GB looks really cool, the layout looks interesting, but I don't enjoy the gameplay very much. The shots aren't that satisfying (the few times they are actually successful) and it drains a lot. That kind of kills my interest in a game. And no, "just play better" is not the answer. It's a common complaint about this particular game.

GOTG looks good, the layout isn't that revolutionary, but I enjoy the gameplay a lot more. Personally, I like having a bash toy to go after, especially when it does something. Although other people disagree and think groot's head takes up too much of the game.

I've found myself coming back to GOTG over and over, but I'll walk past GB to play other things.

In the end, I suppose it depends upon the kind of player you are and what you look for in a game. I'm a casual player and prefer games with a higher fun factor. Some challenge is good, but too challenging/drainy and it stops being fun and I end up playing those types of games less.

Own GOTG.. still enjoy it, as do newer pinball players who come over.. Cleland code brings it to life. Easy to play. Ghostbusters pro is fun, but hard to get over losing the ecto goggles, second ramp, cool subway shot, etc.. I haven't played the new code for GB, but hear its good. Ive been considering a GB premium but the prices are ridiculous. My vote between pros go to GOTG.

Gb pro was my least favorite modern game I've owned.

Both are good games. Depends on what theme you like more. I currently have a GB pro on location and it does really well and I have fun when I go play it. I rented a GOTG pro last year and really enjoyed it. If it’s for your home, I’d go GOTG pro. Spend some time on both and see what you enjoy more

I've heard GB got a lot better with software updates but wouldn't know. I agree with ForceFlow in that it's design flaws outweigh fun things in the game.
Rather play something else in most cases. Never got into GOTG but to be fair I only played it a few times. In the end, if you are looking for a great Stern pro I would recommend looking a little further unless you can find one of these games real cheap.

Guardians gets my vote, I find it more fun, it’s all about the ORB multiball, it’s more approachable for players of different skill sets. Fun game.

Own both. I can't split them. Both different types of game. GOTG does have the TV screen. However, the he colour dmd on GB is so good that is not a drawback either. They are both really annoying drain monsters at times, but when it clicks, very satisfying.

Ghostbusters I still dont get new code or not... and yes I had one for a bit.

Any game where you have to have a ton of ball save added and extra balls just to make it playable isnt a great design to me.

They overall package is great though... some of the best art and theme stuff in years.

GB is the worst game ever made.

GOTG is an OK game with horrible voices.

Get neither. Better games exist.

I agree with @rarehero. Guardians is a very "flat" experience, even with the great work Cleland did w/sound. GB should be the best game ever made with movie assets, a packed Playfield, and awesome theme. But gameplay-wise it's poor.

Gb by a small notch. I'd go with the theme that appeals to you more.

Maybe when you owned it!
New code is great !

Wow. I'm surprised that the voting is as close as it is.(53/48 GOTG right now) I have played both games extensively and don't own either of them. GOTG by a mile. I mean, GB looks good, but that's where it ends. Game play is terrible. Even with the code update. it's just bad. The new code encourages left ramp all day. The flipper gap and outlanes just punish you to an extreme degree.

GOTG isn't a great game, but it's fun and has a lot of variety in the modes. Getting to Cherry Bomb is always a blast. Mini-wizard mode Immolation Initiative is fun and difficult to achieve. Wizard mode Save Xandar I have not played but was once only 2 shots away. The left outlane can be a bitch, but the center and left drains seem very fair, especially with the virtual ball saver on the right. The Hadron targets and the use of the button are one of the best features of the game and are often overlooked.

I have had both machines...
GB is good but...
But GOTG has more to offer, lcd screen, better flow, better sound.

I think the code is better - for example when we played it last year all the time in league, there were huge exploits - but the design has issues.

Every time I step up to GB at the local arcade now, I really really REALLY want to like it. There's just so many cheap, drains it kills the experience.

I’m surprised by the comments favoring GOTG.

I’ve owned both. I still own GB, and it is never leaving. I much prefer the modes and shots on GB. Call outs and music make the game fun. Random cheap drains are frustrating when they happen, but at least for me they encourage the ‘one more game’ feel. Of all our pins, this is the one the family has played most. When we do play it, it’s for numerous games in a row.

I can’t really put my finger on why, but GOTG never really clicked for me. I’m a HUGE marvel fan and love the movies. I installed the Cleland code on day 1. But this game never really seemed any more than shoot here for a while’ now ‘shoot there for a while’...and now you completed the mode...and I tend to think pinball is more than that.

I did trade my GOTG a little sooner than I wanted, but I can’t say I miss it.

GB is the gaslighting abusive cult leader of pinball machines. All of its enablers will try to convince you its the best & the greatest, and when you trust your instincts & KNOW it’s a horrible game, they tell you that YOU are the problem.

The solution is: stop stepping up to it at the arcade. It will never change. It will always be a horribly flawed poorly designed game by an evil monster & a stain on the greatest theme.

Common complaint of those that need to learn to play better

I suck at pinball, I remember when GOTG came out and everyone was in the honeymoon phase, I played it before league started as a practice game and pretty much beat the game on ball 2. Got bored and had to just quit playing because time ran out.

Game play is so long on GOTG you can’t have it in tournaments or your knockout rounds go for 45 minutes.

Other than the flipper gap there’s no other argument to GB being a “bad design”.
2 orbits, a main ramp and a second ramp, 2 scoops, 2 captive balls, 5 stand ups, 3 pop bumpers, sounds soooo awful and if all you go off of is “cheap drains” then just put the $20 center post rebound mod in to even things out a bit. Or.... focus on controlling your shots to keep control of the ball.

“Oh how dare you suggest to add a rebound post?!!!!”
Like 1000 other games have them that are way easier than GB. Christ the xenon I’m working on has it. Who cares?

I know this argument is a waste of energy but it’s been a while since Rarehero down voted one of my posts, so here you go man. Have at it.

Its a pretty terrible design... it really is.

If all you can do to salvage it is to code in 100 ball saves and extra balls or add a fake drain post up the middle thats pretty sad.

I love hard games.. and Im a decent player. I find GB almost unplayable and annoying which sucks because it looks great and its a great license.

It should be the most fun game there is but its the debbie downer of pinball last few years.

I know I’m not alone in liking the game. The arguments against it never set in with me

“This game takes my ball too quick!”
Here’s your ball back
“This game gives me back my ball too quick!”

“Well that was a cheap drain!”
Shoot again you earned an extra ball
“This game gives too many balls!”

“I hate this flipper gap it’s too wide and makes the game too hard to enjoy!”
Try putting a classic center post in
“You can’t put that in, it makes the game too easy!”

But I haven’t heard any design points being off like for example, Houdini gets a ton of grief because it’s a brick monster. You have to be a damn sniper to hit almost any of the shots, so there’s tons of comments on angle, post position, geometry, so on and so forth. But until probably the post after this one. No one ever explains why GB is a terrible design. It’s just hard and people get discouraged because they couldn’t drunkenly flail shots on location like GOTG.

I put banana flippers roughly 1/8" closer gap on GB and it made the game play ALOT better! Some put on the center post kit but thats not needed with the slightly longer flipper that nobody ever notices besides having a better game because of them. I actually prefer the Pro GB over the premium with less clutter and faster action. The right ramp on Pro feels better going to nowhere then the short turn on the premium to me. Id love to have a Pro again, hint hint....

GOTG ive only played handfulll of times and didnt care for it much. Ive never played the cleland code which may fix my main grip with it which was zero personality like AIQ i have now unfortunately.

I agree 100% with Rarehero and some of the other people's assessments of Ghostbusters. No matter how good the code is you can't change the poor design. GOTG has the same old playfield layout. I vote none of the above. Jurassic Park, Iron Maiden,or new Avengers are way better.

GOTG is absolutely the better game. With groot & the orb there is always something to aim for while trying to complete modes. Though GOTG has a similar design to MET it shoots much differently. Plus some of the objectives in the game can be achieved by a mediocre player. I had both, but GB's was gone in record time. IMHO, GB Pro is Stern's worse effort gameplay wise. Beautiful to look at but lacking in layout w/ a repetitious linier rule set.

To each his own... some people think WOZ is the game of the century and shoots great.

Own both and have owned many other games over the years. These two games are the only two that my wife would ever occasionally play and still plays (past the first few days of owning something new). For those of you that think GB is too hard, or has too many cheap drains, I have a factory settings GB Pro that she scores very well on and often gets to at least one "We came, We saw" mode. She is definitely a decent player considering she does not take it seriously and will only play a couple of games a week, but she would definitely not be in the outstanding player category (neither am I). There is only one factory "cheap" ball save on the game from a kickout (much like Star Wars, EHOH, GOTG, and others). I suggest you learn to play better as you are missing a great game with the latest code that is really fun to shoot.

With all of that being said, GOTG is also a very fun game - I would consider them very close in the overall fun/package factor. Current voting would suggest others agree (tied 50% each at the time I am posting).

Guardians for me with the cle land code. Owned GB for a month just wasn't for me.

Own both, like both. I like the callouts for GB better but personal preference. Cleland code is a must.

For starters, right ramp is prime example of terrible design. Ball goes up, looses momentum, and then drops down like a failed shot on pro. On premium, right ramp is very tight and very difficult. Neither is fun to shoot imo. Inlanes guides badly designed and ball often jumps right over straight to outlanes with no chance of nudging. Pop up targets causes a lot of drains on premium and block shots. The slimer rarely worked right on games I played. More of a opinion but some shots just feel difficult to hit when they shouldn't. Flipper adjustment seems to be very important. I really enjoyed playing GB when it first came out. Love the theme, art, and world under glass. However, the more I played it the more I disliked it. You spend all your time battling the flaws of the game without much reward other than keeping ball alive a few minutes longer. Final nail in coffin was when they put in that random jump scare, scream animation. Maybe there is a good game hiding in there somewhere but done looking.

I borrowed a GB Pro for several months and I enjoyed it. Carrot flippers were the big improvement for me - made all the shots feel normal and I could blow up games. The elevated inlane/outlane plastics to prevent ball hops is also a requirement, as if adjusting the springs on the Scoleri drop targets to they don't brick shots and actually drop when hit.

I also created my own custom soundtrack which added to the fun level for me. The original game music is fine, but my mix added energy and a vibe that elevated the complete package.

Yesterday I was considering trading for a GoTG. But after watching streams I decided to skip it since I had Metallica for years and this is the same layout. Two local friends also have Metallica, so can play that layout often if I wanted to.

So in other words if you redesign the game its a good design.

It's hard to argue w/any of this. Key line:

"You spend all your time battling the flaws of the game without much reward other than keeping ball alive a few minutes longer."

No, in my exact words, I added some mods to make the game more enjoyable for me.

i own both. i like both, but overall i prefer GB by a decent amount. i also own SF2 and Houdini and find redeeming things about both of those titles that so many people hate with a passion. on the flip side i don't like Monster Bash and find AFM pretty dull (ooh, hit the saucer. over and over.) only you can determine what you like about a game (or don't) and whether it's a good title for your collection.

If you're bashing the saucer over and over on AFM you're playing it wrong.

I have to say 95% of the time when people bash games its pretty obvious they have no idea how to play them.

As a general rule I dont say shit about games unless I have owned or played them a ton.

he is right on Monster bash though.. that game blows.

it's quite possible. there are too many machines out there and too little time for me to learn the ruleset to every one, especially ones i don't find engaging, or worse yet, want to find engaging but don't.

I like GB PRO. I like the theme, the linear ladder climbing, the music, the collecting of the ghosts the modes are fun as well. The layout is unique. The game play isn't super easy and will punish you but the pro isn't too bad in that regard (just avoid the premium, that game plays like absolute shit).