It all depends on what you want.

TAF is a classic, but the gameplay is shallow. It has excellent art, animations, shots, but it is an easy game.

IJ is an amazing license, but the mode start hole shot is frustrating. That shot is how you progress through the game, and unlike say the guile shot in street fighter 2 it isn't even satisfying when you hit it.

Theater of Magic is very pretty, but ultimately kind of boring to play.

LOTR has some fo the best animations. It is by far the deepest in your list. The artwork is a little lackluster if you compare the quality to the others. It is pixelated. In a one pin lineup it would be my first choice for its depth, but games are long and can get tiring after awhile. (30-45minute average game time when I owned it)

Hey Dung, when I bought my LOTR it had/has the outlane post (whatever that little post is called) at the top level and I find myself having games in the 8 - 10 minute at most.

Is that where you had the post? I don't think I am the best player in the world but I always hear about epic game times and I didn't know if it was my set up, inexperience with the game, or the fact that in reality I suck as a player.

Thanks.

BTW

I vote LOTR..

Newer, challenging, beautiful, unique and, out of the 4 it's the one I chose...

Well crap, I would have bought at least 2 of those!!

I'd take Theater of Magic.

It's fun and would be attractive to almost anyone visiting your game room (that is assuming you entertain guests).

I say IJ but I have never played ToM. IJ is one of my favorite pins of all time. Very fun. Alot of cool modes, the toys on the PF are awesome! If it wasnt goin for 5K right now I would own one!

That's a hard choice all great games with their own +/-'s.

Money aside, I'd get the Addam's Family personally. I had a gorgeous one, and I really miss it. All my family gives me crap for selling it haha.

2nd choice would be LOTR as that's one of the pins at the top of my want list...

IJ - You do need to modify that mode start saucer or you will be extremely frustrated. I put washers under the ball stop to raise it and then added foam to the stop. Game plays much better now. Ramps are not easy to make.

LOTR - open up the outlanes to shorten ball times. The problem with LOTR is it isn't fun right off the bat. You kinda need to progress into the game some which takes time. The multiballs are great and some of the modes are quite challenging. This is the pin which most guests want to play.

TOM - Beatuiful pin with lots of toys. Fun to play right from the get go but simple rule set gets old quick.

TAF - congested playfield. Haven't put as much time on this as I would like. Edit: I just bought one tonight sight unseen at a great price in pretty good condition.

+1. I almost made the mistake of selling the darned thing. Now I can't stop playing it!

LOTR pretty much a no-brainer for me out of those listed.

I would take them in this order ,TAF,LOTR,IJ,TOM. I own the first 3 and have not owned tom yet. I hear tom is easy but has good flow.

I have TAF and LoTR and love both, but I have to be in the mood for LoTR whereas with TAF I simply find it it be alluring and fun. It is just one of those games that keeps me coming back.

As for a congested playfield, I am a bit odd in that I like that in a pin... Hmmm....

"I hear tom is easy but has good flow."

Kind of sounds like White Water, sans the easy part...

Have not played IJ, but out of the other 3 I vote for TAF.

I would go with LOTR myself it has a deep rule set and has an open playfield with a lot of good shots. Not a huge fan of the others on the list but to each their own you know. IJ and TAF happen to be on my most overrated list but I know I am in the minority on that.

I am fortunate enough to own IJ and TAF. I enjoy the toys and the multi ball on the IJ but agree with the other posts regarding the mode start shot.

The TAF is just a fun and easy pin that anyone can just play and enjoy without really having to know the rules.

I haven't played TOM, but from what I understand it is very similar to the TOTAN, which I own. It is very beautiful, but many of the modes require you to accomplish the same thing.

I have played a decent amount of LOTR on location. The only thing I didn't really like about this on was the path of the dead. It just seemed unfinished especially when compared to the similar path of adventure on the IJ which is much more a part of the game.

I would vote for the IJ because it seems like the most "complete" game of the 4 choices to me.

I'm working a deal for LOTR LE now, than I will have all of those. TAF is my all time fave. I wonder when people say it is easy if they have shopped this, as most games are easy before a full shop. Having said that, it's deep for it's year, but compared to other top ten's, obviously not so much, however many wpc95 are about as deep or less.

IJ is great. I seems like everything is either ramps or orbits, but when playing, it doesn't seem that way. I'm not a fan of video modes, but the three IJ has are all fun. POA may be the best mini PF.

ToM is awesome too, very fast when shopped, looks great, trunk is an f'ing headache though mechanically, final mode has no theatrical payoff, but good mix of different types of depth for play to get there.

LOTR is very deep, with what seems to be continuous mulitball play. Shots feel limited at times, i don't know why, but great theme.

I don't sell easy, and I doubt, if I have a choice, any will leave.

TAF will always be my fave though, and if I ever have just one pin, it would be that. I don't care what anyone says about this game, to break a billion is tough, and I never have a game of this that doesn't put a smile on my face. Wizard mode is going through all of the mansion modes again, and is quite long and diverse for a wizard mode, but is a repeat of the regular mode play.

"I wonder when people say it is easy if they have shopped this, as most games are easy before a full shop."

Yep! My TAF almost always kicks my tail when it goes into multiball and those darned magnets grab the balls and fling the heck out of them! It is great!

One thing to add about the mode start hole in IJ a few have commented on - it needs adjustment. If yours bounces out, it is because it has had a shit beat out of it, and the metal deflector for the saucer is bent up too far.

Take all the fun stuff above it apart, bend it back down to a 45 angle, and place a bit of dampener on the guides and the deflector, and you should never have another bounce out again.

That makes sense, now I know why you are not answering house phone. Better call cell.

This. IJ is an amazing game, probably my favorite. However, it needs to be dialed in to be any fun. The mode start rejects are 100% fixable. Washers as stated, adjusting the bracket, re-positioning the bracket (enlarging the holes and moving it back some), drop dead foam etc.

The flippers must be adjusted properly and rebuilt or else the ramps don't work.

The Path Of Adventure must be leveled or else the ball will just roll into the pit.

If you're playing IJ and you have any of the above issues, try and look beyond them knowing they are fixable.

IJ is a phenomenal game and my choice.

Absolutely. I always thought IJ was a bit overrated until I played tatman's. I now have a completely new appreciation for the game.

TAF , I've owned it 2-times , It's a Fun pin, Killer light show, I grew up watch-n the Adams Family show so it kinda Connected with me.. But after 100 games you know Exactly what to expect.. I've Toured the Mansion on the 2nd ball .. For the Rite Price, I would have a 3rd !!

Tom , Beautiful Pin , I Traded my 1st TZ to get 1.. To Later find out that it's Depth is like a Shallow Creek.. Hit the Trunk , shoot the Magic stair case .. I was Bored w/it in 2-week's or less.

LOTR , I Can't for the Life of me understand what the Hype is about this pin.. Lord of the Rings is a pinball journey based on the books and stories of JRR Tolkein ( Quote Taken from IPDB ) maybe that's it.. I haven't read the Book's or even watched the 1st movie.. I've owned 2 HUO LOTR , Only to use as Trader's.. I've played them , It Just wasn't there ..

IJ , The Holy Grail , I believe I have 1 .. I can see why Soo Many People want and Like this Pin, Indiana Jones is a BadAZZ , This Pin Needed to be a Wide Body.. The tilting upper p/f w/ the hole's ( Pit's ) to keep away from is cool , until the Pit is lite, then you will Need to Try for that Hole.. I like the Ramp shot's , Pop- bumper's are Killer & offer Extra Millions after so many hit's, The mode Hole , since i just got mine i can say i've noticed that the ball Will Not lock every time.

You do need to modify that mode start saucer or you will be extremely frustrated. I put washers under the ball stop to raise it and then added foam to the stop. Game plays much better now.

Noted !!! This I will do.. My Vote is for IJ & 2nd place goes to TAF ,, BUT NO Pin I've had IMOP can Beat BSD ... B_R

TAF-TZ-BSD.jpg ToM_all_Led_d_with_BSD.jpg LOTR,HUO,.jpg 020.JPG

+1 100% agree with you.

Hey BR. If your IJ is not having bounce outs with the mode hole it may have been modded/adjusted already.

1) LOTR: Because it is EPIC! Pack your bags for Valinor. Ladies just seem to love this one...
2) IJ: Because it is a classic! Widebody play that compliments most other machines.
3) TAF: Music and theme is timeless. Easy "re-sell" if you get bored... Plus, the ladies love it!
4) TOM: Delicious eye candy for sure...

Knowing Pinside though, "buy them all" should be the correct answer...

It Pop's out maybe 2 out of 10 times.. That's still to many.. I have a roll of Weather Stripp-n Cushion ,, I'll add a 1'' strip to Slanted stopper/scoop. I just played a game it did Fine , Thanxx S.C for the advice . Dam shanetastic,, He's the Grand Champ as of Yesterday , I'm Try-n to Beat it down to 1st Place.. I'm Digg-n IJ , but It will be Up 4-Grab's eventually ..

If it's just for you - LOTR. If it's for you and guests - TAF.

If you are only buying one pin then LOTR as the difficulty of getting to Valinor is epic!

I have a TOM and the way mine is set up, it does not play any easier than any other game. It is super fast and the flow is fantastic. Looks stunning. As part of a collection, yes for sure. If you are a dedicated player and only have one pin, then maybe not. Can't see myself selling mine though.

TAF is on my 'to get soon list'.

IJ - never played but doesn't grab me yet.

Indiana Jones so easily the best that there's a huge buffer between him and 2nd place...TOM.

I no im in the minority but i really really dont get the TAF hype..i would honestly rather own Whirlwind for its similar playfield layout,love it.

I have owned TOM and TAF and played LOTR and IJ quite a bit. I really like them all but TOM is the only one I would consider in my small collection.
This is because when I wouldn't play the others very much. When I had TAF I only played it occasionally. When playing IJ I always enjoy it but game times can be long and I regularly complete the game. when I have played LOTR it annoys me by hanging onto the ball while it does clever animation and stuff.

Horses for courses!

That is a very good point as I have TOM and was not aware of building the bonus......is it done via the pops?

I vote for IJ, my second choice is going to be LOTR.

the reason is mentioned many times above, let us know your final decision

From memory its the rollovers. I used to work my way throught the game playing the modes as usual. When I hit multiball, hit the trunk until it turns or the ball saver stops. Hold a ball (or two) on the left flipper and keep hitting the left orbit by one hitting it repeatedly with the remaining ball from the right flipper. Use lane change you can get massive bonus scores. Once the bonus is maxed then go back to the jackpots etc.
That's from memory so its all a bit vague but it would all come back if I played one again. The difficulty is just right-challenging but not impossible.

It is a bit like building the bonus on Creature before finding the girl but I much prefer TOM.

Thanks. Will start trying to do this

It's okay, jalpert. Don't be shy.

"The smartest things I've ever said, have been the things that I havn't."

TOM gets old too fast. I got bored of the one that was on location nearby recently. It looks spectacular though - I think much of the demand for it is due in part to people who want it for their (large) collection, because it looks great, and plays well until you start to get bored of it - It's not a machine that plays badly from the start like some games do, but it just gets old faster than most machines.

I don't really like LoTR because you can own it for a year, and never see valinor. I don't really want a pin that I will likely never get to see the final mode of... With most games, the wizard mode feels hard to get to - a good tough challenge (or too easy); On LoTR, it's so far out of reach as to be depressing - and I think if I ever got it, it would inevitably be a huge letdown, because there's no way they could make a wizard mode epic enough to make it feel like a worthy reward. I also feel like there are a few design flaws in LoTR: What the hell were they thinking with the palantir target, honestly? On every machine I've seen, the internals are practically falling apart from the force of the ball hitting the target low on the PF and close to the middle. They should have made this a captive ball, and to get the space they needed, blocked off the path from the back of the VUK into the jet bumpers. In the condition that the machine usually is on location, you can't make the ring shot because the flippers are too weak, whereas in the condition that it's usually in in private collections, the VUK is almost impossible to shoot, because the flippers are stronger and the ball just goes through to the jets. Either way, you feel cheated. That said, the cabinet and playfield art, and the sound and animation effects are truly without peer in the world of pinball.

TAF is a solid game, true classic Lawlor. I reckon that with enough practice, it could get a bit too easy, though TAF is notable in that changing the rubbers and angle a little bit can make a huge difference in difficulty (in terms of getting control of the ball as it comes out of the electric chair / swamp kickout). Great lightshow, really nails the theme too, and plays quite well.

I don't have enough experience on IJ to comment on that one

I would get TAF - or IJ - if you plan on playing the game. Maybe LoTR if you need a really deep game that looks spectacular, and don't mind never seeing the wizard mode (or are obscenely good at pinball).

A friend of mine has TAF, a local pizza joint has TOM, and I have the good fortune of owning LOTR and IJ. So I've got a fair amount of play time on all of these. I'd rank them as follows...

1. LOTR - IMO the greatest pin ever made and a perfect machine to have if it is going to be your only one. The integration of the theme into every aspect of the game is second. It is the total package.

2. IJ - I bought this one a week and a half ago without ever having played it before. Turns out it is a great game and a lot of fun. While not up to the standards of LOTR it holds it's own with the other "A" titles. Looks like this one's a keeper.

3. TOM - Great flow and lots of satisfying shots. This is one I enjoy a bit more each time I play it. That said, it would not be my choice for a keeper if it was to be my only pin. I'd only consider this one in a collection of 5 games or more (Which I'm rapidly approaching!).

4. TAF - I just don't get why this one is held in such regard. It has it's charms, but I've played A LOT of pins I would buy before this one. It isn't a bad machine, but there isn't anything remarkable about it either.

Just my two cents...

LOTR - I don't care about the theme / but it is fast and fun and a mean mother f'r at times.

TOM - is cheeesyyy to me and only sorta fun at times with the flowing.

TAF - is a grrreat theme! great videos and sounds and toys,
but fun factor of game play itself isn't very high to me.

IJ - I dig the movies, the heme, did the video and sounds in it,
but the goals of hitting the middle drop target over and over is bleh,
its ok overall but not a game I'd really buy.
I'm one of the few that actually enjoy the new IJ in a few ways more than the original.