It’s early days, of course, but my Avengers LE (Hulk) arrived yesterday and as a regular reader of Pinside I was prepared to be greatly disappointed. I respect the leaders of this forum, and with so many pinsiders complaining about a lack of information, challenges with X-Men, no videos, artwork, the color green, and some villain named “Gomez,” that I thought for sure that I had purchased a lime (as opposed to a lemon).

I’m attaching a predictive poll to this thread because I don’t believe that the Pinside Forum has done this game any favors out of the chutes, and because I think that in about a year people are going to rank this game in the pinball pantheon and wish that they had seen it coming.

After watching my wife play the first game, my jaw hit the floor. She doesn’t much care for pinball, but she was visibly delighted with the light show, the sound, and the open play field. This game does something special for the occasional player.

I took my turn expecting something similar to my X-men experience; a fun, yet incomplete game with great potential. What I found was a game that delivers a power-punch that, in a different way, rivals my initial AC/DC Back in Black experience. This is the complete package. The concerns about Stern shipping unfinished product and not caring about quality simply don’t stand up to the facts delivered this time around.

This time; expect terrific sound. A dancing light show. Shots that are not just challenging, but fun. And a current rule set that will keep advanced players intrigued for the foreseeable future, while the casual player enjoys a great ride.

With this game, this George Gomez cat flexes his creative muscles, and he has proven to me that he’s a genius. In any event, he’s certain to get the latest laugh relative to his silly detractors.

If you were on the fence about an Avengers LE, I’d recommend buying it now. Like; today. They’ll be gone soon enough, and it’s going to be difficult to secure them from owners who will see them, play them, and realize that they own a true gem.

And if you’re buying, give JJ at Game Exchange a shot at your business. He spent a good part of his Christmas trying to track games in shipment, and the minute that they hit his dock they were on their way. The guy will stop at absolutely nothing to please his customers. I saw him today and he looked tired, but I could tell that he was pleased with making the holidays fun for his customers.

So, if you’re interested vote on the poll, and we’ll see where things stand next Christmas.