I would take a JM over HS2 in a heartbeat. JM is a much funner pin with longer lastibility IMO. I would say try to get some playtime on JM first though to make sure you enjoy it because your thoughts on it is the most important thing.

I have owned both and they are both great machines. When guests play, Getaway will get more play, but my personal preference is Johnny. I think JM value will be on the rise and is in demand. A lot of people want one and I know when I made a trade it was in very-very big demand. The glove is not nearly as hard to maintain as has been presented, two new nuts for about 15 bucks and it will last a long time. In fact, I WANT MINE BACK!

I have a JM and had a HS2 in my living room for about a month. JM has a ton of flow and is a really fun pin despite the theme, it's a deeper pin as well with a GREAT final mode. if you are leaning towards doing the deal make sure the hand works and the ramps are intact, they can be hard to replace.

We own both.
JM, definitely is the most fun.

+43.12

Go for the trade and never look back.

I'll be the voice of dissent on this one... I'd take HS2 over JM all day long. The supercharger toy on HS2 is one of the best toys in pinball IMO. I've played JM a couple times and just couldn't get into it. Probably the theme although I didn't really care for the gameplay much either.

And this comes from someone who is a huge Gomez fan. LOTR and MB are my two favorite machines ever.

JM all the way

This would be a tough call for me. Purely from a gameplay standpoint I think I would pick JM. HS2 is fun a game though. Would love to have both myself.

Your opinion is definitely valid and the Supercharger is really cool.. but at home it lost my interest real quick. The game quickly became boring next to others like Fish Tales and Doctor Who.

The JM glove offers dozens more opportunities for strategy.
And of course the best wizard mode ever.

Can't go wrong with either game imo.

I did just notice that the OP has a one pin collection at the moment. So I could see wanting to swap it out to get something else. I can say with certainty that while cool, HS2 would definitely get old if it was the only pin I had.

JM is way better for all the above reasons. It is on my short wishlist if i can find one. Sold my HS2 in 2 weeks.

Also make sure the cab is in good condition and not faded as I don't think they make repro decals yet.

I would love to own a JM. I sold my Getaway pretty quickly.
The JMs are rarer. You can always find another HSII if you just must have it again.

Got lucky just yesterday and found a great deal on a JM. Never played one before and its nice to read some of your opinions. I can't wait to shop it out and play it.

I would say the trade is apples to apples. HSII is the better player, and will probably always be worth more. Both machines have toys that disrupt the flow. The glove in JM is pretty annoying, but a high score in that game might feel more earned.

"The JMs are rarer. You can always find another HSII if you just must have it again."

+1

"The game quickly became boring next to others like Fish Tales and Doctor Who."

I have FT, DW and HS2 and they get about equal play. HS2 is always good for a game when I just feel like banging a pinball around without worrying about strategy too much or aimed shots.

That, or you could tell the guy that he needs to kick some money in on the deal in addition to the JM.

I see it as a close call. Both are a lot of fun; JM is a bit more 'interesting' for home play. As for trade vs. sell/buy, dunno if there's that much of a price difference, esp. if JM is really nice. MUCH less hassle to trade than to arrange 2 transactions.

I'm the co-owner of the HSII with sixsixtie.

We are both having a hell of a time with this decision and appreciate all the input!

It seems to be the popular opinion that JM has the better/more diverse gameplay.

One of the biggest issues we seem to be stuck on is the price difference, is this negligible?

From the pics he provided us, I can tell you JM is in near mint to mint condition (so is our HSII).
He's an experienced owner with multiple machines (we are not), so I'm hesitant to make a trade we will lose value on.

Can I ask what you paid?

check the value of each pin from multiple sources, pinside, mr pinball, that boston thing and get about an average of the price difference. Then offer the trade with cash to you. If the JM owner is experienced, then he knows exactly what he is doing and what each is worth.

Just go for it.

Once you're considering a trade, you have already somewhat decided that the pin you have on some level is not for you, or you're bored of it, or it's time to move on. Hence, I agree, just do it. Some people regret a trade or sale here and there, but I would bet for the most part 95% of machines gone were for the best for each person.

JM is a great game however if your talking cash value I think you can get more out of HSII if they are both mint. Both games are know for cabinet fade so a true mint original example can bring a little extra money to the table for someone that wants a true mint example.

Not sure I helped any but wanted to put in my two cents!

You guys are thinking too much into this. Both games are in the same ballpark, so what if the value swings one way or the other by 100 bucks or so...that can be made up by the guy who drives. Just go ahead and do it. Neither title is that rare that you can not re-aquire again down the road should you miss it.

Have fun with your new game..until it is time to trade and do it all over again!

j.m is on the rise concerning price