I really like STTNG but that Borg ship is goofy looking. I don't remember it flinging balls at you - nothing like the Vengeance that rockets the ball at you. Layout in STTNG is fantastic and love the cannons. Wish ST had a cannon feature to shoot at the Vengeance - like the crossbow in TWD. I only played one STTNG and it was the biggest side drain monster I had ever played. The cannons made it really hard to see the ball until it was too late. It took me many plays just to get a decent game. Still a blast to play and I wouldn't argue against it being the best Star Trek game. I prefer the new ST but both are brilliant.

This x1000. I've noticed the exact same thing. Novice players can easily hit other shots, start multiball, and battle the Vengeance but cannot start a mode. I'm getting better but still struggle to get one of the two shots. It's so frustrating when I drain or just can't get that shot the entire game and make little progress. On the other hand, it feels pretty good when I start hitting the shot repeatedly. Having the Vengeance start a mode is a great idea.

In Stern's defense, maybe it is easier to support games with fewer updates. If there were a bunch of small updates, then each update could potentially have different issues. Each update needs development and testing time so maybe it's more efficient to do one big update. I don't know. It does seem silly to leave customers upset over something that can probably be fixed in a short amount of time. All software gets regular updates these days so it's standard practice.

The only worthwhile thing the pro is missing from the premium is the nice glossy paint job. The lasers are a gimmick and so what if the vengeance leans forward. More color changers are nice but I like the color choices of the pro. I like the clear look and smoothness of the plastic ramps. Art package is garbage but Aurich's alternative translite and decals are the best. I just got mine and put it on last night. Simply awesome.

A big new update is exciting! Any idea how long testing usually takes?

Uh, enjoy chewing on my argument I guess. If you are happy with the premium then great. It's a beautiful machine. I found it hard to justify spending a ton more for a few cosmetic things. Btw, since when was the pro msrp $6000? I bought mine in January and it was much less.

Stern's website has them listed as $5995 and $7495. Pricing has changed. Pro was $5395 when I bought it and premium was more than $2000 on top of that.