I haven't played one in a long, long time, but I think that you might want to give the game Bad Cats a shot...
Pretty open playfield, fun theme, modern looking, has a couple big ramps and it is only a single ball game too. Put the leg levelers all flat, and I think it would work very well for what you're looking for.
Also, if he digs Black Hole or Big Shot, why not try getting one of those? Agreed that those are great games!