Looking to pick up a Godzilla pinball machine? One of the hardest decisions you’re going to have to make is whether to buy the premium or the pro version. The cost different has gotten so large now ($3k) that it’s not as easy to decide anymore.
Godzilla Premium Pinball Machine Advantages
So what advantages does the premium offer? The biggest thing is probably the collapsing building. Rather than just a stationary building, the premium has a building where you can can lock the balls on top and it can raise and collapse to release the balls for multiball. It’s a really cool effect and having played both of them, it’s the #1 one thing I would look at as an advantage.
The second biggest thing is probably the bridge. On the pro, the bridge is just stationary. On the premium, the bridge can collapse, which is a cool effect. Not as impressive as the building but still a great addition.
The last big thing is the MechaGodzilla. It has a magnet on it that is used to start multiball which is pretty awesome. It also has rotating targets to hit along with it. Both of these are superior to pro.
What else does the premium have? Most of the other changes are aesthetic in nature. The video below goes into pretty good detail:
Godzilla Pro Pinball Machine Advantages
So what advantages does the pro offer? Mainly, it comes down to price as it’s $3000 cheaper than the premium. The rest of it really comes down to what it does as well as the premium. It shoots as well as the premium, and the ruleset is identical. So if you’re actually playing the game, you won’t really notice the differences that much after you’ve played a bunch of games.
Having played both a decent amount, this would be my advice. Basically, if you have limited room and the extra $3k sitting in a pinball machine won’t hurt your finances, then going with the premium isn’t a bad idea. It’s a very popular machine and longer term it will probably continue to be desirable.
Should I buy a Godzilla Pro or Premium Pinball Machine?
If you have a lot of room for pinball machines or have a limited budget, going with the pro so you can buy more games or save money is probably the right call. I typically go for the pro version of games unless there’s some overwhelming reason to buy the premium. For example, I’ve bought AC/DC Premium but Avenger Infinity War Pro and Iron Maiden Pro. In all those cases, I just felt that AC/DC was the only one that offered the compelling reason to upgrade (moving bell, multicolor leds, drop targets, lower playfield, etc). I don’t think that the Godzilla premium has a huge advantage over the pro so if I were to buy one I’d probably go pro unless I got a good deal on premium.
I own a GZ Pro and I completely agree with your assessment. I also own a MBr, CCr, *HS, *FH2.0, and Wh2o. Who needs the stop and go. The building collapse is cool the first 10 times. Then it just slows the game down.