High end vs high end; I vote for Dialed In. But, perhaps SW Pro + save a couple grand would be the better route?

Not even comparable

I have played both, own SW, and I think SW is the better pinball machine. Maybe DI has better artwork and screen animations, but SW is the better pinball machine in my opinion.

After having played SW Premium/LEs, going with a Pro and not having the hyperdrive loop (or whatever it's called) would be a real bummer.

I guess it would help if I could find an le that I could actually hit the hyperdrive consistently and not get rejected on the vice versa horseshoe ramp.

After seeing these two games side by side I have to agree.

SW Premium all the way.

DI is much better, but I'm not clamoring for either machine.

Apples and Oranges as far as style of game. However, I plan to purchase SW for exhilarating fun and preferred theme.

I like both games. But I enjoy DI more.

I have a premium and a buddy of mine has an le. I’ve hit that ramp about 100 Times now and I’ve never experienced the reject that some people complain about.

Maybe they are in route games that are r ally dirty already?

Anyway, I wouldn’t let the potential reject sway you away from the premium. It’s awesome!

Is there any way you can play them both before deciding? If you're focused on build quality and playfield toys, there's no doubt DI is the winner -- JPP clearly spent more money on the hardware than Stern did. But they're both great players and they play very differently, so it's hard to recommend one over the other on that basis without knowing what kind of games you are into.

One thought might be to consider other games by the same designers (Lawlor: TZ, Addams Family, Road Show) (Ritchie/Dwight: GOT, Star Trek). Obviously there are differences, but if you like the "feel" of one of those groups of games better than the other, that probably gives some idea of how you'll feel about DI and SW.

Also there's the price question, I understand that Stern Premiums are more expensive than base-level JJP games in Europe? A Stern Premium is still $1,000+ cheaper than a basic JJP in the US, which may make a difference to some advice givers.

I currently own both a DI and Star Wars Premium. It would be hard for me to choose which is better. Dialed In is like Addams Family, TZ, and RBION on steroids. Star Wars Premium is faster and more brutal than Iron Man and ACDC. Regardless of what you may have heard, the hyperloop is badass and the sights and sounds of Star Wars are immersive. Dialed In is quirky and fun and the smoothest shooting game I have ever played. Star Wars is the fastest game I have ever played. The ball moves at blinding speeds.

If I had to pick one over the other, at this very moment, Star Wars would win by a hair because of the adrenaline rush. Ask me tommorrow and my answer might be DI

You can’t lose with either one, given your two choices.

Also, the whining about the fork ramp and death star shot is silly. It is supposed to be a hard shot. Luke had to use the force to hit that shot. Why would Richie design it to be easy?

I played a friend's SWLE the other night and he demonstrated all of the features for me including the hyperloop. Besides being surprised with how advanced the code was, I was genuinely impresssed with how fun the game is. The hyperloop is just too cool a feature to miss out on IMHO and consequently, I would not recommend settling for a Pro on this game.

Given the choice between an SW Premium and a DI, I would go for an SW, but as I've stated in other threads, DI is a good game, but just doesn't grab me enough to want to buy one.

Since I believe you have 2 Sterns & a MM (or 3 Sterns) I would say DI for some variety.
Although I have DI & SW and they are both a ton of fun.
EDIT: Probably be more fun for the kids too

I have a SW Premium and have played DI a few times, but not super familiar with it. As others have mentioned, completely different games in how they play. If you like fast, intense, short games, go with SW. DI just doesn't do it for me, I find it fun but not very exciting if that makes any sense. Definitely try before you buy.

Agreed. When I first got my SW I was getting rejects, a simple adjustment to raise the height of the loop going through the Death Star fixed it. I can now back hand it pretty consistently. I still get the occasional reject, but from just from bad/slow shots not making it up the ramp, no more bounce backs.

When you get the hyperspace multi-ball going, trying to load more and more balls into the loop while they are zipping around the entire playfield, great fun.

I love Star Wars, but it’s no comparison. Dialed in vs Star Wars premium- I’ll always pick dialed in

Crazy! I've read on Pinside that JJP has shipped a lot of DIs to Freddy's Pinball Paradise Germany? Do people in Spain have to buy JJP through them? (Hopefully it's not any more expensive to do that due to the EU?)

I hope you find a DI to play, it's a cool game.

My local arcade has them both side by side. I think SW is easily the better game.

That being said, as much as I enjoy the loop, I would probably just buy the pro.

If I had this much money to spend on a premium game it would definitely be "ALIEN/S" but I don't.

Dile is a special pin.... one the best layouts and shooting pins ever designed imo. Also has lots of toys, magnets and other things to keep u busy for a long time.

It really is an easy answer.
Star Wars Premium all the way!
Really immersive and fast pin with an amazingly interesting ruleset.

Can't understand all the love for DI and the blind hate for SW here on Pinside

Dialed In shoots well and has more toys, but that doesn't mean it's the better pin!
Even though for a lot of people here it seems that toys dictate how good a pin is which seems really strange to me...

Star Wars is for men and Dialed In is for girls.

Not even about toys its about the total package .... di is just a well done pin that has it all imo .... great code, one best lightshows ever, tons unique shots that vary with the magnets, diverters, and depending on modes,
Lots of risk vs reward/strategy , 3 flippers, 3 ramps and lots more things. Theme may not be for everyone but there's no denying the pin itself is top notch/fun which is most important imo.

I‘m kind of waiting for Stern to address the long term reliability concerns before I buy any Spike game.

Couldn't agree more. I have both SWLE and DILE.

DILE is a fun, B/W on steroids. The modes/objectives are straightforward and the phone LCD does a great job (along with the callouts) guiding you through. SIM cards, Big Bang, Under Attack MB...all really engaging. Spelling "Dialed In" and reaching "Showdown" is really tough. DI will appeal to both casual and serious players.

SWLE is a Stern/SR arse kicker. Love the brutal speed, shots. My only criticism is the complexity of understanding/following the rules. Many of the modes use timers in different ways. In DI, you have 30 seconds for each mode and can add time at the scoop. In SW, the timers are mode dependent and if you don't follow the timers closely, you can end up in a mode for a long time. Just wish Stern made more/better use of the PF LCD for helping execute the modes. This is the only aspect that I much prefer on DI...taking your eyes off the PF sucks with so much going on. Unlike DI, I believe SW appeals more to serious players. The license has general appeal (obviously), however I can't imagine how a casual player would react to a rule set of this complexity.

snaroff

The truth has spoken. Stern lovers no need to cry. It will be alright.

DI just felt like a complete, well designed, premium pin. Plays great, explains what to do well, awesome light show, and tons of features that make every minute of gameplay interesting. Plus you have a bunch of magnets and a third flipper. SW is a better game than I first thought it would be being extremely low on features. I love the shot multiplier feature. Gameplay is kind of confusing. At any moment you could have 3 or 4 different colors flashing on shots without much explaination of what is going on. So many shots result in an immediate drain. I wouldn't want SW in a small collection. DI basically wins in all categories except fast, brutal gameplay.

Please. Cry about what?

Have played both and I'm considering buying a SW. DI doesn't elicit the same desire.

I'll take my gut feeling over a Pinside poll "truth" every time.

Do you like pinball? Or do you like Star Wars?
That’s really what this decision is

Wow; thanks for your brilliantly sexist contribution to what’s been an otherwise interesting discussion...

I haven’t played SW premium yet, but liked how the pro shot; the game is fast fast fast. DI shoots smooth as butter and has a nice ruleset. The games are very different styles; it might come down to what kind of game you like.

Kind of complicated rules and a very fast game: SW. A smooth shooting game with a more accessible ruleset, DI.

DI wins on bling, hands down.

Own both the SWLE and DILE, really enjoy them both.
In the end, I think DI will likely outlast SW as I feel it offers the more complete package (loaded with features as bigd and snaroff highlighted above).

Damn. And all these years I've thought I liked pinball.

DILE. Not even close.

I used to think this strongly, but then I had the opportunity to play an unlimited amount of Star Wars right next to an unlimited amount of Dialed-In. I found myself going back to SW for the adrenaline rush that came from the excellent integration of theme with a bare, but fast playfield. This masterful "integration" did the trick for me. It wasn't only theme, but it was some..... and certainly it wasn't only the playfield.

I was slower going back to DI, where I had to use more technique and think harder about shot placement. (Not so much an adrenaline rush, but appealing more to my "thinking man" region of the brain, ha.) In this case "integration" is also excellent, but only by definition siince the theme is totally original and really just a direct extension of the playfield design.

So, two excellent theme/playfield integrations, yet 2 different parts of my brain. If you could only own 2 pins, those would be the ones. If you could only own one, go see a Therapist to help decide.

Geeks (myself included) tend to love both pinball and Star Wars. Unfortunately, neither the gameplay nor the quality is there with this one.

If you are wanting a true quality machine with an immersive blockbuster movie theme, get a LOTR or a Hobbit. If you want a Star Wars pin, get the old DE version that came out in the early 90s with a pinsound upgrade for half the price.

Purchasing truly a $4,000 Stern pin for $8,000 just because of a Star Wars theme seems silly to me.

Well stated. This is also true, despite that I enjoy playing Star Wars more than DI.

DI's build quality and playfield accouterments make it feel "worth" it's $8k far more than Star Wars. In the end this may be why I never buy a SW, at least not NIB.

Both games were side by side at the European Pinball Championship in Sweden and I had extensive time to test them (with Alien) as I arrived a day earlier.

SW is a solid game (how can a Steve Richie game not has flow?) but DI has one of the best layouts of all times IMO and a mature ruleset.
Another vote for DI then... if you can get past the theme.

He will probably initiate a full 6-month therapy cycle that will you cost you more than both games combined!
Problem solved...

Once again with this horseshit, the 2 pins are so different its strictly a matter of personal taste. I like SW but can see how others would go with DI, does that mean DI is better than SW or vice versa? all that happens with these threads is that you end with stupid comments like this.

Folks love pontificating about their likes/dislikes and folks who start these threads apparently like to listen to them. The quote you cite isn't stupid, it's fishmanrob's personal taste. I find "this vs. that" threads pretty silly, but still contribute to them. As long as the masses respond, they will continue to be a Pinside staple!

snarofff

I wish I could believe that but I don't, why not say I prefer DI or "for me its not even close" an obvious shot at SW which is fine but to me stupid because its just insulting to everyone that has SW.