I think it's a bit unfair putting a pro Stern machine versus a premium regardless of the game, but I'd still go with Bond. I'm not crazy about either, but I undoubtedly enjoy Bond more.

Venom was a real dud for me, even in premium form. I just don't think I like the character progression and non-traditional game structure. I found it kind of a boring layout too. Totally uninterested by the venom captive ball/sliding target mech as the only thing on the Pro.

Bond I was pleasantly surprised with. Gomez nailed a cool layout and I loved shooting it. Drops, rocket, cool orbit and side ramp shots, sweet spinner and rear orbit ramp - all cool and fun to shoot. Theme is a bit of a "meh" for me anymore, but that's totally subjective.

I love my bond pro…. I’d totally trade it straight across for a Venom Prem…. But at actual value ($6100 vs 8900) bond kills it.

I'd take venom pro over bond pro
Had a lot more time on Bond though, and a crappy route one at that .

I would take the Bond heads up. If you factor in the additional 2.5-3k for the premium...buying Bond is just a no-brainer.

Bond is a dud. Boring. Code is better than launch, but the giant rocket is lame, under water…what is that all about? Wasted space. And lacks Bond content via video that makes it a cheap knock off.

Totally wanted a bond on launch, wouldn’t buy one on a deal now that I have played it (pro and premium) several times.

Venom is just a hoot.

I think it depends on what you're looking for.

Bond is definitely a bit slower and more methodical. Venom is more in your face. I'm biased and love both and feel like they complement one another.

Venom shoots a lot smoother than Bond. Being a fan layout does that. Venom also feels more chaotic since there's very little downtime. Bond is a game where you can totally cradle up and think about your next move, and that's totally fine and almost expected.

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I would buy Venom Premium and then re-theme it as James Bond. Put the good layout with the good theme. Seriously, that would be an awesome machine.

Lolololololol

I have a Bond LE and I played the Venom Premium and Pro a fair amount. I will say that Venom is definitely a face paced game in a very traditional smooth “fan” layout. Bond is anything but that. However, I would take Bond over Venom all day in my opinion. I had a Venom LE in the cue and passed, now after playing I’m happy I did. Frankly I’d go Deadpool Premium if I were considering a game that reminds me a bit of Venom theme and graphics.

Got Venom LE, Deadpool Premium and Bond Pro.
Venom is the best by far.
Deadpool en Bond don't even come close.

I have Venom LE and played a bit of Bond. I will admit that Bond never grabbed my due to the layout and initial code. I didn't love the whole rocket and drop target area nor the under the flipper area. But I can't say that I have played enough Bond to say one way or the other especially on the new code.

Venom at first I wasn't sure if I made a big mistake especially since there was a lot of talk about it being a bad pin. I ordered mostly because I love Dwight code (SW and GoT) and love the art and thought the changing playfield would make it interesting as each character has a slightly different layout.

Fast forward to now owning Venom LE for 2 weeks and it's very addictive. I still think the code is not done and there are things that it could change (in fact there is some things in the menu that are placeholders and not in the game yet like 'Challenge mode'). But the game is very good. I am not putting it up over my other spike2 pins like DP, Godzilla, SW, Maiden or BM66 but all those games have been out for a number of years and the code is very well done on those pins. I think Venom is on .93 code and I think it's going to be updated a good bit more. But even right now the code is very fun. I love the way it allows you to save progress and so I can play the main boss (wizard mode). Most of my other pins I only play the first 1/3 of the game like on JP I only play 1-2 paddocks ever so there are 8-9 different paddocks but that never has anything to do with me because I am not good enough to get to see them.

Some might say Venom is easy since you can baby step to the wizard mode but if you don't want that you can simply turn off the progress and play at level 1 just like any other game, like DP or whatever. It is still different because there are no modes but there are battle modes (somewhat like DP when you battle Sabertooth or Mystique).

Venom is maybe the fastest pin I own and that includes Iron Man and SW which both are very speedy, the balls just fly on Venom. If you like fast pins Venom is one of the fastest.

Personally I would recommend Venom (at least the premium, I have never played the pro but I love every added feature on the premium, the swinging out Doppelgänger target is amazing, the changing ramps and shot layout is like magic.

At this point I think DP is a better comic pin with battle modes but Venom could catch up to DP if the code improves like it might, I mean the code is good now but I hope it'' get even better.

I've owned both. Bond I gave up on with early code, BUT I did play a bunch at expo. Code is better for sure and its more fun than it was. BUT the shots are clunky, just doesnt really flow. Left half of the game is just un-inspired. Feels like half a game.

Venom. Venom is fun. Code is great at launch. It always has the one more game feel to me.

After playing both. Bond I walk away from after 1-2 games and I feel the same as when I started. Venom, my blood starts pumping, my hands sweat a little, the ball is fast and game is flowy. I'll blast 10+ games in venom in a session and walk away with a smile and adrenaline pumping.

VENOM

I didn't totally understand why Venom was getting a lot of reverse fanboys. Some go out of their way saying it's a bad pin or bad layout and not just once but like on a broken record loop.

Venom may only have 7 shots (fan) shots that got through, loops or ramp even the scoop is like a ramp because it goes to a subway and up to the fast lock. But the horseshoe on the premium the left side can become another ramp or a loop (like on the pro) or stop hold (not a scoop but it can be thought of as a scoop) The right side of the horseshoe can either loop around like on the pro or stop and drop into a hole or loop around to the left orbit. So it's 7 shots can transform to more like 12 different possible shots. Also there are 2 drop holes in the back that feed the fast locks.

So layout is amazing to me, and it plays super fast.

I can more understand if someone didn't like the code on Venom, it's either not for everyone or maybe it's just something that you need to understand more than some other games like DP or Maiden that are something you can understand like on the first play (I mean the basic modes or battles). Venom is a bit more complicated IMO. I like some of the more complex SW and GoT Dwight code games, some people don't like his code with a lot of possible PF bonuses and shot multipliers.

Any flavor of JP destroys both of these games. Resell value aside, I'd take a JP pro over Bond LE or Venom LE.

JP is very good, the pro is a bit lesser to me because the Trex grabbing the pinball is a show stopper. The rules are outstanding and lots of fun with lots of side goals.

I really enjoy Venom with the saved progress because I’m nowhere near that good of a player. I own JP and only completed 1-2 paddocks in a single game so there’s a lot I’m not seeing but I believe you can play the Wizard mode by itself as mode in the menu, but I’ve not tried that yet.

Venom Pro's layout is completely boring and barren, and I say that as someone who even likes Zeppelin and Star Wars pro.

Venom Premium is a decent middle-of-the-road layout and game, though it suffers from Dwight's multiplier-addicted rule structures, you aren't scoring shit if you're not working the playfield and web combo and matrix multipliers. There is a place for that but I got tired enough of it from owning Star Wars and Game of Thrones.

But I'd still take a Bond Pro over either. The complaints about its layout are overblown; it does lack the sweet-spot on-the-flow shots (in the positions of Godzilla's building and spinner), but just adjust your expectations for the flow to go to its outside shots and it's fine. The layout fits the theme perfectly, Bond should be about tricky corners and narrow escapes.

Jurassic blows away either, at least if you're good enough to start getting deep into the paddocks. (If you're not, then yes Deadpool is the game you want instead.)

Maybe drive the price down so they can buy one.

A couple of things.

With every new pinball, Stern is trying to make the best pinball ever made. Venom, being the newest, should be at least an incremental improvement over all pinballs that came before.

However, pinballs work on magic.

Some combination of the theme, the graphics, the sound, the shots and mechanics make some pinballs just flat out better. Call it magic. If we could identify what could be done in a pinball that makes it an all time classic, every single new pinball would be as popular as Medieval Madness, Addams Family, etc.

If it weren't for Godzilla, Jurassic Park would be the best pinball Stern has made in the past eight years. It's that strong.

Bond's new smart missile in one of the newest updates really transforms the game. It still feels... unfinished. Like there should be even more video clips, more engaging music. Absolutely solid game, but does it have the magic?

I dunno.

Maybe for you. I can't speak to what you love. Play these games, over and over, and see if you fall in love.

Don't let anybody tell you what you should love.

I personally would say Jurassic Park should be strongly considered. If you get the pro, see if you can track down the guy who makes a mod where the dinosaur moves. I'm annoyed by the Dino on the pro just sitting there like a dead lump of plastic.

Venom feels like a complete pinball experience to me. I dig it, I like it. Not as much as I like Jurassic.

Bond feels like something is lacking to me, but this could be observer error because I was playing it a year ago when the software WAS lacking.

Play them. Games are more available now, you can get your hands on a variety of machines. Find out what YOU like, and let that be your guide.

Bond over Venom all day. The shots on Bond just flow so well and it isn't overly punishing/brutal, just fun. I love the use of a multiple ramp system, it reminds me of a Bond gadget in of itself. The rocket is weird, but it's a James Bond game, sooooo, whatever.

Venom feels like a chore to play and the bounciness of it just irks me. The Pro has no cool gadgets on it. The fast lock system is a joke...nothing fast about it at all. The GOT lock comes in a lot faster, and that was made 10 years ago!

I'll take Pinball machines with a big Dildo in the back left for 500 Alex.

I am so glad to see all the Venom hate. I hope it continues and goes viral, so I can pick one up at dumpster fire pricing. I had a blast playing the premium.

Bond was a bit meh. If I got one, I would have to get a STh to go next to it so I could properly represent both aspects of the human anatomy in my lineup.

Venom is probably the more fun location game, but Bond is the better game overall and especially at home. Bond is much much more complicated and difficult than Venom though, so if thats a turnoff maybe steer clear.

Honestly I kinda like Bond pro. Its been a long time since I played the pro, and when I was playing it the code was still early, so I guess I don't know how Jetpack MB works for example on Bond pro, but I can say on the premium the jetpack really isn't that neat. Its more of a pain in the butt to be honest. The physical ball lock is nice, but not necessary. Absolutely nothing wrong with going pro on Bond.

Venom I would be sick of in probably under a week if I owned it, but it is fun to put a couple bucks into and jam on when you're out on the town.

Just got a venom le the other day for a good deal, its bringing me backnin to getting more machines again, i like it alot. I've had jp pro, it was good, but left after a few months. I've played bond, didn't like it.

Venom kinda gives me stern spiderman meets something else vibes. So it works

Current line up is demo man, lah and venom, plans to add another soon.