitting the moving head can sometimes act as a dead stop to settle the ball.

• If you’re losing control on the upper playfield
• If the ball is coming in hot from the right ramp or tower

A controlled T-Rex hit can drop the ball to a cradle on the left flipper — a little pro-player trick.

---

5. NOT Worth Hitting​

Avoid hitting the head when:

• It’s not lit (low/no value)
• During random movement phases (higher drain risk)
• When you’re trying to build combos or control for control room shots

That’s either referring to the wrong JP or it’s just a load of dribble.
JP2 - Stern, you can only hit the head (mouth) when you are supposed to, there’s no bashing the head to control the ball etc

 

[zxspectrum16k]

That’s either referring to the wrong JP or it’s just a load of dribble.
JP2 - Stern, you can only hit the head (mouth) when you are supposed to, there’s no bashing the head to control the ball etc

same as all Gen AI, nuggets of truth . I no expect (although one of my fav games) so thought best to share the lot and reference AI