Pinball FX Table Reviews
Marvel: Avenger Chronicles
Avengers Table
This table feels like the best choice for the for the first of the collection. The look and feel of the table is fantastic and fans will enjoy it greatly. The table consists of 6 coloured balls that represent each of the heroes. Each ball has unique abilities, all of which change the gameplay immensely. To me, this table presented plenty of challenges but was most definitely not the toughest. The only downside was the corny lines that were thrown in every so often.
Fear Itself
This table takes the place, in my opinion, as the most exciting of the four because of the table’s design. There is a fire/lava Asgardian theme set and even has Serpent present to help inspire fear. This table features magnetic balls of the Worthy, or warriors of Serpent, which you will find yourself battling against pretty often. There is also a mini-game included in this table. My favourite part of this table is the different style of launchers used. (it’s actually a character that flips from the left hand side of the screen over to the right and raises her hammer and you’re in control of how hard she drops it on the ball launch pad)- VERY unique!
Infinity Gauntlet
In this table, Thanos takes the stage along with Silver Surfer and Captain Marvel who are all battling over the control of the Infinity Gems. This table is beautiful, complete with planets scattered and a wide-open space with translucent ramps. The table is also pretty memorable for the six different bonus modes stemming from each of the gems. Most of these are actually just traditional pinball games, but there is a lot of fun to be
had in this mode because it throws your game play upside down (granted by the yellow gem)
World War Hulk
Ahh, a hulk-themed table! But, not just that. The table takes the player through a little after-story which follows the events from a comic book series. Hulk is pretty enraged and spends a lot of the time being so. The table’s décor isn’t the flashiest at all, it’s actually kind of the opposite. However, it was a blast to play through. The player will find themselves getting some high score points quite easily as well as getting
sucked into the trance-like state I found myself in. What’s not cool about the Hulk talking about smashing this and that (as usual) for falling onto the wrong planet?
For this collection, I would say it’s a definite buy for anyone who is a pinball and/or Marvel fan. There’s a lot of unique twists in the tables as well as some really awesome artwork and dialogue. I give this collection an
8/10
Review By Jackie C
Plants Vs Zombies
I actually found myself very pleased with this table. The colour scheme was fantastic and so was the all around feel of the game play. The table stuck closely to the original game of Plants Vs. Zombies and having characters like Dr. Zomboss and Zombot, Crazy Dave and his zigzagging car, a corncob launcher with a pea for the pinball, plenty of plants and chompers (which did a great job of aiding me!) and… Zombies! A huge hit for the table was the multi-ball experience and the table being covered with fog. I loved this table!
10/10
Review By Jackie C
Marvel Pinball: Civil War
This table goes hand in hand with the previous Marvel pinball tables offered, and does not disappoint. The theme for this table revolves around the Stamford Event, which was a result of civilian causalities at a school in which superheroes combat super villains. The beginning of the game has you participate in a multi-ball event, which stands for the event previously mentioned.
In this table, the player will find themselves choosing between two sides: Iron Man or Captain America. Iron Man has changed his stance on not supporting the Superhuman Registration Act (which states that all superheroes must, by law, register with government.) whereas Captain America does not support the act. The player, once having chosen a side, will spend their game time trying to recruit other superheros to your side. The more support you have, the more popular you become and this will earn you bonus points for your overall score.
The game has a fantastic look to it, as well as great audio. Captain America and Iron Man will, from time to time, engage in verbal battles. However, a downside for the game's graphical score goes to the fact that Captain America's mouth does not move. The gameplay itself is both fun and smooth, and very easy to pick up and learn, even for people who are new to pinball games.
I would suggest this table to any fan of Marvel and pinball.
9/10
Review By Jackie C
Review By Jackie C
Zen Classics
Zen Classics is a pack of four re-mastered tables for the Pinball FX2 collection. These tables consist of Tesla, Shaman, V12 and El Dorado. I enjoyed all of these tables as much as, if not more, than the previous tables I have had the honor to do a review on. Each of these tables has their own unique theme teamed with music that adds to the feel. I also found that these tables were easier to play than those previous to it, which would be good for beginners interested in pinball games.
The Tesla table is very pleasing to the eye, for those of us who enjoy the steam punk look. Gadgets and wild inventions also make this table fun to play. The player gets to feel as if they are a famous inventor, who is collecting funding for their newest experiments.
Shaman was a pretty fun table in its own way. The player is in the role of a novice sorcerer. His goal is to master the art of summoning. I would not personally consider this table to be the brightest and most enjoyable of the four, but I did enjoy the music that was played throughout. Unfortunately, the downside of this table for me was the ease of losing the ball as I tried to rack up a good score.
V12 is a huge hit for those of us who love cars. It includes nitro tanks, fun sounds and artwork to boot. The game play itself wasn't the best and if the player isn't at all interested in cars or anything to do with them, I don’t think they would enjoy the table as much as I did.
Last but not least, El Dorado with its ancient Mayan adventures. I thoroughly loved this table. It had the feel of Indiana Jones meets pinball, complete with tombs and rolling rocks! The game play for this table was simple enough, but it felt to me that the table had a love for ball loses.
I seriously suggest this pack of tables for those who love upbeat and adventurous tables. The skill levels on each table vary, but are easy enough to pick up and learn if the player is willing. The music for each table is fitting and fun, and the art styles, as always, blew me away. Each table gives the player 50 gamer score points upon completion. For 800 MSP, what do you have to lose?
9/10
Star Wars Pinball Tables
Zen has been pumping out tables for their FX2 collection recently and are mostly based around Marvel comics. Now, they bring a new and exciting theme to the library with Star Wars. This downloadable pack includes three tables, those of which are The Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett and The Clone Wars. Each and every one of them gave me nerdy thrills and will do the same for anyone who is a fan of the Star Wars movies. They all contain beautiful artwork complete with fantastic voice acting and straight from the film(s) music.
The Empire Strikes Back table is the least messy of the three tables. But, the feeling of emptiness is not to be taken in a negative way. It is set up this way for a good reason because all of the main action will take place in these spaces throughout the game. The table contains a couple of unique features that are very enjoyable. There are two barricades in the back of the table, one labelled Star and the second labelled Wars. Once the player has hit these barricades enough, they are rewarded with a cut scene from the actual movie. After this is complete, depending on which scene was
chosen, a 3D model will appear in the previously mentioned empty area to add some life to it.
One of my personal favourite parts of this table also revolves around those special barricades. There is a flipper that will spell out the word “TRAINING” in the same area as you hit it. When the ball becomes trapped inside the barricade, the player is shipped off to a mini game where they play as the role of Luke Skywalker. A re-creation of the scene A New Hope is in action as Luke learns to control the Force.
The second table in line is the Clone Wars table. I always had a soft spot for Clone Wars, but this table instantly gave me some concerns when I saw it. Possibly wrongly placed concerns, but this table is very, very busy looking. A huge plus for this table is how it is the only one of the three that actually has the classic text scroll as its intro, as well as classic narration. Once the player gets into the action, however, they will find that this table is the easiest of the three to play. It actually felt like the table was giving away points for free, to an extent. But, this did not make me feel cheated in the least. It was nice to feel that I had done an outstanding job while I was having a whole lot of fun.
Last, but not least, the Boba Fett table. This table holds the theme of playing as the bounty hunter we all know and love. Throughout the table, the player will receive missions from either the Empire/Darth Vader, or from Jabba the Hutt. Once each mission is complete, you will gain respect from the chosen faction. The left side of the table is decorated to cater Vader, whereas the right side is set for Jabba. In the back of the table, a sarlacc pit sits in waiting, with Han Solo in carbon freeze above it. Your
ball can, indeed, fall into this pit. The lanes are decorated by pieces of Boba’s suit, and of course there’s a fine 3D model of Boba wondering about.
They’re each unique in their own way, and a serious amount of fun. Anyone who loves Star Wars should definitely pick these up.
Review By Jackie C
