Quoted from Steph

Not only must you complete all the TV modes,
but you also need to :

Get the Secret Stash :  ( all 10 Hurry Up targets )
Get the Reverse Flippers :  (all 10  2x targets )
Get all 4 Itchy and Scratchy Mulitball Modes
Get all 4 Bart Dare-Devil modes
Light-up the 5 family members lights in the centre of the PF
(...this is done by re-loading the couch during a couch multiball
... for EACH of the 5 characters ).

That alone will take about 45 minutes to achieve !
(if you're lucky... ).

...now you know why I haven't made the Alien Invasion Wizard mode yet !

I'm just thankful you don't need all 37 Cletus kids as well !

(...not to mention all the other surprises like the TreeHouse of Horrors,
Captain Pete's treasure chest, the nuclear meltdown, etc... )

Now you know why I think it's the deepest ruleset in Pinball..



Steph

You're confused.  Alien invasion is the last mode once you've done all the others (same idea as "There and back again" from LOTR).  What your describing is what you need to acheive the WIZARD MODE..  The wizard mode IS NOT alien invasion.  Alien invasion is just a terribly difficult multiball to complete - which is 1 of the 6 goals in getting to the wizard mode.

Mike

Quoted from MrMikeman

You're confused.  Alien invasion is the last mode once you've done all the others (same idea as "There and back again" from LOTR).  What your describing is what you need to acheive the WIZARD MODE..  The wizard mode IS NOT alien invasion.  Alien invasion is just a terribly difficult multiball to complete - which is 1 of the 6 goals in getting to the wizard mode.

Mike

I see...     ... Mr. Smarty Pants !

So not only are you telling me I haven't able to get to anywhere near the Wizard Mode,
but now I learn I haven't even been able to complete the "normal" Alien Invasion Multiball...

great....,   more TSPP practice for me...



Steph
(... and no, I have not seen the Pretzel MultiBall either ....)

I think LOTR is a great game and definately comparable to TSPP.  I have been playing TSPP everyday for months now and still enjoy it and look forward to it each time I play.  I really do love how in depth the game is and with all my playing have not completed everything to get the SDMEWM - Super Duper Mega Extreme Wizard Mode.

There are only 27 cletis kids and when you finish 27 kids and kit cletis again you get pretzel multiball.
Alien Invasion when you finish all of the modes gives you 45seconds + 5seconds for each mode you completed successfully.  You must lock 2 then 3 then 4 then 5 balls.  each time you must lock all balls without losing any or you go back down, down, down.  I have completed this once and had 65 seconds to do so - barely made it.

Mystery spot is when you have completed all of the Otto 2X hits.  Flippers are reversed and it is damn hard...

Those items are nothing compared to what you have to do to get to the SDMEWM.  I have gotten as close as 4 out of the six items required but that is still not even close!!

Here is the info for those that would even consider trying to accomplish this:

http://pinball.wikia.com/wiki/The_Simpsons_Pinball_Party

Quoted from sinpin

Here is the info for those that would even consider trying to accomplish this:

http://pinball.wikia.com/wiki/The_Simpsons_Pinball_Party

Geez...

I don't I could acheive ever that  ...even with the glass off !




Steph

I found the ruleset on LOTR too deep to be enjoyable (I find this with TSPP too).  I never had the skill to get anywhere in the game.  I enjoy a machine you can just have a good time playing.  

This spring I got rid of my LOTR and got a ST:TNG, which, although there is still a lot to do in the game, it's not as "busy" as LOTR, and ultimately I find it a far more enjoyable game.  It's something I can achieve a degree of success in, each time I play, and it's something I find myself steadily improving on.  

With LOTR, I hit a plateau, which I was never able to get past, and that ended up getting frustrating after awhile.

As far as quality, I was disgusted that with minimal use, the graphics around the flipper buttons started to wear.  It's nice to see that Stern is beginning to extend the metal of the side rail to include a flap that covers the cabinet around the flipper button, but why wouldn't they have done this from the beginning?  

When I spend multi-thousands of dollars on a brand-new machine, my expectation is that I won't have to deal with crap like this.  Even the Data East machines I've had, which are of a lower quality, when you look at the cabinet and graphic manufacturing process, had the flipper button metal shields.

If Stern wants to be successful in marketing to the home market, they're going to have to take these things into consideration.  Collectors expect a higher level of quality, and since Stern is aware a significant percentage of their sales are now specifically going to the home market, I'm surprised they haven't looked at Williams as a "gold standard", and tried to match that.

When I bought LOTR, if it had cost $500 more, but guaranteed a higher level of manufacturing quality, I wouldn't have balked, considering what I paid in the first place.

GREAT GAME. GOMEZ GAME,soon to be classic,on my short list.
It is an "A" LIST PIN IN MY OPINION.
Just hope collectors don't keep driving the price up.

MY 2 CENTS

LOTR is the best game i've owned (I've previously owned: CFTBL, MB, STTNG, TOTAN, WH2O, BSD, TZ, CV).

It is not, however, a perfect game. In fact it has some severe problems (weak flippers, crappy POTD design are the main culprits, ugly plastics). What I realized after owning the machine is that DESPITE these issues, this game is still the best I've owned and very possibly the best pin ever.

I like it so much I'm thinking of selling my very nice (but routed) LOTR for a minty HUO one. Anyone want to trade down and make some easy cash?

For your weak flippers give these a try:

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1112&parent=30

I had the same weak flipper problem that allot of the early runs of LOTR did and since I've installed these coils and it has made a huge diffrence.

As for the POTD I kinda like the POTD, it gives you a breather and some time to think in an otherwise very fast paced and hectic game.