all 3 are good games but YOU need to go play them before making the decision for yourself. There are some collectors local/ in CO to you that own each. If you are nice, maybe you can see if they will invite you over to play.

I will say that all 3 have very different styles of play and feel to them.

Based on my opinion of your collection, SG is the best fit for something that plays different than the rest of your collection.

You have speed already covered with JM and depth covered with WOZ. SG is a nice middle between the 2 and multiball heavy plus gottlieb flips are just SO nice.

My wife has a much better time playing Congo as opposed to Shadow.

But, if it's YOU picking, either Congo or Shadow would be great. I personally like the flow of Congo better. I also think Congo is a bit harder to find. Shadow is the harder pin though and is much much more difficult to "beat".

SO, either would be fine, but my pick would be Congo. Grab it while you can. Shadows seem more readily available.

FYI: I only have a couple games on Stargate and wasn't too keen on it. Seemed cluttered.

I just got a Congo and am finding it ridiculously fun...now I can see why a lot of love is being sent its way recently. I highly recommend it. (Although the mini-playfield on Shadow is a fun, if not infuriating, part of that game!) I have a WOZ as well and a LOTR, and I find that LOTR and Congo both have a nice blend of stop and go action as well as a bit of flow. Good luck with your search. I bought both LOTR and Congo after playing them both at the seller's house for the first time and haven't regretted my decision!

Beelzeboober has it correct.

I never walk away from Congo frustrated, etc. It's just a fun, fun game.

Shadow gets me pissed sometimes. But that's just cause it's HARRRRD!

Both Congo and Shadow are in my collection and not going anywhere. Both are very different but great pins. I haven't had much experience on SG, just one on location that was a mess. Good luck with the hunt!

I own all three, and I consider them all to be fantastic games. That being said, Shadow is easily my favorite of the bunch. It's just so damn unique. There is nothing even remotely like it. It's also tough as hell. This is a plus in my eyes, but it could potentially be a negative if you are worried about non-pinheads enjoying it. The casual player will have a better time with either Congo or Stargate.

I've played maybe 2 games on Shadow before, and I just didn't get it. I think like Gweem says, the casual person walking up to it won't necessarily like it because it's tough, but that may be a plus in a home setting since you could learn the game's rules and still have a challenge.

I've got Stargate, and honestly it and Revenge get played the least by me of the 8 at our house. It is fun, it is a pretty game, and it sounds great hooked to a sub. I just can't make the pyramid shot on ours consistently and get frustrated, and usually end up playing Spiderman beside it. I've got Super Bands to put on it to see if that helps, and probably need to rebuild the flippers eventually, so that may change my mind. I did like it enough to buy it though, and I don't see it leaving. Having 7 goals, 6 modes, 2 wizard modes, and a mini wizard mode (Sandstorm) makes it decently deep, and it is set up different from most other games.

Good luck in your choice!

Owned them both, love them both, but Congo is better overall value, Shadow is a great game but much harder and moe labor to play.

if your ok with the theme, congo would be the one to get.

As much as i am a huge system3 fan, and wanted to really love it. i was disappointed with Stargate. callouts, audio were average and repetitive.. altho shots were decent, the pyramid did nothing really. super nice cab art and backglass tho.

The Shadow is a players pin, tough game. like JM which you have.

Stargate is the best value right now. I really liked the layout and rules, and only sold it to make room for something new. Wish I'd kept it.

Congo by a nose over the Shadow, but either one would be a good choice. I really never liked Stargate--kludgy feel to the game, not attractive at all in terms of layout, satisfying shots, etc. I don't mind at all that I rarely get to see or play one these days. But I'd play Shadow or Congo if I came across one!

I've got a lot of time on Congo, a decent amount on Shadow, and only a few games on Stargate.

Stargate didn't do much for me, and I actually like Gottlieb System 3 games more than most. It seems like it grows on most people, though. A lot of people whose opinions I respect like the game.

Shadow is fun, and definitely challenging. Not a bad game by any means.

Personally, though, I'd go with Congo. It's my favorite game by a long shot, and probably my girlfriend's favorite too. I'd bet it gets the most play of all my games... There are several ways to score well on it, and the rules will have you actually shooting every shot. I think it may have about the best software and playfield layout I've seen.

Shadow as long as the sun shines upon the slippery ice!

Congo is a cool game, but it doesn't have as long lasting appeal, the sound isn't as good, and it's just not as challenging. It wouldn't be a bad choice by any means though.

Shadow is staying in my collection, holds up great against even modern Sterns. Congo would be fun to own but not a keeper. They really don't play anything like each other, at all, so best advice is to try them both, our opinions might not match your feelings.

Stargate is just too much of an odd duck for me. Cool to play in someone else's collection, nothing I'd want to personally own. Any game that can start multiball off your first ball plunge just doesn't really do it for me.

I should also add that you should never judge a Stargate unless it is tweaked and playing properly. I can't think of any other game that is more negatively affected by weak flippers. The ramps are crazy steep on that game.

Exactly. I tweaked my flippers so that the ramps could be made easily. That made all the difference in the world.

Yup, I think that's my problem. Hard to advance and do much when you can't hit the ramps or pyramid.

If I get a chance, I will upload some nice HD videos of all three games on YouTube later today. It's obviously not as good as playing the games yourself, but it will give you a good idea of the different modes and overall gameplay.

I played Stargate a lot when it was new and in good shape. Never liked the game. (It was my personal "dog" out of the 10 or so games we had in our league at the time.)

That's cool. I wasn't saying that everybody will like it. I was just pointing out that if someone judges this particular game based on one they've played on location, they are unlikely to get an accurate feeling for how it plays.

Out of these three i would place them in this order: 1st Congo - 2nd The Shadow - 3rd Stargate.

This.

Congo is so damn smooth. Shadow is an amazing pin, the can have a clunky feel to it. And yes, mine is dialed in.

And I'd disagree with someone who stated that the sound is better in the Shadow. I think Congo has some amazing sound/music. HEEEPOOOS!!!

That all said, both pins, shadow and congo, are chained to the floor. You really can't go wrong with either.

Shadow easily, owned it for 2 years and had well over 1000 plays on it .It stands up to most top 20 pins. I liked Stargate for a month and it had to go. Never owned Congo but could have bought it cheap few years ago but after 10 plays it just did not have enough going for it.

The only proper answer is to hoard as many pins as you possibly can starting with the aforementioned 3 titles.

Whatcha say hammer?

Proper.

Feel free to msg. me to stop on by and play a game or 40 on my Shadow.

100% agree... the most underrated game out there!

I posted a Stargate video last night. Haven't had time to film the other two yet. I was hoping to show one of the wizard modes, but I choked ...

I can only comment on Stargate. I bought this a year and a half ago, and you cannot appreciate it until the flippers work properly, and the game is dialed in. It also has to be set up kinda steep.

The good thing about SG is that the ruleset is deep, but easily followed. It is a game that you eventually just know how to play, and what you need to do, and can judge shots at a glance. That doesn't mean you'll make the shots, but you'll know what you need to do.

The shots are rewarding, and some are difficult. Yes, it has a ton of multiball modes, but that's worked into the rules, and it becomes part of the game. You need to do more on the multiballs to get the big numbers than just obtain the multiball modes. The game IS NOT a flow game. If you like that, then SG won't be for you. I like this type of game, so it will be with me a long time, and I personally like a lot on the lower playfield to shoot at. I don't consider that cluttered.

We also have a WOZ, which is also not a "flow game" per se. And since WOZ is new, it gets a good bit more play time than SG. However, to me, playing a good game of SG is just a thrill. I don't get tired of it, and enjoy it easily as much as playing WOZ or any other pin.

The game also follows the movie pretty well, if that means anything to anyone. And, it appears to be a pin that can be bought right at this point.

There are many games out there to pick from, so find what best fits your needs as far as game play, theme, etc. I never liked the theme on Congo, and I am still looking for a Shadow to play. I've heard it is really good.

but you havent played CONGO put some time on it and you just may change your mind!

If you had an open door policy... I would!

Very true, if the game is running poorly, then it is very unfun. When I got my Stargate it had just been completely torn down and rebuilt, I had the glass off every other day for two months until I got everything working correctly. Every time I though I had it something else broke. Once operating properly and at the correct angle, this game is fast and very flowey.

The pyramid shot is tough, and I could not hit it for my life for many games. It does become easier with time and it will never become a give me shot, so it is always some challenge in hitting it even if you are very good at the game. If it were any easier to hit the pyramid, I think this game would in fact be too easy, it is just right as it is. Reminds me of the mission start on IJ. Also on the newest firmware for SG you can turn off the callouts per player per game with the flipper button before you launch you ball.

I have to say that Stargate, once running properly has captured the hearts of almost everyone who plays it here. You do not see these often and even less often in good condition and properly running, find one and spent some serious time on it, a very unknown and underrated title IMO

I had a SG pimped out with chrome ramps (no cheesy stickers and a gorgeous cleared PF. Played like butter. What I don't like is the DMD user interface, the sound package or the cabinet.

Where's the"none of the above"in this poll?

You know this string is gonna be trouble when it starts with the sentence: "My wife has given me the ok to purchase another pinball machine."

HA!

I think Shadow is the best game of those, but Congo is fun and much easier for more people to enjoy, which is worth factoring in when the fam is involved.

SG is just an awful game IMO, it plays very diff'rently than W/B games if you're used to those.

The reason I have congo above all is that it's got that fun factor. Shadow sometimes feels like a chore to me. Great game, but I just don't have it as high as congo.

I thought I would like SG, but I am pretty bored with it. I dont know if its the layout or what, but I just dont like it that much. TS is the bomb, but I have only played it on location. Congo, meh.

I'd pick up a super mario world for less $ & a more fun game than all 3.

Shadow will kick your ass just like your wife.

I played a routed Congo (where some features weren't working) and found it moderately fun, nice pin, but isn't something to write home about it, I suspect I would lose interest soon. On the other hand for me, The Shadow is the grail pin I want to own: real players pin, tournament pin, tough, fast, unusual arrangement of ramps, player controlled diverters as a new unique feature, great modes, great multiballs, great sidegames as mongol, vengeance, chinatown, combos..., great battlefield toy, unique locking toy, great wizard mode, one of few really hard video modes that are not trivial, great art and animations and I even like the movie, that being last superhero movie that wasn't a total pain to see through although people dislike it (I can't sit through Spidermen 1,3,4, new Superman, any of numerous Hulks, Hercules, Thors, Avengers, nor Transformers, just too childish and CGI heavy for suspense of disbelief - and I used to watch EVERYTHING superhero related until I was 20 yrs old).
Unlike Congo and Stargate that I also played routed, it seems to me that Shadow involves strategy (all those PAPA videos are to blame) much more that those two which I played fine by just flailing and shooting everything that lights up. With lack of space and extreme lack of money I gravitate to pins that take strategy and planning to play successfully against those that can be finished with luck.