SMVE is pretty bad ass. Color dmd is a must must must, dots are crazy good but must must must be in color
I owned the original twice but just couldn't get past the movie theme, call outs, art, dots. Vault fixes all that and more.
Game Is easier than XMEN but has more breadth in the rules and scoring. I suggest removing the center drain post to help level out the rules vs difficulty.
Summer 2016 builds seemed to be the culprit of ghosting issues. Mines a NOV 2016 build with no real playfield or cabinet issues so if you buy new, shoot for a late 2016 or 2017 build.