#1 Takes some effort to get that working right. Research in the owners thread, it's a common complaint.
#2 Easy fix. Game wasn't steep enough.

I'm a metal head and have listened to Iron Maiden quite a lot over the years but the pin is a letdown to me, I don't understand the high praise that most people give it. To me it's an OK game but nothing more.

I do like GB though and that's the opposite of IMDN as everyone bash that title. I'm a sucker for 90s B/W games but if I ever get a Stern to my collection then GB would be a strong contender for that spot.

TL;DR
Buy the GB

I had a ghostbusters premium. I really enjoyed the theme integration. Took a lot of tweaks and adjustments to dial it in as good as possible. Once I was done messing with it the game got old quick. Played the GB pro on location and the layout of the ramps flow better then the premium LE does. Replaced GB with POTC just before the prices went too nuts.

GB is a great game and the hate is overrated. It’s a fantastic shooter and there is nothing wrong with it people just don’t know how to put the flippers were they’re SUPPOSED to be.

I did change the hex post and it did stop the ball from rolling back down. The issue with the right ramp on the premium is more the geometry. It’s not in an ideal spot to place a ramp shot. The left ramp is also steep compared to the one on the pro. As a result You get a lot of balls rolling back from that ramp as well especially when the coils are hit on a long game. Fun game, wouldn’t be surprised if I picked up a PRO at some point. It’s worth a go. If it’s not for you you can re sell it quick.

My opinion on Pirates:
I got in at 13.5k LE under 100 plays. Fantastic game. I also have a Wonka LE and Medieval Madness LE love them both, but there is something about Pirates that keeps me going back to it. It’s the most difficult game I’ve played, but in a good way. Even when I have a bad game it’s a blast. But I do worry about Parts availability. I upgraded to posts and took precautions to prevent chipping but I still worry about the playfield condition.

I played WOZ a lot at the pinball hall of fame. I don’t know if it’s because they had a bad example or not, but I couldn’t get anywhere on it and felt the shots were clunky. It looks great and I want to like it. I would like to play one in a home environment.

That machine is super beat in my opinion and not a good representation of how great WOZ is.

I've spent a lot of time on GB.

It's absolute shit.

Bring on the downs! I ain't fuckin scared! BAAAHAAHAAHAAHAA!

I've owned gb pro, maiden pro and prem, twd pro, deadpool pro and bksor prem. Maiden prem is by far my favorite of the bunch, dialing in the plunge is an easy fix. The gb soundtrack drove me nuts was happy when it sold. Twd, theme and art was cause of sale for me, was fun to play tho. Bksor just didn't care for. Deadpool, id own again in a prem someday. But, you didn't mention metallica and it shines above every one of these pins. You should definitely give it consideration.

GB flipper gap bothers me endlessly. I think you might find IMDN to be up your alley -- not sure where you played it in the cities, but there is one in particular that could use some love to make the game shine again. If you can 'get past the theme' of TWD and you can find a deal on one, I would highly recommend it. Awesome stacking game that will keep your adrenaline building the entire time.

I currently have all three of the pins you've been mentioning (IMDN, GB, BM66). IMDN and GB are Pro's. All three definitely shoot different. IMDN, hands down, is the highest energy pin. There's nothing in that pin that is slow.

BM66, and to a lesser extent, GB have some 'stop and go' at times. BM66 really incorporates the old TV show assets well. GB does too with good callouts, but being a DMD display, just not on the same level as BM66.

I'm sort of like you, trying to have the all pins be very different, whether it's a manufacturer, flow/theme, or designer.

If I were to rate them, it would be in this order:

1) IMDN
2) BM66
3) GB

Well I commend you on being smart enough to at least check games out for yourself.

Most people on here just ask everyone else what game they should buy.

I think GB is turrible but more power to you if you like it.

Wonka is actually a hard game.. dont let first impressions fool you. It takes a long time to appreciate what that game brings.

I'm always seeing comments from people saying JJP games are slow, particularly WOZ.

Are operators and owners afraid to set the incline higher and coils stronger? Or more likely they just don't think to make those adjustments?

My WOZ plays lighting fast, just a notch or so below a Steve Ritchie game. It's still a stop-and-go style game but it shouldn't feel like an EM.

three Stern pros.

Jack is a great player, Bowens, Keith etc. don’t expect to see everything in one game but you can chip away here and there to maybe work up to seeing a lot of the game.

I’m planning to get BM66 next if I get an allocation or find one for sale. I really like how the rules fit and you can go for various objectives.

Another game that is *great* as a choose your own adventure is SW you get different paths and even some character specific modes depending on the character you start with and they each have some special bonuses.

I understand not everyone likes SW but currently it’s my number one rated pin.

One drawback of SW is it’s not a long playing game so it’s hard for me to get deep but I can work on specific planet modes which each have their own end Multiball modes.

BM66 is supposed to be a long ball time game so likely you may be able to see more on a good long game.

The new run of Iron Maidens are pretty much just a continuation of production. So aside from random in-line fixes I don't expect it to be much different.

I find that ghostbusters is a game that cares about set-up more than average. I've played some that are fun and I've played some that are nothing but constant house balls. I feel it is sort of similar to Black Knight SOR in that people who like modern games don't dig it as much, and people who like older games tend to like it more.

Maiden is my favorite LCD game bar none, and since I try to spread out my collection chronologically it is hard for me to see a reason to own anything new other than that and BKSOR. I also like Steve Ritchie's Star Wars fwiw. Game is under-rated, and I think someone with more space than money would do pretty well picking up a pro.

I love TWD, but no horror themes in my house, so I'm just watching for locations that have one. I get bored with JJP games, but no one around me ever sets them up fast. POTC certainly has an incredible wow factor though.

It's hard to put my finger on it, but BM66 just isn't super fun to play for me. It's fine, but none of the shots feel very satisfying to me. Zach Meny said it best when he said he asks people what their favorite shot on BM66, and they usually can't really name one.

I asked Jack danger what his favorite game was, he didn’t say except that he was playing BM66 more than anything else.

Deadflip seems to have moved on and generally says DP is his favorite if I recall correctly, but he does also love BM66. DP’s layout is much more interesting to shoot than Batman’s. Great rules on BM66 though, just wish it had a more inspired layout that was as good as those rules deserve.

You sound a lot like I sounded awhile ago lol. I love IMDN, my pro is bolted to the floor. After reading about the issues the Premium has, and playing both it and the pro, I found the pro just played smoother. I love the theme, love the music, love the rules.

I had BKSOR Premium for a little while, and got tired of it. I don't know what it was, but it just got boring to me. It's a great pin, but it ended up not getting played much and I traded it for a BM66. Since the trade, I would say 80% of the games played are on it. It's an amazing game once you get the rules down, and hour long games are a normal occurrence.

I'm not sure I could choose between BM66 or IMDN. They are both great games for different reasons.

Reading all these posts is really quite disappointing and sad.

You posted this like a question where you are going to have other pinball enthusiasts help you to decide what your final game to complete your magic plan of “five games” that you will love and cherish forever?

Well, you will never be satisfied with 5 specific games, just like everyone else here. There will always be new games to play that you’ve never played and new modes and challenges to complete that you’ve never seen.

You mentioned things like “I don’t want a horror themed game” and “theme is important”. The real game you are looking to buy is the one where you can stand the theme, has the most replay value, and you won’t get bored quickly.

Well, sorry to say that no one HERE can help decide that for you. For every person that hates GB, another person will swear it’s the greatest. And on and on and on, the big pinball opinion wheel churns.

Are you trusting random pinball strangers to tell you their opinions of the titles you played on location and have them help convince you what to spend 9K on? Would you ask this question on an internet forum full of strangers for ANYTHING OTHER ADVICE in your life? Anything? Well, I for one would not.

All the games you mentioned have some good and some bad. Some annoying things and some great things. Don’t limit yourself so much. Who cares if you own two games by the same designer? That could be a good thing if it helps you decide. Modern games have huge teams of designers that help make or break titles. If you like a layout and like how the shots feel, it doesn’t matter if it’s the same designer.

There is so much more to the complete pinball game these days. We are not buying 1960’s EMs for 9 grand and there is a reason. You can see everything that an EM game does in one or two balls instead of one or two years.

Ever decide what to get?

Kudos to your kiddo...I haven't even done that well!

It’s funny that you said dead pool made your ears bleed. Like you, I also am a metal guy and love maiden. After a year of hearing trooper multiball and the riff again when the game was over, I could not have been happier to see that thing go. I still can’t listen to them because of that pin. Theme is great but sanity is better