If you like games like Iron Man, F-14 Tomcat or something that's fast and brutal with short ball times, Hobbit is not for you. I know competitive players that despise Hobbit because there's no obvious strategy to rack up a really high score.

You need to play Hobbit differently than most other pins. IMO your score is almost secondary, it's really about the journey that you're taking and how you get there. The real enjoyment is immersing yourself in the story through the gameplay, exploring the different modes and wizard modes as if you were personally experiencing the quest as it unfolds. In this way, the long ball times are really welcome so that you can uncover as much of the game as possible with one credit.

If you approach Hobbit in this way you will appreciate the game much, much more.

BTW, Hobbit over Wonka for me, although I'd like to get more time on Wonka.