Add until you cant add anymore. Then add 1 more.

All of the pins you mentioned are really good. I find that long term keepers for me need a few things specifically: replayability, a theme that resonates with me (and hopefully my family as well), and a layout/style that is different enough from my other pins to stay enjoyable.

Depth is important...but to be honest...it is secondary to the other things i mentioned because sometimes i want a deep game and sometimes a less involved game, sometimes a long game and sometimes a quicker game. This goes along with the "different enough" qualification i mentioned earlier.

No one can truly tell you what the best game for YOU is. I always suggest looking through the pinside top 100 and reading reviews for in-depth info as well as watching videos of gameplay. Of course, you should try to play all the pins you are considering before buying...but that isnt always possible.

It often comes down to simply what is available in your area and what you can afford.

Assuming you have done all of the things above, here are my specific suggestions:

I think the 3 options that would fit best for you are either MM, DP prem, or hobbit. All are vastly different from what you currently have and are great games. You are well represented from sterns already, but you dont have a JJP. They play completely different...and hobbit is a mode-based game, which you dont have.

MM represents another company (im assuming a CGC remake) and era of game that you dont have in your collection, and it is considered one of the best pins of all time for a good reason.

DP premium is just a very unique game that is really unlike anything else. I think it would fit well in ANY collection. My only trepidation would be that you are already so well represented with newer sterns.

This is a long read, but i hope you are able to go through it and give it some real thought.

The more games you have the more shallower games become keepers.

Curious why you went stranger things pro and LE in JP? Feels like stranger things benefits a lot from the projector? Do you not miss that? Would love to hear your thoughts since this game is on my list and I love to go pro when possible.

I would invite you to consider Dialed In, it's a great game with a flow like no other and a lot to do to never see the end of it.
The quantum theater is a, I think never seen before, toy that's magnet based and can act as a pass through, a kick back or a holder.

I have 3 - Met Pro, Whirlwind, and RBION. Gonna hopfully add JP Prem in a month or so. My space at the moment is good for 5-7. After JP probably looking myself at TZ, Deadpool, or Creech. To me, MM is kinda a snooze fest. Ramps and castle over and over again. GB Prem is good fun, but some people absolutely hate the magna slings and the ladder like modes. I love the game, but I also dont own one and duno how stale it'd get. MB seems shallow but it's kinda not. Diversity in shots, diff modes for each monster, and hitting the MB if you get em all is fun.

I assume you’ve met ZMeny ? I’m sure he can help you find what you’re looking for.

My family really enjoyed stern Star Trek and Star Wars. Deadpool was fun too

Ya know, those cute kiddies will grow up and their tastes will change.I wouldn't cater anymore to that end! A DPLE would be my choice,GB are getting expensive when you consider the topper alone is now getting 1K!! You must choose wisely!!

We've got/had most of the A List B/W games, and what does my wife play almost exclusively? The restored Strikes and Spares.

Throw a solid state game in there.

Deadpool premium or stern Star Wars (pro or premium) would really compliment that lineup well. TSPP and JP are a bit more on the technical deep side. TZ is technically fun. STH is brutal fun. Deadpool is just pure fun with some of the best ‘feel good’ shots in all of pinball with an awesome rule set for all skill levels and amazing sound package. Star Wars is more like STH in that it’s fast and furious. Star Wars, IMO, has one of the heat rule sets in all of pinball; but it can be a hard game for beginners (or tournament players lol).

Check out an Iron Man. It’s fun and fast with quick ball times. It has that “one more time” vibe to it.

Good games, recommend a faster shorter ball time pin. Iron Man fits as suggested, SW on your list, or diversity w/older titles to deliver it.
Just as thrilling as deep code generation.

If you don't think MB is deep enough for home, I'd stay away from Creature

Boiler Up

How about Indy 500 , AFM or Spiderman ?
I really like my JJP pins. Surprised you don't like Wonka
Have you tried DI ?

You need an EM or early SS in there. You don't know frustration until you have a string of 30 second games.

I'm not sure what bing bing bong bings are, but if you mean EMs and solid states, there is much more going on than just looks and sounds. But hey, to each their own!

I have a hard time walking away from my MM royal I find more to do all the time.you and the family might like POTC stern my family loves it.enjoy whatever you choose

talk to me when you get into double digits.

Well from your list, I’ve had my DP LE for over two years which for me is an eternity as I like to rotate the lineup fairly frequently. I actually got it in a trade for an MB which was a grail game for me until it got stale in like 2 months. DP is a super fun game with great callouts and while they’re both Gomez games I prefer the shots in Deadpool. It’s also pretty easy to have a good game with rubbers on the outlane posts. Not sure about the skill level of the kids, GB and CFTBL can be pretty tough.

NGG

Do you guys play mostly solo games or multiplayer games? Do you have parties where guests come over and play, and is that a consideration? Are you looking to develop competitive skills or are ya just happy hanging out and playing pins at home and location for fun? Do you do your own maintenance or would you need to find somebody? How many pins do you envision owning in the future at max capacity? (And yeah, take what you think is real and then double it lol.......)

My recommendations would vary depending on the answers to these questions.....

Okay then. The reasons I asked the questions is that for solo play you're not concerned about long ball times/games and are probably somewhat more interested in getting deep into the game rather than score. From a party perspective, guests (non pinheads) generally prefer simpler games that they can easily grasp quickly rather than having to spend a lot of time figuring rules and strategies out. They just want to flip and score points. If you're not interested in competition, then you don't really need to worry about understanding how to play games from a variety of eras and different techniques. Having games from different eras definitely makes you a better player over time. Maintenance is obviously a little more of a consideration for older games and if you're looking to get a larger collection at some point you can afford to get some more "niche" games that you normally wouldn't consider in a smaller collection.

So that said, sounds like sticking to newer games probably is the best strategy for you. If you get to a point by going to shows etc. and playing a wider variety of games that a different era starts to appeal to you, then you can always start then. Over time your tastes may change as you get more exposure, but they very well may not lol.

I'd pass on Medieval, MB and Creature if I were you. They just don't sound like what you're looking for. All of them are fun but I wouldn't call any one particularly deep and for the money you can get something else thats newer (or at least a "newer design"). You might want to consider LOTR and or Shadow if you want to get another more classic DMD game. People hate the artwork on Shadow but its a real "players game". The newer games are going to be pretty much up to your taste. Everyone will have their own favorites, Deadpool and Ghostbusters would be fine choices, I'm not a particular fan of Star Wars, but I'm most familiar playing a Pro there with admittedly older code so not sure how thats changed. You may also want to take a look at the American Pinball offerings if you want a different company, a lot of bang for your buck there.

You might want to take a look at Star Trek, there’s a bit less variety and it’s not quite as deep as other offerings but it seems to be a bit more forgiving. Or as Bowen would say, just play better lol....

If you have room for twenty total pinball at this time you will likely be looking for more room at the point you reach 30 . I mention this so you can have extensive wish list and plan for eventual variety as titles become avaiable.

Wife's wish list should stand alone . Happy wife happy life can be issue when you get into pinballs .

Suggest get a as is complete substandard game for father son learning / bonding expierence. Use of tools and basic understanding electricity and logical approach troubleshooting a good skills for all going forward in life ( add wife if she expresses interest ) .

Lots more to this hobby than gameplay !

Shane

PS Johnny Mnemonic find one in good playing condition and you will want one .

If you think MB is not deep enough for home then stay away from creech as well.

I seem to be heading down the same trajectory as you. I have been purchasing my pins based on the theme.

Bough first 2 pins in December. TSPP and STH Premium. I play the STH 100 over the Simpsons. I have not understood the rules on TSPP yet so that may change I just don’t find it as “tight” (like a new car) as STH. I honestly don’t think I will find a game that I will enjoy as much as STH. I’m beyond addicted.

I just ordered a GnR LE. Love the theme and I wanted a JJP.

My want list includes:
JP Premium
DP Premium
TWD Pro

Games like Dialed In, Medieval Madness, Elvira, all seem great but I have zero interest in the theme and would never own one. Again I’m new to pins so maybe someday I will evolve.

Goodluck in your search.

More than anything else, the question you want to ask yourself is what do you want to do? Looking at what you have right now these are that makes your display belly Williams games and newer. Now you may not be interested in older games at all but there's a lot of great games out there to be had that will offer a simpler, quicker and more direct experience. Quite often I'd see players coming to A event like pinburgh and they would be very comfortable on games with ramps and dot matrix displays but as soon as they stepped up to an electromechanical game their game just flew out the window they didn't know how to deal with what they were being confronted with. In some cases they would blame the pinball game calling it a look box or a bingo of sorts. So I'd ask you to consider expanding your horizons and look to other games that are older and while you are playing pinball offer a different experience.

You can go out and find those games listed pretty easily. Finding older games is becoming more interesting as many of the collectors have snapped them up as compared to many of those games that have ended up in the landfill.

Since the plague has stopped all the pinball shows from happening, see if you can get in touch with other local collectors that have older games in your area and go check out what they've got. Bring the family with you if you can. Stay safe while out and about and you may be in for a pleasant pin-surprise.

Happy hunting!

(There, that's a much better response...)

rudycrazed (resized).jpg

Theres a no good gofers at the waiting room in Bridgeton. Very close to where you will be in St charles. There is also a wonka LE and all games at 50 Cents.

My own collection has a very weird thread running through it. I have a game from about every decade (missing the ‘70’s right now) so that makes for varied types of fun to be had based on how I am feeling, how nostalgic I feel when walk up to the line and decide to play... for a real trip back to my single digit years, I have a 60’s wedge head, I have an 80’s SS, a 90’s WPC and Sega, a naughties Stern, and a 2010’s remake of a late 90’s WPC, which covers new technology and was NIB from this decade without actually being from this decade... so I can take a long or short trip back in time depending on my mood. The wedge head, being all bing bing bong bong as you put it, is the fastest machine to start a game on. Boot time is about 1 second and I can be playing a game within 3... this makes “a quick game of pinball” exactly that...

But seeing your collection, you seem to be stuck at 90’s and later, or more accurately, a modern collection with throwbacks to the 90’s WPC and Stern naughties eras. If this is what you like playing, I would go with CGI remakes to flesh out your WPC lineup, and stick with the modern Sterns and a JJP or API title that floats your boat. I think both JJP and API make great machines, but their theme choices have been disappointing. The only JJP that I recommend is POTC, that is one heart pounding fun game to play IF you know how to play it, but unfortunately they are pricey due to limited supply and increasing demand. For API, their builds are solid, their toys quite functional, decent quality, but they have yet to produce a title that strikes a chord with me. Modern Sterns are fun and Deadpool premium, IMDN, and even EHOH are good candidates based on what you currently own. SW and ST from Stern are keepers in premium and above, but the pros are sadly not up to snuff once you play premium versions IMHO.

I know its not on your list but Hot Wheels is a great playing/looking machine with depth if you want it but you can have a blast with out knowing anything about the game. They come loaded and for now at least are one of the best values to be had.

The JJPs are all amazing games. Although it can be hard to appreciate just how spectacular and rewarding they are when they aren't in your collection. They are a bit pricier but they are more likely to hold their value than any other manufacturer due to their curb appeal, construction quality and surprisingly low production numbers. In essence, at this time, every JJP is a limited edition.

I miss my NGG and T2. SM and ST Premium would be ideal too if plan on sticking to modern.

This made this song pop into my head:

I add 2 pins before I add 2 pins.

And then I add 2 more.