Pinside rating
This game received 1166 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.705 /10
Top 100 ranking
This game ranks 1st in the game group "Lord of the Rings ". The group itself ranks #12 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 8.95
Artwork: 8.316
Sounds/Music: 8.444
Other Aspects: 8.8
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 10 of us have rated this game.
This game is part of a group
Note! There are multiple versions of this game!
This is "Lord of the Rings ".
The other version is: Lord of the Rings Limited Edition
Found 672 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 672 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 27.
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8.031/10
15 days ago
Hamilton, ON
I remember playing LOTR back in the arcade when it was first released and enjoying the heck out of it. I can still remember the first time I put a quarter in it actually. I got to play it throughout the years in peoples homes and always wanted to own one. That day came... and in all honesty it became a lunch bag let down for me. To say the game is too easy is unfair as making it to Valinor is considered by many as one of the greatest pinball achievements... and I didn't get there... but... I got close once and that was all I needed to convince myself I didn't need to make it there again. I distinctly remember the moment I decided to sell the game and that was after coming off a fantastic first ball, accomplishing a lot of the objectives and when it drained after 40 minutes of playing I turned the game off... I was bored... I didn't want to play any more. I didn't want another trip around the multi balls, I just didn't want to shoot the same shots again and bash on balrog or bash on the plantier or wait for the ball to trickle down the path of the dead. It was time to move on. I wouldn't have LOTR back, I had my spin.
Bellefonte, PA
7.723/10
71 days ago
Trowbridge
I like the film, I've played this game a few times and both times was put off by the long ball times. It didn't feel like a challenge and though it looked nice, it was a bit of a tired machine. The second time I played one, it was a nice one in a home collection, though I felt almost chained to it with the long ball times again - and when another machine came free I wanted to play... I left it mid-ball. I haven't found it fun, but given all the positive reviews - I will give it another chance when I see one next, and it is a very pretty machine.
6.808/10
74 days ago
In the right place at the right time, I managed to purchase this from a forum member within minor it being listed. Prior to having it delivered to my home, I had never played LOTR - my purchase being driven purely by the ratings (> top 10 at the time).
I found the theme to be good. Not brilliant as I would have expected, but good. The shooting the ring shot and the sword rail are excellent and visibly pleasing. The Path Of The Dead (POTD) I though a waste of time. Unlike Indiana Jones, you can't move this as the ball travels, relying on gravity, and often the ball travels the same path.
Due to the long ball times, amendments are need on the flippers to ensure strong enough to hit the ring later on, however - 1 draw back is that you start the game with flippers that are too powerful and subsequently you get a few air-balls.
The most satisfying part is the start of the various modes, with great sound and light effects. Destroying the ring is also a great feature (I thought I broke the machine first time I did it!) - and there lies the problem. I'm not a great pinballer, yet I managed to destroy the ring often and frequently.
I had the machine < 6months before I stopped it for an Aerosmith, which I much prefer (visually/sound/build quality etc).
I found the theme to be good. Not brilliant as I would have expected, but good. The shooting the ring shot and the sword rail are excellent and visibly pleasing. The Path Of The Dead (POTD) I though a waste of time. Unlike Indiana Jones, you can't move this as the ball travels, relying on gravity, and often the ball travels the same path.
Due to the long ball times, amendments are need on the flippers to ensure strong enough to hit the ring later on, however - 1 draw back is that you start the game with flippers that are too powerful and subsequently you get a few air-balls.
The most satisfying part is the start of the various modes, with great sound and light effects. Destroying the ring is also a great feature (I thought I broke the machine first time I did it!) - and there lies the problem. I'm not a great pinballer, yet I managed to destroy the ring often and frequently.
I had the machine < 6months before I stopped it for an Aerosmith, which I much prefer (visually/sound/build quality etc).
9.740/10
79 days ago
its a great game to have in your collection. Very deep and you'll want to play aging and again to try to beat it. Not easy at all.. I thing the variation in the game is some of the best. I keep coming back to this game.. For me top 5 games out there
9.380/10
3 months ago
This is easily one of my favorite games, would love to have one in my collection. It's a perfect balance for casual and serious players - casual players can have a lot of fun with the long ball times, serious players can try to make it through all the modes and complete the game. The toys/mechs on this game are fantastic, and the multi-ball modes feel extremely well integrated to the overall 'story' of the game - less chaotic feeling, more purposeful. The only 'issue' with this game is that the playfield artwork is pretty lame (not the sculpts or plastics, just the art on the playfield itself) and the overall art package in general is lacking. Outside of that, this is about as perfect as a game can get in my opinion.
9.000/10
4 months ago
I will admit at first I didn’t really care much for the game, my girlfriend loved it. So when I came across one for sale she told me to get it. ( you can’t pass up a pin when you get the green light) after it had been in the collection for a while the game really grew on me. And now this game is bolted to the floor, It’s not leaving the collection. Great use of toys, fantastic shots easy to get a multi ball, it’s a complete package. But everyone already know that.
8.420/10
4 months ago
After having played The Hobbit the Lord of the rings didn't seem as fun but it's a really fun game
9.800/10
4 months ago
I bought one brand new, enjoyed it a lot. Shoulda kept it, very well executed. Only thing that bugged me was the ring hole up top where a clean shot would bounce around and the magnet couldn't grab it and it would not make it thru the ring, but maybe there are fixes for that now. Maybe should have had another switch or opto where as long as it made it all the way up and off the ramp it would still score it.
8.348/10
6 months ago
When I think of LOTR pinball, I immediately think deep ruleset. There is so much to do in this game and lots of great modes and multiballs to earn. This game is a lot of fun and will keep you coming back for more just for the gameplay alone. Some really great shots in this game, something about locking a ball on the sword is quite satisfying. Art and Sound is really strong on this game, although if there is one weak point (which really isn't that bad) is the music... It does a good job bringing the feel of LOTR, but the movie soundtracks were filled with amazing and beautiful music that it's too bad that the pin didn't incorporate them more. But that's a really minor gripe, and doesn't take anything away from the game. It's a keeper in my opinion, I think the biggest challenge with it is convincing the wife to own one.
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