Go with what you know you like. Take great care of it and if you grow tired of it you can re-sell it and buy another etc...

I'd go either SM or LOTR.........but then again those are the two I want

Well, you have good taste, thats for sure. All great games and 3 are on my wishlist. STTNG arrived last week and I am still getting buzzed every time I fire it up. It also has your deep rule set. If you want some playing time your more than welcome to come on down to KC and play it and enjoy some of the best BBQ on the planet. Congrats on reaching official "addict" status and have a great weekend Gorilla.

I would go SM or LOTR as well but I pick more on theme then gameplay

SM 1st....IJ 2nd but it should have no fade at that price

You can pick up a really nice STTNG for WAY less than 4k. It's much cheaper than the other pins you listed. I also happen to think it's the best one, but obviously that's just a matter of opinion. It's the lowest ranked of the four on Pinside, so clearly I'm in the minority.

I wouldn't call SM deep but fast yes. The other 3 are deeper.

The only issues I've had with Stern's are the weaker flippers then older Bally/Williams pins. I bought SM in 07' and have never had to do anything but change the coil sleeves. You'll probably run into more tech issues with the '90s WMS pins for the simple fact they are older and usually have way more playfield mechanisms.

Cp is a great pin. I do think it's a top 15 pin. The funnest pin I've ever played. But once you master the jump rope and get the feel for the game it get kinda easy. And once you've heard all the insults the boxers say, it loses a little. I wish I had room to keep it but I don't. It is really a unique pin. And it's in great shape.
Largemann is interested I'm sending him pics tomorrow.

I am slightly biased, so you will probably guess what my answer will be guys...

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Go on TG- Give her a tug...

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You KnOw YoU wAnT tO...

Go with LOTR,Trust me you wont regret it

I would go with LOTR. Brace yourselves, but I think Spiderman sucks. Like the theme and all, but it just bores me. Shooting Sandman gets old quick.

It really comes down to what kinda gameplay you like. If you want a faster flowing game go with SM or STTNG. If you are more into stop n go action go for LOTR. If you want something in the middle then maybe some IJ.

If you're ever in Madison you're welcome to play my LOTR. To me LOTR is a great game, because it is pretty deep and difficult to master. The sort of machine you won't get tired of any time soon.

That said, I've never played IJ so I can't speak to that one. STTNG is a good game, but pretty overrated in my opinion. Maybe if you're a fan of the show it improves the experience, but it didn't do much for me. SM is pretty good, but I would take LOTR over it in a heartbeat.

Smassa really hits it. What type of game do you want your next one to be? Are you happy with your HSII and only want games with flow? Ritchie and Nordman are the designers you want. Are you interested in having a different style of machine i.e. variation in your collection? Or are you happy with nonstop fast flowing games all the time? Do you like any of Lawlor's games?
For me personally I would go with STTNG or SM, but I prefer the flow in these games to IJ (modes and modes and modes) and LOTR (epic and loooong). But also my opinion would be different if I already had a flow game that I was stoked on in my collection (that might be your HSII for you) and then I would consider diversifying for my next purchase. Whirlwind, Eartshaker, and TAF would be on my list as far as change of pace pin goes.

You can't do that on LOTR...
You HAVE to make concise shots to progress through each mode! When I first got it, I was like F*€K this game..! Now I am steadily completing each mode more consistently, now that I know the patterns. (singing) Just follow the flashing red arrows..!
With that said- It is still not easy my friend!!! (Trying to lightly roll the ball into the Gimli VUK so that it doesn't fly over it completely and shoots straight through to the pops while the ringwraiths are hot on your ass!)
LOTR always leaves me hungry for more- like an awesome pin should! (I just needed one more __!!!)

There is a LOT more to do than shoot Sandman,Like shooting the white Spider arrows and the red spider arrows,the combos and the modes,Bonesaw is my favorite as well as the other 3 villians.There are several strategies to pursue like black suit multi-ball,stacking modes and multipliers,SM is deeper than you think and I have only scratched the surface of things to do!!!

All 4 of those games are fun,play them all if you get a chance and choose for yourself,GOOD LUCK

LOTR is your game gorilla. Nobody ever really "beats" LOTR.

How many people who own SM have finished Super Hero mode. It isn't that much easier then getting to Valinor

Got to battle royale several times and only a couple of shots shy of super hero mode but I have not made it yet.

Making it there is one thing scooter but finishing it is another. It's by far one of the hardest wizard modes I've ever played. I didn't even know you could actually finish it until a couple years after owning it.

The SM and LOTR are a couple of my faves, and they're newer, so you'd probably have to do less resto work to them, and could probably enjoy them immediately. I have an William's IJ, and I love it, but I had to do quite a bit of fixin' on it to get it to where I was completely happy with it, and after a couple of years I need to do a little more. STTNG is on my short list, but it's a pretty mechanically complicated game that may require quite a bit of initial tweaking, or so I've heard.

Everyone has their likes and dislikes. But honestly I have found this compliant comes more often than not by those that have not played much of the game and have not gotten very far in the games modes.

Gorilla all the games you mention are classics. Out of all of them my least favorite would be IJ. IJ may fit well with a larger collection but if it is an only or second pin not so much. Out of that list I would go with either LOTR or SM. That said pinball is all about individual preference I would encourage you to get some plays on them before you decide.

Thats an understatement!STTNG takes a lot of fixing and tweaking,But I love it anyways.

Obviously there's much more going on than Sandman, but for some reason I just don't like it. I got to Lyons Classic pinball every couple of weeks and out of the 35-40 pins there I always drop quarters in everything else but Spiderman. I've put quite a few games on it, just isn't for me I guess. It's odd though, I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't care for it. I'm kind of spoiled living close to Lyons though. When I walk in and can play MM, LOTR, Creech, Banzai Run, Andromeda, MB, AFM, Radical I never have time for Spidey.

I'm going to go there now.

If you were close to Louisville Ky. I would invite you over to play my SM with 2.6 game code,shaker motor,some LEDS,sub woofer and a waxed play field with the sound cranked up with every thing working right and see what you say then."Ladies and Gentleman fasten your seat belts"!!!

Agreed. Out of all my games, STTNG is by far the most finicky. Between all the diverters, VUK's, and optos, something is just bound to go awry.

It's not odd at all. I think a lot of pinheads don't care for at least one or two pins in the top rankings list. I definitely was not trying to discount your opinion at all. It always seems number one complaint of SM is the Sandman. However, usually when a friend says this and I drop a monster to show them how to progress in the game they seem to come around on it a bit. When I play I don't really focus on the Sandman very much at all.

That is pretty sweet you are close by a place with pins!!! There is a spot near me with a good variety and I thoroughly enjoy it. In fact I was not a fan of LOTR until I got to spend a few hours on it at the local spot. After that I was hooked. P.S. Love the picture on your profile such a funny movie!

No offense taken at all about my opinion.

The problem with Lyons is overload. It's like being a kid in a candy store. I rarely play the same game twice on each visit, yet I stay about 2 hours. If a bar down the street had 1 pin, I would know the rules inside and out because it's the only one to play. At Lyons, it's hard to focus on one. That's a good thing I think. :p

Here's your half of the sunshine acid. EAT IT!!

So I guess we just upgraded to the $8000 question thread then???

Or maybe the $7100 question if you buy them both RIGHT NOW!!! pressure thread...

I would take LOTR over STTNG in this case. STTNG will have short ball times due to the drains. LOTR provides extremely long games which would be a nice change up with HS2. I have not played enough of SM and none of IJ to comment on those.

Indiana Jones dosn't even need to try or be played to beat out LOTR or SM...it could just sit there turned on in your lounge the beautiful wide bodied piece of art!!

The sheer quality of all thats before you in Indy really shuts the door on these two masterpiece titles of the modern era.

I know im biased as this is my number 1 game of all time but personally i dont consider those top 2 stern titles to deserve being even put up against Indy Long live 1993..the golden pinball age!!

Why stop at two?!? Buy all four!

I'm with you dangermouse.

I would disagree with this having owned all four. I'd rank them as far as ruleset depth:

1) lotr
2) sm
3) st:tng
4) ij

But that isn't to say IJ isn't a deep game, it's got a ton of depth, just not as much as the other games mentioned. And then next, game difficulty:

1) lotr
2) sm
3) ij
4) st:tng

And then which games would I recommend:

1) sm
2) st:tng
3) ij or lotr (toss up)

Spiderman is a great blend of fast gameplay + being pretty difficult (but not impossible). Probably the best overall Stern along with TSPP. St:tng is my favorite Williams games. Great ruleset, fast and flowing shots + the fact that completing modes contributes to the wizard mode score make it a fantastic player. IJ is another great game. I think it probably has the best modes of any game ever made. It's biggest downfall is that when you're outside of modes the shots don't count for much (which is solvable by just starting modes one after another). Lotr is a great game as well, but as you get better at the game the games become super long and repetitive. Offers the best long term challenge, but isn't a game you can play every day.

Honestly you can't really go wrong with any of them, but SM and ST:TNG are a notch above the other two.

IJ is my one and only game and I love it. 12 modes and tight shots mean you'll never get bored. Maybe frustrated at times but not bored.

You don't have to tell me twice
o_0

Also, IJ ftw.

nice little sheep tails ????

really..

I respectfully disagree. The center shot locks balls for multiball, which is arguably at least as lucrative as the modes. The left and right loops and the captive ball can increase the multiplier (no big deal), but at 8X the extra ball is lit. 3X ramps each starts the dogfight, which might be the least lucrative, but most fun, part of the game. Very balanced scoring overall.

What have we learned again today kids? Pinball is just preferential in nature. There is no right answer to your query gorilla. More than likely you already know that you like these games as they are the ones you narrowed your search down to, but more than just this "what do you all think" type of forum post to make your decision, you are probably just going to buy the first one of those games that you find for a good price near you; and that's not a bad thing at all.

With decent examples available for just over 2K, STTNG has to be just about the best value in pinball. Fantastically immersive, epic game.

Good luck,
Shawn