It is in the regular rotation of games that I play normally. The newer machines to the game room always get the most play, naturally. But of the machines I have owned that aren't X-Men and AC/DC right now, it gets more play than anything else.

It is a status pin. It is an awesome game. But better than ACDC and Xmen LE combined (both NIBs)? No it is not. I'd be a buyer for a mint condition one at around 8k granted that means I will not own one at any point in the near future as ones that I would consider sell for 15k for now.

It's a great pin and I do enjoy it a lot, but I really play it no more than my other pins. Luckily, I bought it lot cheaper than they're going for now. At present prices, I probably wouldn't be able to force myself to cough up the cash that's required to get into one. I'd rather have a combo of LOTR, SM, Tron, ACDC, X-men, or some of the other lower priced so called W/B A or B-titles.

Since I've already got one, and I do like it as I stated, I don't want to part ways with it (at least not yet, LOL).

So no, I personally don't think MM is 13K good, but there must be at least a few people out there that do that don't have one yet.

I love my MM and I would say that it is probably my favorite pin ever. It just all comes together for me on this one.

Since I do consider it the best/most fun pin, it makes sense to me that they sell for a lot of money. Objectively its hard to say that any pin is worth the prices that you quote though. MM is worth maybe 5 times more than my RS. Does that mean MM is 5 times better than RS? Nope. It doesn't work that way.

I love mine a lot with great flow and theme, that said if I was buying I would would not pay $13K to $14K for one.

It is a really great game and players at all levels enjoy playing it. Ours does not get much play right now that we have Tron, AC/DC and a very good Virtual pin.

I don't own one but have played it several times on many occasions and it doesn't really do it for me. Even if it was a 5k pin I don't think I would own it. I enjoy playing it on VP or iPad and that's good enough for me.

It is a status or trophy pin. For that price you can have several nice pins that out play/perform at that price point IMO

Good luck

It outearns all sterns on location.(for me) People go to locations just to play it.
They will follow it around town when I move it.
Add to that it will always have high value, and you start to see why the price is so high.
Ops and collectors both want it, and really nice ones are hard to find.
-DNO-

Now that is cool.

The issue for me... is it 4-5k better then AFM????

I dont think so. AFM the poor mans MM lol

Preface: Great game, super fun. Really is stellar to play, fast and furious, made me laugh. Wish it had combo's.

Had 2, sold 2. Retail value did not equal play value. The best trade bait game ever. I think both games that I got from trading them (SM and LotR) are better games.

If it was a 5K pin, I would own it and hang on to it. But it is not, so I don't.

I have had almost every A lister at one point and have to say MM is my favorite and I feel it is worth the money. Currenlty sits next to XMEN LE and while XMEN is getting more play since it is new but if XMEN is not getting played MM seems to be the first game I will play.

I'd like to own one just to get some decent play time on it. After I'm through with it, I'd just like to get my money back. I'm not in the game to make money, but rather play a pin, complete it, and move on. Although there are some favorites that I can't let go of, which sucks because that's less room/money I have to try other pins. That and I only have time to play now and then so it takes me a while to get completely through a pin and most times I don't want to do it just once.

easily

Same here. MM is in the normal rotation and I do enjoy it. Family/Friends who are not pinheads and no perceived value of one versus the other rank MM top 3-5 of my collection consistently. I didn't pay $13K for mine - but the game is good.

Yes it is IMO.

Yep.

Yes it is a great game, price is high, but depends on how bad you want it. We all (family of 4) play MM quite a bit. Out of all of our games, MM gets the most right now. (new Color DMD helps)

Game is a blast, fun, entertaining, phrases are witty, its one of the best b/w games ever made

I personally don't think AFM holds a candle to MM... and I think AFM is over priced. Pricing for MM is interesting though, because out of all pins priced north of $9k I believe MM has the highest production run. In fact, contrary to the "rarity" tag people like to throw at it, MM is actually a top 5 most commonly owned game among Pinside members, and perhaps the #1 most wanted game on Pinside too. As with many others, I think MM is a great game, but it also has a massive hype machine behind it, both of which keep the demand high.

Owners who bought it back in the day for a reasonable price won't let it go, even if it's not played at the house because occasional visitors always ask to play it. MM may still be the highest earner on location, and part of that is because collectors want to play games they can't afford, and see what the hype is about. Wealthy non-pin players buy it because they are told by retail outlets it's the best, so those customers want it.

It's also important to note the average MM price is rising because a large percentage of them have been fully restored, or are getting fully restored, so those who got a $7k routed MM and put another $5k into restoration want at least their $12k back. As a result, new collectors today only see the availability of these restored MM's. After looking at $7k NIB pricing from Stern/JJP and being told it's like the "Mercedes" of pinball games, they don't see that the prices MM demands as out of line... it's only 2x a NIB, and a Mercedes cost 2x a Toyota doesn't it?

Let me start by saying this... No and I mean NO pin is worth 10+k unless I am selling it!! :p

Honestly though, MM and AFM are both great games but I will say it once again. They are gone along with MB, SC and all the rest. TSPP is still here. Why? Rules! Really if I could have one game back that I sold, it would be TZ. Again... Great rules!

MM and AFM are good games but I don't feel they are any better especially when you consider the sheer amount of shit to do in a new game.

I had both AFM and MM.
I sold MM
I still have AFM

to answer your question... a pin is worth what you can sell it for...It's that simple...
.so don't buy a pin for more than you can sell it for.

It is like having a Harley, lot of status but still a lot of fun, but not sure if it is the best. It can only stay there for so long. It will eventually get knocked off the top when the correct technology meets the right playfield layout.

Some of the owners have actually owned them since before it went crazy and was the most wanted pin out there.

it's not 13k good. In fact, it wasn't even 5k good. I had one, and wasn't worth keeping for the 5.5k I had invested in it. Lasted 3 months and was back out the door.

I was fortunate enough to pick up a HUO MM (with documentation) for $3800.00 10/11 years ago. I still have the game and love the play, ruleset, humor etc. I never really thought of how good it is in terms of money. Interesting thread topic. NO, I would NOT pay $13 K for one. Having said that, I wouldn't sell mine for $13K either.

Mark Salas

I still think MM is the better game than AFM and they are both better than SM.

Dont tell me that. My HD will never leave : o

Speaking of bikes im having that issue right now. Keep my Ducati or sell for AFM?

I had both AFM and MM.

I sold AFM.

I still have MM.

What!?! Pinball is my second favorite hobby.

Everytime that thought enters your head go out and take a ride.

Thats some good advice

MM is really good. Have mine for 10 years and it'll stay at least that much longer. Always fun to play.

Well, at least the software in the MM is finished.

(couldn't resist)

Bear in mind, AFM is MM 1.0 He refined the design, the ruleset, how everything works together between AFM and MM. It's noticeable with AFM that it's very very good but just not quite right. (probably that 5 way combo as a mode to complete is one that stands out).

By the time Brian Eddy did MM, he had the final rough edges removed and produced a very polished title. Great ruleset, great humor, art, music and a very challenging but reachable wizard mode.

Love the game. As mentioned above, the collecting side is what makes the game so expensive. It is the holy grail.

Back in 2003 or so, I got out of the hobby for the most part. I sold off all of the pins except one. Medieval Madness was the *one* I kept out of the collection of 16 then. Out of the 80+ pins I had been through to that point, that was the single one I wouldn't do without.

Now some of that was the fact that I had so much effort into it. I bought a thoroughly trashed out, routed bar machine. Put a NOS playfield into it with all NOS parts on that playfield. I have since added sound upgrades, the excellent Pinbits shaker motor and an LED refit.

To date, I have finished the wizard mode on every pin I have ever owned with two exceptions. AFM and MM. I have some mental block when it comes to those final shots in Battle for the Kingdom and invariably lose the ball while shooting those final gate shots between the trolls.

I still keep coming back to MM on a regular basis. To me, it's an example of how to get a pin *exactly right*. There's nothing about it I would change and it's why it will always be the last pin standing in my collection.

Agreed, which is why it's my all time favorite.

Regarding BFTK, I was finally able to beat it by using the strategy of saving my Troll bombs for the end of the game/BFTK. So after you hit all the jackpot shots and are ready to hit the gate, use the Troll bombs to get rid of them completely and you will have a clear shot.

I found it harder to get to RTU than BFTK, but BFTK is much harder to beat than RTU once you get there.

Funny, MM was the 1st pin I almost turfed from my line-up. It had become somewhat repetitive and I was a big fan of mode-based pinball. Before I let go of a (then) $8K pin, I decided to give it another chance. I watched PAPA videos and really read into the rules a lot more. Turns out this game is not simply about bashing castles; that's the impression most non-owners or casual MM players will have.

Today, I have a much more diverse collection than I did when I first got MM, and it is still the first game I play at home and the toughest to beat. I have never reached the wizard mode (I'm getting close ) and the game does not get tired for me like it once did. MM is a rare example of a pin that is very accessible to noobs, if you just want to bach some castles, but very deep and difficult to master for the more skilled player.

Do I think it's worth $13K? Probably not... but I also don't think any game out there is. However, if I had to spend a ton of money on just one pin, MM would probably be it. It has a bit of everything.

Not for me, to each his own brother. If you don't have MM or AFM at the top of your list, lucky you. You can get several top twenty pins for the price of those two. If you are willing to play what you have and love to play, you can LOAD UP for less than either of those.

I just gave mine to my brother. Trying to get him to put some pins in his house as well.

Such a hard question to answer. Realistically, you should go play it more before spending the money on it. Pinball machines are such a personal thing - one person might love it, the next might hate it.

To me though, it is absolutely worth the cash - definitely my favorite game ever. I've owned and sold 4 of them now. My current machine was a high end restore and will hopefully never leave my house. AFM has pretty much the same shots with a different theme. I prefer the toys on MM.

I don't believe the price bubble stuff on old Williams games. I think this one is just going to keep going up. How many things can you purchase and enjoy, then sell down the road for more $$$? Pretty great hobby.

Good point - once you read and understand all the rules and shots, this game is much deeper than you might think upon first examination.

No game is worth 2 NIB Stern LE's- period.

Having said that, and realizing not all people like it, it is constantly at the top of most ranking lists. What price should it command? Flow, rules, depth, theme, toys, humor - pretty much hits every sweet spot people look for. Couple that with a run of around 4000, there are some popular pins that have a 4-5 times bigger run. So supply/demand inflates the price for this pin. I also think since it is not tied to a specific license, it does not get dated as easily, keeping it collectible.

Mine gets more play over the three days of the Texas Pinball Festival than the rest of the year combined in my game room. That being said I don't see it leaving any time soon. Is it worth $13-14k, nope. Does it sell for $13-14k, yep.

Agree. He has played mine. Fun, but current prices are silly.

So, what are people's basic strategies with this game? That may help some people that have been playing the game to less than it's full potential.

Bowen's tutorial

http://pinball.org/videos/tutorials/medieval-madness/

Once you realize that bashing a lot of castles is only going to allow you to light up one of the 6 inserts on the acheivement ladder to reach the wizard mode, you really start to appreciate the depth of this game. Sure, it's cool to destroy the King of Payne's castle and all his knights, But that's only the beginning. You have to start 3 peasant revolts, rescue 3 damsels, win 3 joust championships, 3 catapult slams and kill a whack of trolls to get the other achievements lit on the way to Battle for the Kingdom. It resembles the Tron achievement ladder in this respect, but with a lot more going on.

There is also a ton of strategy to scoring since this game allows you to stack hurry-ups. You can start a hurry-up via a super skill shot or by completing any of the above tasks once. If you start a 2nd hurry up while the first is still running, the value goes from 1 million up to 3 million and then 5, 8.5 etc. It can get pretty crazy because you are trying to avoid the castle gate and collecting too early, but you also don't want to drain and lose it all. This aspect of the game was unknown to me at first and now it really gets my blood pumping. I barely shoot castles anymore until I've completed the other tasks or once I have a multi-ball started.

Royal Madness is a great mini wizard mode for achieving one of each task and hitting the Merlin scoop. It gives you a chance to win an extra ball by making every flashing shot on the playfield with a resetting shot clock.
Lastly, you have some other cool features like castle multi-ball, barnyard multi-ball, video mode etc...
It really does have a bit of everything. Great humor, plenty of achievements and multiple levels of accomplishment for noobs and wizards alike. Good flow, great art and one of the coolest playfield toys ever... not to mention trash-talking trolls.

Now that I think of it... it probably is worth the asking price

I got it for 1 reason, I love the game and it's never leaving my collection.

I bought the game also because I love it. But I've had it for about 18 months and it generally just sits unplayed. People that come over play it. But it's not the best game in my collection and I'm surprised it's really ranked #1. Sure, it's really good, and I am glad I own it. But it's not like you have a collection of 10 games and a MM and all the other 9 are sitting idle because MM is so great. To be honest, Xmen and AC/DC make MM look sort of dated in my opinion.