As many of you on the east coast are no doubt aware, we�ve been struck by a rather nasty heat wave � one that has made the main floor of my house less than comfortable to work in. But on Wednesday, I decided enough was enough � I simply had to get my brand new Wizard of Oz from Jersey Jack Pinball unpacked!

First, I must comment on the impressive packing materials. Not only did my cardboard box survive the journey by truck completely unscathed, but there are numerous well-thought-out touches in the packaging design that make this a pleasure to unpack. From the unboxing instruction sheet that�s actually on the outside of the box, to the extra layer of cardboard lining the inside of the top (just in case your knife goes through a little too far), and to the separate parts box neatly containing the legs, topper, manual and other goodies. Even all the little bits and pieces are heat-sealed into multiple compartments of a long plastic goodie bag, keeping your spare plastics from scratching your extra decals.

The only item left rattling around, as it were, was an extra mini light board inside the coin box (since these seem to have an issue with early failure). Notably absent in the goodie bag were any extra bulbs (none needed since this uses LEDs exclusively), fuses, rubbers, or other miscellaneous items like flipper links.

After getting the beautiful emerald green powder-coat legs installed and the game lifted into a vertical position, I decided to ignore the manual�s setup instructions on one specific point: because unless you�re 6 foot 8 inches tall, I�d recommend grabbing a stubby Philips screwdriver and installing the topper with the backbox in the down position. Now that�s easier!

For my next update I�ll have some detailed shots of the highly impressive guts of the machine, so stay tuned!