Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Disclosure - I am such a video pinball addict that I own Zen Pinball from the PSN as well as two other versions of this game, on PS2 and PSP. There is just something about pinball that feeds the hardcore "skill" gamer in me. It's punishing at times, loaded with lights and sounds, numerous biofeedback rushes of adrenaline from making shots and beating high scores - it's an "old school gamer's" delight.
So perhaps I was predisposed to liking this game. Still, I tried to evaluate it honestly and rigorously.
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Graphics: WOW. WOW!!!! I own this game on PS2 and PSP, and the PS3 visuals blow those games away handily. Running in 1080p at a silky smooth 60fps, The visuals are just spectacular. Jaggies are almost completely non-existent. No longer do we have to suffer through subpar textures - the playing fields are just exquisite, all text is clear and readable, reflections and lighting are realistic - it's just stunningly beautiful.
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Control: I have noticed absolutely no lag with my setup. The wireless controllers work fine with this game. L1 and R1 control the flippers, while the left and right stick control the plungers and tilt functions. The fact that there is no sixaxis tilt is odd, but I'd rather use the more accurate stick, anyway.
The camera controls offer a lot of choices - five views each for "smart cam" and "full view" which are dynamic and fixed views, respectively.
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Gameplay: If you've played another version of Williams Pinball HOF, you'll have a good idea of what to expect. Some tables are unlocked for free play, others require credits. Achieving table goals earns credits to unlock the pay tables. Tutorial videos outline the ways to achieve table goals.
The only wrinkle here is the Williams Challenge. In this mode, you are tasked with playing each table consecutively, beating a target score on each table, in three tries. The only way to unlock the Jive Time table is to beat the challenge - which is rather hard for even an expert, given the random chance involved in Pinball. Some tables are easy to meet the score goal on, but some tables, especially the older ones, drain much more easily and have fewer score multipliers, making them quite hard. Luckily, Jive Time is by far the least interesting table in the game - so if the Williams Challenge is giving you fits, don't sweat it too much. (NOTE! When you complete the table goals for a particular table, you will be presented with the option to instantly unlock a table for free play. Jive Time will be on the list - don't pick it! This seems to be a mistake by the programmers. It can only be unlocked through the Williams Challenge mode, but the game will still seem to "waste" an unsuccessful unlock on Jive Time. At a minimum, it will delay the unlock until you actually complete Williams Challenge. So it will probably be better spent on making a different table free to play.)
As far as bugs go, they seem to be further and fewer between than the PS2 and PSP versions of the game. Multi-ball play is much more stable than the previous versions of the game - there are no frame rate hitches and gameplay hiccups as in the other versions. In about 10 hours of playtime, I have had a ball pass through a bumper once, and balls "leave the table" twice. Every once in a while, a flipper will "wiggle" on its own without input from the player. So three or fours bugs in that time frame is not so bad, and is probably on par with how many real-life bugs you'd encounter on a physical table with all of its mechanical parts and potential for malfunctions. Should it be perfect? Probably. Is it game breaking? Not at all.
New to the game are online leaderboards and PS3 trophies. Leaderboards finally replicate the real thrill of pinball - trying to top some other real person'sscore. I will say, the high score implementation is still not perfect - the lists are quite sluggish to scroll through and sorting options are non-existent in the leader boards (e.g. by friends, top scores, etc.), and no higher-level data is available as in Zen Pinball (e.g. best score minute, best this week, best single ball, etc.) The trophies, sadly, are rather lame - there are only 15, nearly all of which are tied to high scores, with only one gold and one silver, no platinum - which leads me to believe this title was intended for download on PSN but somehow it was decided it would earn more money as a disc game. Why the trophies are not tied to the in-game table goals (as they are in the 360 version) is truly beyond my understanding.
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Tables: The following are the 13 included tables, in chronological order:
Jive Time (1970) - A very simple table with few extraneous features. Probably the most "old-timey" of the group. This table is a serious "drain monster" though, with huge center and outlanes and tiny bumpers, and it has been set to 5-ball mode by default to compensate. Pretty frustrating, but good for a nostalgia trip.
Gorgar (1979) - A relatively simple table with a few extras, such as a magnetic "snake pit." Well balanced and fun, but not overly complex. This table can seem crushingly hard to a beginner, but once you master some judicious table bumping, it can become a joy to play. You'll really build your skills on this one, it's hard-core.
Firepower (1980) - a simple but compelling table with two ball locks, some pop bumpers, targets to light them, and an orbit lane to get back up top. Apparently, this was the first table to include "lane change," and boy is it a nice step up from Gorgar to have it. Well balanced, cool sound effects, nice art.
Black Knight (1980) - A fun, 4-flipper multilevel playfield with several ramps and two ball locks for multi-ball. This game is very multi-ball heavy and is thus lots of fun. The flow on this table is amazing - a good hard toss with the flipper can send the ball through both levels and back again in one smooth flight through the ramps.
Space Shuttle (1984)- A fun table with a lane changing word array, two ball catches, two ramps, a space shuttle model, and a bonus readout on the table. Midway between the very complex tables and the more simple ones. This one is pretty easy to earn the extra ball on, so you could be looking at a marathon session. I will say it can get a tad repetitive at higher levels of play.
Sorcerer (1985) - some cool ramps and an fun adjustable word-slot target make this a pretty fun table. The arrangement of targets is quite a bit of fun to hit. Multiball is not too difficult to engage, but is not as easy as Black Knight. The art on this one is quite fetching - the reds, blacks, oranges and purples really pop on a nice HDTV screen.
Pin*Bot (1987) - This table is a lot of fun. A robotic "visor" lifts up during the game, allowing you to lock balls into the eye sockets for later multiball use. Several ramps and a skillshot mechanic off the plunger make this one a keeper. It can be a bit of a "drain monster," though, as the left outlane is shaped in such a way that it frequently diverts the ball in that direction.
Taxi (1988)- This talking table strikes a nice balance between simplicity and gimmicks. While there is no multilevel flipper, a skillshot spiral is off the plunger, a two-way ramp goes around the top, and a ball lock for multiball play on the right side. Adding somewhat to the complexity are five "passengers" you have to pick up and take to their destination (for a big bonus). The passengers include Gorbachev, Pin*Bot, Dracula, Santa Claus, and a Marilyn Monroe lookalike. This one is very balanced fun for both beginners and veterans.
Funhouse (1990)- a VERY fun table with loads of features. You work to advance a clock on the game field by hitting bumpers. A talking ventriloquist dummy gets whacked by the pinball and complains - if you advance the clock far enough, you can put him to sleep and launch the ball into his snoring mouth. Lots of ramps and special features, and a third flipper for multi-level play. Probably the best table in the game.
Whirlwind (1990) - Incredibly fun, up there with Funhouse. This talking table gives you warnings of hurricanes/tornadoes. A third flipper makes this a multi-level game. A lot of cool ramps litter this one, and the middle of the playfield features "storm" pinwheels that alter the path of the ball. The special shots on this table are a lot of fun. The extra ball is devilishly placed, and the million plus is right there for the taking if you light it. The graphical quality helps make the objectives clear on the table even without deep study - just like seeing a target light on a real table!
Tales of the Arabian Nights (1996) - Probably the most "beautiful" table in terms of artwork, but the art is so busy that you may get lost in it, especially at certain camera angles. This one is more of a skill table, with more difficult shots to make. The transparent ramps are very cool and create a "magical" effect on the ball returns. A long set of "missions" make this a good table for a long game session.
Medieval Madness (1997) - a good beginner table. Easy to score in the tens of millions, with several easy targets and very difficult drains to fall into. Also a good table to master - it's deceptively simple. When you figure out the rule set, you'll learn that you can destroy the castle seven times for ever-increasing millions. This seems to be the most popular table online, the leaderboard keep getting longer and longer! I will say, this table is more of a "marathon" than a "skills" table. To break 100 million, it involves a LOT of repeating shots over and over, lather, rinse, repeat.
No Good Gofers (1997) - a...Read more›
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Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams CollectionProduct Description: Classic William's pinball tables from the 70's, 80's and 90's with enhanced art and physics for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3. Tables include Gorgar, Pinbot, Funhouse, Black Knight, Space Shuttle, Whirlwind, Firepower, Taxi, Jive Time and Sorcere.There are also three new tables, No Good Gophers, Medieval Madness and Tales of the Arabian Nights, not found in versions created for other formats.
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