I had both, sold Shadow only because I needed some funds. The Shadow I had was mint, miss it.

If you like really challenging gameplay with different avenues for success, then Shadow. While Tron is great in it's own way, it's almost the same strategy every game.

Says something I guess.....TRON by a mile (and then some)....

...until you see and play a pimped out LE........

LE does have DP multiball.

Later pro models have alternate translights (although the origonal 3D one is best, I have all three translights but currently prefer the 3D but from time to time I'll switch them).

Later pros come with decals (maybe higher resolution cabnet art). Not sure which I prefer. The early pros and LEs come with painted cabinets which if it's like my PotC if you look closely you can see dots like a dot matrix printer.

The drop targets on the left side (TRON targets) are on the LE, some people prefer the stand up targets (pro) (I don't have enough time on the LE to say one way or the other). The deal with the standup targets is you can bank a ball off they targets if you aim correctly and hit the Gem shot, thus giving you an extra way to make this difficult shot.

As far as Tron goes, the LE is definitely the better game, but is totally not worth the extra money for it. Pro model is the way to go on Tron.

Shadow is a pinball masterpiece. 2 x 2 ramps with diverters, best mini-PF, great lock magnet effect, very good sound and superb rules. The gameplay is among the best there is in pinball, it's fast, flowing and very varied.

Tron is theme, theme and then theme again. The layout is not thrilling with some poor design choices like the right inner loop being half blocked by the recognizer targets or the Flynn's Arcade skillshot area.
What makes Tron stand out is theme, music and the lighted ramps & mods.
It's a very cool game but in terms of layout, features and gameplay TS wins.

Both great games. I have to give Tron the edge and the vote.

I don't really see Tron the same layout as Congo, the ramps are all different, does Congo even have a ramp shot from the upper left flipper? Also who cares? A Miata may be similar to a MGB but that does not mean they are the same car or that the Miata is not a good car or may be a better car than the MGB was.

Regardless, what difference does it make if Tron has a similar layout to another game? Doesn't AFM and MM have similar layouts and yet they are both ranked in the top 5 pins on pinside. And many people have them in their collection dispite having similar layouts.

Also, SM and ST are similar layouts but they play very different.

Yes, congo and tron are very similar. You'd know that if you've played congo. I'm assuming you have. Hard to argue that they're NOT similar in layout.

I say shadow for the price and to be honest i like it more than tron.

But I use to absolutely hate the tron pinball, now it has grown on me and i can see why people like it so much. But its just a cookie cutter stern game, shadow has more soul.

I thought Funhouse was the game with the same layout as Tron?

I have such a hard time liking games without pop bumbers. It just doesn't seem like pinball without pop bumbers. Shadow and No Fear are cool, but they're missing pop bumpers. I've had a NF(fixed it up nice and had to let it go within a month) and I turned down a TS because of this reason regarding pop bumpers.
Do pop bumpers make a pin? YES (in my view)
TRON>TS

Well, then put a RBION next to The Shadow, then you've got enough compensation.

But seriously, I've had similar thoughts, but don't miss the pops at all. They just take speed out of the game and hold the ball away from the flippers. Shadow has other means of "parking" balls during multiball which even affects scoring, by the way. If I could only own one pin I might think differently, but to me diversity is the most important ingredient in a pinball collection and that includes a "bumperless" pin.

Agree. Swords of Fury was awesome in my collection and I still miss it. But one can only have so much space and I sold it to friend that will give me "dibs" if it leaves his hands.

IM is a cheap knockoff of AP. It just happens to have a much better theme and rules. And if you can't see the similarity between FH and Tron you're blind. FH has been copied many times before Tron with JP and MSF, though.

I sure am glad I put aside my love of pop bumpers and bought TS. Definitely does not feel like it isn't pinball.

you can sub out the music.

I'd rather have a mint Shadow due to price. Need's Aurich's translight however or no deal.

tron cupcake.jpg

that too.

I feel congo is more similar. Mystery saucer, upper flipper shots to volcanoe, shot between the pops, the Recognizer/Satellite Transfer, etc. I feel they're very similar.

But FH does as well. In fact all three are similar in layout.

And yet Congo and Funhouse don't play anything like Tron. So I really can't see any reason to rehash this argument further, unless someone is asking what they should buy, Congo, Tron, or Funhouse.

I own TS, and just sold Tron. Tron is a great game when you mod it out with ELI and all the other gadgets. I just felt like Tron gets a little repetitive. For me, it would come down to which is a better deal. The other thing to think about is if you get a plain pro, for example, you will need to invest some money in the Tron to really make it a great game.

They don't play the same but do play similarly. I can't afford a TRON but would love to have one. I do, however have Funhouse, and a P-ROC, so I might have to program a Tron Tribute mode into FH!

I do want to find a Shadow someday. As much as I love Tron and some of the flow, I think the sounds and MB modes are what really drive the game. If the sound package wasn't as engaging it would come down a serious notch, despite pretty good layout (Recognizer targets are a pain when they are up.

Funhouse was a copy of Whirlwind which was a copy of Earthshaker. Similar layouts abound in pinball but it's what is different between the designs, the rule set, and implementation of themes that set them apart.

I like Shadow better than Tron. For that matter, I like Funhouse better than Tron. But I don't care if the layouts are similar.

They're the same layout!

haha

I agree with this, Tron and IM seem to play similar each time you play them. But to me, as I don't play hundreds of games in a month, more like 4-5 games of Tron a month so it doesn't ever get old to me. But I can certainly understand how that could be a criticism.

Made a lot of great points here. However, bottom line for me between the two is theme and total package. Nothing is cooler than Tron, nothing is ever gonna be cooler than Tron. Borg did a very good job of incorporating what makes Tron so captivating and vital into this pin. The Shadow theme is just OK, and is never gonna be in the same coolness zip code as Tron. Tron has it all--theme, music, sound, call outs, superior lighting show (with Eli's mod or with an LE), fun, challenging and fast game play. Shadow may have some of this, but is no where near the complete package that is Tron.

Coolness though doesn't make a great playing game and vice versa. As good as Tron is, the playfield artwork is really crap and detracts when I stop to look at it. The cabinet is great, backbox versions are okay (not fantastic) but man the PF suffers. In the same manner The Shadow's original transite isn't anything to write home about but Aurich has already taken care of that. Tron's modes are great but still feel linear, even if you can get them in order. That does fit the theme actually but it makes for a rather limiting set of rules.

The Shadow is much less linear and as such the rules are more interesting. Both are great games and this is one of the more fair comparisons.

Ask yourself this...if TS was themed Tron and Tron was themed TS, which is better? Or if they were blank white woods...TS wins easily. Tron wins theme and sound/music, but TS wins where it counts.

Tron has too simple of a rule set. Hit shot x times - wash rinse repeat. TS has so much more depth. I'll give Tron the edge on the theme, but overall it just gets boring much quicker than TS.

My Tron never got boring. Not even close. I bet I put over 1000 plays on it. Tron gets my vote. Total package. Pinball nirvana.

Both are shorter, more challenging games. Tron is the better theme, while Shadow is the better game. If you stuck the Tron theme on the Shadow game, it would be a top 10 game of all time, if you stuck the Shadow theme on the Tron pin, it would be a B list game at best. Tron could have been so much better. It's shallow ruleset that disappoints for me. You have 9 goals to shoot for and you get almost half of them almost automatically without ever intentionally shooting for them.

I've owned a Shadow before and would get one again, I only sold it to help finish the game room. I would also get Tron based almost on theme alone cause the theme is that good. Also keep in mind, Shadow will also only cost you half of what a Tron will.

TRON for sure

I have owned both twice, disliked them both first time through. Trons new code has made the game awesome....the shadow I sold again, it's fine....just not as good as other games I have so I didn't play it

Got to admit that I've never really understood the love for TS. I owned it, and I've always thought of it as being a "pretty ok" pin, but it's never been one of my favorites.

I felt this way too at first.

The more I played it, the more the game really began to reveal it's greatness. There are multiple strategies to scoring well, and shots are well balanced. There is no single path to a high score.

It keeps it interesting. It's a great game for competition.

The love for Tron, on the other hand, still evades me. But admittedly, I haven't played it enough to appreciate it. Yet.

Last night while playing Tron the ball shot out of the spinning disc at lightspeed, and I was sure it was going to drain SDTM. But Amy the Gorilla slapped that mf'er right back, landing it in Rudy's gaping mouth, and starting Midnight Multiball! It was an epic moment in pinball.

Go visit your AC/DC box.

You'll be happiest with the one that has the more appealing theme to you. It'll be sitting in your place and you'll have to look at it constantly so keep that in mind. They're obviouslt both great machines, just look how passionate the owners are about each. I like TS because it has more interactive things like the battlefield and ramp diverters. Never was a fan of stuff on the PF you can't interact with.

In what way?

More colors. More vibrant. Just better. I've played both lots and the Pro is the better light show. Granted if you are judging based off the reflection from the LE placque perhaps not......

Not saying it isn't a good mod but it doesn't seem to interact with the gameplay as much.

Easy choice...Tron by Far

Perv Alert!

TRON pro or LE is one of the baddest pins on the planet, Shadow is no slouch though cool game but the original backglass art is HORRIFIC!

TS:

- Better toys. I love the battlefield, lock, and player controlled ramps

Tron:

- Better theme
- Better music and call outs

I would say flow is a tie. For the money, I would pick the TS, but overall I would probably go with Tron. I have TS and want a Tron, so my best answer is both.

Agreed....I've seen some badass Pros, however

Are you guys saying that the ELI-Mod lightshow is better than the original LE-lightshow? That would be great news, Tron is on my wishlist, but the LE-prices are completely ridiculous.

Does anyone know why you can't upgrade a Standard to have the Daft Punk Multiball? I was able to upgrade my standard LotR with LE-Roms that support a shaker, so why doesn't an upgrade work on Tron?

No....just saying some of the modded Pros look great. Personal preference I suppose, but I had to have the LE, and did play both quite a bit before deciding. This is just me, however, so that choice would be up to you.......

I like how when you buy TS, you get one full featured game and don't have to worry if you are going to miss the drop targets or if the aftermarket ramp diverters will be better than the LE version's. You also won't have to worry about paying 9-10K for all the modes and features.

I agree with this sentiment however that does not mean Tron in any form is a bad game.

It's a distraction or misdirection argument look at that bird over there (therefore TS is better)

You can say the same thing about South Park, Look, I can buy a SP and not have to worry of it's going to have a toilet seat or if that's extra cost option bla bla, therefore SP is better than Tron.

No one is saying that Tron pro is not missing some features, it obviously is less than the LE however the game is like 98% the same as the LE. I never said drop targets are worse than standup targets but at the end of the day that's a very minor feature. Like on a scale of 1 (nothing) to 10 (omg it's a horror show) of thing to complain about not having drop targets is around a 1-2..

The biggest difference was always the lighted ramps which you can add to Tron for $400.