start with a Star Trek Pro.
Lots of challenge with good flow.
plus Stern games of that era are bullet-proof.

I’ve owned 2 Star Trek pros. Great layout and fun game with 3 flippers. Very reliable modern game. Lots of used games Available or You could possibly even still find one new in box with a distributor.

As a younger veteran in this hobby I will give you this advice. There is no perfect pin. All pinball is fun. Some games will last a few month and some a few years. Keep it fresh and switch pins out when your not playing them a lot. If money is no object then start collecting the ones you love. Just know that even the ones you love will eventually become dust collectors. This is a super fun hobby to get started in. You can start with a few thousand, purchase a nice clean game and play it until it becomes dull/unchallenging. Then sell it (around what you paid or more with the appreciation these days) and get another. I would look at a few and buy the one you can get the best deal on.

Right now value is through the roof. This hobby keeps growing and pins seem to be getting more and more expensive as the years go on.

You check out the norcal pinside thread? Just missed a T2 for 2k.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/nor-cal-pinheads-thread/page/141#post-6494192

Patience is the key. I scan CL, FB market Place, Pinside & eBay daily. Good deals do come along fairly often. Buying from a reputable shop usually means the machine is in good working order. Buying direct can yield a better deal, but take your time and check over the pin carefully.

ST Pro is my all time favorite pin, can't lose!

Guidance on your first pin purchase? Just pick any which one. It won’t end there, you'll be getting more anyway!

Bride of Pinbot is a great game, but I would not pay big money for it. I used to love this game when it first came out. I owned one in the 90's for a couple of years and then another one recently. I was thinking about keeping it but after a week of play I got bored of it. It became to easy of a game for me. In this game it's all about the head. Once you get to the final stage of the head and keep doing that game after game it kind of loses its excitement. The center ramp always wants to crack at the entrance when the ball makes its first right turn . I had to replace both ramps on the one I had in the 90's since they were so cracked up. The head on my second one needed to be repaired. Even though Pinbot is not on my radar I think I would prefer to have a Pinbot in my collection over Bride. As others stated patience is the key. Anyone can go out a buy a game today but that does not mean they got a good condition game or paid a good price. For me it's all about the find. I have been collecting since the 80's and all of the many games I have in my personal collection were all finds. I never went out a just bought the game I wanted because there is one listed for sale at that time. The price is always been the number one factor when buying a game. I am always looking for the game that is priced as low as possible for a good condition game. If a game is over priced then I will pass and I wait for the right deal to arrive later on. I really enjoy the hunt more than anything. For me it adds so much more satisfaction that you find the game you want, in the condition that works for you and that it was at a smoking price. The Pinside Estimated Price is a good source to start. If you are looking for just a good original working Pin then I would stay near that estimated price as much as possible. I have owned all of the games you have listed. For me High Speed and T2 still hold up the best for me today.

So true. Make a few mistakes and learn from them. On a tight budget though, don’t let your child on Christmas night excitement get the best of you.

Getaway would be a great first pin. They made a lot of those. I love the BoP sounds and theme, but the game play of Getaway holds me longer.

My problem with bop gameplay is the left ramp gets worn out and the rest of the pf is pristine

Buy games based on playability, not theme alone. In your price range I would seek out a Baywatch. Absolutely amazing game for the money.

Agree with the above…patience is key. If you set out to buy a game on your trip to Pinball Wizards, you’ll likely make an emotional purchase (I really want a game) rather than an informed purchase (the game is worth the money and is in good working condition).

If you have local places with pins, go often and play to find what types of games you like. Join a league if that’s an option. Get to know others in the area who are in the hobby. They can be a great resource for questions and leads on games. They can let you know reputable (and more importantly the not-so-reputable) sellers in the area. May even meet folks who would go with you to look for issues with a potential purchase.

Another piece of advice would be to also budget for tools and parts. You didn’t mention how the parents’ PinBot was serviced, but if you aren’t familiar with pinball repair, you will be. This site is a great resource to help troubleshoot problems, but you will need tools beyond screwdrivers, like a voltmeter and decent soldering iron.

And be prepared for your second game sooner than you might think.

It's not inherently better. I prefer the original, though could understand wanting a DMD for a first game, and Getaway does have the neat gimmick with the supercharger loop.

Another worthless opinion of mine is that the original Black Knight is better than BK2 or BK3, but the point would be that fancier gizmos and screens, or higher price points, don't always equal more fun/lastability.

You want a good bang for your buck game that will also meet your Arnold needs. Last action hero. Lots of stuff to do on it, data east games are great for first pins in general. My wife wanted a LAH so she just went and bought one about 16 months ago, I tinker with it.

I continue to do the buy add cash trade up game as far as my personal game, started from a EM, fixed it, sold it, added cash, got a gottlieb system 3, fixed it sold it added cash got a stern spiderman, upgraded it, traded and added cash for a NIB iron maiden, if you don't have income to throw around, you are gonna have to play the long game when it comes to getting what you want.

But if your working with 3k give or take... Do yourself a favor and look at data east games ( Jurassic park, star wars, LAH, lethal weapon, tales from the crypt) they are going up, but are a great bang for buck IMO, but a great way to learn on modern era games. Hell data east turned into stern eventually.

Really funny I stumbled on this post because I literally was just looking for a way to get a mod from you, check your PMs.. or don't.. either way. Love your work!!!

And something I had to tell my self that I'll tell you even though today's market is different. when you buy a game, play it, and eventually get bored and wanna change up your line up. When you sell the game, if you take a loss, don't get bummed out, I always told myself if I ended up losing a few hundred dollars, but I played the game for months or years, that money I lost was the price to enjoy the game for the time I had it. But today's market as long as your smart and dont pay more than what something is worth, your all good.

When you buy your game, be smart, buy decent or better condition, take care of it, fix any issues it has, clean it up wax it, upgrade/mod it if you want, and A number 1, enjoy having it, not just playing it but enjoy the whole process, the tinkering and the cleaning, and the maintence. Thats my two cents.

To me I think BOP is a $3k or less game which is also the Pinside Average. It's a game that will get old after a while since it's mainly based on one shot. I think there are better games that are above the $3k mark. Prices are going to vary based on playfield condition, cabinet condition, shopped or not, and how mechanical sound the overall game is. For me the best way to compare a good deal is just look to see what is the Estimated Price is on Pinside or look back at the ones that actually sold on Pinside minus the overly modded out over priced games unless that is what you prefer. For me I just like a good condition factory game. I don't need any mods or extras to enjoy the game more. In most cases for me these sort of extra items are more annoying when it comes to playing them unless it make a tasteful improvement like a color DMD. I am more interested in playing a good working clean survivor than having a overpriced museum looking piece of art. I think you would enjoy T2 more. it's very fast, great flow, good action, has a video mode, the gun shot is excellent, and has a lot of different things to do on it instead of just one thing. Plus its a DMD game and all of these will have a Diamond Plate Playfield. T2 is a game that was very fun for me when it came out and still holds up excellent today. This title will not break the bank. You can still find some good prices on T2 but it's always best to look around on other sources as well to find them.

T2 has some fun aspects but it’s not great. (I’ve owned one previously)

It’s fast and can be tough at times. But the rules are pretty shallow to the point I felt I was continuously shooting to start multiball.

As others said Star Trek is a much better game (both versions). Both will be more entertaining as a single game collection.