Pinball FX Review

By Dan Whitehead Published 1 May, 2007

Worth flipping over?

Version tested: Xbox 360

It's really not fair. There should be a law against two ball-related games going out within a week of each other. There are only so many puns we can use, people. Won't someone think of the reviewers? Looks like you get off lightly this time, then, as we skip the traditional double-entendres and dip straight into a world where whacking balls with flippers is a very serious business.

Pinball FX places me in troublesome position, and not just because I exhausted all my ball jokes on 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures last week. It's one of those games that does pretty much everything you'd want, and does it very well, and yet through no fault of its own falls slightly short of a glowing recommendation.

Make no mistake, much like Roger Daltrey, Hungarian developer Zen Studios plays a mean pinball. The physics are pretty much flawless - the silver balls slam and spin and bounce with unerring accuracy. As pinball is pretty much nothing but physics dressed up as something fun, this is extremely good news. It looks a treat as well. It's hard to tell while in the thick of a game, but the level of detail is commendably high. Sure, reflections and silvery objects have been the bread and butter of the rendering community since the early '90s, when scrolling public domain Amiga demos of rotating metallic cubes bounced along to pounding techno while giving shout-outs to "EXXXECUTORZZZ KREW of OSLO!!!" but when you realise that every light on the table is being reflected in real-time on the skittering surface of two or three silver balls at once, it's undeniably impressive.

'Pinball FX' Screenshot 1

The close-up view allows you to get a clearer look at what you're hitting, but is tricky to master.

And the tables have benefited from an equal amount of lavish attention. As a lapsed pinball addict, I certainly appreciated the way that the oft-overlooked art of a good pinball table has influenced the table designs. Loaded with features and high scoring modes, the game gives you absolutely no instructions as to how each table should be played, which is just how it should be. Bonuses are discovered through constant play, and part of the joy of a great pinball game is piecing together the sequences of ramps, loops and locks that will yield the greatest score. Suffice to say that the longer you play, the more each table reveals, and your points swiftly go from tens of thousands to tens of millions.

The tables follow a fairly intuitive difficulty curve. Speed Machine, available in the demo, is the easiest with nice wide ramps and a generous attitude to ball-saves. Extreme is the next, and is a table I just can't get to grips with. It's two-tier design makes for very claustrophobic play, and there's no room in the middle of the table for any tactical ball control. Once you adapt to its unusual set-up then the scores rack up, but on a purely aesthetic level this one left me cold. It also features a painfully naff theme, a mixture of breakdancing and extreme sports that reeks of 1980s Children's BBC. "Yeah, boy!" yelps a voice, and it sounds more like an enthusiastic sheperd than Flavor Flav. Finally there's Agents, an action-packed spy table which is crammed with features but places its narrow ramps close together and takes a lot of practice to really milk for points.

'Pinball FX' Screenshot 2

The Agents table - stuffed full of cool features, yet its cruel layout and frugal use of ball-saves will frustrate amateurs.

So, yes, there are only three tables. Not a disgraceful number, but it still feels light. Your mileage may vary, but I found myself wishing there was at least one more, if only for variety's sake. More tables will be available via the Xbox Live Marketplace but, I suspect, they won't be freebies. Could Zen Studios have fitted more in? I couldn't say - the download clocks in at just under the old Live Arcade size limit of 50Mb but the closest comparison would be Marble Blast, which featured equally precise physics (and equally shiny balls) yet managed to boast 60 levels and a robust multiplayer mode.

And speaking of multiplayer, this is another area where Pinball FX feels underfed. Most notably, there's absolutely no option to play against a friend on the same console. As the old "taking turns" arrangement is part and parcel of the pinball experience, and as it can't be that hard to implement, its absence leaves a peculiar hole. The multiplayer mode you do get is a passionless affair in which you race against other players to hit an allotted score first. It supports the Live Vision camera, so you can see the other players twitching away, but is an oddly remote and distant way of playing.

The Live Vision camera, incidentally, can also be used as an alternate control method, operating the flippers by waving your arms around like a nelly. It's great to see the camera being supported but, really, why would you opt for such a clunky system when the joypad works so much better?

'Pinball FX' Screenshot 3

The multiplayer mode clutters your view with too much screen furniture and genrally fails to excite.

While we're wearing our Gripes Hat, it's hard to avoid the simple fact that the modern widescreen TV is pretty much the exact opposite of the ideal pinball area. There are five viewpoints to choose from to try and compensate for this, but none really work all that well. Playing with the whole table on-screen, albeit viewed at an angle, allows you to aim better at targets and react to erroneous ball placement much more successfully, but makes the features at the top of the table virtually impossible to see. And, if you're not playing on an HD set, you can pretty much forget any hope of reading all the signs and labels, which means you're mostly left aiming for the flashing things and hoping you trigger something good by accident.

A close-up view is available but, unless you've memorised the tables, this makes it very hard to play with any kind of accuracy. The game is crying out for a simple yet effective top-down scrolling view of the sort that worked perfectly fine for Pinball Dreams way back when. It may not show off the HD detail quiet as well, but it'd make things a lot more accessible.

So essentially what we have is a fantastic virtual pinball engine, the practical application of which is slightly hamstrung by the restrictions of the (old) Live Arcade regulations and by the shape of modern TV sets. If, like me, you're a sucker for pinball and don't balk at the prospect of micro-payments extending your enjoyment then download and enjoy. Otherwise you may find the unfortunate compromises make it a less than essential purchase.

7 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Dan.

About Dan Whitehead

Dan has been writing for Eurogamer since 2006 and specialises in RPGs, shooters and games for children. His bestest game ever is Julian Gollop's Chaos.

Read more articles from Dan by visiting the Dan Whitehead archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • S.J.Rogers #1 5 years ago

    Must try the demo..!

    First, First...

  • NegativeZero #2 5 years ago

    When I was a kid, I had a Mac. :( One of my most-played games on that system was Crystal Caliburn, which was an excellent pinball game. I'd absolutely kill for a modern remake of that.

  • Nige #3 5 years ago

    I'm not massively into pinball - but I love this. Multi-player is lots of fun. It's a good value demo too.

  • DDevil #4 5 years ago

    Love this game.

    When I finished playing on Sunday I was ranked 88th in the world on Extreme. No idea what my rank is now though...

  • driptray #5 5 years ago

    Brilliant game! It's at least an 8 for me.

    And I don't think the views are as bad as the review does: view 3 is perfectly fine for me!

    Edit: if you have SD TV (like me) and you want to know all the ramp names, just watch the table fly-by at the beginning of a game.
    Edited by 1 at 01/05/07 @ 08:51

  • ram #6 5 years ago

    yep view 3 is my favourite as well. Oh and you can get info on each table. Pause it whilst playing a table and go to help. About 6 pages of info per table.

  • Valver #7 5 years ago

    I liked the demo so much I bought it - and think its great fun. One of the best Arcade games yet IMHO.

  • Rush2112 #8 5 years ago

    It's a great little game. However, anyone who loves pinball should really get pinMAME up and running on their PC for unlimited pinball fun.

  • oneiros #9 5 years ago

    Yeah; view #3 is essentially a 3D version of the scrolling Pinball Dreams view lamented in the review; it's the obvious choice...

    Totally agree with the score though. If this were just the Speed Freaks table for 400 points, it would be a 9, but the other two tables are so lacklustre, the 800 point package becomes less good value.
    Edited by 2 at 01/05/07 @ 09:52

  • bushwod #10 5 years ago

    Does anyone else think Eurogamer need to make it clearer when they're talking about Live Arcade/virtual console/PSN games.

    I ended up scanning this article for the word live just to assertain if it was worth reading. Maybe an icon could be introduced.

  • RMXtreme #11 5 years ago

    @ bushwod

    It says on the frontpage that this is being reviewed for the XBOX 360, thats clear enough for me.

  • Lebowski #12 5 years ago

    Yeah, I'd give this 8 at least. It's a fantastic pinball game. XBLA has really improved over the last few weeks.

  • thefilthandthefury #13 5 years ago

    Awesome game this one, despite me being horribly bad at it. Always had a soft spot for pinball games and always try to own at least one. Don't really see the actual tables much these days :(

  • Poorandugly #14 5 years ago

    I absolutely love this game, too few good pinball games being made these days. I think the review was a bit harsch also, commenting the tracks. They all have their charms, and I actually like the "Extreme"-themed one, although Agents is the favourite. Could have done with one or two more boards though, hopefully the downloadable ones will be of equal quality. 8 / 10 from me.

  • bonker #15 5 years ago

    "It's a great little game. However, anyone who loves pinball should really get pinMAME up and running on their PC for unlimited pinball fun. "

    Ooh, I didn't know about that \o/

    Hard to resist the high-score tables on Live tho. I was pretty nifty at pinball in my day, tho I'm probably way too old and jittery to be any good now but there's always hope - will have to check this out ...

    PS: I've got a 47" SD blur-o-vision TV, will I be hampered much by it?

  • MrBiggles #16 5 years ago

    Best pinball games ever are the pro pinball series, Timeshock, Big race USA and Fantastic journey being the best. You can probably find them on PC somewhere...

  • sharpfish #17 5 years ago

    I thought it was great, always room for improvements but it felt really 'solid' using the 360 controller. I bought it after trying the demo on day of release and have been addicited since (I am ~ 300 on the leaderboards and my highest was ~ 80 at one point... must try harder).

    In my opinion it's the best game on XBLA right now and the online mode is a barrel o' fun.

    Also the small touches like mapping what it sees via your Live Cam (if you have one) onto the reflection of the objects/table make it even better.

    And view 3 is my favourite view too - no problems at all on my 32" HDTV. Extreme is my least favourite table but it's still good. Can't wait for add-on tables (I want a horror themed one). I haven't been this addicted to pinball games since pinball Dreams/fantasies on the Amiga. Though there are plenty of good pinball games for the PC etc (Pro Pinball) they don't feel as solid or as fun to load for a quick blast (+ leaderboards) as Pinball FX does!

    8.5/10 (edited typo on score!!!) - that's 8.5 taking into account it's genre and price. Bargain! :)
    Edited by 2 at 01/05/07 @ 12:58

  • MrBiggles #18 5 years ago

    I would love a Silent hill or Resident evil table

  • Valver #19 5 years ago

    Owen - now that's a *great* idea!

  • TheDifficult3rdAlbum #20 5 years ago

    >scrolling public domain Amiga demos of rotating metallic cubes bounced along to pounding techno while giving shout-outs to "EXXXECUTORZZZ KREW of OSLO!!!"

    /wipes away tear of nostalgia

    Now that was living!

  • Nige #21 5 years ago

    I wish they'd do the Addams Family table for this - I loved that machine.

  • mingster #22 5 years ago

    For all your Pinball 'needs':

    Pinball Emulation

    Complete how-to on setting up Pinmame and virtual pinball.

  • dr_shambles #23 5 years ago

    Great game. Very playable.

    Nige - with you on the Addams Family. Would also love The Twilight Zone. That was a cool table.

    Probably never happen due to licensing though.

  • mingster #24 5 years ago

    Addams family & Twilight Zone both playable on the PC see my post above..

  • sharpfish #25 5 years ago

    Hey ManicMinerUK any idea on which real life tables these 3 were reskinned from? I agree they all play well.

    RE: Emulations/Mame/Futurepinball/Vpinball - these are all cool too but they don't feel as solid as pinballFX + 360 controller (with rumble) + HDTV + Online leaderboards.

  • mingster #26 5 years ago

    I use my xbox controller on the PC for pinball.
    monitor resolution is higher than HD.
    Edited by 1 at 01/05/07 @ 13:02

  • peterfll #27 5 years ago

    The Black Knight pinball from Williams rocked.

    Magna-Saves!

  • sharpfish #28 5 years ago

    QUOTE > "I use my xbox controller on the PC for pinball.
    monitor resolution is higher than HD."

    Yeah but a monitor is tiny compared to a nice 32" + hdtv plus I can't sit on my sofa when playing on the pc (unless I use the laptop) ;)

    Nothing to do with resolution, more to do with visible area size (in my case 32" widescreen over 19" non widescreen) and even more to do with the integration into Xbox Live/achievements... not to mention the gfx look a touch better on this game.

    The upside to the PC pinball is of course you can get many 'real life' tables emulated to play on but the gfx quality is very variable depending on what you use. But if you are happy then great, cos I love pinball on PC too, doesn't mean this Xbox360 pinball game isn't still the most accesible/comfortable pinball i've played in a long time.

    Oh and by "solid" it's the complete integration of platform, controller, output, system placement and lack of hitches/glitches etc.

    Having said that, I will defo give my wireless 360 controller a try on some of the PC pinball stuff when I get around to a new 22" widescreen + new card + 360 wireless vontroller adapter.

    Edited by 1 at 01/05/07 @ 13:57

  • Mr_Whacker #29 5 years ago

    I enjoyed the demo. thought the mechanics and look & feel were spot on. Table didn't excite me though and neither do the descriptions of the other two.

  • Stoatboy #30 5 years ago

    IIRC, the Kotaku commenter said that Speed Machine is White Water (never heard of it), Extreme is Black Knight 2000, and Agents is Star Trek TNG. Also IIRC, all of them are x-flipped for starters, and have a few changes and tweaks from the original too. After a brief search the only one of these I could find for Pinmame was Black Knight 2000, and after a very brief play it's pretty obvious where Pinball FX's table designers "drew inspiration from".

  • Rush2112 #31 5 years ago

    Mingster, nice to see another PinMAME nut.

    There is a link right at the top of the VP site that now does just about everything regarding installing everything. It's no longer as fiddly as it once was. Check it: http://www.vpforums.com/

  • ChromeMud #32 5 years ago

    I used to play 'White Water' years ago and that's probably why
    I bought this game when I played the 'Speed Machine' table in
    the demo,it's Grrrrreat!
    The only way to improve it would be to map the graphics 90 degrees
    and turning a High Def set on it's side,awesome!
    I bet somebody would do that too for the ultimate pinball experience.
    As it is,the game is top notch if you like pinball.

  • yagisencho #33 5 years ago

    I have my widescreen monitor rotated to vertical for Future Pinball. Fantastic. And boy is it tough to go back to horizontal pinball. That said, I'm having fun with Pinball FX, though my scores are still average at best.

    (Rank 2,032 on Extreme...uh...it's a start?)

  • effinwooly #34 5 years ago

    great fun!! should have been an 8 i reckon

  • rosemeyer1939 #35 5 years ago

    View 3 and very much enjoying it!
    8 in my book..

  • sharpfish #36 5 years ago

    quote "I have my widescreen monitor rotated to vertical for Future Pinball."

    Good point and nice idea, the monitors i'm looking at can do portrait and obv pinball would be an ideal use of it like that (along with shoot-em-ups). Sorted. :)

    Will be delving back into pinmame/vp soon with new PC now that PBFX has reignited my interest in the silver ball ;)

  • Liggur #37 5 years ago

    Loved Pinball Dreams, Fantasy & Illusions on the Amiga
    Gotta try this one.

  • smelly #38 5 years ago

    Oh gawd.. you guys arent SERIOUSLY complaining that the score says 7 instead of 8?

    Oh.. dear.

    Sometimes i wonder how old some of you are :-)

  • sharpfish #39 5 years ago

    "Oh gawd.. you guys arent SERIOUSLY complaining that the score says 7 instead of 8? "

    I don't think anyone is complaining, they are just offering their own 'internal' score... this isn't Gears Of War you know (where the review was OBVIOUSLY wrong in so many ways; mostly due to splitting the game into two as if you had to buy 2 seperate parts ;) )

    I think I only saw 2 people in all these comments who seemed a bit miffed at the 7, I said 8.5 based on my own opinion of Pinball/XBLA games, I don't care what EG gave it because it appears an accurate review (unlike GeOW ;) )

  • ChromeMud #40 5 years ago

    Forget the score.If you like Pinball,buy it.
    I prefer to play it while streaming some choonz in the background.

  • smelly #41 5 years ago

    "Accurate" review of GeOW?

    Easy.

    It's a repetitive, mind numbingly boringly dull generic "fps" (but 3rd person) game. With pretty graphics and an "innovative" reload system.

    I wont bother with a score.

  • ChromeMud #42 5 years ago

    @ smelly

    I'm guessing here, but I don't think you like shooters! :D
    Try dominoes instead,an old farts gem of a game if ever there was one.

  • Velios #43 4 years ago

    I just purchased this game on LIVE today and I am very pleased with it tbh.

    Since the review TWO more tables have been released and one of them is FREE which is great news and adds significantly to the value of the game. The free table has a pirates theme with a very rich pallete and a great theme tune.

    The fitth and final table is a haunted mansion themed table, which reminds me fondly of the old "stones n bones" table on Pinball fantasies, it also has a decent theme tune in the background to listen to as you smash the 100,000.000 points barrier :)

    Overall, with the new content I would mark this up by one point and give it an eight, although as the review said this game will definitely be more rewarding on a large hi-def screen so you can read the bonusses easily on each table.

    Nice scoreboards too so you can compete with your friends or against the world on an all-time or weekly basis.