Ok, so back to pinball... Hobbit is a really good game. LOTR is a really good game.
I really like hobbit and I own one. LOTR - If I can get my hands on one... will own it too...
If Hobbit is too slow... angle it and crank up the flipper power.
Long ball times, open the outlanes, and pull the center pin.
The story always feels like an adventure in Hobbit - vs other games.
I can't get to "THERE AND BACK AGAIN" I will someday. But I haven't yet.
SMAUG killshot is a real fun one... It's one of the more gratifying shots in pinball, IMO. Like - when you kill him in the multiball, the flippers go dead, and you watch him die on the screen. Then take victory laps! Its great. Some folks on here say they can kill him every game. I decidedly cannot. It takes a LOT to get him down, and an accurate killshot that you have about 1 second to connect on.
Hobbit can have some REALLY long ball times. But that is how it's set up. It's a wide-body, with lots of protection from drains.
Oh, don't get me wrong, you can still drain like an insane person. But it's just.... I dunno.... a "safer" game to play. Because when you play it, its not a simple "BANG BANG BASH - SUPERJACKPOT" game. It's an adventure.
If you like fast bash games - this one is NOT for you.
If you hated the hobbit movie / music / etc... The this game will annoy you...
The rules are incredibly deep, tho --- I would argue not very complex. But they are MORE complex than an average game.
So, I feel that this is a great game for the home. Because there is always something "DIFFERENT" going on...
vs. say.... the game at the polar opposite end of the scale - like AFM. that game - is - in essence - the same basic strategy every time.