They are all great games, but my vote goes to Black Rose. I still love playing it and I've had it for years.

My vote is on The Getaway: High Speed II!

No BSD?

Johnny Mnemonic is great bang for the buck

Wow, I didn't realize it had crossed the 3k threshold

It hasn't. A nice one just sold for no more than 2,750 and there's another a few hours from me on CL for 2,400.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/for-sale-bram-stokers-dracula-williams-1993-1995

Yea but a good many have also been selling for 3k and well over that . Its definitely been climbing for a few years now and for good reason . Glad I got mine right before they become super popular bc its one my favorites. I really like ft the best of the ones listed in the poll tho

Bsd, shadow, wcs, wpt, Whirlwind, HS2. My favorites. Love them!

Fair enough, but if one is of the bang for buck mindset you aren't looking for examples that would be on the high end of the pricing spectrum for that pin.

Just picked up a nice jd for 2100. Great game, tons of shots, Good rules and art.

Sorry EM guys? Judge Dredd is a $1400 game! folks

Day late and a dollar short.

With the machines you have listed I think JD is the best of the bunch, HS2 is a close 2nd
BSD is a great game that you don't have listed and would prob be at the top of the list if your into that theme

Just search Pinside for a "best game under $2000" thread from eight months ago.

The list would be the same, probably both because they weren't under $2000 then and because of pinflation.

Stargate, if it said stern, or williams it would be 5k. Its a super Le. Its deep and has killer toys.

Kind of sad: to define "Bang for your buck" one has to choose as a threshold "under $3k"
It was probably half that or less a decade ago.
Hope it won't be $6k in 2026...

On one hand the higher prices are a symptom of increased demand which is good for the hobby, but as someone interested in getting their first pin the prices are off putting. The price point on the bang for your buck pins in my area are 3k+ in many cases. Only thing keeping me going in the hobby is the fact I drive through Portland regularly, where pinball is plentiful.

Why F-14 Tomcat was excluded from the list is unusual.

JP is a great value game. The Trex eating the ball is cool. It's got several multi ball modes including a 6 ball multi. If you complete all the modes the game does a system shut down and starts back up. When I first got mine I had no idea it did that. Scared the crap out of me when it shut down because I thought my game had died....then it restarted and it was pretty bad ass.

Black Rose rated higher than F-14 Tomcat?
You have to be joking.
Black Rose is borderline clunky in design.
The wireform down the middle of the playfield is detrimental.
Shot flow is average.
Skill shot is a repeat of games like T2, TFTC, and many others.
Music is average.
A DMD or animations is not a salvation.
Maintenance is average.

Where is BSD or DW?
Both "sub $3000" games is that should be at the top of the list.
I do not see either one.
"PinSide" rates both at less than #75.
Both are skyrocketing in inflated price because new collectors are finally figuring out they are "good" games.

There are DOZENS of quality games that are less than $3000, and none of them are listed here.
SoF? Transporter? Pinbot? Taxi?
This is just a few starters on the Bally/Williams side alone.

The number one problem with "lists" is that are misrepresentative of quality of machines.
They are completely skewed.
This is why games like Stern's FG rate higher than DW, this is absurd.
90 out of 100 people have never even played most machines, or if they have, it was one that did not properly work.
That is why games like ToM and TOTAN are so overrated.
"Well I was told it was really cool" or "I played it once and I really liked it".

Too many new collectors.
I will add my BR rating, and provide a full write up.
I have owned or still own ever single game on this list along hundreds more.
Most of these games are solid, BR is weakest of the lot.

BR is a much better game than F14.

I'm confused by your comment..

Cyclone is a $2,470 game folks!

Remember, these are all subjective opinions. I've played both extensively, like many others on here. And yes, I'm a "collector" as well as a hobbiest and player.

You are correct!

Nah, the guy that sold me mine swore it was a $750 pin! So tired of this crap. BIOYA, instead of on Pinside.

You got JD mixed up with Stern Viper. That's the $1400 pin... First forum page confirms it!

It's funny that people get worked up about polls, lists and rankings. They are purely opinions people.

Would you like that BIOYA in any particular direction?

Taxi ftw...Yesssss!

For real though, the answer is The Shadow and it's not at all because I own it. I'm super cereal.

Jd all the way. Wheres demo man? How about lah?

What's a Shadow worth now? If it's in the $3K range, that's your best bang for the buck.

JD gets old fast. Cann't believe people are recommending that game.

DW is annoying and boring. Other than the MB, it truely has nothing going for it. I had one. Loved it for a month. Then couldn't wait to get rid of it. Guy I sold it to loved it for about a month then sold it. It seriously gets old.

Out of your list, I'd vote Fish Tales or Get Away. Neither are super deep, but they are just plain fun. Hunt around enough and you might be able to get a Get Away for $2K and have enough left over for a cheap Sys. 11 or a couple of EMs.

I thnk the best game for the money is Lethal Weapon 3. Tell me where you can get that gameplay for less? You can snag them for around $1500 all over. DMD for $1500? A diamond in the rough.