First EM...Is Royal Guard a good choice?

Personally I would go for a mid 70’s machine. I’m also not a fan of 2” flippers, so I would not choose this machine. But it looks like it could be a good first EM.

Looking at your current collection, maybe something like 4million BC or Fireball would hold your attention longer, Multiball machines.

Seams to be a challenging pin to play. To quote other Pinsiders, "Has that one more Play" abiliy. May not be the best art package, but it should help your pinball skills. That moving target is different.

There are scoring strategies, just not as in depth as newer pins. Affordability vs Fun Factor is the key. EM games have very short ball times.

Read up on the EM Repair Guide and all should be fine. The important accessory for the game is the Schematic. Wax, new ball, new rubber rings, are a must, for new to you purchase.

Almost all gottlieb games are good, so sure, why not. And gottlieb wedgeheads are simple and reliable

Go to IPDB look up Palace Guard (the AAB version), there is a photo of the SNAP Targets from under the playfield. 2 coils, some switches seem to make the snap function work.

The reset bank with the 40 or 50 switches in it would be more daunting, to me.

Gottlieb made their games to last, once it is running and is played regularly it should keep running for years. "Knock on wood".

Check it out. Royal Guard has the most bang for the buck. People hate the art package but for 300-800 dollars (depending on condition) You can't go wrong. This game kicks everyone's ass in a fun way in tournaments and has that one more game feel. When you get that one in 20 games higher score you walk away feeling accomplished. I only sold mine because i needed quick money for another machine and was in a quick bind to get it. One of these days I will own another. I regret selling mine.

I really like Royal Guard. Its a tough, challenging game to complete. No brainer in my book.

Yes! yes it is

I owned a Palace Guard for less than a year and sold it in order to move up to a Sing Along which is basically the same game you eventually want in Kings and Queens. PG was my first pin and I enjoyed it a lot. Between the snaps and three bells it made a lot of noise which was one of its coolest features. I rolled it just once at 107000. , but the next game didn't break 1000..... That's the fun of PG and the advantage of it being an AAB. Because the snaps move so much and are relatively close during ball play, I never really knew what I was accomplishing when hitting the targets until after a ball drain....so I grew tired of it. That, and the artwork left me looking for more.
Here's an idea..... Take a road trip with your dad to Allentown Pinfest and play them all...... Maybe even find a pin you like better and haul it home....memories of a trip like that would be quite special.
Good luck!

Palace guard is a little more fun but royal guard will do as well

Royal Guard was my 1st pin & still have it. Love lighting up the specials!!
I vote YES, go for it.

Don't worry Rat, they seem to come up quite often.

My Palace guard is for sale, I have a verbal offer. Game is located in CT.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/for-sale-palace-guard-gottlieb-1968

Pics can be seen on the Tread Show us your EM pins page 117

Simple, yes. Reliable, well, not always. They get out of adjustment fairly easily, especially with the short throw relays.

I own one. It's a fun game.

Like Rat said! This is a good bang for the buck! Nice thumper action up top with direct target shots at the bottom, and "In-your-Face" direct special shots that are a bit harder than appears. Like Budman said, the snap target unit does move very often during game-play, and you'll find yourself trying to trap the ball just to update your needs.

The quick-drain games are a nice change of pace at times, and tweaked well and dialed in, will give you some great action in those short periods of ball time..........

I like royal guard. It had really good rules. If it was a 4 player game, I would have kept it.