Pro for me!

I really like my pro and definitely think the artwork is the best of the bunch. I haven't spent any significant time on the LE's, though so I don't really know what I am missing. From an aesthetics and value standpoint, though, I vote pro. Probably will save over $1k vs LE.

I believe the Metallica pro also has better cabinet art than the LE equivalent.

What? The LE art is from the MOP album. How can you compare the 2?

People are going to tell you the one they own is better. It's just how people are. For me,the more toys the better,no matter what pin it is. You better put some time on a LE before pulling the trigger on a pro. If i didnt have a LE,I wouldn't have an Xmen at all.

Definitely Xmen Pro, no question.

Here is a copy/paste from a different thread with my opinion about X-Men pro vs LE.

There are those that prefer the pro, but I honestly couldn't imagine losing my LE toys. I really enjoy each of them, even the moving ramp. The Nightcrawlers are a huge treat every time they pop up. Without them, Nightcrawler just wouldn't be that special being just another regular ramp shot. The spinning disc/magnet combo makes the Magneto multiball start one of the most dramatic moments in all of pinball. Plus that disc messes with you (in a good way) during Storm and any time you hit the Magneto stand-up targets. I can't imagine MM without the trolls, or WW without it's spinners, and to me those things are just as important (and fun) in X-Men.

And to me, one of the biggest differences is one that many people discount...the lighting effects. The entire mood of the game changes with the different modes. Before I got this machine I never in a million years thought it could make that much of a difference, but to me it does. It gives each mode a feel of its own and really changes how it feels.

Plus, it's just icing on the cake, but the artwork is really awesome. Then again so is the pro artwork, so it's kind of a wash. But that Wolverine backglass is really something. I haven't seen a Magneto in person, but from the pics it looks amazing as well.

LE but I am biased.

Pro since I don't like the iceman ramp with how it moves and blocks the view. This would have been way better (and probably cheaper) with an always there crossover ramp with a magnetic diverter. That said, I do miss the lighting of the LE.

I do own a Pro, so a caveat for someone voting for what they own

-c

I played them both quite a bit. I like the pro's translite better but prefer the Wolverine cabinet. I'd say if your not sure play them both if you can, that being said form my experience with the game I prefer the LE. I may be in the minority but I really like the iceman ramp especially with the new code. Nightcrawler and the spinning disc add quite a bit to it, especially in multiball the disc really gets going and and a feeling of randomness you just don't get with out it. The lighting effect is just far superior to the pro. And at current pricing you can get a used one pretty reasonable.

Nightcrawlers are great in the LE. Jim Lee art for the backglass on the Wolverine. Color changing modes are awesome. LE is cheap-ish for an LE. LE forme.

I have a pro and love it.
I like the wolverine LE backglass...

can you get an LE for $4,500 yet? or is it still 5K?

IMHO the difference between LE and pro is quite a bit...probably the most diverse since Stern started the pro\ LE when it comes to actual game play.

People bitch about the moving ramp but ..it's deigned to be a skill\timing shot to hit Iceman the second time.
The spinning disc is probably one of the coolest MB starts.
The Nightcrawlers are integrated sooo well now...especially danger room
Colored GI (which does nothing for me) for picking your villain modes and setting the mood

From there it's red or blue...

Considering the price difference I think the LE is a no brainer

I have the pro and love it. At the time I bought, the difference in price was over 2k and I could not justify it. Shaker and LEDs are most important to me and they cost about 300-400 total. If that gap has narrowed to say 1000 or so, I'd go to the LE. I made the same choice with avengers, and there I think the xmen LE offers more than the avengers LE...not in terms of game play, so let's not go there. The spinning disk and nc pop ups are pretty cool.

LE.

Nightcrawlers are cool...and so is that spinning-disc magnet.

Also...Jim Lee art! Come on!

Pete

LOL

Have you ever seen one for sale at $5K?

Nope, neither. Still around $5,300 bone stock and up from there dependent on the mods/how desperate the seller is. The ones that sold at or below $5k were few and far between, and were all with the older code and "stigma" that it wasn't going to get another update. And for that matter after 1.5 I wouldn't expect to see it dip to $4,500, unless you have a seller that is very desperate....but that is the exception and not the rule.

And for what it's worth: I would never call 1.51 the "final" update. There's noticeable bugs in 1.51 that I'm sure Waison/Borg wouldn't want sticking around, so I would have to assume that, when they get a chance, they'll release another update. Maybe not an update with any big gameplay changes, but definitely something to abolish the few bugs that are left.

As to the Op's question:
Of course, as was previously said in this thread, everyone is going to give biased advice that owns an XM. They will recommend whichever model of XM they have. Having said that, here's my biased opinion,lol. But I'll try to give as many hard reasons for my answer as I can....

My vote is LE (shocker). For me, the Iceman ramp is negligible....if the LE was without it I would t mind, it doesn't had THAT much to the gameplay. But the spinner: awesome, especially with the MagsMB theatrics. The NC pop ups are fun and are a great bonus for your non-pinhead friends when they play; it's really neat to watch someone see it for the first time without expecting it. They also, for that fact, make it much easier to attain the extra ball from them on the LE than the pro.

The art packages for all the models are awesome, so in my mind you can't go wrong either way on that front.

To me though, of the features the biggest difference maker is the color GI "choreography". Everyone is falling over themselves about how great the new MET code utilizes the color GI zones, but I've played MET for a few hours on 1.5, and it's nowhere NEAR as well utilized as XM is. Each Villain has their own color scheme in the GI, the apron flashers on the LE that let you know when Deadpool is ready to hire are a really neat effect. But the light show is the main reason why I went LE rather than a pro.

The other great reason to go LE is because there's no premium here, just the two models, so there's a bit of exclusivity there with the features as well. And for the relatively low price difference at the moment between the pro and LE, the extra $ for the LE is a pretty good bang for buck difference.

But the pro is an fantastic bang for buck. If financially the pro is more in your range and you'll really have to stretch things and go out of your want in order to snag an LE, then go for a pro. At the end of the day; either way you end up with an awesome title!!

I hadn't really thought about the difficulty of the Nightcrawler shots between the LE and Pro until just now. I own the pro, and love it to pieces, but man do I feel like a complete chump when I miss shot after shot chasing nightcrawler. Hitting him on the LE must be like shooting at the broad side of a barn in comparison. Then again, I have heard (have never played the LE) that the Beast shot is a lot tighter. Without considering that, I always thought to myself "what are people bitching about, I make that shot all the time". Of course not realizing that Wolverine is more to the left on the LE.

Would love a chance to play an LE someday, and hell, might even consider upgrading to it if I really liked it. Though all else being the same, I feel that the artwork on the Pro is so much better than either LE. But hey - I've got a nearly new pinball machine sitting 8 feet from my desk. What the hell am I complaining about?

Really? Wolverine is more to the left on the LE? I had no idea. Is it because of the spinning disk?

How much is the difference?

I own a pro but am always tempted to get an LE when I see one for sale. I've played an LE at our local arcade quite a bit (it's a Magneto) so I have experience on both pins. I really like the nightcrawler targets and wish the pro had them. I'm also a sucker for the LE's color changing GI's. The spinning disk is cool, but the pro has a much more wicked magnet throw (mine has thrown a ball straight up Storm's ramp). What kills the LE for me is that damn ice man ramp, I HATE its gameply design. Also, I don't like how it drops the ball past the right in-lane switch, where on a pro, it drops it before the switch and can award a spot towards the mystery hole. However, since you can disable that ramp, the LE still gets my vote.

I owned a Magneto LE. Never opened the box when I sold it. Essentially, got a great offer for it I couldn't refuse.

The game is outstanding. I think that the Magneto art is by far the best overall package, and I thought the Pro was the best looking until I saw it in person.

As others have mentioned, the lighting effects on the LE are truly outstanding.

The extra features on the pro are pretty cool.

The code now is great if you like long journey style games, but the gameplay is nastier then a game like LOTR. It's a very interesting style, different than just about anything that came before.

I would definitely not mind owning one again someday, and actually playing it. I've REALLY enjoyed the ones that I have played (including to the buyer who got mine). As an overall game package, it's great and probably my fourth favorite Stern since they started making DMD games.

I faced this same dilemma when I decided I wanted X-Men, even before the most recent code. Played both as much as could when I could fine one to play and I decided on a LE. I don't regret my decision in the least. The magnet is no doubt stronger in the pro and can whip it up ramps (which I've never had happen on my LE) but everything else makes the game fore fun for me (even the controversial ice man ramp.) If i had to make the choice over again id still go with the choice I made, and still drive all the way to and back from San Diego in the same day to pick it up.

Get the one you want, not what others advise you to get.

X-Men LE for me also

I played the pro version as you did to get hooked. The Limited Edition lighting on the G.I. as mentioned really adds to the experience of this table. Same with (The Avengers L.E.) The Ice man ramp blocks my view at times but that is my only gripe and I am getting better at the game. If the nightcrawlers pop ups are flush with playfield the are so cool . Spinning disc has red and blue 89 flashers under to add to the experience . the all Glass Back glass of any LE gets you spoiled. I do not know you . If you flip thru pinball machines quickly then maybe buy a pro model . But If you are like me and keep the machines for a few years or more. Than X-Men Limited Edition is the way to go. it is as they say a keeper. As mentioned above by others you can not go wrong either way really. But the Limited Edition of the X-Men is a descent value at the moment.

image.jpeg

Never played a pro. So biased towards my LE.

XMENLE all the way for me. I believe it to be the biggest difference between pro and le of any Stern. That does not make the pro bad, its just not what I would want if money were no object.

Xmen le by a mile

What's an LE go for right now?

LE LE LE. All day long. Moster Bash and Jediturtle are 100% on IMO. Especially if you can get it at discounted prices. I like the ramp, love the spinner and NC mechs, and the lighting is a must that cannot be replicated on a pro. This game will be sought after down the road when people realize how cool the code is. And there are no premiums.

No one really knows why they decided to mount the Wolverine different on the LE from the Pro. I would say most people have remounted their LE Wolverines to have it match the Pro mount as much as possible. There would have been no issue with him being mounted the same on both games.

I'm not quite sure what is the biggest design mistake with X-Men...the poorly designed Wolverine itself or his different mounting positions between the Pro and the LE?

My LE has thrown the ball up the Storm ramp multiple times and even up the Iceman ramp. Still not sure how it did Iceman...had to be some wicked english on the ball, but it did it. It's also made Rogue, Xavier, and Cyclops shots for me, and of course Magneto has hit himself a few times. The latest code really increased the magnet strength and activity.

I love my Wolverine but sometimes kind of wish I had gotten a Magneto. Now that I have an Avengers LE sitting next to it, and knowing that some day I'll hopefully have a Star Trek LE, that's a lot of blue all in a row. The red would have broken that up nicely, LOL!

Special thanks to Jediturtle for convincing me to pick up a Magneto LE. Game looks incredible, and I can't WAIT to get my hands dirty with it this weekend!

I have not changed my game's Wolverine position. (Magneto version)

FWIW, I have no trouble making the Beast shot on my game.

Maybe they changed it back in production to match the pro?

Just weird that it would be different. Anyone have comparison photos?

You get an extra flasher on the Iceman ramp on the Pro. That beats out all those toys on the LE.

It doesn't matter which one.........they both kick ass!

There's only 550 LE'S out there and no premium model. Why wouldn't you pick up a LE if one poped up?!?! Sheesh!,

LOL

LE all the way. Love it. X-Men rule!! lol.....

LOTR.jpg

That right there is why many will have a different opinion on which model they like better. They are pretty different when it comes to gameplay. I respect all differing opinions please don't take anything personal as it's just one dude's opinion.

I much prefer the gameplay on the Pro not saying I don't like the LE but that I prefer the way the pro plays. Things that I didn't love on the LE were the Iceman Ramp, large NC pop ups (don't like how they effect gameplay and their hard to miss), and the GI lighting. Placement of the Wolverine figure does make a difference in gameplay IMO. I think the Pro model wolverines were placed how intended by Borg and they had to tweak it a bit to accommodate for the iceman ramp on the LE. Even remounts of the LE don't seem to make up all of the difference. Beast shot is probably about a quarter of an inch more open on the Pro which improves flow a bit.

In the end though oldpinguy hit the nail on the head:

Looking at buying X-men. Any other recent opinions as far as the new code on both pro and LE? From what I am reading here, seems like they are both excellent and VERY different gameplay experiences.

I am not an X-Men fan. Really don't know much about the comics. But the more I play this pin the more I like it.

I love my Le, I've never played the pro. If your playing the LE go for it, if your playing the pro go with it. From what I hear there night and day from each other.

I played an LE about a month ago and loved it. So much so that I sold a couple of pins I have owned a very long time to make room for it. After lots of reading and research, I went with the Pro. I simply can't stop playing it. Faster than hell, tight shots, great flow, deep rules. It is a winner.

I think it is maybe one of the only exeption where the Pro cabinet is better than the LE.

Mirrors backglass are incredible but either Wolverine ot Magneto are repetitive when it comes to the side cabinet art (vilains or good guys).

On the Pro you have both vilains and X-men on the translite and left cabinet side is vilains and right X-men. More complete and nicer.

When it comes to the gaming you have more toys on the LE. magneto disk multiball is incredible. I have Avengers Le and if some people say LE is better than a Pro when it comes to X-men lightshow same rule apply to Avengers. Colors keeps changing during modes and it's a huge part of the atmosphere.

People keep debating about the faster and better flow of the Pro versus the LE. You have to also make you opinion on that.

I don't like the lighting changes on the LE. I like to pick a color scheme and set it with my own LEDs. I prefer to have that preference vs what stern came up with.

It seems to me that it boils down to this:

If pure flow and speed is the most important to you, the pro might be the way to go. The pro will also likely save you a few bucks which is a bonus.

If cool, interactive toys and atmosphere/mood added by the color changing GI is worth sacrificing just a hair of flow to you, then the LE is the way to go. It may cost a little more, and some people like the idea of the "collectible" nature of an LE.

Some love the extra toys, and some do not. I personally love all of them, but understand why some do not. This is very subjective, just like the art (which is awesome on every model). You do lose a little flow and speed on the LE, but very little and the machine is still one of the best in that regard.

This is one of those where you really can't make a bad choice...both versions rock. To me the LE just rocks that little bit harder.

Well stated!

--Luke

Thanks for the input. Sounds like I need to buy both the Pro and LE. Once I win the Lottery.