Pinball machine:Lord of the Rings Pinball Machine

Released in 2003 by Stern Pinball, Lord of the Rings capitalized on the popularity of director Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy of films (2001-2003). The game's playfield features elements drawn from the films, such as a ramp that launches the ball into a magnatized ring; a Balrog toy that players can smash with the ball; and a flipperless upper playfield, which encourages players to nudge the machine in order to direct the ball through the "path of the dead." The game is among the most popular and well regarded pinball machines of the 2000s.

The history of pinball dates back to 18th-century Europe; many similar games gradually evolved from court games--games played with balls upon a playing surface, including bowls and even golf. Table versions, it seems, were inevitable inventions to make these games portable and to bring them indoors. What we recognize as pinball evolved in America during the 20th century. The year 1947 saw the invention of the "flipper," which added a whole new dimension to the game. In the 1960s, smaller and cheaper home versions were commonly available.