I would say increase your budget and get a Godzilla Premium.

For that $ Wonka is out... and TSPP probably is too.

If you are a newbie... You may want to stay from Data East... or maybe not... You might be able to buy the DE Simpsons and the DE TMNT. Data East games are fine... but they don't have the most robust market.

You can definitely get at TMNT Pro and likely a ST:TNG for your budget. The Stern TMNT will likely be problem free... the ST:TNG is pushing 30 years.

If you can add a little more $$ TSPP probably will check a lot of boxes. They aren't too hard to sell. It is a deep game, fun, and known to be pretty reliable.

:-)I would recommend the newer Stern, TMNT, GZ, Guardians....really any newer game.

Why? you are new and should have as much time playing a game over servicing it, when you start out.

No one is happy, when a game goes down too soon, and the repair is outside your scope.

If service is no issue for you.....everything is good!

Nothing other than Wonka and STTNG which I currently own and enjoy. Both are great games!

Owned TSSP and invested in a lot of mods for it, but ultimately it fell short in gameplay enjoyment and I sold it. Simpsons DE, in coomparison, is MEH.

Turtles holds NO INTEREST theme-wise WHATSOEVER for me personally, so these are an easy pass for both versions.

Good, you are better than most newbies, you have a list of games, not just looking for one

I would get The Simpsons Pinball Party, but like most of your list, that game is getting old now
So either that game or some other Stern game from the last 5 years (most of them are good/great)

Wait for something to come up for sale in your area so you can inspect it. But a game that works, nothing is worse than owning one game and it is not working
Have cash ready and be able to travel fast, asking a seller to wait a week will lose the game

Stern TMNT Pro out of those 6 you listed fits your budget. They're doing another run in December supposedly. A few distros have them in stock now but they won't be insider connected (if you care about that). It's a pretty difficult game though, so that could either be a pro or con.

Really any Stern Pro I suppose. Maybe look into gameplay vids of Deadpool, GotG, Jurassic Park etc. Hot Wheels from American Pinball is under $7k as well and is a really underrated game imo.

As your 1st game you have some things to think about. Has this game you have played in the last few years? That old memory has a way of clouding how good it is/or was then.

(( Check forum for threads on the subject of your / my 1st pinball. Lots of great info there read through them. ))

For the thread i will assume you did your home work. All these games you played in the last few years and know exactly what you getting as game play. You have a buddy or local repair person to help if the game is shipped and has a few issues when arrived that can fix it. -> If none of the above is true you going to not enjoy this 1st game. <- New and old game do break. I don't want to be the rain on the idea but it happens just know this.

As for the list of games I am not going to up or down titles you choose. Just because there old doesn't mean their bad. Their yours not mine or others remember that. Unless there are paying for it. Don't let the Pitch fork crowd make you buy a game just because they say so.

The 1st 3 pins on your list are newer games so not that old. So finding a working game in fair to nice shape will not be to hard. As to the other 3 game are Old games 25 plus years old these have been down the road a few times and may not have been the best care and or more subject to issues because of this. With the right care and repairs are done the older games can be as good as the new if not better. Many of the older games you can get new ramps and plastics and other parts so don't let that scare you away.

If The Simpsons Pinball Party is your number 1 , then get it.
It's a fantastic game !!!
if you have some extra cash get a color dmd for your pin !!

Of what you have listed, I would recommend a Stern TMNT Pro as your first pin. It fits in your budget and you can get it brand new and delivered for around $7000 or used for about $6500. One of the hardest things it was for me to realize starting out in this hobby is how easy it is to buy/sell/trade these things, as long as you don’t mind moving heavy furniture. There are now 20ish Stern Spike 2 games, that is Stern games with an LCD that you could easily trade a TMNT Pro for +/- $500 cash. Get tired of TMNT Pro after a year? Trade it for Star Wars, Black Knight Swords of Rage, or Avengers for about even money. Add $500 for Deadpool or Jurassic Park. Ive bought/sold/traded 40 pins in the past 4 years. Yes you read that right. I’m in Maryland, but still.

The Simpsons Pinball Party is another excellent pin and would be my number two for you. Stern’s from this vintage (early 2000s) are generally rock solid reliable. I had a TSPP and it was great. If you can find one in your budget, go for it. Note that your can usually find these in non perfect cosmetic shape (wear at the itchy and scratchy hole, worn out shooter land, white area around buttons) for a significant discount. If you don’t care about this sort of thing you can get a deal.

I’ve never played Wonka or DE turtles so can’t speak to.

DE Simpsons is a great game, but in a one pin collection it may get old… especially since you can just shoot the ramp repeatedly to blow up the score.
STTNG is my absolute favorite all time game. Great theme, assets, music, gameplay, lots of modes, and is still relatively cheap for what it is. HOWEVER I absolutely do not recommend it for first time pin buyers. It is 100 pounds heavier than a normal pinball machine, and you need to learn to move normal sized pins first. The optos and mechs in there are notoriously difficult to maintain, especially the cannon looms that shoot the ball. Great game, but not recommended for first timers.

As to gameplay, you will never beat TSPP, and there is a lot of depth and replayability to it. TMNT is another deep game with plenty to do to keep you busy.
If you are worried about parts availability, don’t. With the exception of Stern Node boards which are in short supply now but still being made (Modern Supply Chain Crises) you can get parts for everything mentioned. The older ones are more likely to break, but easier to repair. For the old games, if a component on a circuit board breaks you can get a new surface mounted board to fix it. If you ask nice, there are threads dedicated to repair and many a first time pin buyer have been coached through repair with lots of pictures (me). If that is beyond you, you can now literally buy a new sound board, CPU card, and solenoid driver board for every pin mentioned. Yes… even the 30 year old ones.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

DE Simpsons is a great choice, but keep in mind older pins more often than not have not been properly maintained. No opinion on DE Turtles, TSPP has a good reputation, though people say shooting the garage gets old. A STNG is a complex game, highly rated but getting into new pin price range. Godzilla is fun as hell for $6600.

It’s always fun to pick out your first game. I would recommend Stern TMNT for many of the reasons listed above. It’s new and will be more reliable. Clearly you like the theme as it’s on your list.
Remember that TSSP is now 19 years old, so that may affect reliability depending on how your specific game has been maintained. Also, the gameplay style on the games in your list games varies considerably.

A few other things to consider.

Have you played the title you want in a room where you can here it?
Are you willing to / interested in repairing it? If so, are parts available?
Is there someone local to you that can repair it for you?

Best of luck!

Get the Simpsons Pinball Party. I bought one a few years ago that looked brand new. It was built in the last run of 30. I has not needed any work so far. Great game. It will not get boring.

Stern GZ pro, DP pro, JP pro, TMNT pro, Mando pro. Rush and LZ pros are available too, but not sure about either. Like most have said. Snag something newer so you are playing and not having to fix stuff. Plus newer pins have a ton of support on here from other pinhead. Good luck. Welcome to the madness.

Ninja turtles and simpsons DE are not good games and they weren't good to buy even when they were dirt cheap. Now they actually sell for a decent amount of money so they are an extremely easy pass. If Wonka is out of your price range, then probably TNG is as well. TNG is also a hard game to work on and maintain and its known to be finnicky so as a first game I would not reccomend that either, although its probably my favorite out of the ones you listed. TSPP is probably about the same price too now that I think about it. Personally, I think that game is HIGHLY overrated and not nearly as good as people make it out to be. That said, it does have good rules that will keep you engaged for a long time. I guess my vote is Stern Ninja Turtles which I think is a great game. My suggestion would be to find some games on location and see what you like. Don't buy a game just because it has a theme you like. Buy a game with a theme that you can deal with but is really fun and long lasting.

Any stern Pro would be a great first pin such they really don't make any bad games right now. (With possible exception of LZ Pro). DP, GOTG, GZ all great pros it comes down to theme that will hold your interest.

Another suggestion that is a great game and pretty reasonably priced is Star Trek Pro. You are a trekkie and I know it isn't the next gen BUT.... it is a fantastic shooting game that is great for newbies. The code is straight forward and really keeps your interest. Great pin to have fun and build your skills. Plus, they made a ton of them and the price is very reasonable and readily available. Just my 2 cents

I know Stern TMNT is getting a lot of love from this list, and that's why I'd suggest OP (who I'll assume is new-ish to playing, and not just a Pinside newbie) choose another modern Stern over TMNT.

TMNT is just a brutal game for beginners. Super tight shots, a crazy hard LAIR shot, the parlor loves to rattle out, steep ramps that can reject, and some of the worst Borg bounces I've ever seen. Then throw in getting trapped in 1-2-3 hell, and some borderline impossible goals towards Cowabunga (looking at you Triple Krang, and to a lesser extent Triple Mondo... though the latter can be cheated sometimes in a MB with rolls from the top rollovers falling through the loop) and you have a game where newbies are lucky to make Team Up after a year and will never sniff Cowabunga, or even 50M points. It's just a lot of clunks and then scrambling.

TMNT Pro was my first NIB and though it was a loaded Pro model, it's the first game in a long time I don't miss having in my collection. Nowadays I just come across it in leagues and tournies, go for Pizza MB with Chili Pepper and Octopus, and I'm usually good for winning the group. That's all the game has reduced to me now since playing for progression has lost it's charm due to the rejects and some impossible goals. Highly recommend another modern Stern Pro that can easily be had in the same price point (Mando, AS, SW, BKSoR) which is more forgiving for a newer player.

I'd recommend LOV. It's fantastic.

or grab a SW prem from the new run.

How about refraining from all the acronyms for a newbie

There's no way I would let any of my new pin friends buy any of those without playing them first. I personally think the only decent game on your list is Stern Tmnt and I wouldn't want to own one.

I'd go with STTNG. But only if you can find a really nice one, because it can be a challenge to own.

Are you buying for theme? Or are these games you've played and enjoyed? Only asking because you have both Turtles and both Simpsons games listed. I'm sure every game has their fans, but Data East's Ninja Turtles and Simpsons aren't good in a single-game collection. Data East's turtles was my first game and the one I learned immediately that not all pinball is created equal, I couldn't get rid of it fast enough.

Of your list, I'd go for Stern's Turtles, but that's a difficult to play game. Not knowing you or your play style and experience, that may be good or bad.

Everyone is going to recommend different games for different reasons. Best thing to do is get play time on these games to figure out which you prefer personally. Other best thing to do is meet people locally and see if they are selling anything. Paying high prices plus shipping is going to eat up your budget. It's also better to check out a game in person to determine condition and if any issues. Maintenance is usually not an issue. Newer games will of course require less work but more expensive. Games like STTNG will probably need more maintenance but finding parts should not be an issue. Repairs can be intimidating at first but most fixes are not too difficult.

I'd keep ST: TNG on the sideline until you get sharp on repair skills and trouble-shooting diagnosis of these games. That game is known for being a bit more difficult than most to diagnose/trouble-shoot.

Maybe you know repair procedures for analog electronics like the back of your hand - definitely not trying to slight you personally - I don't know what I don't know (in this case, your level of repair knowledge).

I don't want to see you get a ST:TNG, and than something breaks, and your new $6000+ game is down. Stern games tend to be more robust and there is a great community support here for the newer games.

I wouldn't touch those DE titles. Way too shallow for what they cost.

TSPP was "king" for a great game at a solid price for a long time ($3400 back in 2012....imagine THAT). You're going to have a lot to do on that game for a while, and it's a relatively fun and safe family theme. I won't deny, once you see any of the "LCD" Stern games, it is a bit hard to go back to the DMD games (I fixed that by buying JP Pro, so now I have small amounts of each flavor).

Have you considered DeadPool Pro? THAT...is a fun game and overall great callouts and music. Only difficulty would be finding one in your price bracket (last ones sold are right at $6800 - $7000) as it is one of the few Sterns that has been hampered by factory available parts to produce it on the Stern line. Fewer games made with high demand = price goes up.

My 2 cents.

Another vote for Stern TMNT (pro). STTNG is a great game but for your first, single pin, you want it to work reliably, be able to buy a mod or two to install yourself, do insider connect, etc. You will be in the market soon enough for that second, third, fourth pin ... - and this is where you can start to mix it up with older pins.

Here is how I'd rank each of the machines you've mentioned and why I'd buy them based on your criteria:

1. Star Trek: TNG - excellent 90s Williams table. Very easy rule set, pretty good table layout. I've heard these machines can be unreliable however and are heavy AF even for a pin. But in terms of quality this is the one I'd go for first, no question. Might be a little hard to find, but these are relatively common as far as 90s Williams machines go.

2. TMNT Stern - It's a decent table and with it being a modern Stern it's probably one of the easiest to obtain. In your price range you may even be able to get a Premium which I'd recommend over the Pro.

3. TMNT DE - I feel like this game is more of a novelty rather than a really fun pin. It had very basic rules and for a 90s pin I'd say it's below average overall in terms of fun and design. Luckily you can get most DE machines for cheap (4k and under) including this one. Might be hard one however.

4. The Simpsons Pinball Party - This is either a love it or hate it machine. I side more with hating it, but with that said it isn't a bad pin, just very meh imo. Great theme, but very mediocre pin.

5. Simpsons DE - Cool theme, but not a great pin. Luckily it's on the cheaper end of pins typically, but unfortunately you're likely to get board with it after just a few hours. Like TMNT DE it might be hard to find these days.

??? Wonka - I've never played Wonka so I don't have an opinion on it

The Simpson's was my last acquisition for my Data East collection, I avoided it for some time due to theme (not a huge fan of the show) and "pinside reputation"

After playing a few examples at shows, the criticism is unwarranted in my opinion. So much so one of my long term games is getting pulled from the lineup, going into storage so the Simpson's I purchased 3 weeks ago can go in its place.

Take some of the reviews with a grain of salt and head to a show or location that has one and give it a shot and see if to your taste.

For a "one shot game" I can only make back to back ramp shots on rare occasions. So far I can recall hitting a "loop" three times in a row once. For a frame of reference I can utterly drill the ramp on Robocop and I think the current rampmaster award is at 36 successful ramp shots. Perhaps the games you played were setup in an unchallenging manner, I can't say. All mine are setup and tuned to be make you work for it. Simpson's is a fun game and well deserving of its 1990 game of the year award.

That said I DON'T recommend it because most Data East titles of this vintage have been beat to death and you are looking for your first pin. Unless you are purchasing one that has been gone over thoroughly by diligent DE aficionado you are apt to be disappointed. Leaking caps on the power supply, broken pins on the displays, burned up GI plugs and operator hacks are not uncommon.

If in the market, they range from roughly $2800 to $3500 for the AVERAGE price.
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For a newcomer, there is a big difference between buying new from an authorized distributor (check Pinside to see who is recommended) and trying to find a used machine. I'd recommend buying new unless you know local collectors who can help you out.

Looks like there are a lot of places to play in the Phoenix area. Try as many games as you can.

I think this is excellent advice.

I would add that after running TSPP on location for a time it does have some weak points of reliability. It would not be a game I would recommend to a newbie.

STTNG is #1 and finding a nice one is key

I would not be concerned about old vs new-I learned tons owning several STTNG's and everything that can go wrong is fixable(although the cannons are a pain to rebuild).

Stern TMNT for the first game? You might as well buy a protective cup to help from getting kicked in the nuts

DE TMNT is ok but you must love the theme

Simpsons is an excellent game and would be a good choice as well

Go with your gut-any game you choose can be traded or sold down the line

Go find games on location and PLAY THEM. That's the whole point of pinball is the playing experience. There is no point to owning a game that you don't enjoy playing, that's what they are made for.

Theme is an added bonus, not the driving force to purchase a game, tho the marketeers might disagree...

Example: I grew up on the Simpsons and LOVE that show, but can't stand either game. They don't fit my style of play, and I do not enjoy PLAYING them. I had plenty of opportunity to fall down the trap I see you headed for.

PLEASE go play the games (ALOT) that you are interested in purchasing!

Another important thing that many overlook when going to locations to play a game, is sometimes a game can seem fun up front because its got clear objectives or its easy to start a mutliball mode thats fun or any number of other things that get programmed in to make the game fun for casual players, but then you end up buying it or getting better or understanding the game more only to realize thats almost all the game has to offer. Thats not to say a shallow game automatically means its not fun or a good game, I love the getaway for example and theres really not much going on as far as depth in that game, but you should definitely get some experience to know if a game is right for you and it takes some time to do that. A good example is south park. A lot of newer people to the hobby want to buy that game because they remember it was fun back in the day, but after a short period of time you realize the game isn't that great.

100% I would go with a used Wonka Standard. There is a nice one in Pinside right now for $7,800. Mine will never leave my house; if you like the theme, the game is great and very deep, shoots great, build quality is super solid, plus friends and family flock to it. I also had a $7k budget when I snagged mine last year (for $7,500), so if you possibly can squeeze out a little more budget you will not regret it. But at the end of the day, do try to play all of the machines on the list ... only you can decide ... good luck and welcome to the addiction, errr, hobby! And I do look forward to weighing in when you start thinking about your second machine ...

Nice choice, and great reasons. Only potential downside I can think of (like others have mentioned) is that Stern TMNT is a tough game. If you can ride the learning curve and come out the other side, you'll be a great player in no time. Other games will seem easy. Have fun!

I think Star Trek is the best game on the list but could easily get pricey and also modern games are deeper. I think the best choice for money is a Stern TMNT pro. Only question is how would you honestly feel about a game code crashing on you about 1 out of every 40 games?

Whoops didn’t see the deposit post. Good luck with that Turtle Power Multiball.

Nice job getting the TMNT! I think you'll really like it. The best part is, that if you do decide you don't like it, or its too hard or whatever, or heck you just get sick of it after a while, it won't be difficult to sell/trade it for another newer game and be out nothing or very little

So funny this is the first response. It's like buying a house, we always want more than the budget holds. Congratulations on the TMNT and the baby on the way.

I wonder what is the *worst* game is for a newbie?

I am guessing a game with tight shots, shallow rules (or overly complex), and a pain to work on.

What comes to mind? (ignoring games that are just crap for anyone to own)

Some system 11 game?

Probably some rare oddity and/or a foreign pin. Like a Mac Attack or something.

Houdini
Walking Dead
B.S. Dracula
Ghostbusters

Houdini has the very tight ramp shots (as in too tight) which makes it very frustrating for all but the very best players;
Walking Dead has very dangerous shots - orbits go in or out of the pops, the drops are dangerous, the Woodbury shot is difficult;
B.S. Dracula - Outlanes are brutal, all around tough shots;
Ghostbusters - Shots are tight and dangerous, flipper spacing wide which leads to short ball times, magno-slings near the flippers.

These are all great games though - just not for starting out.

Good choice, play that on location from time to time.