Didn't have a ton of time playing it...and this was in like marchish?....
- but I thought the ramps felt too far away from the flippers and don't add enough difference betwixed the 2. But hey, FT is great so you never know.
- Other things were I'm sure just code issues. The trolls were popping up every couple seconds and it was annoying.
- Upper flipper...didn't quite know what to do with it...but I didn't know the rules or if they were even in the game at that point.

I wouldn't say I was impressed, but I wasn't turned off. Well, I did have to turn the game off when the ball got stuck on the dragoons head and it didn't move in ball search...early code

I played it at ReplayFX and I thought it was a lot of fun. I am sure the code has matured since then.

It was better the last time I saw it (at expo) than it was the previous time I saw it (Michigan Pinball Expo). Mostly code related, I'm sure.

I played it in July at Pintastic and I was very impressed with it. I really like how the rules opened as you went into the game, and I think the code will end up being an amazing quest that puts other games to shame.

However, I wouldn't order one right now. There is absolutely no reason to unless somebody is giving up their SE at a really good price. You are not going to get it any earlier ordering it now or 2 months from now, and in fact you might get it faster by waiting. I realize that the line jumping with WOZ was just distributors moving sales they already had to the end of the line for new money, and I suspect the same thing will happen with TH. So let the dust settle, and if the game is as great as I think it can be... Order one up. You are in the drivers seat right now.

Oh, and I love drop targets and I love long shots in pinball machines, so yeah, that had something to do with why I liked the game. But it was also something in the way the code was styled. How you qualified sections of the mode grid, and then how you qualified individual modes. I also really liked that the mode information was on the "book" screen in the game with both words and graphic arrows showing you what you needed to do without looking up at the main screen.

if this pin is anywhere near as fun as Woz I will be a VERY VERY happy pinhead.

I was lucky enough to first play it at a X-mas party last year. It was still on beta code. But with an entire afternoon in a room with it and maybe 20 people tops hanging out we got all the time we wanted on it. We got to lift the playfield and gets our heads in for a tour of the assemblies. The thing is a tank. Those drops are so solid with a real cool feel/sound. When they start the choreographed up/down dance during multi-ball it is the coolest. And when someone said the flippers felt a bit weak for the ramps he bumped the power up a notch. Everything adjustable. And yes it played great. The integration of the display with game play was great then but got even better the next time I played it. That was at Pintastic. So impressed but no where near the access as first time.

Am I a JJP fanboy or apologist? Nope, I have no skin in the game or company. I did not like the theme of WOZ and first time I went to play it the game was down with light board issues.

The game will be out eventually and the game will be great. Will it have issues? Everything does. You hope for responsive fixes. Some will make fun of the look, theme, play. Some (usually anyone with an investment) will tell you it is the best game ever.

You know the theme, you see the artwork it would be nice to play first. While I would love to own a Hobbit. It is the cost that keeps me from adding one to my collection. I just can't swallow that pill.

It seemed fun to me, but you have at least a year to examine your options before any are going to ship.

I played it in Allentown, liked it, but realized that the code had a long way to go. Got to play it on 2 different days at IAAPA. Loved the feel & had a couple of great balls. Had a lot on my mind & couldn't really focus on all of the details. Stopped at the Stern booth to check out the lineup. As far as I'm concerned, nothing compared to The Hobbit. Looking forward to playing it with full concentrationat Silverball.

Played at pietistic as well I don't feel the game play was all that the art and sound package are a 10. In the end it comes down to what kind of budget do you have if spending 8/9 k is no big deal go for it. To me it is not weather it is a good game it is whether it is worth the money and I don't think any pins are worth 8/9 k

I played it at the nw show in Seattle. Bought a Smaug spot from someone the next day.

Looks great played well and the rules video and sound have come a long way since then too.

This is going to be a great machine but I have more patience than all the haters on pinside.

Just played the hobbit le. Am so glad I didn't buy one.

Played it at Free Gold Watch in SF. I was really hoping to love the machine. Stunning at first sight but not as much as WOZ (Smaug seems a little cheap).

Was not skilled enough to get very deep into the code. Don't know if the particular machine had a weak upper flipper but I couldn't figure out any shot to make from it and it wasn't a matter of code. Chatted with other players there and none of them knew what the upper flipper was for either.

I found the central ramp shots and the left loop to the pops satisfying (YMMV). On PF book was a nice feature, especially for beginners.

The pop up targets were a mixed bag; those seem like they'll hinge on code. Right flipper shots were more satisfying for some reason; despite symmetry of the ramps, the game felt unbalanced. Maybe I was just missing out on backhands.

For all we know, you are a terrible player or the game was too hard for you to follow. I'd be glad you didn't buy one too.

Your empty comment represents a biased agenda. You provide zero insight.

If you give a reason why you don't like the game, then you actually provide insight for others to determine if there's any validity.

Lol. Ya the game is impossible you must be right. That's why after the second game I was the high score. But you must be right, I have to be a terrible player.

I'm not saying you're a terrible player.

I'm saying you gave no reason why you didn't like the game, leaving us to guess.

But congrats on the high score.

I played one a week ago. I didn't care for it. The art and the lcd screen are beautiful. However that's where it ended for me. I don't know what the upper flipper was supposed to shoot at. The playfield seems enormous and wide open. As someone earlier said, the trolls pop up a lot. All in all, nice to look at, but not a game for me

I played the Hobbit yesterday.

Here's the short end:

1)Absolutely gorgeous game

2)Ball times are ridiculously long...so long that I was actually disappointed when I achieved an extra ball.

3) I was able to figure out how to start multiball relatively easily and had a good idea of how to get Jackpot...but aside from that, the current code does a terrible job of telling you what to do. In fact some of the screen animations (one in particular is like a honeycomb of photos) and the constant drop target movement are flat out confusing. It's either barebones code or the game is too complex for its own good.

4)Popbumer action was very uninspiring.

5)I'd rather play WOZ 10 out of 10 times.

6)If I were a buyer with a deposit or thinking about buying, I'd keep my money and wait at least a year to see if they can code life into the game. They certainly did it with WOZ (although, I think the bones of WOZ are leaps and bounds better)...but I think having TH in the home would end up feeling very laborious.

7) Final score as it stands: 5/10

I have played it several times. Clearly is faster than WoZ. That to me is the big difference. The open play field and longer ramp shots allow the ball to flow so much more than WoZ.

To me if you like games like CV and TZ, WoZ is likely our JJP game. If you like Attack from Mars or some of the longer shot legacy games, you will like TH.

I agree with the comments on the code. It is a work in progress. I am confident that they will make the code much better over time. JJP seems committed to that. They have gone up and above with WoZ.

Quality of the overall machine (TH or WoZ) is unprecedented. TH could arguably be one of the best looking machines ever made. Probably because it is so open it allows the artwork to pop so much. I also think they did a much better job integrating the LCD aesthetically.

9K is a lot though. I am hoping their 3rd machine is more of a balance between the two styles of games.

Your comments really hammer home how much set-up plays into impressions. My WOZ is wicked fast, especially in the middle and left sides of the playfield. Sure, it has stop and go built into the game, but you can get the ball back on the flippers in a flash. TH I played yesterday (and one from last year) had a decent PF angle (certainly wasn't overly flat) but the ball was mind-numbingly floaty across that wide open space and the habitrails were painfully slow.

I've gone back and forth so many times with whether or not to get a Hobbit, hell I've probably had one on preorder 3 times at this point, lol. Honestly, at the end of the day I just want more variety in terms of shots and toys in a $8k-$9k pinball machine. I know Keith is going to create an epic ruleset for the game, that the game has amazing lighting effects, animations, and audio. However, the layout is just too open for me, there is a lack of unique shots (due to the symmetrical layout / shot design), there is not a physical ball lock and Smaug doesn't interact with the ball.

I decided to ultimately go with a Ghostbusters premium as the fun factor seems a lot higher due to the variety of shots, multiple interactive toys, the hand drawn artwork, custom callouts by one of the films actors, the physical ball lock, and all of the comedy being put into the game thanks to the theme. Will the game has as deep of code as The Hobbit eventually will? Probably not but what Dwight did come up with for GB's rules is substantial (9 scene modes, multiple mulitballs, 2 wizard modes, slimer modes, etc) and like TH rule design it is progressive based (my preferred ruleset design).

I may still get a Hobbit down the road but before I do I need to allow time for the ruleset to develop over the next year or two.

That couldn't be farther from the truth for me at least, comparing TH to AFM isn't even close, AFM is fast and the shots are rewarding plus the multi's and main shot in AFM are vastly superior to anything mode wise or multi wise so far in TH, I doubt code will save TH but certainly hope it will make it a better pin in time, love AFM but have nothing really positive to say about TH.

My wife and I played TH last summer, and we both really liked it. She loved it as she's a huge lotr/TH fan. After playing it, I had an itch to watch all the movies again, and I really got into all of them.
I've seriously been considering buying TH lately. After watching 1.01 videos, I actually really like how its looking. I like the time based challenges, and the mode progression through the story. Yeah, it doesn't have as many fancy toys as other new pins, but it's definitely different than others. I like how it's a more easy going, relaxing experience. It still gets exciting at times, and I think code will create more dramatic feels to it.
I'm still on the fence about it simply due to I'm down to my last space and money, and IF star wars is coming, I will probably decide after seeing that. If you're looking for something different and probably a deeper game than the typical new sterns, then I would get a hobbit. Not to mention, it's a stunning machine to look at.

Played one a couple of months ago. Gorgeous game and really like the way they are using the LCD. The two negatives I came away with were 1) the wide open and sparsely populated layout made it seems slow and 2) the front targets that emerge from underneath (spiders, whatever I can't remember) make for risky shots. They are so close to the flippers that the random rebounds seemed risky.

I didn't come away thinking "Wow, what a fun game!", more like "That's a really nice looking game."

I agree with a lot of this, but I don't think getting Th was a"knee jerk" reaction.

Let's be fair:
After the phenomenal job PJ did with LOTR, expectations were sky-high for TH trilogy.
And, factor in that LOTR pinball was one of Sterns VERY best....

So, when JJP made this decision, its hard to think it wasn't pure genius.

I think few expected TH to suck as much as they did and for PJ to turn sell-out with this beloved content.
Add JJPs inability to release the game anywhere NEAR the theatrical release and you add more problems... what little hype there was for their franchise is certainly one gone by now.

And,
Beautiful artwork (video and sound) still doesnt outweigh the VERY mediocre gameplay...not in a pinball machine.

Lastly,
Stern finally wakes up and OVERDELIVERS on the GB machine.

So, it really was a perfect storm against JJP:
1. TH Movies sucked
2. JJP failed to deliver onetime (again).
3. TH game seems rushed (?!!??) incomplete code and dull gameplay
4. Stern releases a winner, not just visually but also in gameplay.

I play it each week at my league and i don't like it becasue it is too easy and its on the hardest setting its just way to easy i can have the same multiball over over and the upper flipper dosen't seem to important

I've played a Smaug LE on location ten to twenty times. My skills are mediocre, ranked around 5k in IFPA.

The backbox screen is great - for people watching. It's not very useful for the player unless you want to stop playing, study the screen, then go back to playing.
The playfield doesn't do a good job of telling you what to do or why.
I have not figured out if the upper flipper has a purpose.
Both shots are easy to hit. Ramp and ramp.

Every time I play it I walk away asking myself what happened. Many other pins it's obvious what mode lights when you do X. Not so with Hobbit.

I don't care for it. However, it's five tokens to play it vs. 2.66 - 4 for many great games at the same location. If it were priced accordingly I'd spend some money to figure it out.

Just got a chance to play TH, WoZ , and GB for the first time, all right next to each other ... Like xmas morning for me. Obviously just my opinion and could be setup related, but I played TH after GB, and it felt way too slow. I gave myself some time to adjust... Ball times really high, and I got a high enough score on game 1 to get a free game. By the time that game was done, I was glad. I don't like like playing any game that long, to be honest. TH was beautiful, though.

I liked WoZ much more than I though I would. Hard to explain, but I just felt it came together really well, whereas with TH I didn't get that sense, and to me it is the playfield, not the code. Maybe TH would've been better as a standard size pin.

GB was fast and fun. It looks dated because of the display, for sure, but then the GB pro is half the price. The playfield on it was beautiful. I was impressed.

If I were looking to kill time in an arcade on a budget, TH is a great game (I did have a few games that were pretty quick, to be fair). If I were purchasing for my game room, I'd pick GB > WoZ > TH. Maybe that will change after a dozen or so more plays...

Get that game in your home, dial it in, turn up the sound...it will blow you away.

Perhaps TH will eventually get there too.

As for GB...very nice game. Feels plastic-y as compared to the JJP games. Liked the Pro, but didn't love it. I actually thought the new Spiderman was the coolest and best looking game of all the new Sterns at Allentown (game play was the most fun too).

I played one extensively at the Seattle Pinball Museum recently. Here are my thoughts.
PROS:
Great looking game
I found it extremely fun
Solidly built
Loved the troll pop-ups
Smaug was very cool
Best drops ever
Right level of difficulty

CONS:
Upper right flipper doesn't do much
Was a little hard to figure out what to do

Overall I really liked the game and thought it was better than WOZ.

Due to how much bias there is in rating games due to money invested I 'listen' to what people don't say.

Sad to say not hearing many people even in the honeymoon phase saying 'best game ever' as is usual for latest releases.

Opposite to GB.

Have you considered reading the review comments on the archive page?
Viable alternative with only a few minutes of time.
Only 38 people that had actually took the time to write something down.
Reviews that contain more than two-three syllable words such as, "Great game!!", have value.
Some actually have decent depth.
Many people have already played the game at the current stage of development and code.

A reader just has to wade through JJP fanboy pre-order club.

This is called the "Two for One" club.
Many long term collectors lean this direction, and let NIB frenzy take its course.
Personally, I don't see TH staying around long for operators and will be passed on to different home owners in the secondary market, just like WoZ has overall.
PinSide is not the pinball community, PinSide is part of the pinball community.

Dave said it best probably but I thought I would add a comment or two. I'm sure the game is not for everyone but I've never owned a JJP in the past and was even skeptical myself. The shots are just extremely interesting. Though it sounds like I am making excuses, I think you honestly need to spend a day or two with the game with the latest code to appreciate it. I just texted a friend this:

'It’s amazing that a game with so seemingly little shots has so many.'

The pop up troll figures really add to the game as well. Also, I really like the fact I can see the pop up bumper action and seeing where the ball is going to go. The game is all about figuring out shots and for me that is really satisfying.

At the end of the day, it's extremely hard for me to figure out why I like this game. But, while I'm figuring, I find myself walking over to the machine to play one more game.

My Hobbit arrived yesterday and I've been able to log a lot of games on it now.

I love it! I feel like I'm going on an adventure when I play it. The modes are really cool, I have only been able to finish one mode (Troll King) and it felt like a major accomplishment. Knowing there are 31 of them to complete is daunting... but for replay factor, I know this game won't feel repetitive since there is so much variety.

The pop up shots are very satisfying and fun to hit.

Also, my wife really likes playing it and she can't stand Hobbit!

I got to play it yesterday, I thought WOZ was a deep, well designed and well built game, and very interesting to play.

I am NOT trying to start a war, I have no agenda against JJ and you can check my post history if you do not believe me, but I am just going to say I did not care for the game even a little bit, and neither did my buddy who came with me, It just seems like a LOT of wide open space, with the shots being too far way, a few things that pop out of the playfield, now I fully admit, I do not know the rules, or what your trying to do on it yet, but I just did not like it at all, If I was looking to spend 8-9K on a game, no way would it be Hobbit. I would do WOZ, even though I do not like the theme, I felt there was so much more to do on that game, and a lot more innovation..

Again, I have no agenda here, just offering my opinions on what I thought of it.

I can totally see your point of view and to be honest that's the exact same point of view I had. I wasn't even considering a purchase but then a person locally backed out and I got my game quickly. I just played again, just really intriguing and engaging. I'm no fan boy either. Also, ask anyone who knows me, I would have given up on this game in the first week if it sucked. But...it doesn't! LOL.

To each is own I suppose though.

Same boat

Im in the same position kind of. I loved woz but havent played a hobbit. And chances of getting to play one in Aus arnt great.

So i can only go on others opinions and game play videos etc. There is a distributor that could take my money today but im not going to risk it based on reviews and opinions.

It does seem there are too many cons over pros to take a blind plunge. Some code but the right flipper is a big issue for me. It looks useless and code can't fix that.

The jackpot shot is right below the upper left drop target bank. Maybe that upper right flipper is meant to hit cross playfield into it?

Doesn't make much sense... But I really didn't see any other possible use

I have played the Hobbit several times, and I really like it. The pop ups are good (and fun). The modes are deep and it has lots of code updates and sound effects coming - including wizard modes. So the game will certainly get better. I like the LCD as well, and the book helps alot with countdowns and mode selection. Ring button is nice as well. Overall I do like WOZ too, but TH theme is better for me

Oh, and the longer ball times may get boring later - I suck at pinball so I need the extra help to get to see all those modes!

I felt the same way. And I don't even like WOZ.

I played it at Allentown and was disappointed. I'm hoping it was not set up properly as I found it extremely boring.