It seems that For Sale posts for the original Medieval Madness are regularly sidetracks by conversation about original vs. remake. Let's keep those For Sale posts about the machine for sale and let the debate about original vs. remake occur here. No trolling intended here.

I have attempted to pose this as a realistic conundrum for people. A more ideal comparison might be an HUO original compared to a NIB remake, but I think finding an HUO original in excellent condition is exceedingly rare and not an opportunity that is likely to present itself to too many people. There are a good number of "very good" condition MM machines, however, leaving potential buyers with this dilemma.

If you think this is a clear cut decision for yourself, what price difference do you think you need to switch camps?

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I would argue that there is no difference in time frame between original and remake.

There is not a guaranteed supply of original MM available on any given day. Can you really find an original MM in very good condition RIGHT NOW for $8500? There is waiting involved in getting the right condition at the right price. There's no guarantee that one will come along at the right time and that one will get it before someone else grabs it. With only ~4000 made, the price of original MM (before MMr arrived) reflected this problem. I know that I myself have been keeping an eye out for an original MM for over a year. It's either been the wrong machine, wrong price, or I was too slow.

With the MMr, there is a guaranteed supply - they'll keep making it as long as people buy it. Critics would call it an unknown wait, but I'm not sure that you can say it's any more unknown than waiting for an original.

You could argue that you can get an MM original NOW if you pay up, but you could also get an MMr NOW if you pay up.

I don't think are are any more NIB original MM lying around that would sell for the same price as MMr.

Hmmm. Anyone know of the last time a legitimate NIB original MM was found?

Actually, I rather think that simile can be extended further. Do you pick the inferior option that you have a 100% chance of getting or the superior option that you a virtually 0% chance of getting?

I don't mean to imply that MMr is inferior, but if you have that opinion, it's still does not seem like a clear decision.

The poll poses the choice between a "very good" original against a NIB remake.

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My observation of this thread is that although the vote is very close to 50-50, there are more passionate posts in favor of the original.

Remember that survivorship bias is at play. Put another way, there probably was a washing machine 20 years ago that failed within one year. You don't hear about that one anymore because it went into the landfill 19 years ago and is not around to testify to its unreliability.

There are probably original MM's that met an early death, which you don't see anymore. Thus, we have a biased population of machines that give the illusion that all original machines were reliable because the lemons have already been removed from the population.

Ummm. I always look bad on any game. Not everone cares about their pinball skills relative to others.

@Taxman I'm not sure what you're getting at. We all have our own reason for playing. Surely you don't mean everyone will eventually have your experience and become competitive players or that those who aren't competitive aren't real pinball aficionados.

That would be very telling. Of course, that goes both ways. However, I suspect that number is close to zero, validating the prejudice and divisiveness around this. This is an emotional decision with supposed rational reasons being offered. Like politics, no one's mind is changed by any number of facts.

I'm not knocking it, but I have no interest in playing competitive pinball (except perhaps while drunk with some good friends). I suspect many (most?) fall into this category. I know you're not saying that playing competitive pinball is a must. But that immediately means my needs are completely different from yours.

MMr does use LEDs that cannot be swapped for incandescent bulbs in most locations. If you need the extremely warm color of incandescent bulbs, then MMr simply will not work for you. The LEDs, in my opinion, are very close to incandescent, but no one has perfectly replicated the color of incandescent bulbs.

However, if your objection to LEDs is the flickering or stroking, MMr has effectively incorporated their own version of LED OCD which has a very nice emulation of the soft fade of incandescent bulbs. I am sensitive to this effect to the point where I install LED OCD on every machine that comes through my house, but I find MMr completely fine in this regard.

There's probably no substitute for seeing a MMr in person to see if this will suit you.

Offering the choice between an original Rembrandt and a reproduction is ridiculous. How about offering me a choice between a one million dollar cash gift or a picture of one million dollars, because that's not going to happen either.

And yes, I have many art reproduction prints (posters) in my house because:
1) I don't have millions of dollars to spend on art
2) I enjoy the art and the fact that it is a poster rather than the original doesn't diminish my appreciation enough to prefer blank walls in my house.

I would go so far as to say that I think there are predominately two groups that I see here:
1) Those who would take either remake or original, provided that the price for the original was "reasonable". (I am excluding ridiculous discounts. Also, some think the price difference should favor the original and some that think the price difference should favor the remake but otherwise believe the difference is not enormous.)
2) Those who insist on the original at any price other than give-away prices for the remake.