Zen Studios has been cranking out some impressive downloadable pinball games over the last few years, including the Pinball FX series for Xbox Live Arcade, the Zen Pinball tables for PlayStation Network, and the Marvel Pinball line-up. The Marvel includes specific designs for Spider-Man, Blade, and Wolverine. Now, the company is ready to take its pinball act on the road, as it has officially announced Zen Pinball 3DS, which will soon be available as a downloadable title through Nintendo’s eShop.
The game will feature four tables that were previously released on Zen Pinball, but remastered in 3D and with a number of enhancements that take advantage of the 3DS. These tables include the sci-fi oriented Earth Defense, the spiritual Shaman, the medieval Excalibur. and the adventurous El Dorado. More tables could be available in the future, but for now, Zen Studios is focusing on these four.
Zen Pinball 3DS will feature local hot seat multiplayer, with folks passing it around, trying to top each other’s scores. It will also include online leaderboards, so you can compare your best times with other 3DS users—without the need to share Friend Codes. A Pro Score competition will also be announced following the game’s release, as players can compete to see who the best pinball players in the world are. Team Score will also be an option, with your score combining with your friends in a team effort. If you’ve never seen Zen Pinball before, it’s as good as digital pinball gets. Each of the tables resemble an authentic pinball table, like the ones you see in arcades from Stern Pinball and other companies. There are ramps to shoot at, interactive video screens with plenty of activity, bonuses to go after, and special events that you need to complete to get big points. You can also earn bonuses like extra balls and credits for replays—though the tables are obviously open for free play anyway. Sometimes it’s just the pleasure of earning a little extra on top.
Additionally, Zen Pinball 3DS enables the shifting through several viewpoints. If you prefer a higher-up view of the table so you can keep an eye on the ball at all times, it’s here. Mostly, though, you’ll want to do with an isometric, top-down view, like you would facing a real pinball table, so you get the authentic look nailed down pat. You can switch anywhere between the two, finding what works best for you.
Of course, the gameplay should be quite authentic. Players should be able to use shoulder buttons to control the game’s flippers, while occasionally jolting the touch-screen (or perhaps using the 3DS’ gyroscopic features to shake the table) to keep the ball in play. Just make sure you don't tilt!
“Releasing Zen Pinball on a Nintendo platform marks an amazing milestone for Zen Studios. We are really excited for Nintendo fans to experience one of our greatest passions—the timeless game of pinball!” said Mel Kirk, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations. “Playing pinball in 3D is killer, it’s like the game has been totally reinvented, and a whole new world opens up right before your eyes.”
We’ll be going hands-on with the game very soon, and will provide a full review upon its release later this year. No word on pricing, but $7.99 sounds like a reasonable enough window. Look for more info soon!
That’s it. I give up. No longer will I keep my own cash and credit cards, as I’m handing everything over to Zen Studios. That’s because whatever table pack they come out with next, I know I’m going to buy it. The deal has been sealed with The Avengers Chronicles, a four-pack of tables out now via Xbox Live and the PlayStation Store, which is one of the most impressive entries into the pinball world that I’ve seen in my life. And I’m old. I know what I’m talking about.
There are only two companies out there putting out digital editions of pinball tables: Zen Studios and FarSight Studios. Both do equally amazing work, but where FarSight puts out incredibly accurate versions of pinball tables from the past (their Pinball Arcade is not to be missed, particularly for Bride of Pinbot), Zen Studios steps into the fantastic by putting out tables that never existed, but that still adhere to the laws of pinball.
The Avengers Chronicles is a perfect example, and might be their finest work to date. The company is actually branching out beyond pinball for the first time ever, and we were able to check out CastleStorm and KickBeat at E3 this year. But this new addition to their Marvel Universe of tables proves that when it comes to the silver ball, they really know their stuff.
The Avengers Continue Their Adventures
It also represents one of the best values in gaming you’re likely to see all year at only $9.99 on PSN and 800 points ($10.00) on XBLA. That’s only $2.50 per table, and each one of them offers a deep gameplay experience that will keep your fingers busy for hours.
Each one is a piece of art, and here’s how they break down:
THE AVENGERS: This table is based on the hit movie from this summer, and the table itself is the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier cruising over a city far below. Loki himself is at the top of the table, and you have to do battle with him with the Avengers, and you have them by the balls. Literally. This is the first table from Zen to utilize special pinballs, each of which is based on one of the Avengers, and which will require different gameplay for each ball. There are lines from the movie in here, but not read by the actors from the film. Regardless, it’s a fun extension of the film in a unique pinball form.
WORLD WAR HULK: Following the events of the comic book series from 2007, this table has the Hulk enraged (shocker) and seeking revenge after he was shot into space by a cadre of superheroes. He misses the planet they intended for him to land on, and now he’s back, and he’s pissed. He constructs a massive arena and forces Earth’s heroes to fight against each other. You’ll be alternately trying to evacuate Manhattan and controlling the more intelligent Hulk here, while dipping into a Madison Square Garden mini-playfield and listening to cameos from some of Marvel’s mightiest heroes.
FEAR ITSELF: This table has the Avengers battling the Asgardian god Serpent, who has ensnared the world in the grip of fear … itself. The table uses a ton of magnets, and you’ll find yourself battling the magnetic pinballs of the Worthy – warriors of Serpent who are given massive amounts of power through hammers not unlike Thor’s Mjolnir. There’s an extremely deep mini-game here, as well as a table full of gorgeous artwork. I love how the flippers are flanked above by Captain America’s shield, which has been split in half and covers the bumpers.
THE INFINITY GAUNTLET: This table is my favorite from the collection, hands down. But that shouldn’t be seen as a slight on the other three, because each one of these is a truly beautiful piece of physical wizardry. In The Infinity Gauntlet, you battle Thanos with Adam Warlock and the Silver Surfer as they seek to wrest away control of the Infinity Gauntlet and its gems. The Gauntlet itself looms large above the playfield to the left, and successive hits on it will trigger one of the gems, each of which has a different effect on the game. I won’t spoil the fun for you here, but be ready to reach for a clean pair of shorts when you happen upon the Reality Gem.
Sometimes Pinball Can Be A Punch In The Balls
But even though these tables will blast your eyeballs with visuals, there are some slight drawbacks. One thing we can fault it for is that some of these tables are incredibly hard to master. We’d love to see a table tutorial mode for each entry, especially since there are so many impressive events on each table that are more than worth showing off. The operator’s menus can be confusing as well, unless you really know what you’re doing. A Flythrough mode of each table, explaining the events and the tweaks would be a welcome addition.
What makes this notable is the fact that many of Zen’s other pinball tables are very user-friendly in the sense that it will be very clear what you need to do in order to advance the game. Whether it be ramp design, indicator lights, or a cue on the in-game LED screen, tables like Excalibur and Ms. Splosion Man can guide you to the next event or jackpot total without holding your hand. In the tables in Avengers Chronicles, it can be a complete mystery as to what you need to do next. Is there a particular reason to select certain Avenger pinballs?
Also, given the fact that the game supports online multiplayer, there is nothing in the game to inherently draw you into it. The Autolog feature from Need For Speed puts down a good roadmap that can coerce you into multiplayer, and Zen should follow suit. I don’t only want to know what the next Superscore is above mine: I also want to know that Dana just started playing The Infinity Gauntlet table, or that Jake wants me join a matchup on The Avengers.
Also, it would be nice to be able to buy these tables individually, rather than as a pack. Granted, ten bucks is a low price point, but maybe you’re only a fan of Thor, and just want the Fear Itself table for $2.50? That should at least be an option, rather than having to pick up all four at once. If you break Pinball FX 2 down into its component tables, you might end up spending a ton of money on this game, only to play a handful of the tables.
Truly, These Are Pinball Wizards
These tables bring the total of Zen Studios entries in the Marvel pinball world up to an impressive sixteen, and it feels like they keep getting better and better. Zooming in on any of these tables will show off the impressive artistry and work that goes into creating a pinball experience. What’s even more amazing is that they keep everything within the confines of the physics of pinball itself, to you’ll see seams on the table and lights that are plugged into the playfield. The only thing missing is a slot for the quarters to make you think it’s a real table.
Ultimately, we can’t deny that this game is incredibly fun. The tables are gorgeous, and it’s a fantastic way to breathe life back into a seemingly dead arcade genre. We just wish that The Who was there singing us through the game as we go for the high score.
The pinball industry began dying a slow death in 1996, when the first of the major manufacturer closed its doors. Pinball machines are large, require a lot of maintenance, and simply don't bring in as many quarters as an arcade machine or pool table occupying the same space.
Thankfully for pinball-enjoying gamers everywhere that don't want to plunk quarter after quarter in the movie theater game room or drop $4,000 for a table of their own, the quality of digital pinball has been steadily improving year after year.
But which ones to buy? IGN has sifted through the dozens of pinball titles on the App Store to give you the full scoop on which pinball games are the real deal, and which apps are imposters with funky ball physics.
A note on physics
As it stands now, true pinball fanatics don't feel digital pinball physics are up to snuff. They complain about "floaty" balls and other elements that "just don't feel right." As a more casual pinball player growing up, I have no complaints about the current state of digital pinball physics. It's an issue unlikely to effect anyone but the most hardcore.
There are currently two pinball apps that any self-respecting iPhone or iPad owner must have on their device: Pinball Arcade & Zen Pinball. Both feature solid ball physics, several top-notch tables, and online leaderboards to see who among your friends is the true pinball wizard. Both apps also have fundamentally different approaches to the digital pinball market.
FarSight Studios has been making digital pinball for nearly a decade, and Pinball Arcade is the culmination of that effort and experience. The app offers up painstakingly accurate digital recreations of real-world pinball tables originally manufactured by Williams, Bally, Stern and Gottlieb.
Pinball Arcade costs $0.99, and for that price gamers get full access to one free table, rotating monthly. Other tables can be individually purchased for $1.99 - $3.99. Right now six tables are available in total, although FarSight has announced its intention to support the app for years, eventually offering up the majority of the top 40 tables of all-time.
What makes Pinball Arcade a must-own is simple: the app offers up faithful recreations of
. Theater of Magic, Medieval Madness and Tales of the Arabian Nights are all universally loved for good reason. They are incredibly complex, with intricate requirements for "progressing" through each table's various rules and stages. They also flow incredibly well, allowing casual fans to have fun hitting ramps and activating accidental multiballs.
If you sit down for a lengthy session with any of these tables to slowly ferret out its secrets and intricacies and then go back to a pinball machine of a lesser design, the difference will be obvious.
Paying $2.99 or more for a single digital pinball table may seem like a lot in an App Store economy where incredible values can be had for $0.99, but these pinball experiences are worth the price.
Zen Pinball - Zen Studios
Zen Pinball is the other pillar at the top tier of portable pinball bliss. Unlike FarSight, Zen Studios is producing a collection of brand-new, digital-only tables. This allows Zen's tables to include features that simply aren't possible when slavishly recreating real world pinball experiences.
Zen Pinball is available as a free download, and includes Sorcerer's Lair directly out of the box. Five more machines are available for purchase – three licensed Marvel tables for $1.99, and two original tables for $0.99, making Zen Pinball marginally more affordable than Pinball Arcade.
Zen's original designs are both a blessing and a curse. In terms of pure quality and fun factor they simply can't go toe-to-toe with Pinball Arcade's best-of-all-time collection. But Zen Studio's original tables Epic Quest and Sorcerer's Lair show that digital-only tables have a lot of potential.
Sorcerer's Lair features several creative pinball mini games. At specific times the player's ball will be transported to a special mini-table to squish spiders or complete another simple objective. The newer Epic Quest is even more elaborate. As players progress they fight monsters and outfit an adventurer, RPG style. There's even pieces of purple epic loot to collect. Hopefully Zen has more tricks up its sleeve to further increase the complexity of their pinball offerings, while still keeping a solid foundation of ramps, bumpers and flippers.
Rescued the princess in Tales of the Arabian Nights? Defeated the entire cadre of enemies in Epic Quest? There's even more quality pinball to be had on iOS. The titles below might not be quite as polished as Pinball Arcade or Zen Pinball, but they're also no slouches either, and offer up more hours silver ball-slinging fun.
Pinball HD from Russian studio Gameprom ruled the iOS pinball roost when it was originally released over two years ago. The tables aren't quite as complex and don't flow quite as smoothly as the best of the best, but Pinball HD still has a lot to like. The only reason this collection isn't in the must-own pile is because it got muscled out by the near-perfect efforts from Zen and Farsight. The free download includes one table, with nine more available for $0.99 - $2.99. The highlights from the purchasable tables include The Deep and Da Vinci Pinball.
Gameprom Standalone Releases
Note: Gameprom's tables that have been collected in its Pinball HD Collection are also available for individual purchase. Instead of cluttering up your iDevice by nabbing the indivual apps, buy them via In-App Purchase from Gameprom's Pinball Collection app linked above.
Frogger Pinball is not to be ignored. Konami's "pinball adventure" is sure to make pinball purists roll their eyes, but the title offers up a huge amount of content including a story mode, several unique stages, boss battles, power-ups and more. The game was developed by Fuse Games, makers of the excellent 2005 DS pinball release Metroid Prime Pinball.
Sonic Spinball isn't a very good pinball experience in any objective sense, but for $0.99 the title is an excellent nostalgia-trip for 20 and 30-something gamers. The title was originally released for the Genesis in 1993, only to resurface on the App Store in 2010.
Can't get enough? Fill your pinball app folder with some of these off-the-wall choices:
Pinball Destruction
Destroy elements from the pinball table itself to progress. It's oddly compelling!
Undead Attack! Pinball
Assault roving zombies and buy power-ups in this gate defense/pinball hybrid.
At one point these titles may have been worth considering, or may get hyped up for other reasons, but they can safely be skipped in favor of the higher quality options outlined above.
Pinball Dreams hit the Amiga way back in 1992, making it one of the very first digital pinball sims. Deveoper Cowboy Rodeo initially released Pinball Dreaming, a faithful iOS port of four classic tables. Later, Pinball Dreams HD offered up remade versions of the original Amiga tables. Pinball Dreams isn't offensively bad or low quality – the pinball gameplay just feels dated and clunky compared to more modern efforts. The title doesn't have the Sonic the Hedgehog nostalgia to fall back on, to boot.
Ice Road Pinball
Ice Road Pinball pops up across the net as a pinball release gamers should consider, but this is largely because developer Matmi was one of the first out the door with an original iPhone pinball game, first releasing Ice Road Pinball in 2009. The title has long since been outclassed by better releases. Matmi's pinball follow-up Multiball Pinball is better, and is worth a look for gamers that just can't get enough pinball on-the-go. But it is still far from being one of the greats.
ESPN Pinball
ESPN Pinball is a bit of an oddity. It contains three sports-themed tables and is surprisingly feature-rich, but it simply doesn't play very well.
Pinball Tristan
Lots of gamers have fond memories of Pinball Tristan from the 90s, but the hard truth is that the game simply isn't that good. Especially in the face of better nostalgic options. If you enjoyed Tristan 20 years ago this is a solid port to relive those memories, but gamers looking for excellent mobile pinball can safely skip it.
Retro Pinball
Epic Pinball (retitled Retro Pinball for its iOS port) was originally published in 1993 by Epic. Yes, Epic. Small world! Like many of the other retro titles now on the App Store, Retro Pinball is best enjoyed as an old school diversion rather than a genuine representation of what digital pinball can now do.
Lesser Indie Efforts
There are literally dozens of other individual digital pinball tables on sale from indie sources – Hyperspace Pinball, Dino Madness Pinball, Pinball Massacre… the list goes on and on. All can safely be ignored in favor of the better-designed and more full-featured tables from larger studios.
