1. Yes - same rules
2. Yes.
3. Shrek call outs and music make me shriek! The art is pretty bad too. This table and ruleset were meant for one theme and one theme only. Family Guy! A great machine. Owned mine for 4 years before getting hit with pin fever. Dont cheap yourself out of a great pin, wait til you can get a FGY. Don't settle for less especially if you really like the FGY humor and theme.

voice actors

I would just wait for a Family Guy i think it's the best game ever made.

Wait for FG!

Yikes. Couldn't disagree more on

Wow, could not disagree more with you. I'm not sure what about the layout screams FG to you but the Shrek theme works great IMO. Donkey multi-ball instead of Stewey? What's the difference? Love it. And I love the art package on Shrek ... I think it's excellent. I think the callouts and humor in Shrek are absolutely hilarious (I always love the Gingerbread man pooping out the random number for a free game.) I'm a big fan of the show FG but I honestly liked the Shrek theme even better on the pinball.

That being said ... yes, the callouts in Shrek are done by impersonators for the most part .. but they are incredibly well done. Each actor had to approve their own impersonator and Eddie Murphy (Donkey) is spot on. Very well done. And hey ... there are only 600 Shreks out there total ... versus thousands of FG?

I have owned a Family Guy for 3 years, then sold it to my brother and got a Shrek. They're both great games. The humor is more adult oriented in FGY obviously while Shrek is more of a family theme. I personally like the music and sounds better in Shrek. You hear a lot of negativity about the music but in fact only ball one of player one starts with that Smash Mouth song (only the first verse is sung, then instrumental) and the other balls are all classical movie sounding. Personally, I think David Thiel really knocked this one out of the park both music- and soundwise. Playing FGY on your Shrek or vice versa is easy with the SAM system, simply update the firmware to either version. And the game rules are the same so it's really not a bad experience. But a playfield kit option from Stern would have been awesome. I recommend both of these games, see if you can test 'me both, or watch some YouTube clips to make up your mind which one you like best!

I think in general people see so many more FG's (because there are so many more out there) and FG is absolutely a great theme .. but I just can't see why anyone would logically say Shrek is any less of a game. Same layout, same rules, and I do truly think the art/sound package on Shrek was every bit as well done (if not better). Perhaps Shrek just isn't as cool of a theme to many which I can see.

Troll.

It's cause Shrek is a troll, can we get a moderator to take care of this!?

Look at the reviews. The only place there should be differences are in the art area. THere is a huge difference between the two, so there is a definite bias. I would prefer Shrek because it would be a much easier sell with my kids around.

Not a troll! An OGRE!! GRRRRR!!

Fail...Shrek is an ogre... with layers.

I like my Shrek.

Cakes have layers....

Exactly - Shrek is the family friendly version, FG is the single guy (no kids) or married guy (no kids) version.

I happen to have a beautiful Shrek for sale....

I was actually disappointed that Shrek was a FG clone. I preordered FG because it was my dream theme, but Shrek is still my favorite pin theme since FG.

Is money really that tight? You won't find FGY for $3500. Buy the Shrek. Play it until you are sick of green. Then sell it at a profit and buy the FGY if you can. About $4500.

I own both, and they are keepers. That price is a steal if it's in great condition, buy it!

I would wait and pay a bit more for the family guy. I love the family guy pin, I played shrek and although I am a fan of the movies the playfield art and music were horrible, to me anyways. I even loaded the shrek firmware in my family guy and couldn't switch it back fast enough.

Also this ^^^^^^^^^ is absolute nonsense and not true. You can set FG to family in the settings. My son loves FG, one of his favourite pins.

Agree. Family version is a true family version in FGY. FGY was the favorite played pin when I had a 5 pin collection amongst nephews, nieces, and kids. Take it from someone who doesn't own either and isn't planning to buy either so has no pawn in the race unlike some shrek owner protectors out there (not you robin ). Save yourself the ear and eye ache, wait til you can get a FGY. There's a reason why it sits higher in the standings and demands more $, not because of production #s but because it's simply better!

The theme kills FG for me, and I feel the same about AC/DC and Metallica.

I am not a fan of the Shrek films, but don't find it objectionable like I do many other titles. I also like the green armor.

Ya, I think that's the one exception to go shrek over FGY and that's theme preference. But the OP clearly stated he wanted a FGY which is why I think he'd be better off waiting. And who knows, maybe TWD will get announced in the waiting period and he could get another theme he's interested. No need to waste time and energy on a theme that's not appealing IMO.

Looked at both and decided to buy Shrek. The call outs are numerous and humorous. You can't go wrong on a Shrek for less than $3500.
The topper I made:
Shrek Topper.jpg

The only real difference between the two is that Meg has a coil (she bounces up and down when you hit her), but the Fiona toy is stationary. I feel like there might be something different about the way hits register on the Magic Mirror vs. the Beer Can - but it might just be the toy material that makes it feel different to me. Rules are the same, code works on either machine.

Shrek is a MUCH better theme. I would not have a FG, but I do like Shrek. In either case it is not a very inspired design. The upper playfield gets old really fast and takes up a ton of space.

I would take a Shrek over FG. For some reason I'm not into fart humor. Shrek is classic fun.

Code works fine, but there's minor differences. One of the character lamps is different, which makes Stewie/Donkey a bit harder. Also, Chicken Fight can be won and ends, whereas Wrestling just runs out the timer.

There are a few other nuances that makes FGUY better, biggest being the voices. Good custom pinball jokes from the original actors vs meh jokes from bad voice actors. Stewie's MB callouts are much shorter than Donkey's ... it gets painful listening to the EM voice-actor say the same wayyyy-too long jokes over and over. Also, TV Wizard Mode is *THE* best implementation of a hurryup wizard mode, period. The accompanying music and sounds on family guy just nail it. Perfection... that wizard mode is the one big thing keeping the game in my collection. Shrek has the same rules, but WTF on the laid-back music?? That's like something you'd hear putting your initials in, not at all proper background for hurryups!

Shrek was a programming exercise and a decent re-theming, but the original is the best.

Bought Shrek because I preferred artwork and less made. I prefer callouts from FG so primarily use that code. Actually think FG is the funniest pin made. Occasionally swap the Shrek code back in for variety. You did good finding a Shrek in that range too.

I never realized how crucial theme is (for me) until I played Shrek

It felt like I was betrayed & kicked in the balls. It felt like blasphemy. It felt like a bad trip in a sad alternate universe where a great game was turned into a gingerbread magic mirror annoying donkey with shitty Smashmouth music. I kept asking myself "what monster would do this to a Family Guy"

No way I'd settle for Shrek. I like Twilight Zone but if it were rethemed as Legally Blonde it would suck. I know Shrek & FGY are the same but they're not.

Shrek any day love it will need to get a second one
I play it so much
Awsome topper

Pretty much how I feel. I put in Shrek code in my FGY once and I think I maybe got through one game before I had to immediately change it back. Ugggh, I still have nightmares about it.

But you do like burping humor?

Wow, nice job! Could you post some more pics? It looks 3D, like a diorama.

I respectfully disagree, Shrek is a fun game. Don't get me wrong, I love FGY too. To me, they're two separate games because of the art, sound and music package. I think they did that pretty well, they really play like different games. Doesn't feel like a poor re-theme to me. I think, in a mid- to large sized collection it wouldn't even hurt to have 'em both. Just my opinion of course!

But to each their own I guess!

Hey now. You're an all star!

Ban notice sent!

Shrek for me.

I miss my shrek ....it's such a great game .....