Personally, I think HS2 is a pretty good starter pin. It isn’t that deep but it’s still a good game imo.

A new in box or newer pin would be best for a beginner, hopefully would work trouble free for a while. A newer Stern pin would be your best option. It will be more expensive to buy the newer pins, but they will be more reliable and should have fewer issues. All Williams/Bally pins are all over 20 years old now.

WCS
That's World Cup Soccer
Bally/Midway
Simple, straightforward rule set with some extras along the way to the World Cup Finals in L.A.
Good looking machine to boot- no pun intended.
In a word? FUN!!

The curse that any new collector runs into isn't the games that are available, it's so many of the people that buy and sell them.

If you choose to start with an older game to keep things cheap, somebody will try to sell you complete junk at top dollar. Not everybody but some. And they might get away with it because there aren't that many stores that sell and the margin is so low on stuff, it's part of the program. You won't recognize the hacks that some games have had done to them.

IOW, the first priority should be condition IMO for a beginner. Look for stuff like a remote battery mount. Clean boards and connectors that don't show extreme heat or cobbled wires. Or especially corrosion from the batteries damage. Look for piles of junk inside the game. Some people just leave broken parts inside as if they add some sort of value. Make certain the manual is there. Some guys hold them to sell later for a couple bucks. Never buy anything that "just needs a fuse or two" to get working.

Scared Stiff: Easy to understand and fun to play

Consider an EM! They're less expensive and have less complicated rule sets to learn, but can be just as challenging to play as modern games. You'll also find a lot more diversity in playfield layouts in the pre-'76 pinball world.

T2

I think just about any system 11 is a great choice.......

An EM. So simple the rules are painted right on the playfield.

Pinbot

Good call Scared Stiff is a classic and super fun and collectable .
An other classic is Monster Bash super fun and collectable . One of the best if not the Best Pinball of all time . IMO
For a newer title used STERN KISS is a great pinball with a code and shots that a varied and you do not need to be a rocket
scientist to understand the rules .

I have only owned one system 11 but this is a great suggestion .
Taxi, Pin*Bot, Whirlwind
If you want a NIB than STERN Star Wars Pro you said (you liked) . It is hard not a beginner level game play or code. But the code is palatable for a modern STERN . Good luck

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If you’re going to own pins, you’re going to have to work on them. I think the 90’s B/W are the way to go.

My vote would be for Getaway. Good game play. The super charger and in game shifting is cool.

Getaway was my first pin. Fairly simple pin but lot's of fun. Sys11 pins are also easy to understand. While newer Stern games can be great with reliability, I find them very complicated to understand. Still, they can be fun to explore in a home environment. With the high costs of newer pins, I just think it's better to start with some cheaper pins and play as much as you can on location. Once you play a variety of games, you start to get a feel for what you like.

LOTR - Great theme that resonates with most people, multiballs galore to keep it exiting, playfield layout that's supporting many different shots, not overly penalizing, easy to understand but deep ruleset, visually appealing!

Out of your list I also like getaway HS2. Not deep but fun, fast, great music, cool theme.

I agree with start with a B/W and learn to do repairs/maintenance as you go. This site is such a great reference.

Another system 11 vote here.

Enough going on to keep your interest and excitement for a while. Lots of help and parts available if you run into trouble.

Half the fun is the hunt, if you score big on your first pin there is little left to dream about

Another vote for getaway. It was the first pin that I understood the rules on and quickly became addicted with trying to get through the gears.

Out of the games I’ve owned, the one that most beginners love is spiderman. It has a lot of shots that feel good and can be fun for all skill levels.

So true.