Stargate is a great game, one of pinball better values IMO. Lots to do, good rules, Sandstorm is awesome..

Yes. The color is red.

Actually for the price, they both rule.

Some might dislike it due to theme. Some might dislike it because the damage it did to Williams as a company when they released it. I personally dislike it for gameplay reasons. There are a mix of factors at play with Popeye, depending on what angle you're coming from. I know some people who really enjoy it, too.

I honestly don't know too many people who unabashedly love it.

I own a Popeye. To me, it may be the greatest "art" pinball machine with how everything is linked together. They spent stupid money on this thing making it so that the whole game looked like a boat. It's really neat.

But the game play is a problem. The art made it so the majority of shots are covered and hard to see what is happening.

The theme also is weird. I mean, I like Popeye and I like animals, but Bluto was never an anti animal crusader or whatever so it feels really odd. It's like they stuck a serious theme on a cartoon meant to be goofy. It doesn't work.

But, I still have my Popeye while I just put my Stargate up for sale.

Stargate is a much better overall game. It suffers slightly from the usual Gottlieb System 3 clunkiness, but that doesn't really bother me (I have about five System 3s). It's an overall very solid game with lots to do.

It's for sale though because while it is really good, in a larger line up it isn't that different than other games I have from the Era. Good modes, good unique Gottlieb tech, but ultimate similar to other things. Popeye's art is keeping it around.

It also doesn't hurt that my buddy has one that is in nicer shape than mine that I can play whenever.

In your situation, I say Stargate every time. Unless you just think the art on Popeye is so cool, and then get one and look at it in between games on better machines!

There is a "Semi-Colour-Display" called Pn2DMD available, check it out here:

and here:

But it is not really comparable to Color-DMD, since it´s homebrew/open source as far as i know

Apart from that: my vote for Stargate... own it for years now, no regrets!

Maybe. Stargate is broadly seen as the best-playing DMD Gottlieb, but there were larger production runs on Rescue 911, Super Mario Bros, Street Fighter II, and Cue Ball Wizard. Setting aside the time differences each project would take (and that's a big set-aside), I'd guess Mario might have the most demand, given how sought after it is from Nintendo fans.

Can't imagine Stargate being outside of the first five, however, and I'd guess first three due to demand.

I've had Stargate the longest in my collection. IMO it has great rules, great shots, great art/back-glass (Peel the ramp decals off), and a solid built system that requires the least attention of all the pins I've owned to maintain. My only dislikes are the flipper mechs being clunky and the audio quality. Epic theme for me.

I've owned SG for almost 10 years, while others have left. I like that it is completely different from my other games, (plus it's got some depth.)

I would also totally consider a Popeye for a good price.

(Oh, and I was just kidding about the red color DMD remark.)

Popeye over Stargate.

Stargate for sure.

That said I am actually considering selling mine to make room for a GotG. Don't know if I can actually let it go though.

let-it-go (resized).jpg

own both, DONT do it!

Ugh, I know!!!!! I haven't given up on figuring out how to make more room out here.

they both suck! save a few more $$$$ and get a game worth keeping over 3 months

lol when coming from someone with both Elvis and Nascar in your lineup

nascar was bought as a flip only, elvis was huo gold edition and basically gave to me. But thanks for your wisdom!

relax, it was just a joke hence the smiley.

Umm, you know if you hold the flipper button in when you start a game, it turns most of that off right.

I like that it says "shoot the pyramid". It doesn't bother me.