(Topic ID: 308356)
Linked Games
Addams Family, The
Bally, 1992-
The Hobbit
Jersey Jack, 2016
Buffalo, NY
Hello,
I have LOTR, got it new in 2003, and had the Hobbit. They did indeed look nice next to each other but that's about it. I could never really get into the Hobbit, it like all JJP games are stunning to look at but I found it not a whole lot of fun. It has a lot of modes but kind of a barren playfield. I sold the Hobbit as LOTR is for me a way better game. I do currently have a both a HEP restored Twilight Zone and HEP restored Addams family sitting next t each other both of which to me anyways are far better games then the Hobbit especially if you like classic Williams games. But who knows when you play the Hobbit you may really enjoy it that's the beauty of pinball what one person likes another might not and vice versa. Good luck!
Addams and Hobbit are not in the same league. There's a reason Addams is the #1 best seller of all time. But like the above poster said, you may play them and feel differently. Pinball is very subjective. Play first then buy what you like.
Quoted from NorCalRealtor:Addams and Hobbit are not in the same league. There's a reason Addams is the #1 best seller of all time. But like the above poster said, you may play them and feel differently. Pinball is very subjective. Play first then buy what you like.
If CGC did a remake of TAF today, it would still sell out no matter how many they make. I think TAF has a great "feel" even though there is a lot of ramp-chair combos going on. Love playing one any time I can.
Quoted from jawjaw:If CGC did a remake of TAF today, it would still sell out no matter how many they make. I think TAF has a great "feel" even though there is a lot of ramp-chair combos going on. Love playing one any time I can.
Agreed. It would be their best seller yet.
Hobbit stinks, and is almost painful to play. It feels and sounds like it's going to rip itself apart at the start of every ball.
Everybody loves TAF. Even those "Beatles are overrated" types who try to sound clever by dissing it.
I had Hobbit and LOTR side-by-side for about a year. For a time it seemed like The Hobbit was "the better" game. It's bigger, glossier, has a talking dragon, a big screen, dozens of modes, an amazing light-show, great sound...
I ended up selling Hobbit and keeping LOTR because once the honeymoon is over with Hobbit the game just got tiring to play. I would definitely recommend playing one and even owning one, but I would expect to eventually trade or sell it.
TAF doesn't have a big screen, a talking dragon, pop-up monsters, dozens of modes, stereo sound with cinematic music... But it would probably be a more fun game to own and would stay in a collection longer. It's just a classic.
Not an owner, but a location player. I've dropped maybe $5 by choice into The Hobbit. I'm sure I've dropped in hundreds into The Addams Family.
Quoted from roffels:Not an owner, but a location player. I've dropped maybe $5 by choice into The Hobbit. I'm sure I've dropped in hundreds into The Addams Family.
This kinda says it all.
Quoted from jsandjs:Hello,
I have LOTR, got it new in 2003, and had the Hobbit. They did indeed look nice next to each other but that's about it. I could never really get into the Hobbit, it like all JJP games are stunning to look at but I found it not a whole lot of fun. It has a lot of modes but kind of a barren playfield. I sold the Hobbit as LOTR is for me a way better game. I do currently have a both a HEP restored Twilight Zone and HEP restored Addams family sitting next t each other both of which to me anyways are far better games then the Hobbit especially if you like classic Williams games. But who knows when you play the Hobbit you may really enjoy it that's the beauty of pinball what one person likes another might not and vice versa. Good luck!
I had a Hobbit for a few months and hated it. However, in your particular situation I would recommend the Hobbit over TAF based off of your collection. You have no true modern pins. The Hobbit was slow, but it was a very deep game with lots to do. The Hobbit would let you play a super long game like LOTR will, and is a very different experience than your other classic Bally/Williams. With that said, I paid $6500 for my Hobbit 2 years ago. Hobbit use to be the same price at TAF but is alot more expensive. If money is no object, go for Hobbit. Also be warned that the Hobbit is the single heaviest machine I have ever moved at over 350 pounds.
Good luck!
guess I am in the minority here and prefer the hobbit. sold my taf years ago and don't really miss it. Have owned the hobbit since 2016. Both games have about the best theme integration out there, rivaling TSPP and LOTR, but I found TAF to be really repetitive and frankly too easy (and I'm not a great player). It's basically shoot the ramp, shoot the scoop, rinse and repeat. Sure there is a little more to it, but not much. Once I started touring the mansion twice in a game, that was it for me. The hobbit is much more challenging for me, more variety and more immersive. I get that the playfield is wide open and doesn't look appealing from a shooter perspective, but the modes are pretty unique and if you set it up right (7-7.5 degree pitch), they can be pretty challenging to complete. Getting to the wizard modes isn't that easy, at least for me.
The Addams Family is no doubt one of the best pins of all time. However, for having a game at home I would take The Hobbit any day due to the significantly deeper and more interesting ruleset. The ruleset in Addams Family feels a bit out of date and dull when compared to modern rulesets IMO. However, it's still a fun game to play and if I had room for a very large collection I would own one.
Go for the game you enjoy best. Some people on Pinside act as Hobbit committed a crime against them lol. If the game wasn't fun it wouldn't be selling for $11k+.
Hobbit is the deeper game, taf has more cool mechs. I’d choose the theme you prefer more. The argument that TAF is the highest selling game ever is largely in part to the era and popularity of the movie, and location play being big then. Nowadays that same game would only sell today’s average rate of games, so that’s not a fair argument in regards to which sold more. I’d choose hobbit, but both are great.
I'm guessing your Collection isn't accurate (unless you bought an Addams in the last couple hours), but assuming you DO have a bunch of other B/W's I'd personally go with a Hobbit for the variety. I had a Hobbit and LOTR next to each other for a decent while and played both a ton... horrible 2 game lineup because both are such long players and I ended up selling them to make space for other games, but lately I've really been missing Hobbit for some reason. Just a unique game that's not like anything else.
Obviously Addam's is quite a bit more universally loved but don't let other people make the decision for you, otherwise we'd all end up with the same pinball machines in descending order from the Top 100...
Hobbit
If you like the theme, you'll love the game. VERY immersive and fun to play!
Great code, lighting, audio, and one of the most overall beautiful games (IMHO of course) to boot.
TAF all day. Have both near by on location. Put a ton into TAF, maybe 10 bucks into Hobbit. Hobbit ..idk. It's a widebody which minus TZ I'm starting to dislike more and more. Hate all the crap popping outta the pf on Hobbit, modes are confusing..it's just not very self explanatory on what modes are lit, what to shoot, etc. I suppose if I read more and had one in the house perhaps I'd like it more. Some games are just better in home vs. location play.
As others said, Hobbit is a deeper game, but there's a reason TAF is #1. I love Lawlor games. To me TAF has great theme integration with modes, great call outs, simple to understand and just has that "one more game" factor. Play both, buy what you like.
I own TAF and while I love B/W pins I must admit it's the game I play the least in my collection of 8 90's classics. It's not bad, its just that I don't get the "Just one more play" feeling for it. I will probably sell it when I need cash for other games.
Hobbit is a snoozefest imo, would never buy it for my home collection. It has never clicked with me.
If I were you I would look for some other pin to buy.
I have both games.
In a home collection TAF gets repetitive and boring after a few months once you tour the mansion 2 or 3 times in a single game. Its a a really fun game and people love to play it, but Im tired of it and will sell it.
Im on my 3rd one and have already sold it twice lol.
The hobbit is a curiousity. It takes many games on it to really understand what its all about.
Once you "get it", the game opens up and has real staying power in a collection.
Novice players are confused by its complexity after just bashing monsters a bit.
The only downside is that, like the movies, it can have really long game times.
There is nothing like the Hobbit except maybe LOTR.
There are many games like TAF that are fun and repetitive.
Quoted from pinballinreno:I have both games.
In a home collection TAF gets repetitive and boring after a few months once you tour the mansion 2 or 3 times in a single game. Its a a really fun game and people love to play it, but Im tired of it and will sell it.
The hobbit is a curiousity. It takes many games on it to really understand what its all about.
Once you "get it", the game opens up and has real staying power in a collection.
Novice players are confused by its complexity after just bashing monsters a bit.
The only downside is that, like the movies, it can have really long game times.
There is nothing like the Hobbit except maybe LOTR.
There are many games like TAF that are fun and repetitive.
This. I wonder how many of those bashing the Hobbit have actually ever played more than a few games and on one that has been properly set up (and ideally in a home environment so you can hear it too). I would bet not many.
I may be in the minority, but I found the Hobbit to be very slow, floaty, boring and confusing. The screen had a lot of content on it that you cant exactly see while playing. I owned it for a couple months and was ready to sell it after about 30 plays. It did nothing for me. TAF is a great classic and always a blast to play.
Quoted from PanzerFreak:The Addams Family is no doubt one of the best pins of all time. However, for having a game at home I would take The Hobbit any day due to the significantly deeper and more interesting ruleset. The ruleset in Addams Family feels a bit out of date and dull when compared to modern rulesets IMO. However, it's still a fun game to play and if I had room for a very large collection I would own one.
Go for the game you enjoy best. Some people on Pinside act as Hobbit committed a crime against them lol. If the game wasn't fun it wouldn't be selling for $11k+.
Yup... for home I thought Addams got old really quick.
It's a fun game but not one I wanted to play over and over (and I owned it two or three times over the years back when they weren't stupid priced).
Hobbit is unique and deep at least. Allot of peoples issue with the game are setup related, if it's not steep enough it plays like molasses.
Quoted from NashtyFunk:I may be in the minority, but I found the Hobbit to be very slow, floaty, boring and confusing. The screen had a lot of content on it that you cant exactly see while playing. I owned it for a couple months and was ready to sell it after about 30 plays. It did nothing for me. TAF is a great classic and always a blast to play.
It took me 100 or more plays to just begin to appreciate it.
500 plays later and its never leaving my collection.
1000 plays and Im hooked on just playing the modes.
So, for a home collection you get years of interest, it never gets old.
Quoted from Elvishasleft:Yup... for home I thought Addams got old really quick.
It's a fun game but not one I wanted to play over and over (and I owned it two or three times over the years back when they weren't stupid priced).
Hobbit is unique and deep at least. Allot of peoples issue with the game are setup related, if it's not steep enough it plays like molasses.
Yep, setup is the key.
7.2 degrees pitch and dial in the flippers.
Quoted from pinballinreno:Yep, setup is the key.
7.2 degrees pitch and dial in the flippers.
Never ceases to amaze me all these years later....
I'd say 75% of people's machines I play are setup like shit.
Like most people just unbox the game and start flipping however it came out of the box and expect it to play great.
Quoted from PanzerFreak:Some people on Pinside act as Hobbit committed a crime against them lol. If the game wasn't fun it wouldn't be selling for $11k+.
Jesus, $11k for a Hobbit now?
Quoted from fosaisu:Jesus, $11k for a Hobbit now?
Maybe more. prices are stupidly high now.
$1000 Zaccaria games are pushing $3k
Hobbit is miles better in a home collection...But it's an acquired taste. Played it on its debut in expo and thought it played like floaty garbage. Couple years or so later after quite a bit of location play, and it clicked for me. Killing Smaug is amazing! But it is a very, very long playing game so it sucks for multiplayer.
Stern Star Wars had a similar trajectory for me where I couldn't stand it for a long time and then it finally clicked for me, especially at home.
Quoted from fosaisu:Jesus, $11k for a Hobbit now?
just seen a no fear sell for $5700 today, wtf is going on?
Hobbit gets my vote!…I had a TAF on loan from a friend and after playing it for a few weeks it just got boring. It felt like the only shots that were important on the pin was the ramp and scoop. I have owned my Hobbit for a few years and it’s still in my lineup and every time I start to think it’s time to sell Hobbit I play a few games and I just can’t do it…I can see why lots of people have bad opinions on The Hobbit(especially if they played it on location or a pin show) because I played one at a show and walked away thinking if I played this before I bought my Hobbit I would’ve passed on it. Hobbit needs to be set up properly and played in a home to truly enjoy and experience all it has to offer. One last thing to keep in mind is that The Hobbit will require you to pay attention to the main LCD screen and the mini LCD to help you on your adventure. Maybe that’s why a lot of people can’t enjoy Hobbit but really like TAF due to TAF’s simple gameplay.
There’s a lot to be said for all the classics
Hell I play getaway more then any game I own right now.
They are both great games on their own but when your comparing a modern game like JJP Hobbit to a 90s game,if I had to pick just one ,it would be Hobbit easy
There is just no comparison for what you are getting in a home experience with Hobbit against TAF
You can get a mint Hobbit LE for 10-11k or a subjective very nice player TAF I’d take Hobbit
Plus other JJ games are astronomical in price comparison.
Hobbit is a trippy game,very hard to master all the modes and shoot it well with purpose for me. I like the challenge
I don’t play hobbit every day but I love having it there the thing literally takes you on a adventure
Sometimes I won’t play it for a month sometimes everyday all week it’s all I play
If you like the books and/or movies you will love the pinball
Buy Hobbit
But TAF is bad ass ha ha
7 months later
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