Later run games get potential fixes. I know on Maiden they improved the captive ball mechs on later runs. On ACDC Premium the early games had foggy lower playfields I think later run games are also run in smaller batches and the playfields usually have had more time to cure.

I think he was referring to the Pro model which he played and had neither of the features that you mentioned. The magnet captive ball is cool on the Pro but it's best feature is the great layout with 3 spinners. After playing it I would still rank it behind JP, but I think it is neck and neck with Maiden for my 2nd favorite KME game.

The location by me has an LE and Pro side by side. According to Stern Connected I have 8 games on the LE and 10 on the Pro. If I buy a game for home it will be a Pro. The LE is a little better but not $2200+ better for me. I think I actually prefer the MechaGodzilla area on the Pro vs. The LE. The targets on the LE are much easier to hit and I like the quick spinner loop vs. Hitting the magnet and dropping. The building is definitely a lot cooler on the LE. The bridge seems like a non factor in most games. If it was a grail theme I may think differently but the Pro gameplay is just about as fun to me as the LE.

I've got a similar number of plays on both from playing them side by side on location and if I were buying I'd go for the Pro most likely. The gameplay is really similar and it would be hard for me to justify close to $9k on a Premium game. That's just a lot of money for a non limited game. Pro is better bang for the buck and provides 95% of the fun. My scores are remarkably similar on both models.

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For JP the deciding factor for me between the Pro and Premium was the art package. The Pro just seemed like generic dinosaur art and had the terrible font on the translite whereas the Premium had the most faithful art package to the license. If the art packages were reversed I would have gone Pro even though I would have really missed the functionality of the raptor pen (and much better Raptor MB with 2x multiplier). On Godzilla, I think the Pro has as strong of a playfield art package as any of the models. Of course the LE has an advantage because of the foil art on the cabinet, but the Pro artwork is probably my favorite.

Just picked up a Pro tonight. Are there any general recommendations for setup and coil strengths to set thr game up at? Mine plays pretty good out of the box but I feel like it could use some fine tuning especially with the manual plunger as it is difficult to dial in that skill shot.

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My preference would be to not add it to the Pro but if it must be added then I agree that this is the way to go. Having it alternate between ramps is too close to the Gigan battle. This is a case where just because something can be added doesn't mean it should be.

After primarily playing the LE on route and having a Pro in my house for almost a week I agree that the gameplay isn't quite the same. There are things that I prefer on the Premium/LE and there are things that I prefer on the Pro. I would say that both games are about equal in the fun department.

LE Preferences:
-The moving building and the ability to change shot paths. This is really cool and can dynamically change the shot flow of the game.
-The moving bridge. It's a bit underutilized but it is cool to see it move and shake vs. having a static ramp.
-The Mechagodzilla sculpt looks really cool in the game and it is satisfying to hit him to start the multi-ball

Pro Preferences:
-I'm probably in the minority, but I prefer the way that the Pro handles Godzilla multi-ball. The first couple dozen times you see it on the Premium/LE it's really cool but I like how the Pro gets straight to the point and doesn't do virtual locks for balls one and two. It just tells you when it's ready to hit for MB. Less waiting and fanfare and more action. The ball release on the LE/Premium just kind of drops them down the middle anyways.
-I like the tighter right spinner shot and having that spinner lane open all of the time for more shot flow. The spinner is too easy to hit on the LE/Premium and I don't really enjoy having the area closed off during the stand-up phase. I think the Pro difficulty is about perfect in terms of hitting the spinner and stand-ups whereas it's a bit on the "too easy" side on the Premium/LE in terms of the stand-ups and spinner shot.

I will say that both games are awesome and the more I play this game I'm convinced that it is probably KME's best game to date!

Congrats! I think it's the best Pro machine Stern's ever done. Just got mine a week ago.

How's everyone doing on their Godzilla achievements? I got my game about 10 days ago and have 37/39 achievements. The Triple Godzilla Super Jackpot and the More Buildings Destroyed (destroy 5 in a game) are proving to be a challenge. Any tips or pointers on knocking these 2 out? Also, if anyone wants to add me as a connection my player ID is MikeS.

I was just watching them both on Comet with my 8 year old. He's fascinated by the old movies and wants to see them all now.

The LE/Premium has cool extra features but I prefer how the Pro plays. Quick and clean like you said..
Fewer ball hang ups less waiting for balls to lock and relaunching balls, etc. And I like the quick spinner loop over the turning target mech on the right. I don't think I'd upgrade unless I was getting a favorable deal on the LE.

I've never had a sdtm drain on my Pro in 175+ games from the Wallup shot. It's always a clean exit to my right flipper. The LE i play on route has sdtm drains often from this shot, so much that you have to try and avoid shooting it. I'm not sure if adjusting the pitch and level of the game would improve the exit on the LE, but it is something that I've noticed as a difference in playing the 2 models.

That's good that it at least gives you a ball save now. When I played an LE a few weeks back on earlier code it didn't which sucked because it penalizes you for making what should be a rewarding and fun shot.

I would play around with the pitch/level on your game. I've shot the Wallop hundreds of times on my Pro and it has never gone SDTM even once when exiting through the front of the building. On mine it can be dangerous if you hit a weak shot that comes back down through the left lane but on a made shot that goes around and back through the building never drains.

The LE/Premium toys are cool and have a level of visual and tactile feedback that you don't get on the Pro, but from a pure gameplay stand-point I think the Pro is the better shooting game. Fewer ball hang-ups, a non-cheap Wallop shot, less stop-and-go while waiting for balls to lock and launch (it just goes right into Multi-ball with no virtual locks), and I really like having that right spinner lane open all the time. Before I played the game I thought that this was a game where I'd need to go for the higher models, but a location by me had a Pro and LE side-by-side and after playing both models rather extensively I thought the Pro shot better which convinced me to get one for myself.

I agree with you on that. It is cool how the LE/Premium does things with the bridge, building, and MechaGodzilla within their respective multi-balls. That's really the biggest thing you'd miss from a Pro even though I do think that the Pro still shoots slightly better/faster.

When playing the LE, I've had the ball get hung up on the back-side of the Mechagodzilla rotating disc a few times which required a pretty good nudge to shake it loose. I'm sure there are tweaks that can be done to prevent this in a home environment. I have gotten the ball stuck behind the building on my Pro but I know that particular stuck ball happens on all models. The wallop shot on the LE that I played also had a tendency to go SDTM, especially on a strong shot that exits through the building. In reading this thread it appears to be rather common on the LE/Premium and much less so on the Pro.-I have yet to see it on my game or the Pro that I play on route. The Pro vs. Premium Mechagodzilla area is really going to come down to personal preference. For me I prefer the extra challenge of the tighter spinner shot on the Pro and more difficult targets but the wider spinner and jump ramp might be slightly more fun to shoot.

The speed difference between Pro/LE is pretty negligible. The biggest thing for me is just not having to wait and then plunge balls when locking balls for Godzilla MB. I would be ecstatic to own any version of Godzilla, every model is incredible!

If he meant Premium to Pro that's about right. MSRP is $2100 difference and would be $2200+ after factoring in sales tax.

Added this guy to my Pro today and it was super simple! This is the 2009 Bandai figure. His arms and head are move-able. He pulls right apart at the waist and attaches with a simple screw using the slot from the stand-up. I'm guessing there will be the potential for stuck balls but those should be pretty rare on the Pro since there isn't a jump ramp.

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Thanks for the recommendation. I set the barrier to extra hard and the roving barrier shot really improves MechaGodzilla multiball. Before I would get it by accident but now you really have to try for it. I love the improved difficulty and that whole area in general on the game. Between backhanding the spinner and intentionally banking the scoop shot off the saucer to collect a saucer there's so much to do in that small section of the playfield.

I'd lean more towards that being a design flaw on the Premium/LE model unless there is some way to setup the game to completely avoid it? It shouldn't punish you for hitting the wallop shot.

The LE I play on route does this all of the time and even caused me to lose a tournament once. I've seen it reported on Pinside and FB groups as well so I wasn't sure how widespread of an issue it was. I haven't ever had it happen on my Pro or either of the 2 Pros that I've played on route. I'm happy to hear that it can be avoided with proper game setup.

Yes, the wallop shot, and at high speed. It's been about a month since I've played the LE on location but it's good to know that there's now a software fix in case I need it. I have about 300 games on my Pro and I haven't needed it yet.

Probably binding. There should be a little bit of play if you lift it up and down on the flipper.

physically check your bubble to make sure it's ok. When i got my Godzilla i noticed that the little bubble cylinder was sitting cockeyed in the holder.

It's simple. Unplug the flasher connector from under the playfield and remove the playfield plastic that contains the stand-up from the top of the playfield. You'll need to remove a few nuts. Once the plastic is removed look on the underside and there are a couple of screws that hold the Mechagodzilla plastic in.

Beta code has been streamed on IE Pinball and is being played at a test location. My guess is that we'll see an update within the next week before INDISC.

Almost there. Can't wait to try the new code out! This looks to be an awesome update!

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I think it's only 2 secret combos and then hit the Maser Cannon.

I used to have a Maiden but sold it to get a JP Premium. I still prefer JP out of the two but missed my Maiden a lot up until the point that I got a Godzilla Pro. I think Maiden and Godzilla are close enough in play style vs. JP and Maiden and now I have little interest in bringing it back. Between Maiden and Godzilla I think Godzilla is the better game. I prefer the rules and theme and it is more fun to shoot. Maiden is still a good game but is a distant 3rd on my rankings of KME titles. AIQ is the only one I haven't owned but the rules/theme haven't clicked with me yet despite playing 50+ games on route.

I have both side by side and JP has much tighter shots and has the more difficult gameplay and more complex rules. You really need to be zoned in to have success on JP whereas on GZ you have more leeway. GZ difficulty is similar to Iron Maiden. I think the games contrast each other nicely.

Yours look a bit high. Here are mine for a comparison.

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Absolutely. If you said Maiden or AIQ I would have had you reconsider but JP is a completely different kind of game than Godzilla and both are awesome for what they are. I admit I have been playing Godzilla almost primarily the past month since I got it but I put a few games on JP earlier today and fell in love with it all over again. I think JP is still my favorite of the two but Godzilla is just so fun to play too and I can't wait to see what code is like when it gets to 1.0.

The official Stern art blades are awesome! Great quality and easy to install. So much less of a pain in the ass than the GNR ones I installed a few weeks ago and better quality too. They look incredible!

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I've put a bunch of plays on the Pro, Premium, and LE before deciding and honestly prefer how the Pro plays and ended up adding one to my collection. Here are my reasons:

1. I prefer how the MechaGodzilla area plays on the Pro. I like having the spinner available all of the time and appreciate that it's a tighter shot. It's too easy to backhand on the Prem/LE and move it to the next stage. I also like how it always exits to the right and comes around clean on the Pro vs. The LE/Prem where sometimes it will come around the left side. I've also had issues with stuck balls both on the back of the rotating mech and behind MechaGodzillas arm on the Premium.

2. The whole building area just shoots cleaner on the Pro. The ball is rolling over the actual playfield vs. a layer of metal that moves. On the Prem it is more common to have the Wallop shot exit SDTM. I have also had issues with the building rejecting shots because it wasn't perfectly level or because the building was moving when you hit the shot. The Pro never rejects and never has issues with SDTM drains from Wallop.

3. I like not having to wait for balls to lock for MB and having to plunge a new ball. The Pro skips the virtual locks and goes straight into multi-ball. It's also frustrating on the Premium to have the balls all release SDTM. Yes there are mods to fix this but on the Pro you don't have to worry about it.

I do miss the moving bridge on the Premium but I know it can also cause damage to the plastic below it. The Premium I play on route has a busted plastic. On this Premium the MechaGodzilla figure also has the magnet protruding a good half inch out of its belly button. I'm not sure what the deal with that is.

I know one of the selling points of the Premium that got my attention is that the building can divert the ball to the other flipper but I don't think its a big difference maker to me and I don't miss the Looping trains mode on the Pro.

I'm sure if you have a Premium at home you can probably adjust and make modifications to help with some of the issues I mentioned. But to me I just feel like the Pro feels more solid (maybe because of fewer moving parts) and you don't have to screw with it as much to get it to play how I want it to play.

I think you would probably be happy either way but I know in my case I have zero regret in choosing Pro. It's one of the best machines I've ever owned and I've already put over 400 plays on it since getting it around Christmas. The other Sterns in my lineup are LE and Premium models so I'm not a guy that always prefers the Pro. In this case I do which surprised me since I was heavily favoring the Premium when the game was first announced. That's why it's important to play games before buying.

I must be lucky then. I've got over 450 plays on my Pro and played another 25 or so on location and I have never gotten a SDTM drain on Wallop shots exiting through the building. I've had them occur on weak shots that didn't make it around, but those were on me.

The problem occurs quite regularly on both the Premium and LE I've played on location. Maybe it's just a combination of coincidence and luck?

I would have agreed with you after only playing a handful of games on each. It wasn't until around 20 plays on each that I changed my mind and decided I just liked the feel and geometry on the Pro better. I was fortunate that this location had both games side by side.

I played a Premium Thursday night after not playing one in a month and a half (basically since I got my Pro) and playing it again after knowing the intricacies of playing my Pro for 450+ games that the subtleties of the shot feel and geometry became even more apparent. The Pro just shoots smoother and the geometry just feels tighter and more precise. It's hard to explain and you really need to spend extended time on both models to feel the difference for yourself. If I actually liked the Premium better I would have one on order to upgrade to later which it seems that a lot of people do.

Great update with lots of polish. Love that there are high score tables now too.

And now I can earn more achievements again!

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I'd get whatever version you can get for MSRP (or less) and the soonest. My preference is the Pro because I like how it shoots better but most in here prefer the Premium. I don't think you can go wrong either way.

Are you sure it's not the virtual knocker (replay)?

Make sure you play the Premium a few times before deciding to get rid of your Pro. You may very well end up liking the Premium more but in my case I've owned a Pro for a couple months and went back and played a Premium again and found that I preferred the Pro's gameplay even more than I did early on when I played both models and was deciding which model to buy. The shot geometry just feels better and the game feels more solid. This isn't always apparent within the first handful of plays but after putting 500 plays on my Pro you can tell the subtle differences between the models.

Those are easy and inexpensive to swap out. No one should have to live with those standups.

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The Mechagodzilla figures are around $40 on Ebay and I bought the Godzilla from Sleal16 which is a perfect match for the game's artwork. His saucer mod is also a must buy!

ebay.com link: Mechagodzilla Godzilla 6 Kaiju Action Figure 2009 Silver Toho

I wonder if Chuck from Spooky Pinball ended up getting a Godzilla? He (and Bug) are the biggest Godzilla fans around. I remember that a lot of folks (including myself) were disappointed that Stern swiped their dream theme from under them which seemed like a dick move at the time. At least Keith and his team did the theme justice and made one of the best pins of all time. I'm sure a Spooky Godzilla would have been great as well given their passion for the theme, but it would be hard if not impossible to top Stern's effort.

I assume they're also charging sales tax since they are local?

He likely has the eject power turned down. I did that on my game as well and it makes for a nice consistent feed over to the right flipper.

The disparity between TWD Pro and Premium is much larger than GZ and the gameplay differs far more as well.

TWD Pro is missing 2 spinners, a drop target, the crossbow, the wellwalker magnet, the bicycle girl bash toy, the fish tank, walker bombs, RGB leds, multicolor GI. On Godzilla it is only missing thr moving building, the collapsing bridge, and the MechaGodzilla ramp/turntable. Gameplay is much closer between the 2 versions. I think GZ Pro is one of the most loaded and best Pros that has come out.

I love the new Terror of MechaGodzilla mode! I feel spoiled for how good this game is.

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Yes

Yes. I got my super (actually 2 supers) after level 2 and then had to earn my way to level 5 which lit the building to start it.

There's a full rule-sheet up at Tilt forums.

http://tiltforums.com/t/stern-godzilla-rulesheet/7210#heading--mechamb

Do you remember seeing "Terror of Mechagodzilla" on the screen when you were awarded the 5th Power-up? I think you still need to choose it?

I'm pretty sure you are locked out after 4 power ups if you don't collect the Super on the latest code. And you're sure you're on .94 software and not .93?

Mine's doing the same. Going to update the old fashioned way which is quicker anyways!

Looks like Insider Connect method is working now.

Yup. same here. Played a handful of games and no issues. New Monster Zero mode is fun too! Noticed a couple of new animations and callouts too.

I would update.

I got Monster Zero and Terror of Godzilla in the same game and set a new GC! I really love both of these new mini wizard modes. They are completely different from one another and both fun in their own way.

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I put around 25 plays on both a Pro and LE on location when I was deciding on the game and surprisingly found that I liked how the Pro played better and ordered one for home. Don't assume (like I did) that the Premium/LE is the better game just because it has more mechs. You need to spend a decent amount of time on both and decide for yourself.

My December Pro has the bracket. I wonder if its purpose is to try to slow the ball down to make it easier for the magnet to grab it?

That's great! I like that it also has a mod for beneath the playfield. I would order one if I didn't mod my own figure (which costs about the same). The Mothra mod at pinballlife looks nice as well.

I put around 30 plays on a Pro and LE before deciding and ended up buying a Pro and don't regret it one bit. The MechaGodzilla area flows much nicer on the Pro and I actually prefer the GZ Multiball start on the Pro where it catches all 3 balls on the magnet before releasing them vs dropping them down the middle. The LE is a great looking machine but with the price difference the Pro is a no brainer... especially if you can get 2 Pros for the price of an LE.

If you mostly play single player games I would keep DP and sell TNA. TNA is a really fun game to play co-op though if you have friends or family that often play pinball with you.

The game looks better without it. I'm just going to tape 10 $100 bills to the top of my game.

Yikes. I didn't think it was possible to make a worse topper than the Stern one. I've come to appreciate how nice my pins look without toppers on them, sometimes nothing is better than something.

I'd be embarrassed to even tell non pinball friends if I bought something like this (or any topper in general). These are the same people that think the PS5 is expensive at $500. You could get a PS5, an extra controller and a bunch of games or you can get some flat plastics and a Godzilla figure that looks like the dinosaurs my 4 year old plays with. Ooh but it lights up and kind of works like a Skylander that costs $8 because it interacts with the game. Wowee!