Hi. I am a simple person and simply a Pinside neophyte. Take my opinion for whatever little value it is worth, but here is my observation. For the purpose of full disclosure, I own LOTR with the latest code, and I am paid in full for THSE. LOTR is number 6 on the pinside 100 list. I played a LOTR yesterday, built in 2003, without any code updates. It was a real privilege and eye opener. Imagine if JJP had released that same LOTR at Chicago last week. What would the pinball faithful say....................?????

-nice game with decent cabinet art and a great theme, though some of the playfield print is kind of fuzzy (good so far)
-lots of ramp shots and a complex, deep code (still good)
-truly theme based, with great integration of game, play, and theme (actually, very nice)
- disappointing Paths of the Dead nudge field, which really should have been a mini play field with its own flipper like some of the subsequent Stern games (oh well, nothing in life is absolutely perfect)
-Balrog bash toy which lights up and roars when you hit it. It DOES NOT TALK OR EAT YOURBALL. but it is still cool because the Balrog was cool in the movie (really??? How about more animation? We expected more).
-Baradur tower kind of buzzes electronically, particularly at the end of the Destroy the Ring sequence. (Was this intended, or is it simply an electrical short?)
-Palantir with an exposed drill hole and poor back lighting. THIS MUST BE A PLACEHOLDER FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
-Poor code with disruptions of game flow and some stupid play situations like when the Balrog blocks the center ramp to the ring when the Start Mode light is on.(there is more wrong than just the code).
-if you angle the game a bit higher, play will be faster and better(that's the down side of producing a game with so many ramps and not enough (rapid return) drop targets.)
-fun game, but how many times do I need to hear Gimli to say "the path of the dead" before I vomit???
-with the depth of this story and all of the possibilities for this theme, could the brilliant pinball gurus not come up with something better??? I think I will cancel my order and buy RCT by Pat Lawler when it comes out instead (truly, no offence Pat).

SOUND FAMILIAR????????? Give JJP and TH a chance. They still have a superior, game changing product with superior clear coated cabinetry, superior lighting with with RGB LED's, superior wide body design, and a great theme. Oh, and an LCD screen with true video, not a little DMD. Wake up people, the DMD went out with the pager and the typewriter. Sent from my I-pad. Cheers!