Hobbit Smaug is awesome...if you're worried about doing stuff to it - make sure all the "fixes" are done already. Some games (maybe all Smaugs, I'm not sure) shipped with a few things that JJP sent out kits to correct. For example, if the game has the thin metal bendy ramp flaps, it needs the strong black newer versions. If it doesn't have the beast ball trap kits, it needs those as well. There was also a revision to the right wireform return. The original has a "break" in the rail by the bumpers...this often causes the ball to fly off. Later games had a revised rail that hugs the ball all the way around the turn, and plays perfectly. If you have the old wireform, you'll probably have to buy the new one...unlikely JJP will send a freebie on that one.

I had my Smaug for 2 years with minimal issues...other than installing those fixes I mentioned, I had a ledge on a drop target bank break, so I had to replace that...other than that, smooth sailing.

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Hobbit's the best game they've made, the most intuitive, the best rules, the best use of assets, the best music, the best sound, the best callouts, best modes, the most cinematic.

Yeah, nah, it's just one of the most popular games of all time, was selling for over $10k due to high demand/short supply, and got remade to great applause...yeah, nah...no one wants that for their home.

It’s easy, but it’s always fun. It’s still a satisfying challenge to get all the Monsters going to stack with Frank Multiball...plus, any game can be made as difficult as you want it...make it steeper, remove the outlane posts, turn off extra balls, etc.

If you like LOTR, you should like The Hobbit. It’s not really empty - there are 4 beasts that are often used in a variety of ways...and when you realize how every action & reaction is so cleverly programmed, it’s very much like LOTR - each shot can have multiple uses and outcomes. It’s the same sort of Keith logic. You must play it with current code & with the sound blasting. Old code & quiet audio would make me have a different opinion about the game.

I have played Pirates. After Hobbit, it just feels like an unfinished game due to lack of assets. Every Hobbit mode has tons of awesome footage & voices. POTC modes just don’t FEEL like anything. I like the cinematic nature of Hobbit. POTC doesn’t have that & it’s a detriment. It might be a better playfield design, but for me the whole package must come together. Hobbit is a complete package. POTC will never have that unless they get AT LEAST character voices in the game. The one dude from the movie doesn’t even feel like a character - he’s a pinball narrator.

Keith Johnson rules, similar logic & tone. Stop trolling me, Levi.

I love Keith’s rulesets, so I have nothing bad to say about POTC in that regard. It’s the presentation that kills it for me. Imagine TSPP with no character voices, no clips of the characters doing things as they relate to modes, and “just some guy” as a narrator. It wouldn’t be the same. Like you, I played LOTR without seeing the movies first - but LOTR had so many great character voices that were choreographed to play at the right shots and moments, it made the game thrilling. It’s basically what pins have been doing since the 80’s: PERSONALITY. Every game has tons of characters & personality....so POTC feels like a massive step back. It’s something odd, and less satisfying to play due to it.

I was playing my STTNG the other day, and the game has ZERO from the actual show, but is packed with all the characters’ custom voice callouts and that’s part of what makes it awesome. Knowing they couldn’t use any movie footage, I wish JJP would have hired a ton of sound-alike voices to play the characters, to give the game personality. This is exactly what Stern did with their POTC. Tons of Jack Sparrow voices & other pirates keep it lively and fun. JJPOTC feels extremely sterile compared to almost any other pinball in general.

Yes you do. Don’t be disingenuous. It’s the same cinematic universe & same rules designer.

When Stern LOTR came out, all the “experts” called it ugly, clunky, and cheap. Once people spent some time with it, they realized how special it was, especially in a home environment where you can really dig into it and appreciate it. If you’ve only played Hobbit on location with early code and low sound, you cannot understand the experience the game has to offer.