I never watch the show and love the game. It was tough when I finally decided to sell.

It’s fun.

But it’s not $8,000 worth of fun!!!!!!

I would trade DH for Family Guy all day.

Do you like the show? If so, I think you’ll like the pin. Even if you don’t like the show, it’s a fun pin. I would definitely trade a Dirty Harry for a Family Guy. It has an interesting layout and the unique Stewie pinball mini pinball that’s fun.

Easy call. Trade. Trade now...before he changes his mind.

I don’t have FG, but I own Shrek. It’s one of our favorites. Same layout design, different art package and theme. We love the design. The shots and flow are pretty good, especially hitting the right orbit to the upper flipper shot under the upper playfield, the far upper left stand up that drops the metal ramp guard, and the main left ramp. The mini pinball game is silly to some, but we like it. The reason we like it is, it’s essential to achieving one of the main modes - Stewie multiball (Donkey mb on ours). I think the variety of shots is good, and if you like FG and that humor, all the better.

I would trade a DH for a nice FG. We have a few different pins and we play Shrek a lot. It’s a decent pin.

Do it. 8 years later I'm still playing mine.

Terrible theme, half decent game as Shrek.

Shrek is a terrible theme, half decent game as family guy.

My thoughts are exact opposite. I love the theme but feel the game is sorta "meh."

Just think, to get a mini pinball within a pinball now it's $2000 more.

FG it was standard. Lol

If you like the show, you can't go wrong with the pin. I much prefer it as Shrek since I'm not a Seth McFarlane fan, but it only goes to show the difference a polarising theme can make. The game underneath is sound, the Stewie minipin was innovative, and it was designed to attract newcomers to locations with the default settings tailored heavily towards the operator (short ball times other than multiball and Stewie time, and getting a multiball is easy).

I might be in the minority here but there is something about 90's Williams pins that all others just don't stack up. That includes modern day Stern pins. Family Guy the pinball machine is nothing special. Really over priced because of license only. The game is a shallow game that just leaves you feeling empty. Dirty Harry on the other hand is one of the most underrated pinball machines. I'll never let mine go.....I've beat it several times but it just never gets old. It's challenging too the outlanes are brutal. I'd put Dirty Harry up there with a game like Bram Stoker's Dracula in the same regard that the game keeps you coming back for more. Sometimes you kick it's ass but most of the time it kicks your ass. So when you get a great score on it it's really satisfying.

There is no real objective answer to the question - which is better, FG theme or Shrek theme? They are themes. It depends on what each person likes better. Can we know which is better, cheeseburgers or pizza?

I personally think the design is decent, with some interesting shots and the mini pinball game is innovative. Now they use versions of it under the playfield in AC/DC and Munsters. Also, Color DMD did fantastic work on Shrek. It’s one of the best color DMDs I’ve seen.

Yes we can...the answer is Pizza...!!!...........Joey

I love dh and the show fg, but I was disappointed by the fg game. I would keep dh, highly underrated and will go up in value once c.e. Kicks the can.

Sterns best game & Lawlor’s best of his Stern games. Great rules by Keith Johnson, modes that matter & excellent stacking strategies. Has the most “Williams” feeling build of any Stern game, IMO.

Also, if anyone wants the unreleased 12.02 home rom, send me a PM. It fixes a couple audio bugs, but is freeplay only. Not sure why Stern never released it.

Family Guy is a fantastic game. Cool layout, lots of humor. Cartoon pin- cant go wrong

I would do the trade switch it up but if you are a good player family guy can become a bit of a long playing grindy game.

FGY is one of my favorites, and easily the one that gets the most attention from guests.....alot of fun to play, great callouts...would definitely do the trade

Best game ever! And I'm about to list a HUO with only a couple hundred plays on it for sale!

Seriously though, I like the layout and the unique mini pinball feature (well used to be unique I guess) but even as a fan of the show I get tired of hearing the same callouts. Can happen with any game I guess but something about hearing a callout that is supposed to be funny...it just isn't funny after the 100th time.
But if you get deeper into the game there are some fun moments. If you haven't played the game much I would certainly trade DH for it if I were you.

Oh and either stock up on beer can decals or protect it better, that thing takes a beating. And maybe put mylar over the pinball inserts if it hasn't worn there already.

Used to LOVE the show. Got the pin. After 1 month, grew to hate it. Stewie pinball gets very repetitive and not a lot of satisfying shots. I've own DH twice and FGY once and i'd get DH before I'd ever get FGY again

Man, am I in the minority. Played it on location. I was sad when I earned an extra ball because I refuse to walk away and leave a ball on the table. I would have left a full replay, though.

Fun pin deep rules. It surprises you how many different callouts it has.

I'm not a fan of many modern Stern games, but Family Guy is one I've owned for years and doubt I will ever sell, easily one of there best! I've owned a DH, I'd trade one for a Family Guy all day long.

FGY shallow?

I dunno man. It's purdy deep I think

Beer can modes, TV modes, Stewie MB & quite a few side missions plus a wizard mode I haven't reached in 7-8 years of ownership.

The game is certainly love it or hate it from what I gather. I love it, own it, etc.

Family Guy is a great theme but at home the game suffers.

The problem was that mini playfield. It was repetitive and felt more like a chore to get through it. Draining up there was extremely frustrating forcing you to re-qualify to get back there. Very redundant and much less enjoyable in time.

It had great call outs and animations, but started to feel very repetitive in a linear type of way (although it is not a linear game.)

On location it was more fun. But at home, it got tiresome.

And I say this as a big fan of the show.

Modern Day Stern pins just are ok. Yup...I said it. Ask any experienced pinball player. You play an old Williams game 1990's and compare that to a modern day Stern. The old Williams games are just better playing pinball machines. There's really no comparison. People always say well the rules for the old Williams pins are simple.....they don't have a deep rule set. I don't care....they are challenging, well made enjoyable pinball machines and yes they are better than modern day Stern pins.

best call outs in pinball, would be a le in the stern world today. multiballs going on mini playfield and regular playfield at the same time is sooo badass.

I hear you

Right now I'm debating between AFMr or a modern Stern

I feel like I'm choosing depth vs quality

Love my AFMrLE but its not exactly deep. Completely in love with my BM66 (and playing it more than Iron Maiden Prem, Met Prem, STLE, GB Prem, and Kiss LE)

I used to love the show, looked for a while for the pin... Found a great example, added a few mods and played. Ended up absolutely hating it....Sold it and never looked back.

I'd much rather have DH, but cash wise FGY easy

I had the game in my collection for over 8 years. I thought it was decent. Rules (liked all the modes) were pretty good, good humor, and animations.

After awhile, atleast for me, the mini playfield started to wear on me. It takes up a lot of real estate. I know you can change settings to not activate the mini playfield as often but in the end this was the reason I let it go.

A very fun pin in which I’d do that trade + cash obviously.

To me it’s a full package game. With the actual voice actors/actresses of Norm Macdonald, Mila Kunis, Seth Green, etc. And enough call outs to never get old, if you enjoy the show and that humor.

Multiple wizard modes. One of which I’ve still yet to achieve due to the difficulty/number of tasks.

Stewie Pinball can get repetitive and it did for me, but an adjustment in settings and by removing one captive ball and the post that separates them really makes the game more fun and Stewie a bit more difficult to repeatedly achieve.

Ask any experienced pinball player?

LMAO, what a crock of shit. The best players in the world generally love modern Sterns, as Stern is crushing it lately. You clearly do not have your finger on the pulse of experienced pinball players.

This was the attitude on this forum up until about 2011/2012 and then things changed quickly. There are some people that still prefer the 90’s games but you guys are a clear minority now.

I have several 90’s machines and enjoy the B/W just fine, but when you put Doctor Who next to say Iron Maiden LE the difference is readily apparent. Everything from the light show, to the display animations, to the artwork, to the rules is just better now. Stern is delivering an incredible package these days and the technology is just better than it was in the 90’s.

Back on topic, FGY is a cool game. I had one for years and loved it. Interesting layout with one of the best toys in pinball history. Great call outs. The low resolution cabinet art was not my favorite but that’s a concern for most.

Totally. Dr. Who is way cooler.

Dr. Who is a perfect example of a game with an amazingly engineered unique custom toy with the Time Expander. Something like that really makes a game come alive...and no modern Stern has had a really great toy like that in a long time. That's one thing Lawlor always brought to the table, even with Stern - he always tried to have something new and unique that no one had ever done before. Mini pinball with mini parts had never been done...and Lonnie & Keith's code to have multiball happening on both playfields with alternating Jackpots was a phenomenal way to use it. The mini pinball use in the final Sperm Attack wizard mode is super cool as well...just a shame no one ever gets to see/play it!

I'm not an avid follower of the show (but enjoy it). Maybe the game would be better if you were a super fan. It's one of my least favorite games. The stewy pinball is unique but gets old fast. The layout just isn't fun to me, but the call outs were solid. We all have opinions, best to form your own and try one. Good luck.

Very true.. Came close twice, no thanks to (one of the hardest shots in Pinball) the drunken clam shot!

I finally said "F it" and played a 10 ball game so I could finally get to the final wizard mode lol

lol, guess I need to do that