Both! I own hobbit and love it, but would love a lotr as well.

Hobbit won’t ever leave either btw

Owned both. Lotr is more fun to play, Hobbit is more fun to look at. Hobbit is one of the best looking and best sounding pins, but just not as fun as lotr

Theme aside, they're two very different games and it'll really depend on your preferences. I have both, and they're the only games I have in my apartment at the moment so they've gotten a ton of play over quarantine.

LOTR is a great game, pretty standard pinball (in a good way) with a good variety of modes, amazing callouts, and a lot of fun/satisfying shots (I'm a sucker for Gomez's layouts).

Hobbit feels completely unlike any other pin IMO, a good game on it feels like a proper adventure. The intensity ramps up as you go, there's what feels like an endless amount of modes with some stellar theme integration, incredible music, visuals, etc. Less 'fun' shots which absolutely slaughters it in casuals' opinions, but I get just as much joy out of nailing the massive orbits (wide body with a short shooter lane means the biggest orbit in pinball, I believe) as I do from a good ramp, so I'm not bothered by that. It needs to be set up steep as the playfield is wide open when all the beast-mechs are down and things can feel floaty if the pitch isn't right. The one thing I always come back to that I never see other people really talk about is how dynamic the playfield/action can feel on Hobbit... when you start out, the ramps are both open, the beasts are all down, the orbit will get interrupted by the magnet in the back... and then things start ramping up, the playfield begins to feel more crowded with beasts, the ramp diverter/u-turn gate drops, the orbits return the ball to your flipper at 100 mph... it's just excellent.

You're gonna get more votes for LOTR which is why I feel the need to run defense for Hobbit, but it really is a phenomenal game that offers an experience you can't get from any other pin I've played.

Ive had them both and id rather have a Hobbit again. I use to prefer LOTR but i feel it becomes boring pretty quickly and Hobbit feels more like a fun adventure.

The correct answer is The Hobbit. However there are still many people that claim "The Hobbit sucks" because of it being incomplete when it first came out and it's unique layout. Those people need to spend more time with the latest code, but unfortuantly for them, their minds have been made up. it's not a bad thing though, this keeps the price from sky rocketing.

Also see Xmen LE for a similar story.

And yet I read a post yesterday that claims "The Hobbit is slow". I honestly don't even know how you come up with that conclusion. The ball speed and game play are certainly not slow. Maybe they had the front legs jacked all the way up.

Yah this.... in general what I found over the years is the people that complain the loudest about the way games play are the worst at setting them up.

Any game will play like crap if its not setup right or has other issues.

That being said LOTR is one of the all time great games, maybe top 5 for me.. Hobbit wouldnt be in my top 50.

same with the movies.

Honestly I don't think comparing them is an option. TH is a widebody and even if the pitch is set steep it's not any where near as fast as LOTR because it can't be. Physics is physics. The more real estate involved the longer it takes for the ball to get back to the flippers.
TH is incredible in every aspect it needs to be as is LOTR. In my personal opinion both offer a healthy balance of flow and stop and go. The code for both are incredible. But the journey to the end "Valinor" is brutal whereas TH "end" is getting to TABA. And what is it like 38 or 42 modes to get to TABA? I don't remember but regardless I find it much easier to get to TABA on TH than Valinor on LOTR. LOTR demands sequence whereas the TH just demands things are played and sequence doesn't much matter because there's soooooo freaking many modes.

Now if you're concerned about points and not beating it that's a whole nuther ball game. The code between the two is no comparison in that arena. TH wins that battle hands down.

Yes I do own both and much like children you love them the same but differently.

The Hobbit does suck, but not for this reason. It’s boring, way to easy, and has no satisfying shots. Ramps are super basic fish tale ramps. Moving Fish Tale ramps to back of playfield slows it way down. When you make a super easy Shooting game and combine it with super long playing rule set that doesn’t differentiate much, you get the ultimate in chopping wood. It looks good though.

LOTR plays much faster. Sure it is long playing and deep rule set, but the rules are much better and better differentiated. LOTR playfield is also much better, with much more satisfying shots.

The layout of hobbit didn't blow my hair back.

I still prefer LOTR.

If there was a LOTR with an LCD display and hobbit-like code, that would probably be a fantastic game, but as it stands, I don't think deep code is a good enough substitute for a mediocre layout.

Lotr, not because I own one. My friend had a hobbit albeit not the latest code and the ball times were very long even when the game was set hard. Not as flowy or satisfying for shooting. I feel like a hobbit isn't super rare so you can always pick one up for a decent price and maybe it doesn't stay long but at least you gave it a good chance.

This is a tough one as both are incredible pins. I love LOTR and have owned two of them over the past 10 years. The Hobbit is a special pin as for one its a loaded widebody, has multiple interactive mechs, features custom music from a Hollywood studio, has some of David Thiels best audio work, and comes with what may be the deepest objective based rulesets ever created for a pin. The theme integration is off the charts too thanks to it having full assets and the incredible amount of work done with the final code updates. The Hobbit is the ultimate adventure pin.

I've mentioned this is another thread but I have a cousin that has owned a LOTR since new, he's put over 6k plays on it. When he comes to my house he only plays Hobbit as he loves the game that damn much lol.

Also, waiting for Cscmtp to enter the thread and complain about Hobbit for the 500th time

This statement is objectively false.

Your statement is objectively false. "Incredible pin" is inherently subjective.

Well I say your statement about my statement being objectively false is false.

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I'd say LOTR is faster and more enjoyable to shoot.

I love the Hobbit for the audio visual experience. Smaug multiball is amazing for the sweet callouts and music. The wizard modes give me a rush. Otherwise, the Hobbit is a shooters game, and slower. Mine is not "floaty".

They are both good. I've owned LOTR and don't really have much need to own it again. Shots are fun, but I think I grew a bit tired of the game is because all of the shots feel too safe. So many shots feed controlled back to the flippers. The ball it a bit more "wild" in Hobbit, but it's not a game that's ever been high on my wanted list. Again, both are good, but for the high price tag there are games I'd rather own.

Boring? Did you play while blindfolded and ear muffs on?

Easy? Easy to do what? Beat the game?

No satisfying shots? I guess only fan layouts for you.

This is an example of someone who made up their mind about The Hobbit years ago. BTW I hated the hobbit when it first came out too. But I was able to spend more time on it with an open mind recently and discovered that it's one of the greatest pins of all time. I also own LOTR btw and it's a fantastic game too. Just nowhere near the level of Hobbit.

Great games and owned both at same time. I sold lotr , own Hobbit at least 4 years. Love the game and still played often, it's a keeper for me.

I don’t have the most room and the 2 games were similar in theme and can play long. The biggest reason I sold one, it happen to be lotr.

Good luck.

It's always great to see when people get Hobbit. It's not a game I'm turning on the most in my collection (primarily because one good game could take 45 minutes), but when I do, it's really like nothing else out there. Which is not to say it's better than everything else, it's just so unique and clever. Travelling around the outside orbit represents your journey on the map on the screen. Knocking down character drops adds them to your party. Orcs and trolls are impeding your path to other places, quite literally as they pop up on the playfield and have to be knocked down. The ball is your character. It's pretty brilliant conceptually.

If theme integration/immersion is important to you and you're not immediately turned off by the look of the layout, I'd highly recommend the game.

The difficulty of beating the game depends on your definition of beating it... I still haven't completed the 3rd wizard mode after many attempts. I've never even tried for There and Back Again (same premise as your LOTR, but starting 31 modes is tough), attempting to kill Smaug is it's own challenge, etc. There's a lot to do in the game, and everything feels different which adds a huge amount of variety.

If you want to take a glance at the rules to see how deep things go, bmlors recently updated the sheet for the latest code. Having an idea of your goals and what you need to do makes the game significantly more enjoyable.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-hobbit-rulesheet/page/4#post-5735785

I recently sold my LOTR and picked up a Hobbit and honestly I don’t regret it at all. Lotr is an awesome game but Hobbit is in another league especially when it comes down to animations and the overall fun factor, everyone that has played mine also agrees

If this is true you will love it. Hell the spinner shots make you go across a middle earth map on the screen! Focus on doing the things to get to the 3 movie wizard modes, and killing smaug and you will have a blast.

Get it and enjoy!

Couldn't have said it better. Hobbit is a snooze fest to play but gorgeous to look at. LOTR is awesome, just really long ball times.

Good lord! It certainly is not slow ! Especially when you get a beast mode going

Speaking of “nice to look at...”

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-journey-to-the-hobbit-topper#post-5855118

LOTR, by a mile. And I do like The Hobbit. LOTR is just that much better. A top 10 of all time for me.
Terry.

Both I don’t like to play a lot as the ball times are way too long. But I’ll take Hobbit.

I've seen a number of people who have both. I own Hobbit (never leaving BTW) and have contemplated getting LOTR, but I've often wondered if it would be too much of the same thing.

In my opinion, both rule structure and gameplay are different enough so owning both is fine. They have long ball times in common, so that's a consideration.

I am not going to down vote you anymore. I am starting to admire your passion for wanting to destroy Hobbit whenever you get a chance. But like another pinsider pointed out, I knew you would show up as soon as Hobbit was brought up. LOL

It is rather fascinating - your commitment is amazing.

I first played LOTR at a show. My impression was that the pin was very dark. I also couldn’t hear it above the other pins. By this time I already had a Hobbit so you could imagine my thoughts..

If anyone thinks that the Hobbit movies (and pinball) are in any way representative of the novel by Tolkien, then you haven't read the book (or paid attention?)

The Hobbit movies stretched a book that was less than 1/3 the length of the Lord of the Rings series into an embarrassment. Legolas in the Hobbit? The white orc? Random creations by Jackson. So many other examples. A love story between an elf and a dwarf? Mon Dieu. Jackson clearly felt emboldened by the success of the Rings trilogy movies to put his "stamp" on the Hobbit. Colossal mistake. Or money grab. Whatever.

Don't equate the two. LOTR film series was well done, though also altered from the source material, and not for the better. Hobbit is a disgrace. I am a huge JRR Tolkien fan. I can't watch the Hobbit movies.

Whatever you think of the pinballs, to try to use "immersion" in the Tolkien universe, or some other baloney, to advocate for Hobbit, shows that you don't know or care about the source material.

Correct, I don't care about the source material. Tried to read Fellowship once and couldn't get through the Dwarf songs. Enjoyed most of the LOTR film trilogy. I read Hobbit as a kid, enjoyed it, haven't seen the movies.

Both games do a great job of immersing me into a world. Whether it's the same one from the books, couldn't care less.

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I dont know the details like this.. all I know is I love the LOTR movies and could barely watch the CGI nightmare that was the Hobbit movies.

I was alternately annoyed and bored... I think I made it through them though probably because I was watching in 3D so at least that part was cool.

As far as the pins go... I always found jersey jack to be going after the "I want my pinballs to look like an xmas tree and be stuffed with toys" market so its more about looks and stuff then playability.

LOTR is an all time great players pin but kind fugly.. Hobbit is neato to look at.

Only JJP I thought played more like a players pin to date was Wonka.. could just be because its not a widebody.

So I've owned both pins, but because I like LOTR and not Hobbit you CONTINUE to call me out?? Really?? Your love for Hobbit is no more valid than my view that it sucks. Why you can't acknowledge this I'll never understand. Should I make a list of the 30+ pins I've owned over the years and have you validate which ones I'm allow to love and not care for?

I'm not a huge fan of the Hobbit movies, but there's almost nothing in the JJP game that is not part of the book in some fashion. The game does take on more prominent roles for Azog and Bolg, and there's a couple REALLY minor things you could complain about (Bilbo doesn't have a backpack!) because of the use of film clips, but is it important? No.

TH definitely does not play like a typical B/W widebody; it is quite fast

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.

This!

When I play TH the score for me is secondary. It is never my intent to try to rack up a high score but rather to try to get to TABA or kill Smaug or advance through the wizard modes. I've only killed Smaug once, and watching the kill sequence put a smile on my face, like I had really accomplished something. Competitive players would have been annoyed at the "stop and go" of having to wait until the sequence was finished to continue playing.

To me, the hobbit is one of the most immersive games around. I like it much better than lotr, which got old for me. Sound, movie clips, modes, depth, etc, total package. Lotr was great for a time, but I let it go and have no regrets.

I'd agree - It's much MORE difficult to get tired of the hobbit. Other typical stern / BW era games have the same feel in that way.
I would almost say - It's THE most immersive game.

The Hobbit movies are to Tolkien fans what the Fast & Furious movies are to car guys. They're corny, they're inaccurate, they have bad overused CGI, the pacing is weird, there's unnecessary plotlines, forced romance, and really they're just objectively bad movies. But I went to all of them in theaters, I own copies of them, and my girlfriend and I still think they're fun to watch. Do I wish The Hobbit had been given the same quality treatment as the LOTR trilogy? Obviously yes, and maybe someday someone will make a single Hobbit film that accurately portrays the book (including dogs walking around on their hind legs serving the party food) and then maybe someone will make a pinball machine based off of that. But they haven't, so this is the option for fans of the Tolkien universe.

You're well within your right to hate the movies, or to not like the pinball for whatever reason. But don't sit there acting holier than thou, the one true Tolkien fan, because you can shit on something other people enjoy.

This was my thought too. I have owned LOTR since it came out in 2003 and ordered a Hobbit when it was announced. Once I got the Hobbit it was a beautiful game but I just couldn't get into it and found it somewhat repetitive. I am not a huge fan of widebody pinball machines with some exceptions of course and I really just didn't care for the shots too much. Compared to LOTR which feels like your are part of the story as you play the machine, I never got that from playing my Hobbit. I only kept it a year or two and sold it, replaced it with Dialed in which is not nearly as pretty, but the family enjoys it far more. Your experience may differ especially if you have never played the Hobbit, you may get it and love it. With any machine if it doesn't light your fire they can always be sold to get something else. Good luck!

LotR is my favorite pin period. I definitely like it much better than the Hobbit. Now I'll admit that I've never taken the time to fully learn The Hobbit's ruleset, but I do know that I greatly prefer LotR's playfield and sound package and those are two very important aspects of pinball to me. If I fully learn how to play The Hobbit I'm sure I'll come to enjoy it more than I do, but even if I end up liking the rules more than LotR's rules (Which are hard to top) I still think, as a whole, I'd still prefer LotR.

Either way, this has definitely inspired me to finally read up on how to play The Hobbit.

I've owned both pins, and both have their pro and cons....

1. One is standard, and the other is a wide body - pick your poison
2. Both have long ball times - wash
3. One is based on the LOTR movies, one is the Hobbit - pick your poison
4. Both have great rule sets - If I had to pick I'd pick LOTR
5. Theme integration - Hobbit is hands down the winner
6. Art Package - Hobbit is hands down the winner as LOTR art package is pretty bad
7. Play field shots - I would give the edge to LOTR
8. Sound Package - Hobbit is far superior
9. Overall game play - I would give the edge to LOTR, but Hobbit isn't far behind

Invest a little time here to learn the rules to Hobbit and see how punishing this game can be when properly set up. If anyone thinks Hobbit ball times are long, feel free to stop over after the Pandemic. Mine will humble you real quick.