Quoted from procks:I'm new and trying to figure out which pin I should get first. I don't have time for repair and restoration right now so I should get something from the factory which narrows the choices a lot. I have very little pinball experience and I want something that is easy to walk up and play without studying the rules. The only licensed theme I've seen that I like is Star Wars and maybe The Beatles but I'm not sure those are right for my first pin.
I'm thinking Total Nuclear Annihilation or one of the remakes and from what I've read Medieval Madness is not as great as the other two. How do Attack From Mars and Monster Bash compare?
BTW will I be able to turn the volume down on all of these?
I think a good first option would be to go out to locations and play all the games, several times. Then you can really decide what you'd like to bring home, whether it's a certain style or era of game. If you are handy in any way, you'll be able to learn all the repair things, and despite what some people say about Pinside, it is a fantastic resource for tech stuff. I would not shy away from old titles. Not only is the cost of entry cheaper, but I would argue the repairability is much better. Even new machines will have stuff break; the hardware on the newest Sterns (node boards) are unrepairable, for now, and can blow without any notice. At least with the old stuff, there is repair potential with board sets.
Don't be afraid to take off the glass, no matter your choice. Look underneath and understand the mechanisms.
Each game has a volume knob or switch somewhere on every game, other than older with chimes.
