HUO just means they weren’t routed or put out to the public to play. They are more desirable because they’ve had less wear and tear because they were only in the home environment.

i think you're asking about the "Home Editions".

and no their not worth it

I think they’re worth $100. They’re simple and parts are impossible to find, but they’re entertaining and I think the cost:fun ratio is pretty decent.

Mediocre fun home machine for $100
A boatload of endless fun, real commercial machine for $3k+ usually even more

I think the home versions would be very popular if they were like 2K and not 4K+.

so if the question is about "home editions," there are several from different eras.

Bally made four home editions in the late 70's or early 80's. despite a couple being named the same as commercial titles (Fireball and Captain Fantastic,) they are in no other way related. all four share the same basic layout with a few differences, and are based on the EM Hokus Pokus, minus a few playfield features.

most parts are interchangeable with commercial parts, but not all are. there is an excellent write-up here: https://pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Bally_Home_Models

there are also other "home editions" from the same time period, such as Brunswick's Aspen, which shows up fairly frequently; they also did Alive and Circus which seem less common. there isn't nearly as much info available about these games so i couldn't tell you easily if there are still parts available or what may interchange.

none of these titles have coin doors of course, nor are sought after. gameplay and the overall experience tends to be pretty basic at best. what are they worth? usually not much, and most collectors are unwilling to give up space for one of these even if they get it cheap or for free.

there are "home edition" machines aimed at kids like Zizzle's downsized all-plastic wonder PotC. these are garbage.

Stern has also been releasing some "home edition" games, such as versions of Spider Man and Jurassic Park. these feature playfields with simpler layouts and maybe easier rule sets for people who want a machine but likely aren't going to play it a lot and therefore are willing to sacrifice depth for a lower price. these also do not have coin doors, and the displays are different (mostly smaller) than those on their commercial counterparts. the layouts for SM and Star Wars home are very similar; the SM layout was also used for the Supreme and Heavy Metal games which were custom produced for specific clients. i believe most of the standard parts from these games should interchange with Stern's commercial releases but i could be wrong. i'm not interested in them enough to go look.

are these worth it? personally i don't think so as the prices are still pretty high ($4500 MSRP on the current releases,) but maybe to the market their aiming at it's a good compromise.

Suggest OP change title of thread from HUO to "Home Editions".

The answer depends on what you can afford / are comfortable paying.

Here's my brief thoughts

1. If you are ok with the extra money, absolutely skip the home editions
2. IMHO, rather than getting a home edition that costs > $4000, consider a Bally/Williams or a Data East that a collector has fixed up. Will be a better experience, IMHO
3. But if you want a "light" pinball experience, must have NIB, and are ok with the $4k+ price tags, go ahead. But be aware (IMHO) these are much less desirable.

I just got a Zizzle POTC Gen2 "At World's End" and it is in my opinion amazing.
I haven't upgraded the flippers, rubber or even added any posts to it.
If you know HOW to play pinball, this game will indeed challenge you.
You can actually use pinball skills as you have to make shots. i.e. Skull Ramp
I just wish there were replacement parts avail.
Let's not forget it was meant as a toy, but if I can get another one for $250 or less, I'll grab it.