South Park is an all time horrible machine, you're grown up now, you won't like it.
My advice is it doesn't matter much, you'll be buying #2 after a bit

if that is a pro price for a game of thrones call another distributor... they are ripping you off.

STTNG is awesome but can be a bastard to keep working right and troubleshoot because of the complex subway, scores of optos, and the cannons. I got one early on in my pinball hobby-ness and it drove me INSANE that I could never keep it working.

For a first game if money isn't a concern, you could do a lot worse than MMR... besides some flipper maintenance I haven't had to turn a screw on mine. Besides, MMR is both... a "new" classic (1997) machine!

If you like Star Trek but want something new and "reliable" you might consider a Star Trek Pro or Premium, as Stern just re-released them.

How about Shrek or Family Guy, since you say you want something family friendly?

MM all day everyday. MM castle is the best toy ever made for a pinball machine imo.

South Park .. you will want to sell it in 2 days (plus wife already vetoed). Demo Man is very fun but not exactly family friendly.

Why exactly is T2 too scary? The skull? How old are your kids?

STTNG is an awesome game but hard for kids and not a good choice as a first game.

The expensive games are that way for a reason - they are more fun and will get more play. I’d get a cheapo and upgrade in a few months. How about a SS like Dr Dude or Party Zone? Or an 80s Gottlieb ?

welcome @sataneatscheese. First, I would like to examine your budget of $8K. At $8K, you pretty much have every option available to you, from the Standard JJP machines (Limited Edition's are $9K), most Stern Prem/LE machines (and by default their "lesser" Pro version), and most everything from 90's Bally/Williams era and older. Quite a library of machines to choose from.

Secondly, equating age with reliability is not fair for games from that vintage. Solid State (SS) machines from the 70s are every bit as reliable or moreso than anything New In Box (NIB) today. As a matter of fact, they are MORE serviceable than anything from Stern's SPIKE boardset, which has shown volatile node boards that can disable your machine without any notice. Granted, Stern's customer service have provided coverage for these issues, but the issue remains the same; node boards that need to be replace as opposed to serviced. On the opposite end, though troubleshooting can be a bit daunting, the boardsets from the 2000's and earlier are every bit reliable and serviceable. Mechanisms and underplayfield components are largely the same, so the huge differences are the boardsets that run the game itself.

With that said, don't let the age of a machine scare you away from ownership due to perceived poor reliability. These aren't cars in that sense where "higher mileage" games are more prone to breakage. My advice to you is play lots of pinball on location near you to get a feel of what kind of game you might like. Buy from other collectors and buy something working. Build up a basic set of tools, including a good soldering iron, and learn how to solder. Start with something less expensive, to break you into the hobby. When you bring said machine home, take off the glass and look under the playfield. See how all the mechs work! They aren't that intimidating once you look at how a flipper works, or how a scoop mech works.

The nice thing is that machines generally hold their value. Buy a solid machine from another collector (probably best to stay local) and learn from all the helpful people here on the forum.

i wouldn't consider southpark a kid friendly pin either.

My opinion is biased because I own a mmrle, but of your mentioned options this wins without any doubts. It's simple playfield layout and rules make it so anyone can play it and have fun.
-Mike

Go New in box with MMr. You won’t be disappointed. You’ll spend your time playing, not doing repairs on a 25 year old pin.

I barely touch my 35+ yr old pins. An older pin doesnt mean more maintenance and you shouldn't be scared away from them. Truth is, the older pins are built like tanks, to last out on location and make money.

Play machines on location if you can and buy what you like. If you have the money to buy NIB, great! But dont pass up a solid 3K or less machine because you're afraid that it's never going to work. Buy something working to begin with, then work on it as needed. You'll need to work on your NIB just as much as any other machine. Its just part of the hobby. GL

MMR NIB.

Batman66 SLE

Well, Shrek would be ok, but Family Guy is definitely not family friendly. Funny as hell, but not for little ones.

I enjoy both games. To be honest, you will eventually end up with more than one. They’re like tribbles!! I have a STTNG and have experienced some minor issues, but nothing that has destroyed the game for me. The theme is definitely a winner in my book.

Attack from Mars remake is amazing as well (especially the LE version with the topper). I’m also really looking forward to the Monster Bash remake (whenever that may be). Slugfest is a really fun family game and is very cheap, but is not technically a pinball.

It all depends on what you enjoy in a game. I happen to like games with obvious “missions” and a well-integrated theme. Game sound is important for my enjoyment as well.

I don’t think you would be disappointed by either MMR or STTNG. They are both amazing games.