Top 10 Best Bang For Your Buck Pinball Machines Of All Time (SDTM, 2025)

Straight Down the Middle·video·18m 1s·analyzed·Feb 3, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.032

TL;DR

SDTM ranks top 10 bang-for-buck pinball machines from Demolition Man to Ripley's.

Summary

Straight Down the Middle hosts discuss their top 10 list of pinball machines offering the best value for money, ranging from classic Williams/Gottlieb titles under $3,000 to modern Stern and Spooky games around $4,500. The list emphasizes gameplay depth, features, and rule complexity relative to price rather than cheapness, highlighting games like Ripley's Believe It or Not!, NASCAR, and Ultraman Kaiju Rumble. The hosts note that secondary market prices for classic games have risen significantly as collectors shift away from newer expensive releases.

Key Claims

Demolition Man can be found for just over $3,000 in good condition, down from $2,000-$2,500 in previous years
high confidence · Host states current market pricing and historical comparison directly
Jersey Jack's Dialed In! Limited Edition at $6,500 is cheaper than a new Pro model from modern manufacturers and includes more features
high confidence · Direct price comparison made between LE and new Pro pricing
Spooky's Ultraman Kaiju Rumble at $4,500 offers better value than Halloween (same layout/rules) which sells for $6,000-$7,000
high confidence · Host explicitly compares two Spooky games with identical rules at different price points
Stern's Venom Pro model at $4,500 represents exceptional value for a new game with Insider Connected integration
high confidence · Host expresses surprise at pricing; notes this is a new game with minimal play count
Classic Williams games (Demolition Man, Lethal Weapon 3, Last Action Hero) have appreciated significantly due to scarcity and collector demand shift away from expensive new releases
medium confidence · Hosts theorize causation linking new game prices to classic game appreciation; observational rather than confirmed
Pat Lawlor-designed games (NASCAR, Ripley's) represent the best bang-for-buck among Stern releases
high confidence · Hosts position two Lawlor titles as #1 and #2 on their list with detailed justification
Star Trek Pro has increased from $3,800 to $5,000, pricing it above new John Wick Pro models
medium confidence · Secondary market observation; specific prices cited but not sourced
Halloween (Spooky) production run was approximately 500 units or fewer
medium confidence · Host states uncertainty ('if that', 'might not even honestly') indicating secondhand knowledge

Notable Quotes

“This isn't the cheapest games—no, because you can go out and buy all kinds of cheap games. Not the best games, not the best games, but for your money, the best bang for the buck.”
SDTM Host @ ~2:00 — Establishes the core criteria for the list—value proposition rather than absolute cost
“You look at that compared to a new Pro? It's cheaper than a new Pro. It's got more in it. Tons more.”
SDTM Host @ ~7:30 — Demonstrates how secondary market classic LEs now undercut new entry-level modern games
“I think you've got so many new games. Like, we got so many manufacturers and stuff now, and so many of the new games are readily available, whereas the old stuff that's hard to find, there's still only so few of these older titles. So there was no option but for them to go up.”
SDTM Host (Greg) @ ~15:00 — Economic analysis: explains supply-side dynamics driving classic game price appreciation
“It's just like Dialed In! That's why you're getting so cheap. There's still something nostalgic about hearing like the pit crew saying—I like NASCAR. I used to watch NASCAR.”
SDTM Host @ ~38:00 — Theme unpopularity directly linked to secondary market pricing of otherwise excellent games
“Nobody's going to remake a Last Action Hero. Nobody's going to remake a Shadow, probably. Just, it's hard. And if it's just a game you enjoy or a theme you're just, they're probably like you said, they're not going to remake them.”
SDTM Host (Greg) @ ~17:00 — Identifies scarcity as permanent factor—unlicensed classics won't be remade, supporting price floor
“For that money, again, it'll keep you busy for a long, long time, and it gets you connected. $4,500 to $5,000 grand for that man? God. And dude, that's a nice one.”
SDTM Host @ ~33:00 — Expresses genuine surprise at Venom Pro's value proposition relative to code depth and features
“Ripley's Believe It or Not! Another Stern, and the justification here is you can get one for under $4,000—$3,800, still not super cheap, but I mean that's cheap. The code depth and the mech and toys that you get, yes, is like a fully loaded—think Simpsons Pinball Party. Think Lord of the Rings.”

Entities

Straight Down the Middleorganization Demolition MangameNo Fear Dangerous SportsgameDialed In!gameLethal Weapon 3game Last Action Herogame StargategameUltraman Kaiju Rumblegame

Signals

?
business_signal: Flippin' Out Pinball positioning as 'one of the largest resellers of used games on the planet' indicates significant used market consolidation and operator revenue diversification
medium · Hosts emphasize scale of used inventory and encourage viewers to contact for availability; frames company as primary secondary market distributor
?
competitive_signal: Jersey Jack's Dialed In! LE ($6,500) undercutting new Stern Pro models despite being older generation hardware signals market tolerance for premium secondary market LEs over new entry-level products
medium · Hosts note Dialed In! is 'cheaper than a new Pro' and contains 'tons more' features, implying significant value gap that consumers recognize
?
design_philosophy: Pat Lawlor remains a value anchor for Stern games—his designs (NASCAR, Ripley's) occupy #1 and #2 positions despite weak themes, indicating his rule design and mechanical depth transcend IP desirability
high · Hosts explicitly credit Lawlor's design as justification for value despite acknowledging theme weakness; compare his output to contemporary deep games (Simpsons, LOTR)
?
licensing_signal: Unlicensed classic games (Last Action Hero, Shadow) will never be remade due to licensing complexity, permanently anchoring their scarcity and price floor
medium · Host states 'Nobody's going to remake a Last Action Hero. Nobody's going to remake a Shadow, probably' and frames this as permanent constraint on supply
$
market_signal: Classic Williams games (Demolition Man, Lethal Weapon 3, Last Action Hero) have appreciated 50-100% over 4-6 years due to finite supply and collector shift away from expensive new releases

Topics

Secondary market pricing of classic Williams/Gottlieb gamesprimaryValue proposition comparison: new releases vs classic gamesprimaryGame design and feature depth as value metricsprimaryTheme licensing and desirability impact on pricingsecondaryCollector market dynamics and supply scarcitysecondaryPat Lawlor's design legacy and value retentionsecondaryManufacturer comparison (Stern, JJP, Spooky) on valuementioned

Sentiment

positive(0.75)— Hosts express genuine enthusiasm for the games discussed and encourage community members to give underappreciated titles a chance. Criticism is focused and balanced (e.g., NASCAR theme weakness acknowledged but value affirmed). No hostility or significant negativity toward manufacturers or community members.

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

all right let's kick this [Music] [ __ ] Greg I think these people are going to love what we're doing next for straight down the middle we're doing another top 10 list you especially you're uh what they call a pincher of pennies tight ass I'm gotten better have you you have actually got a lot better this is going to be a top 10 list of the best bang for your buck pinball machines we used to get now we need to express and explain in detail what this is and what this isn't definitely this isn't the cheapest games no cuz you can go out and buy all kinds of cheap games not the best games not the best games but for your money the best bang for the bucket that's all simple as that if you're if you're wanting to really maximize your dollar or your Euro or your I'm in this price range or your loony or your what else is there is there any I don't know any other currencies the balloon rupe a Deo de like aoan do you do you have gold no you seem like a gold kind of guy I had some silver for a while like physical silver like not just stock silver of course you couldn't have gold you're more of a pro silver kind of guy I felt the silver market wasn't as what about Dogecoin and all that like I do have Doge oh God crypto and all that [ __ ] I don't even understand it I don't I have nothing yeah I got a little bit of uh I got I have a very Diversified portfolio here's the top 10 list best bang for your buck in all of pinball machines coming in at number 10 is as of this video is Demolition Man by Williams a game that you love near and dear to you uh this game comes in you can find as of right now a little over 3,000 3 or so and granted that's not going to be the best condition one that's GNA be a solid good players game and a lot of as we go through this list a lot of these people Greg are going to be like what about this one what about this one here's the thing yeah I thought of those two but if you go look at numbers they don't lie some things have gone up they've gone up yes where they're no longer really a bang for your buike honestly Demolition Man was even better at one point cuz I mean I had a hard time getting rid of that game fully chromed everything for $2,500 back in our day you could get that for like $2,000 and that's why people thought I was crazy at 25 and that game was gorgeous still not my favorite game but no dude but it's solid it's got good modes shoots very well Stallone and W call outs are amazing so it's good that's number 10 number nine the best bang for your buck uh in pinball number nine is no fear dangerous sports another Williams game not everybody's theme no certainly everybody but at $3,000 you got a talking skull and you've got flow for days yes the modes are good mod are F multi balls are fun just that the upper shot is like a Steve Ritchie upper play field because you have that that uh that second tiered flipper for that repeatable it just doesn't feel like a it's just it's such a unique feeling Cav and mountains and stuff ramps and [ __ ] all over fast magnet Loop too remember that's a that's a good game for your buck the next one people are going to argue they're going to be like well wait that's not that's not cheap that's expensive that's a lot of money but it's what you get in it but what you get for it yes so the number eight best bang for your buck pinball machine is Jersey Jack Pinball's dialed in dialed in the LA $6,500 crazy 6,500 is still a lot of money a lot of money but man you get a lot of game a lot of game little mini TV screen all the show you get holog the drones you get yeah and it's a just a super layout and the rules are some of the best that Jersey jaari pinball manufacturers ever created yeah so as long as you can get past the theme 27in screen insane for that show for days you look at that compared to a new Pro oh yeah it's cheaper than a new Pro it's got more in it tons more like that game is solid and honestly at the time one of the best games that was ever like that was made like when that came out you could you could own just a dial in and that' be your only pen and it keep you busy and have fun for a long long time so that's why it made this list so we go from something a little bit pricey back down to something uh a little more affordable at our number seven spot number seven best bang for your buck pinball machine is one of your favorite games just in in general it's Lethal Weapon 3 it's at East Lethal Weapon 3 you can now this is one that it's $2,500 it is a bang for your buck it fantastic but it's gone up quite a bit it has gone up cuz remember you can back in our again we could get them for like 12200 bucks like that was the when we first got beat up yeah like you got you had real nice ones for two grand might be a little beat up but she needs some love too you know is dude she clean up ni hey Le the woman does and listen anybody that's ever listened to me and about that game that's picked one up it's not regretted but you messed the market up on that I did kind of mess the market you messed cuz it is a good game it's a diamond people SP like a nice one you're spending in 3,000 and that is not a bang for your buck no it's a simple you get one for 2500 bucks man it's a it's a good that's a hell of a deal and it's a lot of game the next game on our list of best bang for your buck in pinball is one that I'd love to own I don't think you've owned one uh number six is Last Action Hero I've not owned one I've looked for him I know so have I that game has a ton drop targets the moving crane the Scoops like that game magnet Kickback $3,200 is what it comes in around you can find them a little cheaper but mostly you find them more expensive but that's another game that's kind of gone up it's crazy thinking all the new stuff kind of settling in and the old stuff that you can't get coming up a little bit but still well because I think that you you have so much going on in the market that's the thing why a lot of these games have come like I think you've got so many new games like we got so many manufacturers and stuff now and and so many of the new games are readily available whereas and it's pushed a lot of new people into the market but there's still only so few of these older titles so there was no option but for them to go up and and people once games got so high in price people start going oh you know what hell fck I'll give Demolition Man a chance cuz yeah I can afford it so built good yep and now it started driving those prices up cuz people started scooping those lowc cost games off the market those B titles well and when it comes to depth like there's only so much Innovation that new pinball can bring when people still like the same depth of like a '90s BAL Williams so they'll go back to that and then the the the more years the pass y the less of these older games that are still in good condition the less that are out there nobody's going to remake A Last Action Hero nobody's going to remake a shadow probably just it's hard to and if it's just a game you enjoy or a theme you're just they're probably like you said they're not going to remake them like there's a couple people in this world that love this theme it comes in at our number five best bang for your buck pin ball machine it's a goly but Stargate Stargate that's a hell of a deal man yeah modes are okay mod are okay you know what I own a Stargate they're it's a good game the shots are cool you know that r as long as you got good strong flippers it's a DMD 2500 yeah you can't beat that no you theid no yeah you got the glider that you love that movie I do like that movie I can't believe you didn't like it I did I wanted to it just didn't do didn't do anything for me I like the game more than I like the movie isn't that weird yeah it is I like like the layout I like the toys and stuff the freaking the the the backbox art and everything lights up yeah the glider I told you like dude it's a lot going on in there for that and it's f it is I don't want to work on it I don't want to work on a newer gly but yeah gotls are you gotls are a different breed all right the number four the the now we're now we're getting into essential bang for your buck I don't know how they're going to feel about number four on this list the best bang forb pinball machine it's a newer game it's by spooky pinball yes a lot of people like well I could see this or this or this cuz spooky games there's some value in some spooky types um this isn't you wanted to see Halloween cuz that's a good bang for your buck yeah but this even more so yes it's the same layout and rules it's Ultram man Kaiju Rumble that's $4,500 game and that's where can't beat that that's where Zach kicked me in the balls get out cuz I argue H me cuz me and again but Halloween is setting at a higher price point so you're paying 2,000 more exactly so you know when you look at the speaker lights you look at the powder coating you know you look at the Sho everything in there three upper playfields a Topper color display LC you cannot beat like you cannot art blades no and it's still one of the deep like it's a new game so it is deep have you ever seen the end of Halloween no exactly it's tough it's tough that's disgrace and again even if that's not your theme that's not what it's about it's about what the best bang for the buck is when you get a lot of game no matter than Halloween too they only make 500 of those things if that it might not even honestly so yeah it's hard to beat Ultra man at this price now I wouldn't want to spend 6,000 for that game cuz I don't think it's the greatest game but for $4,500 Halloween worth 67,000 all day long I do love me some freaking amazing I do number three on the best bang for your buck pinball is a new Stern it's the pro model of Venom what that's nuts 4500 Bucks game shoots amazing code is cool you get inside connected art is you get to build your character up you get to unlock characters 4,500 bucks it's fast it's flowy $4500 I can't believe that game dude I I watch that game I was like I lost my ass on mine and I cannot believe that is setting at that price like I truly can't because it is a it is a lot game it is a lot it's beautiful it's a lot of game for that money for that money again it'll keep you busy for a long long time and it gets you connected 4500 to 5 grand for that man God and and dude that's a nice one that a lot of these games we're talking old games that have been out 20 years LCD these are new game like this ain't even a th plays that's insane to me it's so insane coming in at number two on the top 10 list for best bang for your buck and pinball I don't know if you like this one you don't like the game I think it's a underappreciated game it's Stern pinballs NASCAR now hear me out Craig hear me out it's Pat Lawler okay it's toys Galore it's Flo it's got one of the best toys it's got the Star Wars that's where it originated from uh the theme sucks but at $2700 you there's no that is a crazy value and that's why had to agree with that cuz it actually is a very good game of you just have to separate that's why we have to be honest with you guys we have to separate ourselves and say the thinge but it's still the bang for your buck it's what so good it's so much going on cuz a lot of people like well what about like the older like Monopoly I agree but that's like $4,000 yeah they're not cheap $2,700 but because of that NASCAR theme you're getting a great game it's just like dialed in that's what happened when dialed in that's why you're getting so Che there's still something nostalgic about hearing like the the pit crew saying I like NASCAR I used to watch Nar we watch it but it's still just kind of a Dead theme it's a weird thing yeah yeah it's just not but like the the kickout it's it's got and it's Pat Lawler Pat Lawler's good value now if we could just take it and rethe into the Days of Thunder I would love cool I'd do a Ricky Bobby tell that would be great yeah and the number one best bang for your buck pinball machine is another Pat Lawler M Ripley Believe It or Not Another Stern and the the justification here is you can get one for under $44,000 3800 still not super cheap but I mean that's it's cheap the code depth and the mech and toys that you get yes is like a fully L think uh Simpsons pinball party think lord of the like you're getting that much stuff in there yes and you'll never see the end of it you never going to see the end of it it's got upper Playfield with different paths it's got magnets it's got shrunken heads it's just it's a very deep game but it's not overly complex it's just but it it's like you said it has a t one deepest games going on one of the deep multiple wizard modes multiple modes so good she an ugly [ __ ] it's an ugly I think it's that I don't think it's that ug but I think that damn Museum when you go there is ugly oh oh yeah God oh yeah it is it's kind of it to me yeah it's just an odd believe it or not just ugly it is it's ugly but yeah I mean that value-wise you could have again just that game and you'd never get B and people that own him love them they love that game so it's like I I feel I feel a million per justified in that being number one I can see that or NASCAR being flipped around but man what do you think is the best bang for your buck and in all pinball those are good yeah I mean some of the some of the uh the other honorable mentions like Mary Shell's Frankenstein pretty good 2700 bucks for Frank throwing balls World Poker Tour a lot of people but I mean that's past $3,000 now Judge Dread we've always said what a great bank for your buck but if you look at prices that's like mid 3,000 y you used to be able to throw things on there like bayat not anymore Batman Forever those are expensive I mean you're at $4,500 mark on even like Star Trek Pro one of our favorite games and we always tell people to buy that as like one of your first pinball machines yeah but it used to be like you could get one for like 38 now it's 5,000 you're up there pass some of the new John Wick Pros yes it's just they're not a bang for your buck as much anymore Road Show even I'd say Road Show yeah that's a lot of game I can see that but still up $4,000 meteor Firepower pinb all good but anytime you're spending 2,000 at that point it's like yes just go 700 more and get a DMD NASCAR with three times the rule and that's the thing like d you just you dig into any of those you just look at some of the Sega and data East just the the price point that's why we go back to yeah a lot of stuff in there to play and those were all like we could have thrown a ton of those on a list what four years ago or so but not now like Rocky and bull Wile oh yeah shot up Jurassic Park shot up Star Wars daddy Star Wars honestly most seas and stuff you're going to get into and then the $4,500 range any they're starting to become depending on condition become a nice little I was even thinking like break shot I was like remember have great break shot yeah because a lot of people start routing them and people falling in love with that game cuz it's just a great game so they they you know a lot of these things everybody was so hooked at one point on Medieval Madness hooked on those top you know top 20 games or so you know that that those ballet games were where it was and so things like Johnny pneumonic and different things like X Files all these games they watch they didn't care dirty hairy yeah they just looked at him and like oh that's like B level games nobody cares about now once collectors got into this more and it wasn't just a location thing collectors got into more they're like wait a minute colle in these games like there's just as much depth in this as there isness just people never gave them a chance for the longest time Demolition Man exactly the chance we urge and encourage you to give all of these games a chance definitely and you can always come to flipping out pinball I got to plug it I mean there sponsor the show got to plug some flipping out pinball uh becoming one of the largest resellers of used games on the plan know if any of those games are going to come across your Facebook feed that's right Facebook go to our website I think we're working on the website to get some used games on there flipping out pinball.com Greg at flipping out pinball.com or Zack at flipping out pinball.com message us call us give us your love and and we'll give it to you back like I give it to Greg Bone's mom that talk about a bang for your buck that [ __ ] a bang for her B right there boy it probably only cost a buck for that bang sometimes she on clearance that one depends so bad don't kill me Mama you head it off with the bumper straight down the middle again you had a fling with a slingshot you're rolling out the out again has ashy ass hands going on damn ashy hands O SK it's so dry in the winter so dry in the winter oh man jerking off sand worm too much he