Played Houdini a fair amount on location. Make sure you check the trunk loading functionality, it acted up fairly often. If the theater doesn’t register the game didn’t compensate, at least on the code version at the location.

Never seen Avengers: Infinity Quest (pro)

Avengers all day and twice on Saturday.

Houdini is more challenging and better built.

Houdini is a tight shooter. Lots of fun, but does not have much in the way fo flow. Though I do enjoy the game a lot. Would imagine with the newsest code, it has only improved a bunch though I have not been able to flip an updated one.

Avengers has a lot going for it, but the ruleset is really not fun to me. We have a couple here in town and I have shot them a bunch. Shoots great. Has some nice flow and cool features (Tower Lock). But I just can't get into it, personally.

I would be in for a JP2 or an IMDN before I bit on an Avengers, myself. And with your choices here, I would proobably bite on a Houdini before I bit on an Avengers.

So I own both. I really like houndini but the flippers feel like garbage and the shots don't have a good feel to them. The machine itself is better built than avengers but they really need to fix the flippers. There is a reason you can get them with low plays for under 6k all day. Before anyone chimes in on fixes, I have done them all including updated power supply, eos switches,.dropped the alignment.etc. while it's better than it was they're still bad.

I'd spend some time on houndini if you're seriously considering it.

Houdini (which I've owned for ~2 years) does have some 'stop and go' aspect to it, but I don't mind that at all. But when you light it up, there is a lot going on which is a blast, quite a rush. Don't worry about the narrow trunk shot that everybody mentions. In my opinion, my GB right ramp and even my BM66 right orbit shot give me much more grief. I can usually hit the narrow trunk shot. Ditto on the Milk Can shot too. I have mine set to 'easy', and in that configuration, it's very forgiving. You do need to think about how to make a shot rather than just blasting a ball around. Wife just got 3.8M last night on the new code.

I noticed you have a ST, and so do I. Houdini doesn't flow like ST (which is pretty darn smooth), but that's one of the reason I wanted Houdini (besides the theme)...I like to have a mix of pins that play different.

Like most modern pins, the code in Houdini does an excellent job of pointing you in the right direction. Build quality is spot on. There was a power supply issue early on (wasn't regulated), so if you do get one - check for the power supply upgrade.

And given the prices I've seen at times...quite a bargain.

Haven't played Avengers (yet). I heard the code is rather deep.

Houdini sucks get avengers man!
Anyone that likes Houdini has bought the game and is trying to justify internally that it was a good investment.
Anyone that just PLAYS Houdini.....hates it.

Bring on those down votes!

7F3CCFF2-9FB4-42B0-8E2B-A24B87F6EC87.gif

I owned a Houdini. One of my least favorite pins. Why do you have to get an Avengers? There are better games. Guns and Roses? Deadpool. Jurassic Park. Don’t settle.

It’s interesting that the most basic part of a pinball machine are flippers and you have issues with them. Is it the size of coil they have? I have played both and didn’t notice anything, but I don’t own them and play them a lot like you do. Just seems really odd of a “problem” for a machine. Just trying to understand the flipper issue.

I don’t own nor ever have owned a Houdini but I have played it and don’t know what you are complaining about. It does take some skill to make shots, it’s not a bunch of wide open shots.

The flippers lose power due to the magnets so they randomly experience hesitation and loss of power and have an overall mushy feel.

“Some” skill?
There’s no flow and you literally have to trap the ball and be a sniper for anything you’re going for on every shot.
We don’t have to go from polar opposite extremes and assume now that I only like games with WIDEOPEN shots but Houdini is definitely on the extreme side of brick shots most of the game.

7B12071B-B9EF-4233-9D3E-6384207B1D57 (resized).png

I've owned Houdini about a year and a half, AIQ LE for 3-4 months. Really hard to compare. Houdini is much lighter in tone even though the humor is mostly dark. Avengers is very generic superhero shit. Houdini has a ton of personality and AIQ honestly has next to none. Rules wise, Houdini is pretty deep, AIQ more so, maybe even too deep. I'm still half lost, but I haven't really made a huge attempt to learn all the rules yet.

Shooting wise, I like Houdini's shots even though they all feel pretty similar. It's tough, but you have to play cautiously with a lot of trap and aim. And yeah, the flippers can be a bit mushy after a while or during a long multiball. AIQ is a far better shooter. Some of my favorite ramps on any pin ever made, every inch of the table is put to good use, it's fast but not impossibly so, the lights give very clear indications for what to do. It's got one of the best layouts in modern pins, imo. Maybe *the* best.

TL;DR: Houdini has far better personality and humor, AIQ is the better shooter.

It doesn't only have unsatisfying brick shots. It also has safe returns so you have these ultra long games of hitting nothing. I guess you get your money's worth tho.

I concur with this post. I also had a Houdini and the flipper power drove me nuts and is a much slower pin then Avengers by a long shot. Modes are fun, but there’s a lot of stop and go versus amazing flow and fast shots in AIQ. These are two completely different pins and like others have said you’d really have to give them both a few plays to determine what you like better.

If I owned one, I would love to dig in and see if there is a way to eliminate the mushy flipper feel. Seems like something mechanical could be done if that’s the case. Playing at a barcade, I guess I didn’t get enough play to feel it.

Houdini can be kind of sensitive if you don't have very consistent power - the power supply upgrade helps a lot, and they also just introduced a capacitor update that helps as well. It really does not affect the game as much as one would think - I have had lots of games where I'm running 2 multiballs at once, the magnets are firing (magnets appear to be the culprit) and I'm still jamming away. Perhaps we have very consistent power here, I'm not sure. I'm fairly convinced a lot of it is in people's heads.

Have you played both games? I would try to spend some time on each and see what you like best. I have played both on location near me, both are completely different playing experiences.

I have all power updates including the capacitor. I wish it was in my head. The cap kit and eos switches also helped but the mush is still there which is unacceptable for a 7k pin.

When you guys say much, do you mean it’s like the flipper loses power and doesn’t feel as powerful as it should? Is that the “mush” description? If the manufacturer is deploying things like capacitors, or upgraded power supplies, it’s obviously a real issue.

We have owned both... and for us, AIQ was definitely the game we played the most. Houdini is a hit-or-miss game for a lot of people. I’d recommend playing 10+ games on it before you buy.

AIQ is a pretty safe pick. Even if you decide that you don’t like it you won’t have any trouble selling it quickly.

Since you don’t already have a newer Stern, I’d play it safe and get AIQ. Houdini is a totally underrated pin, but it is a tough shooter. So, I’d you aren’t a better than average player you may not enjoy it.

The flippers feel great 99% of the time. It's 1% of the time when the magnets are pulsing the flippers have a noticible loss of power and feel weak and mushy. I don't hate HOUDINI I just thing aiq is a better table.

Yes. For me, I only remember noticing it during multiballs.