My take on it is that to reach the wizard mode in each, you need different skill sets.
LotR you need to be able to play multiballs well, whereas in Met you can get to wizard mode in single ball play.

I've owned both, and LotR only lasted a month or so before I was bored with it, I've had Met well over a year and can't see it ever leaving me.

FWIW On standard factory settings, I reached Valinor 3 or 4 times in the month I had it, I've reached EotL maybe 5 times but over a much longer period of time.

Lotr is Sterns greatest game and yet I sold a really nice copy after 2 months. The only reason is the same as others have said, each game requires commitment and time. Yes it probably is
Possible to set it up so balls time are short and sweet but that is not how the game is intended. Much like the books and movies LOTR is a journey and one worth savouring and exploring.

If I had the money and space to justify a game I played once a week for an epic hour + adventure then LOTR is probably the pick of the bunch. However in a smaller collection it struggles (strange though it could potentially work in a single game collection). It comes down to one simple point to really get a blast out of LOTR you need to have a great game that takes you deep into the story.

With MET you can set it up hard and blast away for a quick 5 - 10minutes of chaos.

Tantric sex and with a 10 hour organism sound like the bomb but seriously who has the time. Give me the 10 minutes wham bam thank you mam every time

wow, all this. How many times is your name up on the PAPA/pinburgh banners?

None, I'm not from USA - so that obviously means I'm not good enough to reach a wizard mode?

FWIW I've also got to Superhero on Spider man, Portal on Tron, Encore on AcDc, Sperm Attack on Family Guy, etc. etc.

I was just giving MY opinion on which of the games suggested I would choose and why.

to say you reached valinor several times, means you must be a high end A player or you have your games setup where the outlanes have rubber bands over them.

He might have the British version that has a center post and post in the outlanes.
That's a weird version though

Love MET. Glad I don't own a LOTR. I can play LOTR at a location in STL.
Met is pure and simple a Golden Game that gives your the most bang for your buck.
Ruleset doesn't require to much thought.

LOTR is probably good for someone who loves the Theme. Loves deep rulesets and impossible challenge.

the british have a center post? Or is this just some humor saying the british suck at pinball?

No it's something with their laws. It literally has a center post and button activated outlane posts!

MET is a really good game, but LOTR is the benchmark for me. I love the Dungeons and Dragons style theme, the deep ruleset, the challenge of the modes and MBs, the theme integration and the custom call out work. Much like STTNG, it is about a complete a pinball package as you can get. Yes, game times can be longer, but I have to laugh every time I see people write about their average 45 minute games. The exaggeration level with game times on LOTRs is off the charts. A couple people say game times are long and suddenly everyone is outdoing each other going from average 20 minute games to 30 minute and 45 minute games. Now sure a multiplayer game on LOTR with 3-4 people who know what they are doing can be incredibly long, but if you really are playing close to that long on an average single player game, I don't think your game is setup correctly. Don't play 5 ball and/or with EBs awarded for specials and points, don't have the outlanes closed up and don't use stronger flipper coils. I play on factory settings with factory coils. I've gotten to Valinor once and my average game times are nowhere near that. The time I did get to Valinor it did take about 50 minutes though, so it does take time to actually get through the game, but that is the exception and not the rule on my LOTR. My LOTR can be very cruel and the tilt is definitely there so I can't throw it all over the place to make drain saves.

Met is fun, but not really in the same leauge as Lotr

My two favorites - side by side again in the pin room.

IMG_6210 (resized).JPG

There USED to be a law that games of chance could not be played without a license. To try and combat this 'skill posts' were added which allowed you to use additional buttons to raise a post on either outlane, or if you pressed both together a centre post (like Family Guy). I've only ever played a couple of games with the buttons/posts activated and I found it significantly harder to play that way. Most people simply remove the buttons and fit lollipop side rails to cover the resulting holes, or failing that simply deactivate the skill posts from the settings.

The law has changed and this is not now required, it hasn't been for about 20 years.

That may be your assumption - it may be that you would consider me a "High end A player", personally I don't see myself as such. To be regarded as a top, top player I would suggest that you need to be able to have the consistency to be able to do this time and time again with very few crappy games in between; but there are plenty of people I know in the UK who have achieved similar, some ranked below me according to IFPA. I've seen a player get to Do or Die Mulitiball TWICE on consecutive games.

These are not games set to easy, or with "rubber bands over the outlanes", there are players out there who can reach the wizard modes who you may not be aware of because they don't come from the US and/or can't/don't compete in the major comps all over Europe

The only 3 games I have had in my possession which I haven't got to the wizard mode are SDMEWM on TSPP (I was just missing a single super jackpot in Couch MB), Gauntlet on PotC (I got to 4 winds numerous times, but could never actually complete it.) and KI on WPT (That's my next goal and WPT will not be leaving until I have done it!) I've got an AS coming in this weekend, so will see how that goes

LOTR is one of those games I can't figure out why people like it so much. It's not a very attractive game to me on the surface and there is not much in gameplay that really feels satisfying. That said, I really don't like the D&D type of themes and don't know the rules.

MET is much more what pinball should be in my book. Great art, cool toys, great sounds, loud, and fast. Basic rules are easy to learn and there are deeper things for experienced players to discover. Getting to CUI modes is not too hard and feels like a wizard mode. All the multiballs and other elements in the game (besides the final wizard) are very doable as well. If I start a few multiballs and make it to one CUI mode I feel like I had a good game. Getting a good bonus and then cashing it in with a doubler makes my day. It's hard to get the same feeling on deep games where you barely accomplished anything even in a long game.

I found it very confusing myself.

valinor is one of the most difficult endings to reach. NObody can do it consistently. It's one of those once in a lifetime moments. I bought my game NIB in 2009 and still have not seen it once. I'm probably a solid B- /C+ player.

Next summer! That's a long time to wait! Does he live close by?

My buddy and I went 50s on a MMRLE 6 months at each house. Each time we move it, it gets a fresh wax. Been working out party good.