BAD CATS and cyclone!

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Whirlwind

IMO you can't go wrong. Get any one of those. Enjoy it, and maybe trade up if its not a fit. Other's can confirm but would expect that those won't lose value as long as you keep them working.

If its a machine you both like, you should be able to find a Jurassic Park for $2500. There are a handfull of good 90s DMDs still around that price point. I actually think The Getaway might be a good pair with Taxi.

That XFILES is pretty nice, if it's the one I think it is.

High speed?

In my opinion, I think you may be rushing things a little. Maybe play a lot more games before making a decision, maybe get you’re wife involved in the process. There’s sooo many good games, and a bunch of not so great ones, also... don’t limit yourself to games with ramps; the single level games can be just as fun or more and super fast as well.

I think you let the wife pick out whatever she damn wants. If you don't keep her happy they will all be hers anyway.

How about a nice Xfiles?

In my opinion, get Jurassic Park. But my opinion is heavily biased as it's a wish-list pin of mine

Getaway would be great. So would that T2. Couldn't go wrong with either of those.

diner

T2 is a great game...has many familiar aspects of pinball. And its a fairly low maintenance game. The super jackpot shot is very satisfying! !

I second this. Diner and Taxi are a great pair of system-11 games to have.

A Whirlwind or Earthshaker might be nice as well as a High Speed. The Paragon would have been nice.

DMD era you will have to luck out with the price you are looking for, but maybe T2, FT.

Skip X-Files if you don't know that you like it or not. Stick to the titles you know you can sell if you end up finding it does not fit your tastes.

In a 2 pin collection I think Diner is too much like Taxi and rules are pretty much the same. In a larger collection absolutely they pair well together. I really like Whirlwind for a pin in that era. Getaway I would pick over High Speed even though HS was a childhood favorite of mine. Getaway offers the same layout with advanced rules and features of HS

Since you’re in CA I suggest you and your wife make a trip to the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas and try playing several different games to see which ones you like. They’ll have most of the suggested games above and plenty more to try out.

And a house with two pinball machines really needs three pinball machines. And a house with three pinball machines really needs.....you get the idea!

I own T2 and x files and no matter what anyone says x files is still one of my favorite games in my collection and it helped me win the Buffalo circuit event. They are both simpler games so if you want something with deeper rules you should keep playing more games to see what else you like.

T2 is fun. I was also thinking Getaway reading through the entire thread. Whirlwind is a great suggestion as well. I would also suggest Earthshaker.

X files is ok but compared to Taxi... just don't assume that it's better or deeper because it has a DMD and is years newer. DE/Sega pins are a unique experience and I don't know that I would suggest that it be your first venture in to that land of confusion.

Taxi, Whirlwind, and T2 are classics and X Files is not.

As others suggested, find a barcade or location with a dozen pins and play for a couple hours. It will help clarify what is important to you in a game. "Don't buy a car without test driving it on the highway."

In my opinion, Jurassic Park, Bad Cats, and Cyclone are overpriced for the gameplay they offer.

I vote against diner. Taxi and diner are so similar I think you're better off with more variety. I let my diner go because they feel so similar. Eatpm, whirlwind, f14 are worth looking at if you stay system 11. Check out TFTC, FT, T2, demo man if you're thinking about something a little newer.

Actually Whirlwind and Taxi were my first 2 pins back in 1998.
So I second Whirlwind.

My wife really likes taxi too - simple rules and and plenty of charm. Fish Tales is a great choice - my wife likes it too for similar reasons, and it is fairly fast if you wax it up and set it on the steep side. I agree that Getaway would be great. One other option to consider for a fast game with easy rule set is Eight Ball Deluxe - no DMD though, but it has some charm and will keep you occupied for a long time - challenging and very fun!

I agree. I had a Taxi and a Diner side by side. Both are great games, but felt they were too similiar. Getaway is a great game.....cant go wrong there

Obviously get what you like, but F-14 is one of the few machines that I was actually excited to leave my collection. Great looking, but I just became disappointing that all that amazing chrome fed ball locks. There are much better System-11s if you are seeking two, IMHO. I'd look for Whirlwind or Earthshaker.

I love Fish Tales, but again I'm not sure it's the best pair with Taxi. In a two machine collection, I wouldn't want two machines with with crisscross ramps. If I ended up with those two, I'd eventually look to swap out Taxi.

Added over 6 years ago: Add Swords of Fury to my list of System 11s.

Banzai Run is an awesome pin and one of my favorites for system 11 pins. They didn't make a lot of them and it would be hard to find one for 2500.

Theme may not be the first thing you look at when deciding on a game. If you don't really play a game for an hour, you really have no idea if you really want to own one. These things are expensive and take up a lot of space.

I've played Jurassic Park and X Files maybe 40 times each. After the first dozen times I played them thinking the entire time "why do people even like these titles". Now I will only play them if I am forced to play them in league or in a tournament and I have disliked nearly every moment on both titles. It may sound harsh but I don't think that I can overlook the design choices for shots or the sound on both of those titles. I do know people that like both titles a lot and I respect their reasoning as well. If you are a superfan of either theme or have kids, they are both fairly simple games and good choices.

Jokerz

T-2 is gonna get old quick. If you want something with a gun, look for a nice Dirty Harry--better game with a better use of the gun.

Have you considered a "Ripleys"? Cost is in your area Ripleys has a very different layout!

I've had a Dr Dude paired with my Taxi for a few years now. But now I have my Dr. Dude for sale to make way for a newer game.

Swords of Fury, Whirlwind, High Speed, Ahh so many more.

Jurassic Park is the first thing that comes to mind.

Hurricane is a fun game, underrated in my opinion, and you should be able to get a nice one for $2500.

you just may enjoy LAH, magnets and 6ball multi ball

Yes, a bad running game can ruin a title you are checking out.

Also many people are throwing out titles not remembering some of you constraints, $ is the big one.

Play, play, play. The put you money aside and keep an eye out. And pounce when the deal comes up. Hurrying on a purchase can cost you money and ending up with a game you don't really want.

High Speed is good when dialed in. But if you can't make that upper ramp from the plunger or flipper consistently you will not like the game. There are a lot of them and they resell well.

BK good game, BK2K you might not find. Centaur is great but price seems to be out there these days.

IJ has been out of your price range since, well, since ever. Maybe a overseas container junker 15-20 years ago.

I might be able to offer some perspective. I have two pins in my collection, one of which is a Cyclone that I will never sell due to sentimental reasons (much like your Taxi). I've tried other system 11's next to it but they seem the same. Sure they are different games, but having two games from the same era doesn't provide enough variety for me.

I'd suggest getting a dmd game as its much deeper and will do better in a small collection. Price is a big obstacle so finding something you like will be challenging. Maybe you can find a World Cup Soccer for $2500 - $3000? Personally, I'd avoid xfiles like the plague, but some people love it.

First of all, I just want to say Taxi is a great game. Tough to beat at any price.

Second, I was also thinking Ripley's because it's relatively cheap ($2500 may be pushing it) but the ruleset is far deeper.

Taxi was my first pin. I wanted a whirlwind which has faster gameplay. Step it up to the next level with a Banzai run which plays extremely fast when dialed in correctly. All these game can be had for less that $2500 or less if your willing to do a little work. I couldn't have paired them up any better.

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ID like to see a $2500 BANZI RUN!

I owned an X-files too and it gets old fast. Theme is great, but there are so many other games way better for the money.
WCS94 is a great recommendation. Great design, smooth ramps. Easy enough for beginners, but enough rules to give it some staying power in a collection. Mine stuck around for 10 years.

I'll add 3 to the mix - Mousin' Around and 2 undervalued games - Road Show and World Poker Tour

Bad Cats
Whirlwind
Diner?

And so the addiction begins...just one more.

Wait...what? You now show a JP in your collection, but no mention that you picked up a 2nd game.

High speed 2