Topic: Zen Pinball (3DS eShop)

[ejamer]

Wow! No, really. That needs to be said before starting. It'll probably be said again before ending.


After falling in love with Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection years ago on Wii, I grudgingly accepted that video pinball can be almost as much fun as the real thing.  It's not the real thing... but it is still a ton of fun.  But since that game I haven't really played any pinball games that scratched the same itch. Original tables for video pinball often seem to shift the balance away from realism and too far into the toys and gimmicks that only become possible in that medium.


And then I found Zen Pinball. It's not perfect: some of the tables (arguably) fall prey to the complaint about unrealistic play I mentioned earlier, and the small screen means you need to spend longer than I'd like learning the tables just because some of the targets are too small to easily identify early on. But the physics and table design are generally very good, and being able to carry several top-notch pinball tables with you on the go is brilliant.



The tables so far look like this:

• Excalibur - Probably the busiest table and with toys galore. Jousting, battles with the king's champion, quests to uncover, beasts to hunt, castle to seiges... oh yes, and a huge Multi-ball bonus that is begging to be unlocked. Not my favorite table, but very friendly for people who want lots of action and huge scores.
• Shaman - Often listed as the least favorite, this table has plenty of tough outs and requires players to develop a strategy for high scores instead of just taking what the table offers. Skill shots open up opportunities for extra balls and million point combos, always taunting you to go one more round.
• El Dorado - Indiana Jones? Nathan Drake? Maybe not... but this adventurous table can still be exciting to play. Probably the easiest table of the lot, as you can quickly activate the ball saver and rack up big scores by completing one of the many special missions or uncovering hidden treasures. Also easy to unlock multi-ball play, especially of the 2-ball variety.
• Earth Defense! - This table uses a sci-fi theme to throw a handful of missions at the player, asking for skill shots to evacuate civilians and fight off invasions of robotic aliens. Colorful, plenty of different goals that can be selected, and generally a fun table to play on.

But the best part about this game? It's going to get even better. With DLC promised for the future, more tables will be added. Zen Studios has a stable of additional tables that they could easily pull from - some fully original tables with themes like Tesla, Paranormal, and Mars; some based on licensed Marvel superheroes; some based on popular video games.


Anyone on the fence about getting this game should put their hesitations aside and dive in. You won't regret it. Also, be sure to PM me with your friend code so we can compete for high scores and build a better Team Score together!




Oh, and this is a great read for pinball fans - lapsed or otherwise - if you haven't already seen it:
http://www.destructoid.com/the-joy-of-pinball-220072.phtml

[Seacor]

So, after much debate, I decided to download this one.  Initially, I wasn't too happy about the table being scrunched up on one screen, but it's not that bad.  Out of the 8 views available, I have found "view 6" to works best for me.

Overall, I am actually quite impressed with Zen Pinball.  The Excalibur table is by far my favorite with Earth Defense a close second.  The leaderboards with friend list integration will keep me coming back for more.  Hopefully, the developer comes through and provides additional tables to download.

[ejamer]

... Out of the 8 views available, I have found "view 6" to works best for me.  ...

I've defaulted to view 5 for most of the tables, but tried 6 after you mentioned. It does offer a good view but now my timing is off. What views do other people like using? Is there a general preference?


Limited screen size is a bit of a downer and there are times when I wish I could see the entire table clearly, but you have to work with what your given. The portability is a good trade-off in my opinion.

[xcwarrior]

I really enjoyed Williams Pinball for Wii, so eventually I plan to pick this up for the 3DS. Pinball on the go will be nice to have.

[ejamer]

It really is quite good.


One thing to note: Zen Studios is also releasing their Marvel Pinball tables on 3DS, but those will arrive as a separate game.  So you have to make a choice.  Buy the Marvel tables, the original tables, or both.  (Not much of a choice for me. They've already got my money for one and are sure to get it for the other.)

[Pixelated Pixies]

I recently downloaded this based on the discussion on the most recent podcast. I really enjoyed the TG-16 Crush games on virtual console and thought It'd give it a shot. I'm really glad I did.

I think I would be more motivated to play it, however, if I had some highscores to compete with on my friends list. Anybody recently get this game or still playing it who wants to exchange FC's?

My FC - 2320-6142-0678

[Kwolf]

The fact that this game keeps getting brought up on connectivity and RFN podcast occasionally keeps making me almost break down to buy it.  My friends list is pretty full too, so that just makes it even more tempting to break down and get it.  Cause I think a few have it too.   

Gotta say more developers though should include friends leader boards and such.  That can be a really tempting way to drive sales.  I'm not even a competitive gamer, but those are always fun to play with cause they give you goals.

[ejamer]

The fact that this game keeps getting brought up on connectivity and RFN podcast occasionally keeps making me almost break down to buy it.  My friends list is pretty full too, so that just makes it even more tempting to break down and get it.  Cause I think a few have it too.   

Gotta say more developers though should include friends leader boards and such.  That can be a really tempting way to drive sales.  I'm not even a competitive gamer, but those are always fun to play with cause they give you goals.

You should grab it.  The leaderboards really are well done in this game, giving you multiple ways to sort and limit the scores shown so that it's actually something you care about.  It's also nice that they give the achievement-like Awards for each table, giving you a goal other than just high-scores to pursue. About the only reason I can think of for not buying Zen Pinball is that you'd rather buy the (separate, and yet to be released) Marvel Pinball game instead.

I recently downloaded this based on the discussion on the most recent podcast. I really enjoyed the TG-16 Crush games on virtual console and thought It'd give it a shot. I'm really glad I did.

I think I would be more motivated to play it, however, if I had some highscores to compete with on my friends list. Anybody recently get this game or still playing it who wants to exchange FC's?

My FC - 2320-6142-0678

PM sent!  Happy to be friends with anyone who is actively playing... although I'm worried that'll push me down the high score list even further.
 

[Pixelated Pixies]

Thanks man.
I fear it might, because I'm still getting to grips with the subtleties of the tables. I'm going to stick with it though.

[Kwolf]

So I bought this yesterday shortly after my post.  Let it background download till late last night.   Was just about to watch Walking Dead on the dvr and pulled it out.  Big mistake.  I forgot about the tv and didn't watch it for about an hour and half.

Made the other mistake of turning it on in bed, needless to say it was another hour or so before I got to sleep.

Quite the fun little game.   The friend leader boards are really nice too.   Loading can take a tiny bit long for the levels, but you only have to load once.    Still really awesome little game.

Side note.. Some of you people on my friends list...  Were one of your parents part pinball machine?  Seriously!?  I'm not naming names, but yah you know who you are.