I did a search to see if this 'match' had already been faught, but it drew a blank... so I guess not!

I do like the look of Tranformers a lot, but after having Tron, and being dissapointed in the strategy and depth department, I was wondering if anyone out there can give an informed opinion about how these two games compare from a gameplay point of view...

Also, does the LE stuff on the Tranformers add much? I had a couple of games on the pro (not enough to get a feel for the depth/strategy side) and I liked the feel/flow of the ramps, so unless the LE really adds something, I think I'd be drawn to the pro... although the trim on the LE is very cool though!!

Thanks for any input!

Is it just the layout that puts you off Transformers, or is there something about gameplay that makes Tron better?

Another advantage of Tron pro over LE (i.e. in addition to the $4k in your pocket!) is that the rebound shot from the TRON targets is more repeatable on the pro since they don't drop... so GEM is a bit easier

Someone must have something to say about the strategy/depth side of things who knows both games... or are they both along the same lines... (i.e. make lights in central column(s) light up by doing modes (possibly simultaneously), along with a standard multiball, then get to the wizard?)... or is there more to Transformers?

Thanks guys for all your input... Markmon and Taz hit the jackpot in giving some good in-depth comparison information... after having Tron LE set up in my flat for a few months and realising the depth didn't quite cut it for me, I decided to let it go... (sorry Tron lovers...). Transformers sounds like a deeper game, and I love it's look (especially the LE) with the bling trim! I wasn't aware that the loop shots were different on the pro and LE... I played the pro just 2 times and loved the speed of the ramps, that reverse loop at the top was very cool, and I loved the way the ramps were made... I imagine the downside of the LE is the stuff at the top of each ramp that removes that quick return... What I think I'd aim for is a Transformers Pro with the LE trim!! Anyone know if the LE trim is being repo'd by anyone??

On the subject of getting to SOS and Portal, I recon I got to SOS about every 5 games and Portal around every 20... but I'd opened the Gem shot up a bit to balance the game out, so these success rates don't reflect my skill

This does upset some people I know... and you may not like it... it's a hardware mod as detailed here:

Caution: don't look of you don't like hardware mods!!

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/tron-gem-shot-ease-improvement-purists-beware

Mmmm, I didn't realise the LE has this DT as a difference over the pro... that's what you're saying right...?

It took a lot of thought before I did it... believe me... but I really wanted to see how the game played when it wasn't focussed on GEM... and it did play a lot better... it was like the light had been turned on, and the game was no longer about getting Gem, it was about everything else too... I could then truely 'see' the game... I wanted to love this game, it being my first NIB... but the GEM shot was spoiling it (for me!)... this fixed it and the game was 100% better afterwards... of course I was risking de-valuing the game, but I got it to enjoy, not to worry about its value...

Sounds like your mod was along the same lines, but without the painfull wood removal bit

First game I played after the mod I fired the ball round the loop from the shooter and shot for GEM, it went straight in!! I was extatic... Don't get me wrong, the shot was still hard... it just wasn't f**king ridiculously hard...

I even toyed with moving the upper flipper a bit lower down the p/f... but thought that would have looked too wrong and maybe fouled up the upper 'N' drop target a bit...

Having owned both these games now, Tron has gone and TF is still getting played.

TF is way more of a challenge, but the lack of 'great code' is still a dissapointment, it could be so much better!! Tron looks pretty, but the depth left me cold... I felt I'd been cheated to be honest, some modes seemed to be just there to give the illusion of depth, like Flyn, recogniser, TRON...

The great thing about TF is that even if you do make it to the end (which I've only done once in about 300 games I guess) then there's always room to polish your strategy... And the shots are clearly defined... with TRON the game doesn't tell you what you need to do, I actually had a crib-sheet with what was needed for each mode... some may feel that this adds depth, but for me it adds annoyance and another element of being cheated: 'it's not that deep, so lets make the modes so that the player isn't shown what to hit... that will make them feel it's deeper than it is'