World Cup Soccer. Great pin that can be had around 2000. I had a freddy and couldnt get rid of it fast enough. Each to their own though.

I would own another tftc for sure.

Since it seems you have played the newer DMD games, maybe you should try to find a place that has older Bally/Williams games...1978-1990 or the classic Sterns. If you like any of them I would suggest you find a machine that is in very good condition cosmetically and mechanical wise. This because you might like to keep it and be proud to invite others to play it or it would be easier to sell if needed. John

Looking in the bang for your buck list might help too. I wouldn't count on those prices though.

http://pinside.com/pinball/top-100/bangforbuck

Tftc is really good or maybe last action hero. A mid 90s dmd either way. Another idea is to install visual pinball on your pc so you can try a large amounts of tables and find which one you like. That's how I got started as its hard finding much on location here.

For good flow on a lower priced table I might go with The Getaway, Terminator 2, or maybe Johnny Mnemonic.

Start scanning the local craigslist for bargains, welcome to the hobby, they have a way of multiplying.

If this is your first pin, I would say just about any pin will be a great start. Try something that you weren't considering (like an EM perhaps) and see what you are able to come away with. An open mind is a great thing, especially for your first deck.

Welcome to the sickness.

KMR

JoelReeves suggestions are right on. Pick the one that appeals to you theme-wise, or happens to cpme up in your area. (they made a lot of those!)

Keep an eye out for a Congo, Judge Dredd, Whirlwind, or Johnny Mnemonic all great playing pins that can be found at reasonable prices. Good luck hope you find your first soon and know that it won't be your last.

Congo is impossible to find at 2k, JM and JDs are maybes, depending on your hunting skills.

Mine multiplied before I even started, I went to pick up a DH for my first pin, and came away with a JP. Both very different tables obviously. For the money $1600ish DH is a great game, and a great bargain. Good luck with your search!

Jason

Stay away from Freddy or gottliebs in general for just one machine. look for a an early 90's williams/ bally would be my suggestion almost can't go wrong with any of them

I found one about a year ago in the best original condition I've ever seen for $2300 in an area where pins usually cost a pretty penny. It's gone up in price and popularity but not impossible to find for in the $2500- $2800 IMO. A friend recently bought a JM for $1500 in my area and have seen many JD adds for about 2K. Patients is the key when looking for a new pin. Just keep your eye out and be ready to respond the same day you see a good opportunity.

Sounds like you're more concerned with gameplay than theme. I like that. d:^)

Rather than narrow it down to one or two titles, best just to see what comes up for sale near you on craigslist, ebay or here. Don't buy your first game long distance. Check out the site linked below for reviews based mostly on gameplay.

http://www.pinballreviews.com/

Ebay price survey here:

http://www.bostonpinball.biz/ebay_112112.htm

Note that prices are *generally* higher on ebay than you would find on craigslist or here.

My first pin was a T2 and it was perfect. Not too complicated so I was really able to grasp all the rules but still fast and flow and easy for visitors to get into. It was also not to complex to clean, shop, work on, etc. If you wind up with a real pinball hobby you might as well learn to work on it yourself. And even if you are planning to keep it a long time, 95% of people on here will tell you 1 machine becomes 2 and on and on. Space and cash is always limited so trading and selling machines is probably going to be part of your future eventually. Cabinet and playfield clean up is difficult and/or expensive and it can really hurt resale value. The beauty of this hobby is you can usually at least get your money back for machines if you don't overpay or sink too much into them.

Have you tried "Tableside.com"?
Nah, just messing with you. Before buying your first pin, go out, meet as many pinsiders as possible, go to a few pin events, and play a sh!tpile of pins... You won't regret a little fieldwork first.

The nice thing about (most) Em's is that they don't cost that much to get into the hobby with. Many of these older games can be "nastified" quite a bit. I used to have 3 games in my collection. An Indy 500, Whirlwind and a '76 Gottleib Card Whiz. Even set to 5 balls, my game times were easily 1/2 to 1/4th of what my newer games were in the room. This year at PinBurgh that same table was used in the semis and (if memory serves) the finals of the "A" bank in competition. There is a much wider variation of games in the EM era than the DMD or SS eras. If you are looking for a FAST EM deck that you can find for a few hundeez. Look into a Williams Strato/Super-Flite. There are quite a few other tables out there like that as well.

Play the game before you buy it. That will be the best indicator for the "feel" of that table and if you will like the deck or not. Sometimes the hunt is more enjoyable than the catch. Above all, have fun. This is pinball we are talking about.

He is not lying about the Freddy. It only looks cool and that's about it.

I bought my first pin almost a year ago. I had a very similar background as you. I wanted a pin under $2,000. I did a little research & ended up buying Starship Troopers. It's a great fast paced game, that is right around $2000! Look it up in the search box & read the reviews! I highly recommend it.
There is One Major Problem with buying your first Pin...... It won't be your Last! Adjust your funds accordingly! LoL

Give Fish Tales a good look. I just picked up a decent one, needs work, but plays well. I believe my shot skills will improve from owning this game. I'm sure glad its on free play, it drains quickly when you are Newb like me.

I agree with Fish Tales as being a good pick IF you don't mind Hill Billy music. Another good choice is Dr Dude.
Like others have said, you just can't go wrong with a Bally / Williams game.

The ultimate gameplay-trumping-theme in the flow catagory? Steve Ritchies least favorite pin.

http://pinball.org/videos/gameplay-videos/rollergames/

$800-$1200 all day.

Plenty of good suggestions above. You may consider Stargate too.

I added a nice No Fear to my collection for $700 (no cab fade, woot!) and Stern Harley Davidson ($1300) about a year or so ago, I enjoy them for what I paid - No Fear being the better of the two gameplay-wise (by far). Shop around and have patience, if you're lucky you can snag some nice deals. You might even want to put an ad up on a local classifieds site 'looking to buy pinballs'; that's how I got my No Fear and Harley Davidson.

My neighbor here is giving you the best advice. Go to some place, be it a pinball show or a distributor with a large inventory, and just play the heck out of as many pins as you can. Bring a buddy along with you that has some pinball knowledge and what not and you two just play two player games and chat about the games while ya'll play and learn the rules.

Not only will the above be a blast for you and your buddy but you will walk away from a day or two like that with a really good idea about what you are looking for in a game and what you are not looking for in a game. Also, do not under-estimate theme. Theme is really important. Game play will never over take a poor theme in the eyes of many . . . so make sure you at least like (if not love) the theme of the game you are getting or you will not long term be happy with your decision.

If you're new to the hobby and looking to get your first game I would read up on this first. There are lots of people who have not prepared to perform basic maintenance tasks and post threads on silly things like "Where are the fuses?" and "What's a multimeter?" Don't be one of them! Prepare yourself for basic and frequent maintenance if you are getting your own pinball machine.

http://homepinballrepair.com/

I would go with Jurassic Park, IN your price range and super fun.

Yes but the T-Rex toy on that game is quite problematic.

One of the tournament staff members at yesterday's PATZ was looking for an inexperienced player as he was attempting to flip a machine he bought two weeks earlier for less than half of what he was asking. Pretty lame.

Best not to let anyone know you are looking for a first pin. Greedy sellers will try to play you.

If you can pick it up today, a guy on Chicago Craigslist has a Fishtales for $1800. If I wasn't out of play money I would be picking it up.