One very important aspect of LOTR that puts it above SM for me is the quality of the call outs and animations that accompany the modes (and all aspects of the game). Every shot made is rewarded with a cool sound/display effect culminating in a neat ending sequence and a Gift from the Elves if the mode is completed. Really makes you feel like you've accomplished something unlike a 2X or 3X shot bonus, that you probably wouldn't even know happened if you didn't know what to look for.

Really wish SM (and many of Lyman's games) gave better audio/display feedback to reward accomplishments. I know his games are more about getting high scores by way of intricate scoring rules but you can still make those scoring accomplishments special by adding some fanfare.

Another thing I dislike about SM is the 3-6-9-12 chopping wood rule style used to beat the villains.

Yes, better call outs is what I was referring to. Thanks for the clarification. Post edited.

What I mean by that is each villain requires an increasing number of shots to advance to the next level.

Beating each saucer on AFM is similar. The difference with AFM is that it only happens for the saucer shot, the other goals in the game don't work like that.