Quoted from johnndeanna:if I had one pin that both me, my wife, and my kids/grandkids would likely enjoy and would feel playable for a very long time, what would be your choice in machine? ...I am looking for something with a great ruleset, fun to plan, mix of hard and easy shots and generally something you would enjoy of you could only get a few games in a day on it every other day or so.
This is a tall order tbh. Are all of these people pinball lovers? Or is it just you? Because if your goal is to buy something that non-pinball lovers will like and they will play the game, I think you're going to be disappointed. It's extremely difficult to get non-pinball people into the game. I think you gotta try to find something that's great for the whole family while at the same time great for solo play if they bail on you.
That said, I think my pick for you would be Dialed In. It has a very deep ruleset but not overly complex. It has an amazing light show. It has dark humor (some people don't realize this) but it's also light-hearted enough for kids to enjoy. Great sounds, satisfying shots, and it's great for the whole family, and if they bail on you it's great for a solo player too. I think it'll be hard to beat this. Any standard model can run for around 6k. When I had this at my house, it was the one game all kids ran to.
A close second would be Attack from Mars, simply because it's one of the best games of all time, and it's super easy to understand to "hit the ship in the middle of the playfield". Plus it's easier to sell than DI if you decide to sell it.
