I got mine in September and still play 4-5 games a day on average with three other machines. I play it more than my other three machines combined. It's really tough and can be unfair at times but I keep hitting that start button over and over and over. I can't really comment on whether your money is better spent elsewhere.

I have an LE, but I would recommend a used premium. NIB is still a quality crap shoot. The game is great, but don't risk the NIB headache.

I had a beautiful Premium, but I just could not get into the game. Replaced it with a Kiss Pro and could not be happier.

I hated my premium, guy that bought it from me is selling it already too. I'm not a fan of the layout or the code. It looks great and has some cool features though. I have a friend that loves his so it's all a matter of taste. It's a game you need to play before you buy. So find one and play it and decide for yourself.

I love it. Not the pro though.

Current state of code has evolved into really, really good. Many ways to play it.

well a lot depends on what u like in a game. gb has unique shots. u have 2 skill shot, 2 video modes, 2 kinetic ball shots, 3 ladders of modes, midnight madness and ecto googles. great sounds. i personally get tired of the same shots and like variety. i love mine and love the fact that the game isnt so linear.

I was a little worried about the whole playfield ghosting thing as well.

this is a reply from the vendor I got it from about that

"The units that had issues were early run LE and Pro Models, the Premiums were the last ones made. There have been no problems with the Premium models we have sold and the Premium you are received was just built by Stern with in the last month or so. You should have no problem with the machine at all, but of course if you do Stern and Automated Services will make sure you are taken care of."

Have had mine for about a week and a half with no issue.
Great game, when I played the pro at first at TPF wasn't really for it. Then I got another chance later at a place near me. needless to say it's in my collection.
Got it for 7019 shipped, no taxes since I don't live in Connecticut.

I owned a Pro for nearly 7 months and upgraded to the Premium last month. I love the game, it does take some work to have everything play right, but once it does it is a ton of fun. Some frustrations still with the code, but not enough to not enjoy the game.

I play my premium almost everyday. Bought my first pinball game in 1984. Sadly, after all these years it takes me alot to get excited about pinball anymore. Gb hits the mark for me. On a side note I played dialed in at the mgc and that want peaks my interest too.

GB Premium is the best game in my collection PERIOD!

I personally love my Pro. But, I would get GB premium so you only have to hear the people that hate GB tell you what a shit game it is, as a pro owner you also get to hear premium owners say what a wonderful game the premium is and shit on your pro too.

It really is pure shit in comparison.

Since we downsized I'm space limited to about 3 games. The boss has her galaga/ms pac arcade, so I can only fit 2 pins until the basement is finished. We had a premium for about 2 months then sold it - maybe if our collection was 5 or 6 pins it would have been a keeper, but it was too polarizing, brutal, and linear for our small collection. At this point I would not buy it again.

I enjoy my premium. It is a challenging pin - but a lot of fun. A few tweeks out of the box and the added center post plastic is a must.

I reccommend it

Ghostbusters is a tough call when it comes to adding to a collection. It is a fun game but at the same time it is a difficult game. I had my brother in law over for Easter and he attempted to play Ghostbusters LE. I watched him play two games in a row with the ball going SDTM within seconds every time. He could not control it and it made him feel like a really lousy casual player, he was not amused as he walked away. He then played MMR and absolutely loved it and scored well. I think GB is a good game for larger collections to add some diversity. I do not think GB would be good for a small collection because of the difficulty and flipper gap. I enjoy difficult games and they tend to keep my interest longer and become keepers in my collection. Ghostbusters has me wanting to progress further and further and has a one more game feeling with continuing to push the start button. For some people they get so discouraged they do not get that one more game feeling, they simply walk away. Different strokes for different folks. If you are considering adding a Ghostbusters do it for yourself because you enjoy it, do not do it for friends or family. Hope that helps.

I have mixed feelings about mine. I like it but I feel like there is room for improvement in the code. Some things that shouldnt stack seem to stack, I am particularly not a fan of how the reversed flippers are used. The game is also short ball time which is OK in my collection but I think you should play it enough to be sure you like it. Ball control can be difficult.

Current owners recommend it.
Former owners don't.

Not saying pro is "pure shit", its a great game, i think the premium offers fair value to the pro, unlike some other Stern pins. Ecto, magna slings, slimer and subway made the difference for me. A great pin either way.

Btw, its NOT too linear and its NOT too brutal at all. If you want brutal, buy TWD.

the last code update was great. mode coninues after ball drain and a few other tweaks. there is room for improvement but only if stern takes the time. i wish the coding was made public so that the community cooukd make these games amazing. pc games have dont this for a long time. made the games enjoyable for a super long time.

u will enjoy the pro or the premium.

There's no telling which side of the fence you'll be on so buy a used one and hopefully you wont take a loss if you decide it's not for you.
There appears to be no shortage of them changing hands which bodes well for you.

I have a GB prem on order. Love both the pro and Prem/le.

Like others said it needs to be dialed in first. Like the center post will help with SDTM issues.

Over all I think its a great pin.

I see it differently. I could have bought a Premium but chose a Pro simply because I prefer it. The gimmicks on the Premium are pretty cool initially but lose their luster over time IMO. The Ecto Goggles clutter up the playfield and are fairly useless. Much prefer the right ramp on the pro over the near impossible one on the premium. Mag slings make a drain happy game just that much more ridiculous. The subway is the one thing I wish was on the pro, other than that I'm good.

The magna slings are F'ing awesome and do not cause any more ball drains than traditional slings, matter of fact they may cause less.

I have an August built LE and the playfield is starting to ghost.

I own a GB Prem. Haven't played a Pro.
My opinions..
It is a VERY frustrating game that is also VERY rewarding at times. Extremely challenging. It keeps me pressing the start button over and over again. WAY too many center drains. I want to punch the glass frequently. Like I've said before on this forum, I have a real love/hate relationship with this game.
Incredible light show. Fantastic audio. Really cool playfield with a variety of shots to make.
You need to address a number of issues on it right from the start and then it is much more playable. I don't need to list these issues. Stern should have fixed these issues at the factory!
Because of the fun factor and the high difficulty I think this game is a 10 overall. It is played a lot in my house.

Junky

Adding the center post sneezeguard mod is considered dialing it in now?

¡Ay, Dios mío Pinside!
When will this GB watering-down-gameplay madness end?

Do I have to pull a NicoVolta and travel around the globe to tweak every GB+P and LE in existence?
I'm down to the ten minute mark now on this process so the thread wouldn't be nearly as entertaining as Nico's to read.
I do (on the bright side) happen to take payment in Shasta and various lunchmeats though, if you feel incapable of doing the recommended fixes.

See, reading this stuff just makes me crazy.

Is it any more difficult than Black Widow's ramp?
Gem shot perhaps?
Rudy's mouth?
Jump on No Fear?
Heck, even Aerosmith's right ramp?!?

Doesn't it feel really good when you nail any of these above*; especially multiple times in a row?

I'm pretty sure the answer is, YES!

*Insert all the other challenging shots you love to "hate but make" as well.

Since you're almost local, it would be great if you could start with location GBs in the LA area.

And let my buddy Rare finally enjoy a game of GB after spending so much free time across multiple threads hating on it?

Okay, sure.
The location players shouldn't have to suffer any longer than they have to.
Let's get the LA GB fixing party started.

Who's got the keys?