I decided to up the budget for my first pinball machine so that I can afford a DMD system. While I'd love to have a TAF, TZ, or IJ as a machine, they're just out of my price range for now.

So what should I get?

Judge Dredd:
Pros: Can be had for sub $1500, has a great theme (I'm a comic book fan), great humour, lots of modes, widebody, Bally/Williams
Cons: Playing in VPinmame I found the ball seems to drain down the centre quite a bit. There are no bumpers.

Terminator 2:
Pros: Can be had for sub $1500. T2 is my favourite movie, so I have a soft spot for the theme/voices. Lots of ramps, and gimmicks. Williams machine.
Cons: A lot of people here claim that it's only fun for a few days, but maybe since I'm a newbie I'll enjoy it longer.

Jurassic Park:
Pros: Jurassic Park is one of my favourite movies. Looks like the game's got lots of great gimmicks and modes. Awesome sound, the T-Rex roar never gets old.
Cons: Data East game (parts more expensive?). Game is a bit pricier than the other 2.

So what are your opinions? Has anyone played all 3 and have a preference? Which would make a good first machine?

Also, does anyone have one of these for sale?

Having owned both JP and JD... I would vote JD.

Having played a ton of Both T2 and JD I'd say JD over T2, but again that has to do with the game getting old.

Allot more to do in JD then in T2.

I've never speant any significant amount of time on a JP

Sounds like JD is winning so far. At what price do you think it would be fair to buy JD at?

Having owned JD and JP, I vote JP. JP has alot of modes. Fantastic toy -- the moving T-rex. Kids and adults love it. Fun and challenging MB.

Personally, I found JD got old quick. I enjoyed it at first. Love the sound track. Rather quickly I found the modes got tiring. Sold it later and haven't missed it.

Full disclosure alert. I am thinking of selling my HUO JP, but that has no influence on my recommendation. Also, the price of the HUO is going to be on the higher scale, so I don't think it will be of interest to you -- given you are thinking in the $1,500 range.
Duane

I never owned JD or T2 but i did have a JP.

It is awsome for kids as Duane mentionned but unfortutely, i got tired of it pretty fast myself. The shaker and the T-Rex were great, but the game itself was a bit on the easy side. The pf layout is quite limited too imo. Great sound.

My son still miss it but i dont... mine was not HUO but had been restored by Menace and was as nice as it could be. Its a good game that i will stil enjoy playing from time to time but not a must have one.

As a fellow newbie I also considered a JP earlier this summer but opted out due to reliabilty issues with the T-Rex. I like to play them but I'm an idiot when it comes to fixing them.

Quoted from IBCrackin

As a fellow newbie I also considered a JP earlier this summer but opted out due to reliabilty issues with the T-Rex.

every desirable game the ones people want to play have some cool toy inside, this is usually is the thing that breaks. but fear not there is usally a ton of people who went thru that problem so there is a large knowledge base to help you repair it. if you are in this hobby get used to repairs either doing it yourself or paying someone to do it. you cant have one with out the other. if you will say oh i dont wnat that game because to A will break you may be better off with a restored EM. even then

Quoted from IBCrackin

As a fellow newbie this summer

   well that didn't last long !!  

Currently own:
1. WH2O
2. CFTBL
3. ToM
4. IJ

I own a T2 and enjoy it ... but mainly because its part of a larger collection (that and I love the theme).  Own its own its a relatively simple pin and could get boring quickly depending on how good a player you are.  JD I have only played in places like Allentown and have not gotten to really know the pin, or hear the soundtrack in depth, but from the little I did play I would say it has a edge over T2.  Now if you want to go the path of Data East then JP is a great pin and excellent theme for family.  I would say it wins over the three pins mentioned.  Although it does have occasional issues such as the T-Rex, and the fact it is not a Williams pin (yes that's an issue for me).  I think its an excellent choice if the price is right.

- my rapidly rising Canadian 0.02 cents

I enjoy my T2.  It's great when you need a quick fix and don't want to concentrate on TZ or another more complicated machine.  Anyone who comes over ends up gravitating to T2 over TZ because it's easier to jump in and play.  Great sounds - if you like the movie, I don't think you can go wrong.  I just wouldn't recommend it as your only pin.

As Mr. Hide pointed out being a newbie doesn't last long. When you tell your wife you're going to buy one pin for the basement...for the kids of course...it will never stop there. It quickly becomes an addiction that you must feed. If you don't the D.T,'s set in very quickly. A word of warning my friend once it begins it can not be stopped.

Good thing I just got a new job with a 25% raise then

When I started I said I wanted five pins. I am at 12 and still looking everyday. Talk about an addiction.

I think if your up to the task you should look into that JD that I PM'd you about.

Don't take the way a game plays in Pinmame as a good indicator of the ball play. I can't do things in Pinmame that I can easily do on the real machine. It's a good evaluation tool for things like sound and dots. If you work with it long enough you may see all the modes and get an appreciation of what the rules are like, but beyond that for shots and ball play, it really isn't that valuable.

I have had them all, but I only have JP now, the other 2 are gone. T2 is a great theme, but game play suffers, JD is a cool game... I can't really say why I don't have it anymore, It just never really grew on me. Hmmm, I might need to re-acquire one, JP is a fun game with a great Toy and the Raptor Pit! Something about that kicker firing the ball at your flipper hard enough to over power the EOS! Scares the crap out of people when they first hit the shot.

Oh, And all games break, I don't care who made it or how Mint it is when you get it. I guarantee it will break if you play it!

Dave

JD is the way to go.widebody, 6 ball play and super game which is cool.I've had great luck with that machine.my first one i traded as part down payment on my first house.I bought back months later.

then pins only traded me IJ plus something most likely cash.He rebuilds it.i get it back in some crazy deal.i think we moved 9 pins in one deal.

I  had JD over 5 years

t2, owned it and its boring sold it to pins only
JP what more can i say its Data East,sold it to pins only



do see a pattern,buy a clean, not beat up,play it,don't like it and pins only will buy it

Quoted from hardkor

JD is the way to go.widebody, 6 ball play and super game which is cool.I've had great luck with that machine.my first one i traded as part down payment on my first house.I bought back months later.

then pins only traded me IJ plus something most likely cash.He rebuilds it.i get it back in some crazy deal.i think we moved 9 pins in one deal.

I  had JD over 5 years

t2, owned it and its boring sold it to pins only
JP what more can i say its Data East,sold it to pins only



do see a pattern,buy a clean, not beat up,play it,don't like it and pins only will buy it

Wait a Minute!! That is.. Well.. True!!  

Is your JD broken yet?? I need to rebuild it and trade it back to you!!    I haven't had one for Months!!

Dave

I own a T2 and a JD and I think for the money, you get alot more machine with the JD.  That being said, the JD is much deeper, alot more to do, and it's very tough to beat.  The T2 is alot of fun, but there's only 5 modes and really no goal, like, no end to the game so to speak.  You jsut keep going into modes and trying to score as high as possible.  With JD, you also get the super game option.  You have to get the deadworld modification too if you go with the JD, it's well worth it.
I want to pick up a TFTC badly, but damnit, the funds are low and I'm trying to get my basement done so I can put all this stuff down there .

JD,DH,shadow is always up for trades (only)

I have a question, why are people down on T2 for having too few modes, yet people still enjoy older SS and EM games. Is it the fact that T2 is of a generation that should have some kind of wizard mode, but doesn't, that disappoints?

Read my review of T2 on the IPDB to give you some insight. It's the second one from the top:
http://www.ipdb.org/rate/showrate.pl?gid=2524

Ok everybody keep talking smack about T2 because I wouldn't mind buying one cheap.

Quoted from cooke

Read my review of T2 on the IPDB to give you some insight. It's the second one from the top:
http://www.ipdb.org/rate/showrate.pl?gid=2524

The reviews are prioritized on IPDB by the number of words in the text. #2 eh? I guess you had a few things to say about it.

Everyone's a bloody critic.

Quoted from necro_nemesis

The reviews are prioritized on IPDB by the number of words in the text. #2 eh? I guess you had a few things to say about it.

Everyone's a bloody critic.

Look at my other reviews. I dish out the dirt where necessary and the praise when warranted. I don't think I'm being overly unfair about T2.

Besides, you're always criticizing games regardless of whether you've actually played them, so, yeah, I guess everyone's a critic, eh? I realize your criticism is often mostly tongue-in-cheek, but at least I limit my criticism to machines I've actually owned. And I give every game a fair shake, in spite of what the fan boys say.  

Cooke. I can't even read your review at work. It's blocked. lol.

Quoted from cooke

Besides, you're always criticizing games regardless of whether you've actually played them,

By the way. Games I criticize I have played. If I haven't I say "sorry can't help you". I don't know how you can make such a statement. Sometimes I may joke about gameplay, but it's so obvious even Phil gets it.

Sheesh. I guess I shouldn't be critical of the critic.

Update. I had the opportunity to read your review cooke. I am in almost total agreement of your assessment of the game.