Quoted from twenty84:

When this game came out I thought it was too simple for the price - so I played it on location, and kept playing it. Eventually I bought one. Here are my thoughts
1. I like Seawitch and many other classic Sterns. Before Beatles came out I tried to buy a restored Seawitch for $5k, but the deal fell though. Before Beatles came out i'm sure I would have bought a Seawitch VE for Stern pro prices. That said Beatles is a better game that is worth the extra cost. It has all the rules of Seawitch plus modes, the magnet at the top, the spinning disk, the extra spinner, the jackpot shot. Unlike Seawitch the spinner (actually 2 now) has the potentially to be worth going for in Beatles. The layout has been sweaked a bit to make things like the upper loop a much easier shot. The optical spinners are awesome. I my opinion everything they changed from Seawitch makes the game better.
2. I don't think every game needs to have ramps. Classic Sterns didn't have them. Fathom is a favorite of mine and I have a restored version that I have more into than most would pay for Beatles. TNA is a single level game that got almost universal praise on this forum, and when it first came out people would pay a premium over NIB prices that put it in the same price category as the Beatles is now. It doesn't take anything from the appeal of TNA but, Beatles has more shots, much deeper rules, more flippers, more pops, more spinners, better LCD animations, and yes even better music.
3. Stern pros are great. If you want a game for Stern pro pricing you have many great options but Beatles won't be one of them at NIB retail prices. That said I have seen used ones sell for a few hundred more than you can get a NIB pro. I think it is fine if Stern wants go for different price points with its games SW HE isn't for everyone and either is this. The base gold edition has upgrades you don't see in Stern pros like the side art, speaker panel, and powder coating. The licensing issues may very well have made this game impossible at Stern pro prices.
4. I really can't defend the extra cost of the platinum and diamond editions. That said, if a few suckers buy these and it makes it so they can do the license or makes the Gold edition a little cheaper more power to them.