True, but no one has played the premium yet. So, as per the topic title the pro is all there is to compare.

It's fun to speculate and judge what a game might become when a new game hits the market. Reality is we won't know for quite some time but the cream always rises to the top.

I think JJP does their pins a great disservice by setting them up slow and floaty at shows. Stern games are always set up in-your-face fast. When all you have is a few quick games to form an impression of gameplay, fast is more exciting than slow every time.

Actually, I don't think the Hobbit layout is unique like SOF or Shadow. There are no inner loops or hidden passages.

It's pretty wide open with two ramps, two orbits and a bunch of drop targets. The pop-ups and the software combine to keep the game interesting. For example, the ramps are pretty easy to hit, but hitting a ramp a second time causes a pop up to block its entrance, so no running off 10 ramp shots in a row.

Either ramp can be hit from either flipper, but only from a cradled ball so control is rewarded.

So far it is not boring at all as there is so much to do and explore, and this with the game not even to a point yet where mode selection and more advanced scoring strategies come into play.

It's a blast to watch others play. To take turns coaching each other along and to see the animations you're missing.

I think newer players will like it because of the great sound and visuals, the ability to flail away without insta draining (though ball times can be short) and because the pop ups provide an easily identifiable, not too hard to hit target and corresponding feeling of accomplishment.

I think more advanced players will like it because the shots feel good, the rewards for advancing through the game (scoring, audio and visual) and because of the underlying strategies a Keith ruleset usually brings to the table.

I don't understand what is so complicated regarding the pop-ups.

If you go down a lit inlane, the corresponding pop-up will rise. Hit it and the triangle insert in front of it will turn yellow to let you know you've defeated it. Defeat all four and start a two ball multiball.

They are also used in various modes where appropriate, corresponding to scenes from the movies. During these instances, the oblong insert in front of them will glow orange. The mini LCD will also tell you what needs to be hit as you advance in the mode.

For example, there is one mode where you are trying to escape the orcs and wargs. The orc and warg pop-ups are up, blocking the right vuk and orbit shot you need to hit to complete the mode. You have to hit the left VUK or left orbit to temporarily "hide" (make the orc or warg go down) to open up the shot. This is clearly spelled out on the mini LCD.

Each time you make a shot that advances the mode the scene on the main LCD will change to the next animation in the mode and text will say something like "excellent" or "good shot" or "keep going", etc...

It reminds me of the Dragons Lair video game in this regard. You want to keep hitting the correct shot to advance the mode and see what the next animation/sound bite is.

Again, the mini lcd will tell you what needs to be done as the goals often change as you advance through a mode. The shots you need to hit are also indicated by the playfield inserts, though it may take some playtime to recognize it.

From what I've seen, Keith has done a masterful job of making the mode's goals appropriate for the corresponding movie scene, complete with animations and sounds as put together by JP deWin and David Theil . It's challenging for a player to always keep track of these things, but possible. It's much easier having a friend calling out the goals as you play. Like LOTR, you will eventually learn the modes and not need the mini-LCD, using only the playfield inserts to guide you.

The main thing missing in the code right now is there is no cool animation, sound or score reward for completing a mode.

tl:dr Modes are well integrated with the movie scenes and there is plenty of information to guide the player.

This is the case. All of the modes are like this. I think most of the main characters of the movies are represented by shots on the playfield and they are all used appropriately in a mode's goals.

Whatever Keith has in mind for the mode matrix is not implemented yet. However, he has stated that the game will have unprecedented strategy in how you go about selecting modes to play, should you choose to play it that way.

As someone else said, probably not a game you are going to understand everything it has to offer after 10 games of play. Hopefully, it has that hard to define "it factor" that makes players want to keep pressing the start button and discover its finer points.

10 pages are used for rules with accompanying shot maps.