IMO AMH looks homebrew due to the toys and art...something that's not an issue with RZ. We've seen plenty of debates about, for example, Stern games feeling less professional than B/W, but that perception has diminished as the game play has proven itself. I'd image the same will happen with RZ... the game will be lighter because there isn't a lot of hardware mechs on the playfield but that doesn't necessarily imply the game will be cheaply made.

MET is a great pin, but it also lacks upgrades such as color LCD and Flipper Fidelity speakers that RZ gets. Ultimately a direct comparison doesn't really matter all that much... throwing in extra ramps, toys, and mechs is not a guarantee of increasing the fun factor. I have games I paid $500 for that are more fun than ones costing $5000.

In those two cases JJP and Stern did significant rework on the playfield art as a result of the criticism. I suppose that's the difference between a tiny captive audience and a desire to sell a lot more.

That makes no sense to me.

I'm with you, and Spooky might have done that if profit was their motive. In general I'm not a fan of any LE product model because it leads to over-paying, forced competition and buying site unseen .... RZ is more like two tiers of LE, one tier to reward a subset of loyal customers and the other a result of limited production capacity. It intentionally leads to increased loyalty, even if it pisses some off. Spooky doesn't want tire kickers, they want a loyal customer base.

The artist wanted to spend time on a second translite rather than adding detail to the playfield? I like to imagine what the game would have been with either translite on the on the playfield.

Says the guy with a creepy martian avatar with an external brain, sharp fangs and evil red glowing eyes?