good first machine

[goomba]

Hi guys,

I've only played real pinball a few times in my life having grown up on PC games, but one of those games was Big Race USA. A few months ago I went to the Playdium, had fun on those machines and realized how much fun a real machine can be. I'd like to eventually buy one so I'm wondering if anyone could suggest a good and reasonably "cheap" game I should save up for. I've checked the prices of some of the games I saw at Playdium and those are out of my budget. I've also seen some of the stuff on Kijiji and the prices are all over the place. I'd like to keep it somewhere between $1000-$1500 if possible for a perfectly working game as I wouldn't know how to fix anything broken.

I've started doing some "research" by playing Pinball Arcade and watching tutorial videos (http://pinball.org/videos/) to get a feel for what the games would be like to play. Of those, High Speed seems like a fun game, and at least the estimated price seems reasonable: http://pinside.com/pinball/archive/high-speed

Is that a good first machine or should I be looking at something else? Is that a realistic price? What would be the high-end of the price scale for that machine? I don't mind waiting and saving for something in really good condition. I have a tendency to keep stuff so I'd prefer to keep something in very good condition. Does it pop up for sale with any frequency?

Thanks.

 

[Chambahz]

http://www.maaca.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=13404

 

[WARLOCK]

I suggest you watch the forums, and have patience. Wait. Research some more.
I sold my High Speed to another collector for the top end of your price range.
It or other pins will come up if you wait and watch. Good luck.

 

[Golden Graham]

It always depends on your budget obviously....

What I would do to is try and get out in the wild and play some of the games on your wish list. Also, watch a lot of youtube videos on different games. I really believe these help you out a ton!
Good luck in choosing, you really can't go wrong. Just be ready to start saving for your second pin right away......

 

[goomba]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try to be patient and do more research.

 

[WARLOCK]

The Ottawa Pinball show in two weeks will be a good place to find a pin.

 

[DRANO]

I think HS is a great game. A litte older and the price will reflect that... but that also calls into question the condition and a perfectly working one (or a reliable one) could set you back a little more. Pinside values are not always accurate or may reflect the US market. I think HS typically go for $1200-$1500 depending on condition. Even higer in some cases.

I think there is more bang for buck in some of the Data East / Sega titles and they will have about 10-12 years on High Speed in terms of use and abuse in the wild.
Still, anything modern for $1500 would be a steal. DMD games seem to start at around $2000 these days for anything half decent.

A visit to the Ottawa show is definitely a wise option.
I would even see about joining a TOPL event where the host has a lot of games to try out. Lots of great collections in the area and I think there is a nominal fee payable to the host for non-members.

Good luck

 

[spiroagnew]

Both Dave Astill's Judge Dredd and mrxsiv's No Fear/Royal Rumble are reasonably priced DMDs from reliable, upstanding sellers. Would be worth exploring those as a first machine...check the for sale threads.

 

[mwong168]

If you wait a few more days Dave Astill might have a Lethal Weapon 3 for sale soon

Might be worth checking this post out on maaca too --> http://www.maaca.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=13761

 

[goomba]

Thanks for the suggestions. That Judge Dredd looks nice. I guess I'll have to budget higher.

 

[goomba]

I've been playing some Taxi in Pinball Arcade. Seems like a fun machine. I like how it makes you make various shots instead of being able to spam just one. The shots seem a little easy in the video game. Is it like that in real life?

What do you guys think of the game? How much does it usually go for?

 

[Luckydogg420]

The only compare I have is playing BOP (bride of pinbot) on pinball arcade, and the video game on my iPad is way easier then the real cabinet.

 

[spiroagnew]

I've been playing some Taxi in Pinball Arcade. What do you guys think of the game? How much does it usually go for?

You have good taste in games! But generally speaking, if its on the Pinball Arcade, it's a coveted, beloved, classic game and thus on the high end of the price table. Taxi is a fantastic player, however it is a tough one to get your hands on--difficult to find. A huge clamour for it in the past few months it seems, now that a replacement playfield is available from CPR.

 

[DRANO]

Most system 11 games are still very attainable and offer great value for the buck.
They are just 1 step down in terms of sophistication when compared to their WPC counterparts... but not by much.
If you can live without the DMD, I think games like Eartshaker, Whirlwind, Taxi, High Speed etc. have a lot to offer.
Sadly, like all games across the board, demand is higher than supply and prices continue to rise.

There's a Blackwater 100 for sale today; asking $1700. Pretty different game with lots of fun Nordman features.

 

[mwong168]

This guy has a Gottlieb Street Fighter II for $1000 obo

http://www.maaca.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=13828

 

[goomba]

Thanks mwong. Street Fighter seems like a good price for a starter machine, although there are no pictures. Does anyone have any experience with it? On ipdb it has a 7.2 rating which sounds ok, but I'm not sure how much stock to put into those ratings.

 

[TwilightZone]

Most system 11 games are still very attainable and offer great value for the buck.
They are just 1 step down in terms of sophistication when compared to their WPC counterparts... but not by much.
If you can live without the DMD, I think games like Eartshaker, Whirlwind, Taxi, High Speed etc. have a lot to offer.
Sadly, like all games across the board, demand is higher than supply and prices continue to rise.

There's a Blackwater 100 for sale today; asking $1700. Pretty different game with lots of fun Nordman features.

I wouldn't recommend Blackwater 100 as a first game. It's pretty much a novelty game. You start MB each and every ball, so it's fun and works well on a location. I think as your only machine, the gimmick will get a little old. Also, $1,700 is really close to DMD price range and you will get more fun with a DMD.

I'd also strick Earthshaker off the list. No offense, Drano The game is very, very limited. After you get the jackpot, there is nothing else to shot for. You cann't relight MB. I didn't realize that until Jason (WilliamsFan) pointed it out. That really kills the game.

The other Sys. 11s are all good and there are a ton of others as well that are decent.

Cheers,
Duane

 

[TwilightZone]

Thanks mwong. Street Fighter seems like a good price for a starter machine, although there are no pictures. Does anyone have any experience with it? On ipdb it has a 7.2 rating which sounds ok, but I'm not sure how much stock to put into those ratings.

I have zero experience with it, so I cann't really comment on gameplay. I've heard it's a fun game. At $1,000 bucks or so, it's really a no brainer. Buy it, play it, and sell it if you don't like it. Assuming it is working and in decent shape, you would have no problem selling it later. That's how most of us got started -- buy a cheap game, play it, save more money, sell the cheapie, and buy the next. It's a good approach that works well.

Cheers,
Duane

 

[mwong168]

Thanks mwong. Street Fighter seems like a good price for a starter machine, although there are no pictures. Does anyone have any experience with it? On ipdb it has a 7.2 rating which sounds ok, but I'm not sure how much stock to put into those ratings.

I would never base my decision to buy a machine based on ipdb ratings or rankings. The seller is going to post pics of his working game tonight but you can see what the game looks like in pics on ipdb or youtube there are many game play videos available such as this one:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAregUJ8GQk&feature=player_detailpage[/youtube]

$1000 is a pretty safe price point for a DMD even for a Gottlieb. My advice would be go see it, play it and if you like it offer $1001

 

[goomba]

Are there questions I should be asking about the machine?