WPT?

WPT

Stargate. (In this case the "otherwise" is that it's a Gottlieb/Premier.)

The Shadow is probably the most underrated game you can still get dirt cheap.

Mr/ms pacman. No one even understands the rules well enough to realize the main goals of the game. The video mode is very important to achieving a huge score. You can buy one for 500-800!

Elektra can be bought for around 1000. Has the most complex rules of any Bally game ever created.

I realize you are probably asking about modern DMD games... I'd say WPT is right up there with the most affordable, most complex DMD that you can buy right now.

WPT.

QSS

Easy last action hero.
1500.00 tons of shots tons of modes

NASCAR fits the bill.

Barbwire has a great deep:cheap ratio IMO. Too bad about that artwork tho.

Grand Prix/ nascar has a ton of stuff to do for a fair price , some telly great multiball modes, collecting champ letters for a mini wizard mode, hard racing , speed shots , lots of modes and clocking up hauler miles, all while trying to get to first place, great multiball , and there's mode bonuses to, drops are very important in this game.theres another wizard mode when all modes have been started.. Worth giving it a look.

It's definitely WPT. Super Deep and pretty cheap (fun also).

Owned one for too brief a period.....wouldn't mind getting it again some day.

I just want to go out on a limb here and say Hollywood heat is an awesome game.

Another vote for LAH....only weakness is the fact you don't need to actually finish the mode to move on, that being said one of the cheapest, deepest, packed full of features game you can get for less than 2K. The magnets and crane toy are awesome!

PS: I had one for a while, it drove me crazy trying to fix the crane but a fellow pinsider finally found out the crane issues were caused by the a weak rectifier. After that it was a bang.

Jackbot!

Good luck getting mega visor on factory settings.

Johnny Mneumonic is hands down the deepest and best priced pin out there.

WPT !!!

WPT too... never reached Keefer's invitational !
BH is not deep but very, very challenging.
Spectrum is an odd duck - once you understand its rules, finding the secret code(s) is challenging. How many stars can you collect?

2,500.00.

Who dunnit

Wish Shadow was closer to 2500, they just keep climbing

+1 for WPT - tough game with lots of depth for the price and a great tournament game.

WPT is most depth at lowest price. You can get it for 2k. Shadow isnt that deep honestly but its deep enough for the 2.8-3k price but at that same range roadshow is deeper and im sure there are others. Nascar is deep for the 2k range and so is last action hero. You already know what johnny gives you for 2k-ish

For depth and decent price its hard to beat Stargate. It can be had for well under 2k.

A decent WPT = 2k

Cheap and fun? No Fear is 104 th place in the top 200 and is really cheap.
Don't understand why,it is superfun?
And ofcourse world cup soccer,horrible theme,very dated, but a very good rule sheet!
World poker tour blows!

Johnny Mnemonic and Judge Dredd are great sub $2k DMD games. Demo Man can also be found for under 2k but any of these 3 are getting harder to find at that price.

The sound of the ball moving, along with the flippers feeling too low down in the cab. At least that is my opinion why. No Fear, Dirty Harry, and Doctor Who. All of them have an odd geometry to me. However, Dirty Harry and Doctor Who make up for it in other ways.

I'm selling a WPT for 2K at Freeplay Florida this weekend

is JM considered deep? I thought the ruleset was pretty shallow?

My vote is StarGate! Can still be picked up for around 2k, TONS of shots, and likely a top 5 for depth of ruleset in almost any rating.

(Just listing deep games: WOZ, TSPP, LOTR, SG seem to be in every personal rating I have ever heard. SG is the best priced of all those)

WPT is most likely the best value for a deep game. It is a decent game, but I dislike the callouts in it. So even though it is deep, I don't find it much fun to play. When I am tangling with a deep game, I want to be immersed in it.

I'm don't think there are any "cheap dogs that need love". The more sophisticated games that have deeper rulesets are by nature, more expensive. Even games that are deeper like Transformers are not going to be cheap (how many have actually been to the Battle for Cybertron?). It is an result of our connected society. I have information on every game ever made at my fingertips. I have culled the top 300 list and played as many as I could. Hidden gems are hard to sneak by us now.

I don't see how anybody could consider No Fear deep. A skilled player will see everything that game has to offer in about 10 games, maybe less if they decide to just time out the modes.

But of course this thread turned from "Deepest, cheapest pin" to "best/most fun game under $3000!" pretty quick.

I would say JM, WPT......how about roller coaster tycoon, i dont want the game, but its cheap and has alot going on.

What about RBION?
It's in this same price range of 2.5 to 3k and has a great ruleset.

Gilligina's Island slipped threw my fingers foe $1,200 on clist by mere minutes lol

Popeye ! Once you figure out what the hell is goin on Seriously its no mean feat to get to the Wizard mode and Save Olive

IJ4 while not cheap, has to have one of the biggest dollar to minimum shots required to beat the game ratios. 20 modes including 5 modes where you have to spell R-A-I-D-E-R-S-O-F-T-H-E-L-O-S-T-A-R-K just to start the damn mode, it's ridiculous. Also the game is a total dog and you shouldn't buy it.

IJ4 is a terrible game and it's certainly not deep at all by modern standards. Has no business on a "cheapest/deepest" thread.

Baywatch

Hercules is pretty deep. In fact it is pretty big all around. I have heard they don't sell for too much money.

Spectrum

Johnny m fast n good.. Baywatch is fun I have both for sale am. just saying !!!

OP said he's looking for bad games he'll never beat though. I've can complete The Shadow and start Mega Visor, I know I'll never come close to even starting Final Adventure though.

Came close but never beat Shadow in 2 years of owning it. Obviously you're a better player than me but glad to see it on this list.

Agree that WPT and NASCAR, seem like good votes for this thread. So a HUO RBION and really loved that game and thought it was deep and a good bang for buck pin. Unfortunately I only have room for 4 pins.

I haven't played a Stargate in forever. Is it a deep game?

I have to agree with LAH. If you are going for cheapest for what you get, I think this has to be #1. When this was released in 1993, Data East was trying to compete with all the B/W heavy hitters (TAF,TZ,IJ, STTNG etc). Everything they could think of was thrown into this game. If remade today, would cost LE money.

Popeye, WPT, Judge Dredd, TFTC and Road Show are other extremely deep games for the low price they go for.