If you want flow and a not so hard pin your best choice is ST.
ST has better flow than ACDC IMO. Just because the ball stops on the canon..
TWD is a hard game.

After reading your post I think you need ST.
Never played GB so I can't judge a game based on pics, vids or the art.

TWD is not a flow game and extremely hard. There is no such thing as a casual game on a clean, factory set machine. But it is great if you're a decent player and want a challenge.

ST is the fastest, best flow of the bunch, but missions, albeit 18 of them, all are reiterations of ramp, orbit and center shots. For the money, go Pro and mod the heck out of it.

TWD is most frustrating because of cheap drains, but has challenging ruleset, shorter ball times. For the money, many think premium is way to go, but many mods available.

Acdc is deep as well but not as much to shoot at compared to the other two. The game is really fun though especially if you like the music. Pro needs many mods to make it shine. For the money, go Pro, unless you like the light show then go premium. Lower playfield is pretty stupid though.

All three are great pics. I just sold my Star Trek, but would love to have it in my collection in the future. Now I'm looking at games like ACDC and TWD.

All 3 are great. Can't go wrong waiting on gb as well

I've played ACDC quite a bit and it is a fun game and doesn't seem extremely hard. You have to like the music and I would prefer a premium over the pro because of the extras even though the lower playfield is eh. Backhand shots are the key.

I own a ST Pro. I've modded it. First NIB game I bought and it's a lot of fun. Missions are a bit repetitive sure but I haven't cleared all of them going up (there are 3 levels of each). It is a much easier game then TWD and flows great.

I own a TWD premium. You definitely need a premium for TWD. Just feels more complete. It's a real pia when we first got it. My wife asked me to close in the outlanes and it is much more enjoyable. Still extremely hard. I've modded it too and have the code with the show speech. I've always been a zombie fan and enjoy the show (not a diehard lover of the show but I watch it).

Played ghost busters some at TPF. Too early to make a recommendation but I liked it enough to order a premium.

With all that said. If I could only have one I would buy a TWD premium. It is so satisfying to have a good game on it and every shot seems like you are doing something. Killing zombies. The modes are more varied. There are balls with flow. There are balls with zero flow. It just really works well. Downside is you will have games that totally suck which is great at home. Simply take your harassing and play it again. After getting TWD we play ST much less...

Greg

- TWD is hard. If you did not like X-men because of hard shots, you may not like TWD.
- ST can be considered easier as the major shots (ramps, orbits, enterprise) are easier. Flow is perfect, but modes are more repetitive than others. So... if you "prefer varied missions rather repetitive or similar ones", not a good choice.
- That leaves you with ACDC. If you like the music, go for it.

PS: every tried Mustang?

First off, TWD is not less frustrating than Xmen. The one that meets your list of criteria the best in a small pin lineup would be ST, but I'd say it would have to be an STLE. I'm not a big fan of the VUK return on the pro nor the lack of an outlane kickback; and the aesthetics and visuals of the LE are remarkable. The missions seem repetitive at first which is why this pin is great in a small lineup cause as you peel the onion you'll find all sorts of variety in the modes. ACDC is also another great choice to meet your criteria but it can be a brutal pin too and the last ability may not do as good as STLE in a small lineup.

Of the three, TWD is my favorite. However, I've only played the LE version, and with only the Pro model in my price-range (and being unsure if I'd like it) I've held off on going for one. Not what I'd call a flow game, but it's challenging and I like the toys. I think the modes feel unique.

ST Pro I own. I think it is a very good flow game, and the mode model offers a lot of scoring strategies to explore in terms of risk/reward (having 18 modes will do that). Modes definitely can feel repetitive. Decent ball times; easier game than TWD by far.

I've played an AC/DC several times (Luci version), but other than the sound/light show I never really got into it.

Anyway, I voted for ST in your poll given your indicated desire for flow and a desire for something less difficult. I have the longest ball times on ST, but with 18 modes I think it offers a lot of depth. Biggest negative will be the repetitiveness of those modes (I think it feels the most repetitive of the three).

Anyway, good luck deciding!

Not a fan of AC/DC. I don't like the rules and find it repetitive. You start a song, hit the shots then everything is lit and counts towards your jackpot. Throw in some multi-balls and that's the basic rules. Of course, you can stack and such, but for some reason, I just don't care for it. As well, I don't really care for music based pins. After playing it for awhile, I'm sick of the songs. I was holding an AC/DC Prem for a friend. Played it quite a bit and really tried to get into it. Just didn't grab me. That's just me, you might be different, but you asked for an opinion

Tough call between ST and TWD. I really enjoy both.

I have a ST Pro. I love the theme and the music. I understand why some find it repetitive, but I don't. I can select modes to match a multiball. I like the away team for the first tier modes. The warp shot is extremely satisfying. The sounds are outstanding. Flow is amazing and you are rewarded for making lit shots which adds to the challenge. I really enjoy the game. I would say ST is easier and flows much better than TWD.

I've played TWD and really like it as well. I agree it is a harder game than ST, but if you can get multiball stacked the points are awesome and the intensity is fantastic. I don't find it super challenging. It's possible to have a decent game when you are in the zone It's the type of game where you will have a couple of terrible games and then an awesome game. Makes that game so much more rewarding. I've played both an LE and a Pro. I will admit I don't know the rules inside out, but I find both equally fun. I plan on getting a Pro some day. I just cann't justify the price difference for a Premium. In Canada, the difference could buy a few EMs.

In Canada and I think the States, I would expect the price of ST to be about the same as TWD. Between the two I lean towards ST, but if ST is much more than TWD, I'd vote TWD.

Good luck!

A few points about ST. Regarding missions, they are quite different but all have similarities if that makes sense. The problem though isn't with the deepness of missions and its rules, but the breadth. And what I mean is the game lacks achievable and satisfactory progression. But, the surrounding aesthetics (sound, lighting, voices, etc...) are phenomenal and make the game one of the best. Also, it has the warp ramp! Best shot in all of pinball!

As for ACDC; biggest differences from pro v prem is color changing lighting and mini pf. Other key differences is the prem has crossover ramp, drops instead of stand ups, and a swinging bell. The premium is really a fabulous game but I've recently played a lot of the pro machine and would be just as happy with it as I would with a premium. I believe Aurich makes a decal that covers angus, would be nice if there were other options too, but I don't think there is.

First they are all good games

I Love ST but get to play it at two locations and I would say it would get stale quick at home

I use to be on the hunt hard for AC/DC but now I have lost interest in it. I don't really like the music but the game is a fun one

TWD, I played a ton before the update and hated it. After the update I only have had a few games on one before it was gone, but wow what a improvement.

for me its TWD>AC/DC>ST

my experience is on pros but all the Prems are fun

GB was fun but I have no opinion cause I have only played it at a show and who knows about the code

ST, AC/DC and TWD - all great games... so go for all of them, maybe not at once but within the next months/years.

If your budget is at this time "Pro-only" - then I would go for ST Pro. With ST there is from my point of view no need to upgrade to a premium or limited version from a players perspective.

Other than that AC/DC Premium > TWD Premium > ST Pro or Premium

AC/DC and TWD should really be Premiums/LEs. It's obvious for AC/DC and for TWD "only" the walker bombs make the difference.

I love acdc and twd for way different reasons but both are awesome and pretty difficult the way I have them set up. Cant go wrong with either

I have owned all 3 and for me AC/DC is the winner by a long shot.

TWD has great dots, great code, but was the least amount of fun to play out of those 3. It pissed me off almost every time I played the game. After a few games on it I would literally walk away mad and not wanting to play it again for a while. I like hard games and am a decent player but I found it frustrating and it has several huge design flaws in my opinion. I kept my LE until the code was done and couldn't get rid of it quick enough at that point.

ST is a great all around game, wider shots that flow well and the premium/LE look amazing. It has crazy deep code and while the missions seem a like they are different enough to keep me interested. The major flaw to me is for lesser players advancing to the next mode can be difficult. A lot of balls are lost trying to hit the 2 mode starts which are the only 2 hard shots on the game other then the warp ramp. Overall a good game that I think holds up well. I traded my premium for a spiderman VE which I think is a slightly better game with tighter shots and more toys.

AC/DC is my favorite stern. Deep scoring strategies with lots of risk reward. The lower playfield is just OK but it can be pretty fun if you can time it with 3x. The bell is so rewarding to hit and the feedback you get from it is awesome. I have fun every time I play AC/DC. The shots are not really tight but the pressure of huge jack pots can make them hard to hit when you have a few hundred million points on the line.

Get IM!

Can't speak for ST, but I've had AC/DC and TWD at home. AC/DC is gone, could never get into the game, TWD is awesome, adjust in lanes and she's a keeper. I grow bored of games pretty quick, but TWD is just different always wanting to play just one more game. If the budget allows go for the premium!!!

I'd keep putting time on games until you find the right fit.

I own ST Pro and ACDC Premium.... Both are tons of fun. Star Trek, for me, is incredibly fun because it's fast, shots are achievable, and the light/sound combination is super special. You get that machine going and you get completely sucked in.

ACDC has a very different attack strategy, which makes it interesting. It's a game that can feel choppy because it's so brutal - but once you get your teeth into a good game, the machine rewards you with a whole lot of special.

Not sure about a mod for the swinging bell on acdc pro. You feed the cannon from right ramp, just like the PREM but the PREM has the additional option for left ramp to use crossover to feed as well.

TWD pro v PREM main difference is the walker bombs. Walker bombs add a very big element of strategy which are used from the lockdown bar button that the pro doesn't have. The other differences are the spinners which are pretty awesome in this pin and used well. There's also a drop target in front of Woodbury that blocks shots from going to shooter lane. I agree that the xbow and bg ramp aren't that great, but the other stuff is.

ACDC is also another great choice to meet your criteria but it can be a brutal pin too and the last ability may not do as good as STLE in a small lineup.

I have the complete opposite opinion. I think AC/DC would be superior to STLE in a small lineup. The challenge and difficulty of AC/DC combined with a superb ruleset make it perfect in a small lineup. The repetitive feeling modes and longer ball times on STLE make it a very poor choice in a small collection in my opinion.

I had both in a small lineup and STLE was just more fun. STLE was great in a small lineup because on the surface it seems repetitive, but with it being in a small lineup you really get to explore and open up what the missions and game offers and then you find that it's not so repetitive after all. Sure all the level 1 missions feel the same, but each of their away team missions are completely different. And, the tier 2 & 3 missions are much different as well. Not to mention tackling different game plans and strategies can be very unique and fun with trying to light multipliers. My biggest gripe with STLE is the difficulty and time involvement needed to get to enterprise amok + 5 year mission, which again - makes it a great candidate for a small lineup.

ACDC wasn't more fun in a small lineup because that game did get repetitious after playing it day after day after day. It's an awesome pin but even better when you can take a break from it from time to time, leave it alone, play something else, then revisit it again.

EDIT: oh and the warp ramp is so dam fun to shoot that you could spend an hour just integrating that shot into your strategies and have a blast with that shot alone.

I think calling Star Trek "repetitive" is probably a little bit of disservice. After all, with most pins being 95% fixed designs, aren't they all a little bit repetitive? Some of the greatest games ever have a minimal number of repetitive shots. Star Trek has lots of shots...it really boils down to what you choose to shoot. Sure, if you only aim for the ramps and the ship, Star Trek is narrow. But there is plenty else to aim for... under the upper flipper for mini-modes, black hole targets, lock targets, weapons targets, left mode area... strategy of when to hit the ship. Of course, actually trying to hit the marked shots as they move around brings another element of fun...especially when paired with the speed of the game.

Then, of course, there's very satisfying shots to the kickback in the ship and the warp ramp.

The shots on Star Trek just line-up right to the flippers. They aren't clunky...so, admittedly, they do come across as easier (with the exception of the difficult mode shots). But, I'm not sure how Star Trek is any different than other pin that lights shots for you to hit. I think about the bank of games that my ST sits in... TAF, IM, WOZ, and AC/DC.... and WOZ is really the only one that has shots that line-up unique to what we generally see. The other games can certainly be pegged as "repetitive"...but that doesn't necessarily mean they are at a detriment... all of them really fun pins.

I would agree with this. I've had some really nice games on TWD but with XM they are few and far between.

I own TWD Premium, ST LE, and my neighbor has ACDC Premium.. and I have a GB LE on order.

TWD is my go to pin, and if I was forced to own only a single pin- it would be TWD no doubt. It has that one-more game feel more then anything. I also am a huge fan of the theme.

ACDC is a fun game as well, especially if you like the music. They are all great in their own ways. TWD just has much more replay value to it due to its challenging layout and amazing code and rules, and I just cannot see this machine leaving my collection ever.

ST LE is a great game with a nice flow and just an overall great fun game for casual players. Casual players and guests to my house just really do not click with TWD. I feel TWD is best geared as a HOU machine that you just need to play for a while and set up just right to "get it". ST is great for families as well. When I have a few frustrating TWD games, I fire up ST and I just have a good ol time and call it a day after a couple of games... definitely glad its in my collection.

I own both TWD and AC/DC prem. TWD is a frustrating game so much so I had to tame it by moving the posts and changing the settings or else the danger of me smashing the glass! the mods are cool though and I modded the prison tower mod with a yellow flasher up top and a brite blue led on the bottom. It looks much better than what it originally came with. the game is a tough game and i usually am a leave the factory settings alone type of guy so I can gauge my game-play against the masses, but not on this game. What I like is that this game i feel will make you a better player. It gets the adrenaline going when you have one of those games which for me is about 1 out of 8 right now even with the changes, and it will drain either SDTM or exit stage left or right. AC/DC i used to think was a tough game but now not so much. It is another adrenaline flow game when you get it going, I like the lightning bolt flashers with no filters it really blasts you in the face during gameplay and the ramps are really smooth and the ball can get some good flow from ramp to ramp. just a good fun game. Both games are keepers for me but i give the edge to AC?DC for now.

I think the swinging bell was on the AC/DC LED pro model...no saucer behind the bell. I'm sure how common/available that LED model is.

I've played both premium and pro...the premium has a more substantial feel with the two banks of drop targets and the added ramp. The pro is a much faster, ball bouncing around, kind of feel.

I hear what you're saying...

In my opinion, the AC/DC premium does have an advantage... you have physical drop targets...a revealed standup target, an interactive bell, the added saucer, cross playfield ramp, and the lower playfield, and the additional add-ons like the train, moving TNT plunger, moving band, etc. It all gives the game a completely different feel, but also effects the flow in a pretty significant way.

Really comes down to personal preference. If that stuff doesn't matter as much to you, Pro is definitely the obvious choice.

Having owned an ACDC premium for over a year and having extensive play on location with a pro; i'd say the biggest features the premium gains are the drop targets (so fun to hit with the cannon), and the lighting - overall look of the pin. The overall appearence of the premium is much nicer, the angus face is UGLY.

The saucer behind the bell isnt all that its made out to be. The bell is awesome, but just hitting the bell (both versions) is an awesome shot. The bell swinging is bonus and a nice touch.

Crossover ramp isnt a big issue to me that i could tell. It is kind of nice to have at times as it increases Adrenalin; i.e. when the ball crosses that ramp it goes fairly slow which gives the player the sense of 'here we go, time to launch and fire the cannon.' But there are other times where i dont even want it to go into the cannon, so in a sense you have more control of when to fire the cannon with the pro version.

You can buy a swinging bell mod for the pro (Pinball Refinery), it really adds some satisfaction to the shot. Adding the swinging bell and the Helen package to cover the Angus face made me give up on upgrading my Pro to a Premium as I had originally intended. Happy with the Pro.

I've never owned ST, but I have AC/DC Pre and TWD LE. I'm waiting on GB. The game I play most is TWD. I just love this pin!!! Although AC/DC is a fun game, the rule set, for what ever reason, is just difficult for me to figure out. With that said, go out and buy AC/DC. Use it for a few months and then sell it and get GB. You'll never have an issue selling AC/DC and this way you have a new pin to play while you wait for GB Pro.

They briefly ran an ACDC LED pro model... Simply a pro shipped with LEDs and a bell that swings back and hits the bell standup target that the Pro bell area was outfitted with. Perhaps you could find a distributor with one, although I'm sure its price is going to be jacked-up.

As for ratings, the two machines feel and play completely different. The premium has nifty color changing GI lights, color changing inserts, the lower playfield, an extra cross ramp, hidden target, more substantial toys (bell, train, band, TNT moving plunger, a bell that uses a magnet/opto rather than a standup target, the bell saucer, two sets of drop targets.... To me, the Pro plays fast and fun, but it feels stripped and tad more rigid. The Premium/LE have moments of fast mixed with moments of control. The shots to the TNT targets and Bell feel better because the targets move. Same goes for the drops on "AC/DC."

The premium also had powder coated armor with loly-pop rails...no big Angus Face (the guy that made the Hellen sticker to replace it no longer makes them because of legal reasons).

You pull it altogether and not only do the games play/feel differently... They also look radically different...thus the difference in ratings.

Of course, you're going to find players that hate the premium and love the pro... At the end of the day, don't let the ratings guide your decision. Ratings have all sorts of bias in them that render them a mere barometer...not an exact compass.

ST and AcDc premium are both my pick, but I'd probably rather say Metallica pro (not sure if you considered this one?) .

I've not played GB yet.

For lights/looks def go with either ST premium/LE or AcDc premium if you were looking for one of those titles over the pro. The color changing lights are fantastic plus ST has laser mode (Klingon MB) and has color changing apron light and FULL inserts color changing. AcDc has less inserts that change but they do a good job, plus the lower PF on AcDc is a must. I don't think it's really well coded like it's essential to the game, but I just think it's fun and shoots well and looks cool.

I've been playing STLE a lot recently and think it's really growing on me big time. AcDc was always one of my favorites but I haven't been playing it so much because I have a lot of pins. But it's certainly one that I need to play more so I can really understand the rules better. It's very complex so that's good for a home pin.

Metallica is really sublime, it's kind of like a better version of IM and I love IM. Also it's rules are very interesting to me, I love how you can get the inserts to stay lit if you complete a shot all inserts and they carry forward to the next ball but you loose progress if you don't lock the shot in before you drain.

Met pro is fine for me, I'd almost say if you can get a Met pro and save some money towards a GB pro later on.

I suppose your whole list is great though but I'd add Met to the list personally.

Just read this, if you don't like the lower PF then it's not really a good idea to get the AcDc premium. I don't think you can disable it but I guess you can just not pick those 3 songs that use the lower PF. I suppose I can understand that you don't like it as it' kind of repetitive. But I don't play a lot so when I do it's nice for a change. I really think the code let this feature down. I certainly think there should be times where both the lower and upper PF are active so you would have to keep track of the balls in both areas like on Tspp. Really the lower PF on AcDc is kind of a waste as it's coded kind of meh, but to me it's just fun (as I say I may only play the game 50 times a year so I don't really get too tired of it personally and think its fun).

I can see your problem. LOL

I was thinking to buy Met but also looking at IM. I went to a friends house and played both. The Met music was a MAJOR turn off for me. I wanted to walk away just so I didn't need to listen to (some) of the songs. I got IM instead really like it a lot but the rules are kind of basic. Still great but not something you can dig deep and find new stuff.

Later I got a really good deal on a Met pro. So I picked it up based on all the great ratings here. I was not disappointed with the gameplay or the rules. As for the music, it was actually (IMO) that I had only known Metallica from the Black Album (Sandman, Nothing Else Matters) and the other songs like Battery etc.. were new to me.

I went and bought the first 4 CDs which were quite cheap like 4 for $24 from Amazon. I plopped them in my computer and on my car. After a while my thought of them went completely around. First on the pinball the song is somewhat obscured and not really Hi fidelity sound. But after I really listened to the songs like many times I fell in love with their early stuff and I got a few songs changed out that I really didn't like. So it turns out the music was a big negative but now is a big positive.

It's the old theory (at least to me) if you don't really know a song you may not like it but after you get to know it it's possible you change you mind. Key for me was to listen to it without the pinball distractions.

I think AcDc (for me) was much more well known like Hells Bells, TNT, Back in Black (etc..). I really never got into the songs I never knew like RNR train and War Machine and Rosie so I changed them out to songs I knew better.

Funny... I actually think the genius of ACDC is its code. Really cool way of attacking pinball scoring. Genius, really... So good that the few holes: cannon modes being it for me.... Get nit-picked