Buy the one that you haven't played at all and that other people think you would like the most.

You will not regret the Star Wars Pro. I totally get it about $5700 vrs, $ 7700.00 . I always have bought STERN Limited Editions and I am happy on every LE I bought . But I do not like That fork ramp really kills the premium for me. I like hitting the horseshoe shot on the pro and having it fly right back at you instead of getting stopped when it bumps into the fork ramp on the premium, which was happening over and over. Seems like they should have made the ramp drop more quickly to not have it impede the ball on that shot. I am sure the exploding Death Star is way cooler on the premium, but that is a rare occurrence. It just didn’t seem worth the $1900 more and I would have to live with being annoyed by the slight stoppage of play with that fork ramp. Since you have kids the Death Star shot is easier on the pro so that is nice as well. Here is a mini review of SW pasted from my rating
" STERN Star Was is the best Star Wars Pinball based on the original trilogy ever made . The Pro is an excellent example of value as it has the same RGB color changing inserts and the choreographed GI lighting as the Premium/Limited Edition. It is all about the game play. The modes are represented great in synergy to the LCD film clips and voice overs from the original films . The music by John Williams score is excellent . All this brings you into the Star Wars original Trilogy universe . The game play is hard. But there are so many ways to choose to play the rule-set. The shot multiplier system is very addicting as you learn how you may manually move the shots around the playfield for maximum scoring . I have never played a pinball game with this type of control given to the player. This style of code brings so much "breadth" of strategically building up you shot multipliers and choosing different main character from the Star Wars 1977 film to aid you through your playing experience . It is a " masterpiece" in coding and fun. And "Fun" is what defines a great pinball machine . "
Good luck in your choice !!

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Grab a coil burning CSI for your first pin... that's what I did but I ain't right.

I'm one of the people who prefers the DE star wars over the stern version. The fact that a 1992 machine has a more loaded playfield than a 2017 machine is mind-blowing. At your price point there are loads more games that you can buy with better code and a not barren playfield

Personally; I'd go Star Wars. There's A LOT more to offer in the code and rules that can keep you entertained for a long time. The option to pick characters and abilities will bring the little ones in.

Forgot about that high tech color changing light show the DE offers and superb fast gameplay, oh wait....

...And you like TMNT enough to make it your avatar so...yeah.

Tough choice but I'd go GOTG. NIB makes total sense for your first game, so don't fret there. Rules are way too confusing for family play on SW....unfortunately there are some really tough shots on GOTG, so that doesn't help, but there's a chance!
Where are you buying from?

STERN Star Wars is the best Original Trilogy pinball ever made . The Code is great. Op get this SW Pro.
But Data East Star Wars that I owned for 11 years was fun as hell. Original voice overs for the cast . Original John Williams score . Very cool toys . The BackGlass art is the best Star Wars art ever. Especially with my custom LED conversion. Humble no.
Just because some one likes it better is just fine .
People need to chill.

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Yeah man I had noticed that myself

If you must have the new Stern SW or GotG, get SW Pro. That's an easy decision at this point.

And by now on post #62 You are probably no closer to making a decision. Welcome to Pinball collecting.

Iron Man is a great game. For your first pin try to find something in 100% working condition though. You will have to learn some fixes as you go but being able to bring the first game home and start playing immediately is important.

I'd probably go SW Pro at this point.... doesn't seem worth it for the Premium there. GOTG looks great, but it's early in it's development cycle if you can wait. SW seems to have the edge with movie clips and sound.

For Op just played a stern pirates actually. Way more fun than people made it out to be. Spiderman VE is good as well. I would also look into Whitewater and Simpsons pinball party. Most people seem to enjoy those 2

Go to arcade Legacy bar edition. They have both games. Play the shit out of them. Your best bet is to play them a ton and see which one you like better.

Iron Man is great, if you like short games, simple rules, and poorly impersonated voice calls. Seriously tho, it is fun, just can be brutal.

Iron Man's a fantastic game for hardcore pinball fans, because it is hard, fast, and flowy. But it's not all that super awesome for the casual player, since the playfield is rather sparse, theme integration is middling, and ball times are very short. I wouldn't really recommend it as a first game for a family new to pinball.

It's a great game, but perhaps not in this situation. Just my opinion, of course.

I will concur that Star Wars is a difficult game and may be more difficult than others for a family. It is a killer game and probably the best theme out there, but it is a fast, unforgiving title. Titles that are family friendly are, #1 MMR, #2 Spiderman, #3 POC, #4 BDK, #5 Simpsons, #6 IJ

If everyone wants Star Wars, that is probably your best bet to make them happy. It is just a tough game for the average player.

MMR is a great title for the family and it is a classic.

Yeah ultimately i guess for a first pin, go with whatever theme your family will be the most excited about. Maybe that'll get em hooked on pinball itself and then for games 2 through 7, the theme will be less of a factor and we can start talking more about deep rulesets and packed playfields....

personally id buy a $2500 -$3500 pin for my first. and it would be something that was a finished complete game. why spend your money and "HOPE!"

You know what's funny, kids don't really care. Of all my pins, the one kids and ladies play most? World Cup Soccer. Then JackBot. Before that it was Bride of Pinbot. Of course, the kids play the Ultracade more than the pins anyways.

Pins are for dads, not kids, lol.

There's a distinction between a good first family pin, and a "player's pin" or a pin with "good flow." If a machine was initially hated, but gains a major following later, it's usually because it's hard and not visually/audibly appealing when it comes out. Sometimes the code gets better and it's better received later, but they tend to still be faster, harder games. Ironman is definitely a fast player's game.

I absolutely recommend getting an easy pin as your first machine. When you guys master it, you guys can sell, trade, or add another one.

Between those two Star Wars all day. The theme integration in GOTG is terrible due to the lack of the actors voices. The sound a likes are bad and its even worse when you see the actual actors faces on screen but not their voices...very awkward. Pinball browser won't help solve this issue either. Sure someone will add the original actors voices but they will never be perfectly synced with the actors lips on the video screen, it will still look awkward.

Also, Star Wars is the far deeper game with more unique modes. Stern appears to be making a couple titles a year now with smaller rulesets versus those with deeper rulesets. Both AS and GOTG are games with smaller rulesets, 8 modes, a couple multi-balls and 2 wizard modes with not a lot of variety.

Music, Star Wars easily again as there are far more licensed tracks in the game compared to GOTG. Also, GOTG only features a few of the films music tracks...expect to hear Cherry Bomb over and over again...ugh.

Personally I think GOTG is better suited for on location while Star Wars with its deeper ruleset is great for the home.

Finally, lol, I think both games are very sparse feature wise considering the price.

no, they will not. Stern will improve the code, but they're not going to license additional assets.

I can only think of one time that has happened -- with Star Trek -- and that was only because the actor that played Bones is a big pinhead and reached out to Stern to do voice work.

I doubt we are going to sway your opinion. You seem pretty set on one of these two. Have the kids play them both and let them pick and be done with it. Please don't close the out lanes to make them easier after they get brutalized by the difficulty. It will hurt the kids' interest in the long run.

Star Wars has pop bumpers too.

Buy whichever one YOU want. Don’t think too much about the kids. I guarantee they will enjoy whatever you pick.

For what it’s worth I have a 10 and 12 year old at home. We have a 3 game collection that was Spider-Man VE, Star Wars Premium, and The Getaway. They both think Star Wars is the best.

Stern SW isn’t for everyone, but what bugs are you referring to? Code’s actually in very good shape at this point feature and bug wise.

Code for guardians will be better in a few weeks so you should go back then too.

If you do Ghostbusters, Definitely get the Premium. The Pro has too much stripped out of it. But Ghostbusters Prem/LE can be a cheap game and may be frustrating in a one pin collection. But, you can always put it on 5 balls with a liberal ball saver and light tilt to give the kids a fighting chance.

Go for the premium if you can swing it on GB. Great first game.

Ghostbusters is fantastic. Listen too no one else.

However with the large flipper gap it is not for all players. That is a game you need to knock around while playing for longer ball times. Get a good deal on a GOTG. Code will get better. Buy it for 5400 to your door. Tell a distributor you got a fifty four hundred dollar bill for them with there name on it. Please refrain from buying any upgrades until you know you like the game. Keep it for 60 days ask yourself if you still love the game if you answer YES. Buy the topper side blades and whatever else gets you excited. It will make the game feel new again. If you answered NO put the game up for Sale First 5,200 Takes it. No big deal you had got to play the game in your home for 2 months and only lost 200.00 Not the end of the world. Take the 5,200 and try again. Who knows you might get exactly what you paid for it without any loss. Here is another bit of advise games always play different in your home. Everything will be ok. Pull the trigger and start having fun. Pinball = FUN!

There's a GB Prem with custom powdercoated rails and a few other things for $6700 less than 2 hours from you:

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/56372

You should be able to negotiate another 5-10% off it. Would be a good deal then. With all the pins coming out people want to free up cash for, it's more of a buyers market now. The ad says no ghosting or issues, but might want to have a picture of the playfield to make sure you don't have the first run or warranty replacements with the misspelling on the insert.

That's a big gamble. He could get stuck with a stinker, XMEN style that he can't unload at a loss for YEARS. And with Stern's recent very poor track record, that's more likely than your rosy scenario. I would not advise buying GotG until it's PROVEN to be fun and have code worth playing.

If his family liked Ghostbusters, the used prem near him with a little negotiation is a much safer bet.

Isn’t there some kind of magnetized center post people add to GB sometimes to cut down on center drains without putting a hole in the playfield? Could consider that as well if your family loves the game but you’re worried they’ll find it frustrating.

There's a post that's suspended over the outlane guides.

http://littleshopofgames.com/product/ghostbusters-extended-sling-protector-with-center-post/

You can also get white carrot flippers that give you just enough more length to take away the pain, but it does mess with the geometry of the game.

I completely disagree. GOTG is selling very well. Pinside is filled with experts and very cautious buyers. Alot of good people. (Also some idiots) The world of pinball buying is a tad larger then pinside. If he were to put this game up for Sale 60 days new I'm sure he willl not take a big loss. Especially if he buys for 5400 all in. GOTG is a huge title similar to Star Wars now a days. (No offense Star wars fans) Just saying GOTG is a huge title in today's world. He will have no trouble moving it at that price. Nothing in life is no risk but it will be significantly reduced if he follows that plan.

Until the code shows up and the game is loved, you have no way of knowing. Maybe not too much risk for you, but probably a lot for a 1 pin home. I don't advise it for this scenario.

one of the people or the only one?

Has there been a single pin less then 60 days out that you could not sell at wholesale. GOTG list is 6,100.00 fake price we all know. Advertised at 5,600 If he buy for 5400 which we all know he can. Wink wink. Why would he not be able to sell it 60 days old for 5200. Ok worst case 5,000 But I highly doubt it. Maximum loss would be 400.00 and I truly believe it would be alot less. This is a good plan for him IMO. He could buy anything figure out later he does not like it for any reason and take a loss of a similar amount. Anything he will buy will come at a risk. Lucky pinball almost always holds its value. New pins will not get a price reduction for a while so he will be protected by price. Belive it or not this game is in very high demand. Stern knows they are selling the license. I dont like the model but it seems to work. Get the A rated licenses and the game will sell.

I disagree with this. This is a typical Ritchie pin (I own a pro and many other SR Pins). It can be a fast game but requires your shots to make something happen. Yes you can bash around with it but I dont think its apealing unless you challenge the shots. I'm a sci fi guy so im in on ST, and moreso with SR and SWLE. Getaway is a fun pin but is not a theme pin. But since ST and SWLE its been just sitting, lonely. I do play in occasionaly so the ball can clean up the cobwebs inside Even has the original accelerator SR used in Star Wars! I do believe there is a relationship with the theme that is equally important to the average pinballer and non pinballer that does carry some importance.

GB Pro was my first NIB. While I think the Prem/LE is great (I've played that a ton at a friend's house), I'm not sure it is worth $2k more. Adding a suspended center post and airball guards made an already good game worlds better. I have a good collection of all-time classics and great new games and I probably play GB more than anything else (though MMr, WOZ and DI get played more by guests). I wouldn't even put it in my top 5 but I keep going back to it. *shrug*

If you do get Ghostbusters I encourage you to turn off the supremely annoying "scream" function and set your time so that the midnight madness multiball happens earlier.

Because you seem to like it more (gotg) and yes. Unless you buy GB used you will take a big hit. Lots of people making room in there collection right now and for some on the chopping block is Ghostbusters. Buy what makes you happy. Be smart but try not to over think it. Get a good deal on whatever you buy so if you need to sell it you will not lose or lose very little. Look through pinside market place and also archived closed sales you will see for yourself. Look through all of the forums on the games you are thinking about buying and it will help you make up your mind.

Yeah we'll come back to that when when the GOTG franchise is on its what is it 11th movie? Here ya go, highest of all the franchises and going on 42 years!

http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchises/