Quoted from tacshose:Avoid data east
What makes you say that? I see comments that this from time and time and have always wondered. I haven't been the hobby that long, so if there are legitimate issues with data east games then I'd like to know about them since I've never owned one.
Tommy, Road Show, Getaway, Dirty Harry. Whirlwind is awesome too. I was looking for a $3000 machine in the Chicago area for a while. Finally bought Tommy out of state and had it shipped.
Quoted from fisherdaman:JP all the way. I've heard it called the poor mans AF and I'd say that statement is spot on. Had one years ago and loved every minute of it.
JP for sure. Or Baywatch. JP has new code and Baywatch is coming.
I'd say Dredd, hands down, but you've already owned that one.
Corvette, surprisingly, can be had in that range and is one of the most underrated games now. Demo Man, Roadshow, World Cup Soccer, Dracula, Shadow if you can find one that cheap, are all good options.
Also, if you have space you could get two solid alphanumeric titles. Any two of the following: Pinbot, High Speed, Atlantis, players Whirlwind, F14, Space Station, Taxi.... if you're not terribly hung up on condition, there are tons of great options.
Also, you could get 3-4 good early solid state titles. Embryon, Mata Hari, Meteor, one of the better Gottlieb System 1 games, Harlem Globetrotters, Eightball Deluxe LE, Flash, Laserball, Future Spa.... the list of great sub-$1k titles goes on and on and on.
Personally, I'd take this chance to diversify and get a few great earlier games. If you've got space for multiple titles, that's by far your best option.
Quoted from Rondogg:JP for sure. Or Baywatch. JP has new code and Baywatch is coming.
Baywatch?
Quoted from PinRob:Baywatch is getting new code?
Shhhhhhhhh. Go check the Baywatch forum.
Quoted from Alamo_Pin:Do not overlook Dirty Harry (or I500).
I'd jump on a nice I500 for 3k.
Quoted from per3per3:What makes you say that? I see comments that this from time and time and have always wondered. I haven't been the hobby that long, so if there are legitimate issues with data east games then I'd like to know about them since I've never owned one.
There are no legitimate issues. Some people are bw bigots.
Quoted from Rondogg:There are no legitimate issues. Some people are bw bigots.
It really depends. In the sub-$1500 range for DMDs, you can't do better than Lethal Weapon 3. However, looking at games up to $2000-2500, you can get into a B/W title like Demo Man that blows away most Data East games in that range, except Jurassic Park. Once you get up into the 3s/4s, several B/W games are better than Guns N Roses.
If you throw in Segas and Sterns, you can get into a Nastycar in the low 2s, which is probably more game than most anything else at that price. Also, though I don't have much time on it, Batman Forever seems solid.
Not to say Bally/Williams games are head and shoulders above Data East/Sega/Stern, but good value for money is more readily available with B/W games; probably due in part to higher production numbers.
Quoted from gmkalos:Or how about an Elvira & the Party Monsters!
Cool theme but much better pins for same price imo....
Quoted from gmkalos:I know 3K has a ton of options for sure! I would gun for a Simpsons Pinball Party!
Yea thats not gonna happen lol. 4k maybe but not 3. There are many great pins between 2-3 k tho. Ive owned most and bsd and ft are probably my favorite in this range....
Generally frowned on but I bought a cherry 1st edition harley pin last week for 2k.Perfectly happy with it,This is the second one I've owned.
Quoted from gmkalos:I know 3K has a ton of options for sure! I would gun for a Simpsons Pinball Party!
That's what you'd gun for at $3k?
Ready, aim, misfire.
TSPP is closer to $4k. Last one I saw in the low 3s was $3200 two years ago, and needed several playfield mechs worked on (though the boards were solid.)
Quoted from stpcore:So I've got room for a 4th pin (currently have Scared Stiff, Hobbit, and Ghostbusters) but not looking to break the bank. Curious to see if anyone would care to offer a recommendation(s) for fun DMD pins in that $3000 range assuming in nice condition?
You've got a Bally, Jersey Jack Pinball and a Stern title.
Why not add a $1,500 Capcom Breakshot (DMD with EM sensibility) and spend the remaining $1,500 of your budget on a classic Gottlieb wedgehead like Atlantis, El Dorado or Abra Ca Dabra? Doing so would diversify your line-up in terms of gameplay while also expanding the represented manufacturers.
Quoted from ZNET:You've got a Bally, Jersey Jack Pinball and a Stern title.
Why not add a $1,500 Capcom Breakshot (DMD with EM sensibility) and spend the remaining $1,500 of your budget on a classic Gottlieb wedgehead like Atlantis, El Dorado or Abra Ca Dabra? Doing so would diversify your line-up in terms of gameplay while also expanding the represented manufacturers.
If I had the space I would definitely take your advice and span a few eras of pinball with multiple titles. That said I currently have room for four pins and I prefer DMD or LCD games at the moment. That doesn't mean I don't like to play others but for my limited space that's the direction I'm headed.
Quoted from davebart5:With the latest 4.0 code, TFTC is a great pin, and in great condition, they go for that price.
Here are 10 reasons why this is a great choice...
Completely agree... Never leaving my collection. It's a beauty. Your list of reasons why is also spot on.
In addition to what you've listed, there's also the shaker motor, excellent music soundtrack that changes with each mode and progresses as you advance from jackpot through double jackpot and into monster jackpot, it sounds phenomenal with a powered subwoofer, there's hilarious callouts, a blacklight reactive play field, the 180 upside down loop ramp you can shoot 1/2 way around to get a trickshot to land in the other wireform & more.
Quoted from sevenrites:Completely agree... Never leaving my collection. It's a beauty. Your list of reasons why is also spot on.
In addition to what you've listed, there's also the shaker motor, excellent music soundtrack that changes with each mode and progresses as you advance from jackpot through double jackpot and into monster jackpot, it sounds phenomenal with a powered subwoofer, there's hilarious callouts, a blacklight reactive play field, the 180 upside down loop ramp you can shoot 1/2 way around to get a trickshot to land in the other wireform & more.
It's not a bad game at all and I love the art and the odd layout... but I grew tired of it once I mastered the shots, along with multiball. It took me many months of tweaking the game to make it play perfect. Once it did play perfect, I was able to completely destroy it over and over again. I installed the new code and my scores were even higher. Traveled through the wizard mode a few times, almost completed all the modes twice in one game. The call outs were not amusing after playing the game a few hundred times and I rarely went back to it, once I decided that I had accomplished all that the game had to offer.
Again, those are just my opinions, after owning the game for ~5 years. However, I don't feel the same way about EATPM or Dredd, after playing them 100's of times. Yes, my opinion on how good those games are has changed as well, over time. But it really says a lot about the design of the game and the small things in a game that are overlooked when you are gathering your initial impressions of a game. Shot design, humor, reliability, dots, music, they all shake out better, over time. The fun factor and your opinion of any given machine changes, after a few 100 plays, not matter the title.
Quoted from ziz:I have Road Show, The Shadow, and Judge Dredd, I would recommend them all in that order. Just dont get why Road Show doesn't get more love, so much packed into the game and such a satisfying fun game to play, it's a great value.
Just sold my Road Show yesterday and it's bittersweet. Love that pin just out of room. There is a ton going on and lots of satisfying shots.
I'll have to join those saying BSD. I've had mine for two years and it's still my favorite pin. For me, nothing comes close to the rush it provides (the ability to clearly experience the music/callouts at home puts BSD on another level). BSD and BK are my pins that feel a bit like "Tetris" to me. Just simple (hard to master) games with clear goals that I don't have to think a lot about, nor deal with excessive ball times on average (I care more about high score on these games, where I may care more about achieving certain goals on others). I've killed Dracula many times, gotten Castle Jackpot many times, stacked all 3 multis several times, etc. and never feel like the game loses anything as I feel with some other games once I've done everything. And despite the simplicity, BSD is absolutely loaded with features.
The shadow and rbion are both great pins in that range. Add about $500 and you can find a players condition sttng or even tspp. I think you have to look at what is available near you as well.
Quoted from Don44:dd about $500 and you can find a players condition sttng
Not in the Denver area. Not for that price.
Not in our neck of the woods anymore!!
Quoted from stpcore:Can I ask what it is about BSD that so many people love? I haven't played it but a local Pinsider invited me to check it out next week.
completely immersive and integrated game. no BS attempts at humor which were wayyyy overplayed back in the day. mist multiball is probably the coolest toy in pinball and the ever so rare kickass game on BSD is unlike anything else.
Quoted from davebart5:With the latest 4.0 code, TFTC is a great pin, and in great condition, they go for that price.
Here are 10 reasons why this is a great choice...
1.) You own a GB and SS. This will compliment them nicely.
2.) All of the modes encourage you to use every inch and feature of the PF
3.) Ramp bonus missions that are very hard to fully complete
4.) Motorized tombstone bash toy
5.) 2 ball, 3 ball, and two different 6 ball multi-balls, not to mention the "clone" feature for add-a-ball opportunities
6.) The 3 ball MBall has three different jackpots to accomplish, and they get harder as you go to attempt each
7.) The (2) ramps are satisfying to hit, and the right ramp is a tight squeeze, very challenging to master that shot
8.) The final wizard mode is hard to accomplish
9.) The DMD animations are hilarious and the colorDMD, when it comes out, will look phenomenal
10.) Hand drawn artwork all over the game, no photoshop here! And how can you go wrong with art based on the classic comic series. If you're a fan of the HBO show you'll be able to spot the list of celebrities depicted in the translite from their f*cked up episodes on the series.
And as a bonus - it's a theme that can easily trigger nostalgia in guests both young and old, reminding them of their days being young kids scared reading the comics in the 50's and 60's, or watching the HBO show from the 80's and 90's.
Alright, now I gotta go check out a TFTC. Never really spent any time on one. Sounds like I am missing out. Good post.
Quoted from snyper2099:It's not a bad game at all and I love the art and the odd layout... but I grew tired of it once I mastered the shots, along with multiball. It took me many months of tweaking the game to make it play perfect. Once it did play perfect, I was able to completely destroy it over and over again. I installed the new code and my scores were even higher. Traveled through the wizard mode a few times, almost completed all the modes twice in one game. The call outs were not amusing after playing the game a few hundred times and I rarely went back to it, once I decided that I had accomplished all that the game had to offer.
Again, those are just my opinions, after owning the game for ~5 years. However, I don't feel the same way about EATPM or Dredd, after playing them 100's of times. Yes, my opinion on how good those games are has changed as well, over time. But it really says a lot about the design of the game and the small things in a game that are overlooked when you are gathering your initial impressions of a game. Shot design, humor, reliability, dots, music, they all shake out better, over time. The fun factor and your opinion of any given machine changes, after a few 100 plays, not matter the title.
Totally agree. For me, an opinion on a pinball machine needs a hundred plays as a minimum, better more. I cannot care less of opinions of people who played a game 10/20/40 times. You do not know a game by then, at all.
Or at least we should distinguish between location play and home play. Its EXTREMELY important distinguishing the two. I really think all scores should be divided in those two categories, hence less than 200 plays, and more than 200 plays. MM scores high in the first category, its a terrific game for the first 100 games, maybe the best really. But owners know (but do not admit because of the price they paid for it) that after couple of hundreds games the dream is over.
Get a BSD: you will never get tired of it, even after thousands of plays.
Quoted from davebart5:With the latest 4.0 code, TFTC is a great pin, and in great condition, they go for that price.
Here are 10 reasons why this is a great choice...
1.) You own a GB and SS. This will compliment them nicely.
2.) All of the modes encourage you to use every inch and feature of the PF
3.) Ramp bonus missions that are very hard to fully complete
4.) Motorized tombstone bash toy
5.) 2 ball, 3 ball, and two different 6 ball multi-balls, not to mention the "clone" feature for add-a-ball opportunities
6.) The 3 ball MBall has three different jackpots to accomplish, and they get harder as you go to attempt each
7.) The (2) ramps are satisfying to hit, and the right ramp is a tight squeeze, very challenging to master that shot
8.) The final wizard mode is hard to accomplish
9.) The DMD animations are hilarious and the colorDMD, when it comes out, will look phenomenal
10.) Hand drawn artwork all over the game, no photoshop here! And how can you go wrong with art based on the classic comic series. If you're a fan of the HBO show you'll be able to spot the list of celebrities depicted in the translite from their f*cked up episodes on the series.
And as a bonus - it's a theme that can easily trigger nostalgia in guests both young and old, reminding them of their days being young kids scared reading the comics in the 50's and 60's, or watching the HBO show from the 80's and 90's.
Well said! Very badass game with amazing DMD animations. Huge collector of the EC comic series and I own every season. tftc and pinball is a double positive!
Quoted from Luppin:Totally agree. For me, an opinion on a pinball machine needs a hundred plays as a minimum, better more. I cannot care less of opinions of people who played a game 10/20/40 times. You do not know a game by then, at all.
Good lord.
Quoted from SUPERBEE:Not in our neck of the woods anymore!!
Remember US Dollar not Canadian.
Williams Slug Fest.
LOL, that's a joke cuz I have one for sale. At $3k price point, you have many to choose from. or multiple games you could get. I think the last 5 games I bought didn't cost 3k total.
Quoted from CaptainNeo:Williams Slug Fest.
LOL, that's a joke cuz I have one for sale. At $3k price point, you have many to choose from. or multiple games you could get. I think the last 5 games I bought didn't cost 3k total.
Haha! I actually considered a Slugfest (I'm a huge Cubd/baseball fan) just for the novelty. Again, I had never played one so I was hesitant.
I even kicked around the idea of creating a modern day pitch and bat style home brew pin. That has now turned into something else pinball/baseball themed. that I'll be starting a build thread here in a few weeks. I'm very fortunate to have some solid pinball people locally that will be helping me create a dream theme pin. Hope to have something solid and flipping to bring to Expo in 2018. I love this hobby!
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