I have both, but if I had to choose one I think AFMs would stay. I had 3 in my collection for the past 12 years straight only upgrading to a nicer piece.

I'd actually go Maiden...very diff'ernt feel to it. I mean AFM is a classic and rightly so...but jeez you've probably played it a million times already.

I have both. I would go Maiden.

Can't go wrong with Iron Maiden Pro. I love AFM, but i'd go for Maiden. I think price-wise, it's the better deal.

Both great games but I vote iron maiden.

I have IMDN LE and AFMr LE. My suggestion is Iron Maiden, simply because it’s new to you

Both are astonishingly good, and either way you can’t go wrong

Depends on what kind of electrical system you are into repairing, and how soon you like to get your replacement parts.

I have both but to be honest Afmr Le doesnt get much love unless a have a few peeps over
Its Maiden all day every day. I'm actually considering selling my Afmr Le and Mmr, I never play them.

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Iron Maiden just looks too much like a mashup of TZ, Congo and Metallica. I did enjoy playing it, but honestly don't see what makes it so special. And I am a huge Iron Maiden fan.

You are just not a Stern guy.

Since you already had AFM I would say Maiden and go with something new.

What is up with AFM classic anyway? Isnt it worth it to get the special instead?

What makes you think it's like Metallica? I own both and they feel very different to me.

Imdn is a very good pin, however Afm is a top 3 pin of all time. Great layout, great call outs great code a timeless classic just like a 63 split window vette.

Go maiden if you enjoy hearing the same 30 seconds or so of the same song ball to ball. I had borrowed one for a week. I like maidens music and the game plays good. But the repetitive nature of the music gets annoying.
And yes you can change songs. But having it restart ball to ball is annoying as F'.
And makes me not want to hear maiden for awhile.

AFM is a classic. No complaints.

AFMR FTW

The music is horrible no doubt. Instead of going through the trouble of changing songs, which would end up just as repetitive, you can go in the settings and turn the music down and the voices up.
Not perfect of course, but it really helps.

It would be nice if they would change that feature, so the song would continue where it left off ball to ball. Or at least offer it as a menu option to change based on preference.

Yeah in our league we ended up turning the music way down but left the callout volume.
Adjustment in the menu.
It was still kind of annoying. But also kind of defeats the purpose of having the music in there.

Hopefully they fix it. One of the reasons music pins don't quite work. They all seem to do this.

Ah so you're saying if you don;t change the song betwixt balls it keep the same place in the song? Never knew that, good info.

Don’t know what you are talking about. Keep the same song and it continues ball to ball.

But I see what you are saying on being a big fan of Maiden and getting the game you would think that would be the best, but I know how it can be annoying after a while. I liked AS and ACDC music a lot and loved the pins for a while when I had them but music burnout happened on those two. I didnt know Maiden songs at all and never listened to MeT but I like the music a lot on those games because it is new and fresh for me.

AFMr is as good as pinball gets in my opinion. It’s an all-time classic for a reason. The humor sets it apart from Iron Maiden.

A mashup of Twilight Zone, Congo, and Metallica sounds amazing. Having said that I'd still probably go with Attack From Mars. It's been on the top of pinball rankings for over 20 years. I find the layout on Iron Maiden to be more unique, but in a single machine collection that doesn't really matter. Either way though, don't be set on keeping a machine forever. Buy something, enjoy it, and then let it go to purchase something new.

PS: I don't totally disagree with you. Back when it was Archer, I suggested for that a complete upper loop shot play piano music as a tribute to Twilight Zone. I've sketched out my dream layout many times and it includes that exact same shot. I always though of my machine as a cross between Twilight Zone and Attack From Mars.

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IMDN if you are fan of the band or amazing flow, AFMr if you want a machine that is accessible to everyone.

I love AFM but if it's only, then IMDN. Just deeper modes, allowing for more variations. But I would buy both.

More like ever again.

I'm just going off what was said, so that is good to hear. I don't have my IMDN yet so I wouldn't know first-hand, still patiently waiting.............

I have a IMDN, no AFMr. But spent a full weekend playing a AFMr a couple of weeks ago. LOVED IT. And was tempted to get one. But after a hundred plays, I prefer IMDN. The modes, and goals in IMDN are truly fun and have more depth. But AFMr is just a fun pin, with a superior light show. And I felt it was built better.

For the music - well it's good pinball music. Like others I messed with music attenuation, so it's more background music. It's been good. The callouts are awesome, and he taunts you quite a bit.

Some of the modes in IMDN are TOUGH. Flight if Icarus is pretty much a Keith Elwin mode, that rewards you for ramp combos. I've hit a 4-way combo once in the mode. Takes a lot of awareness and focus to not drain while shooting alternating ramps. It's stuff like this that makes the game so entertaining. Stacking multi-balls in some of the single ball modes. Lighting revive. Loop jackpots are a hoot. There is just so much to do there.

I convinced myself to overlook the IMDN theme, because it's really a "Eddie Monster" theme. And the IRL band doesn't appear on it.

My 2c.

Both games are great. IM has much deeper software so therefore more staying power in a smaller collection.

I’d take most modern Sterns over the B/W games if you only have room for one. Strictly on code alone.

I'd also go Maiden. Not a fan, but their music is growing on me and is perfect for a pin. I was also unimpressed with the AFM remake I just played on location. Looked great but just didn't feel as good to me as an original.

afmr all day, maiden is like ghostbusters, hot for the next year... then it will "run to the hills".

Doubtful. Maiden has universal acclaim. Many top players are buying it. Lots of people talking about it being one of the best ever.

Unlike GB, Maiden will stay in the top 10 with the other Stern greats.

I'm a purist at heart. I love early SS games the best but AFM might be the best and most perfectly designed pin of all time. This is unlikely to change and is an incredibly important game in pinball history.

Got both.

I prefer feel and lighting of original AFM over AFMR.

AFM one of my favorite games of all time.

But code on Maiden will probably ensure more games played on it than AFM.

Maybe pick up a Maiden pro and in a year or so a used AFMR will be a good deal cheaper as market saturation is coming!

Yeah. What the hell does Keith Elwin know about pinball anyway?!

GB was hot for a year?

AFM is the same stuff too. There both DMD's... they get old. Same ole' voices and music plus same shots; very repetitive. I loved my AFM for many months and then one day it was like. Crap its the same stuff, over and over... IM is a nice new feel, but I can imagine what you are saying is probably also true especially with a music pin. I am so sick of AC/DC, Metallica, Stones, Def Leppard, etc. music let alone owning the pin. If I hear Armadeddon' it'!! or Back in Black one more time./..... Ok. Happy Saturday...

Yea, Maiden is here to stay. Their fan base is a monster....and its a great game. GB not so much...

Iron Maiden is an instant classic in my opinion.

The rules are crazy-well thought out ALREADY, and like others said above, the complexity of the modes/Mballs keeps you coming back for more.

here are some examples of why I think these rules are some of the best

-fear of the dark (spinner mode-hit purple shot, then nail orange lit spinner) if you hit the left ramp as your first shot, there is no spinner to hit on that flipper return. keith already thought of that and made the right ramp lit for a doubler, so you can combo into the right ramp, then nail the spinner for even bigger points. And when you hit this combo, you feel satisified. Why ever go for the harder lower spinner, when the top spinner is so much easier to hit? Well, Keith already thought of that and made the bottom harder spinner worth double.

-Modes are cool to start, as you build to a mini-wizard. But they are REALLY FUN to beat, as they light a hurry up to collect a "Ripley's Letter" or "Gift from the Elves", so to speak. The modes all feel so different, and are all about as hard to beat as one another. there are no easy modes to beat, like LOTR escape the ringwraiths. Getting like 6 ramps in a row on Icarus mode is soooooooo fun. The callouts get amazing.

-the multiballs have their own personality (especially since the add a ball's require different tasks). In Mummy multiball for example, you hit spinners, and pops to get the required switch hits done, and hit the captive ball to move to the next set. Kinda boring by itself. But when you add in that you can achieve 3 add-a-balls (which involves 2 ramps for the first, then 2ramps/2orbits for the 2nd, then all the damn shots in the game for the 3rd!!), you make a wildly fun and unique multiball. For sooo long, it was "hit the mystery to get add a ball, usually" for all stern games. Keith shook this stale standard, and made add a balls super unique on this game.

I can actually go on and on at how smart these rules are, and I likely will at some point, but consider this excerpt my vote for IMDN.

Please do continue with the rules, I learned a lot from your post--looking forward to more!

As others have said, AFM is a classic. But, IMDN is one of the best pins that I have ever played. I’m not a fan of the music, but in this pin, it doesn’t matter.

AFM will leave before IMDN in my collection.

Great comments, write a review! I agree, it is an instant classic. My AFMr already left, and I don't really miss it. I kept my MMr, but IMDN gets more play than MMr ever did. It is just incredibly fun. These comments about the music are ridiculous. I'm no super fan of IMDN but millions of people are, and they understand the mythology, archetypes, historical, and literary references. This is a band for people who like to think. The narrative structure of their songs and mythology play amazing well within the world of this game.

Imdn does play very well BUT it is way too MB heavy. I hope that gets corrected. I would love the music to be "corrected" as well but that's just me!

So classic vs one of Stern's best in some time. Tough one. Classic for me.

Gonna disagree on this. The multiballs are brilliant and end up being a big part of the strategy of the game.

Thanks for the positive thoughts on my examples of why these rules are so RAD.

I would disagree on it being multi-ball heavy. It is always a tough balance with multi-balls, as you want the rookie to have a good, fun, Multi-Ball experience, but want to make it hard for better players and not a Multi-ball all day game (like maybe spiderman).

The INITIAL mummy, and Trooper are easy to get to. Trying to get back to either a 2nd time is a challenge. Especially Trooper on the Pro. I am sure Mummy a 2nd time would be harder to get to on the Premium and the LE, since it involves the left ramp.

Oh, and these rules are AWESOME (did I mention that already?!?).

-Keith borrows a nod to LOTR, and keeps progress on the Main Multi-balls. So if you got all the way to the last Mummy Letter during Mummy MB, but choked on the super jackpot shot on the ramp (which lites the Mummy Eddie Card), do not fret. Just like draining on LOTR with the Super Jackbot shot, just get there again, and take that one shot!

-Also, for the newbs, if you have a have a really bad 2 balls, the mode will change to a "pity Aces High" Multiball ready. You know, for the kids...

I will eventually write that review. When i do, i can copy and paste a bunch from this review!

I own 10 pins and Have owned 30. If I could only have 1 from all of those it would be Iron Maiden. AFM is a great game, but it is very shallow to play every day. It will get old. Iron Maiden has so much going on and is so challenging you will be playing it for a very long time before you see all it has to offer. It is a masterpiece of pinball design and rules. It will be #1 on the 100 list here soon.