The Lord of the Rings (Limited Edition)

The Lord of the Rings (Limited Edition) pinball machine, designed by George Gomez, Keith P. Johnson, and Chris Granner, is a highly sought-after collector's item that showcases Stern Pinball's mastery of licensed themes. Released in December 2009 in a limited run of approximately 500 units, this Solid State Electronic game is the Limited Edition version of Stern's original 2003 'The Lord of the Rings.' As one of the most iconic fantasy-themed licensed games ever created, it draws on J.R.R. Tolkien's timeless story.

Gameplay includes multiball modes tied to each film in the trilogy, such as Fellowship Multiball, along with a Journey to Mordor progression that builds toward destroying the One Ring in the game's wizard mode. The LE version adds several factory upgrades over the original release: a real mirrored-gold glass backglass instead of a translite, extra playfield clearcoats, gold-plated trim on the lockdown bar, legs, hinges, and side rails, an optional shaker motor, and a playfield signed by Gary Stern and George Gomez, along with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

The cabinet is advertised at 55 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 75 1/2 inches high and weighs roughly 260 lbs. With its list of exclusive upgrades and limited production run, The Lord of the Rings Limited Edition is considered one of the more desirable Stern collector's items from this era.