Pinball Game Megathread - Reviews of All Pinball Games COMING SOON!

Discussion in 'General Game Discussion and Questions' started by dogmeat, May 14, 2009.

  1. dogmeat

    dogmeat Well-Known Member

    Apr 6, 2009
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    #1 dogmeat, May 14, 2009
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2009
    Hi everyone,

    Let me preface this thread by stating that I am a HUGE pinball fan. Not only did my dad grow up on pinball, I was a huge arcade goer when I was young and loved to hit the tables. That aside, I think this thread should serve as the end all be all thread for all pinball games on the appstore.

    Starting today I am going to start downloading each game and working on an in-depth review of each one starting with Wild West. I encourage all of you to submit the pros/cons of each game that you've played along with the features that you especially like and comments on how you think each game could be improved.

    The end goal is to have a thread with all pinball related info so when people come to the forums, in search for a good pinball game, they have all the info they could possibly want on all the games in 1 thread.

    To avoid cluttering the thread, please try and come up with a thoughtful post, no one liners. And while I can't stop you, I'm asking nicely, because this threads purpose is to benefit the community and anyone looking for a good pinball game.

    Below is a list of the pinball games I could find, feel free to submit your own:

    Pinball - Tiny Diversions REVIEWED!! on Page 2 [ CLICK HERE ]
    $0.99 4.0MB

    [​IMG]

    Wild West Pinball - OOO Gameprom REVIEWED!! on Page 2 [ CLICK HERE ]
    $0.99 6.1MB

    [​IMG]

    Pinball Dreaming: Pinball Dreams - Cowboy Rodeo REVIEWED!! on Page 3 [ CLICK HERE ]
    $4.99 2.9MB

    [​IMG]

    Zen Pinball: Rollercoaster - Publisher X REVIEWED!! on Page 5 [ CLICK HERE ]
    $4.99 10.0MB

    [​IMG]

    Pinball: Casino Madness - Divagen.com REVIEWED!! on Page 6 [ CLICK HERE ]
    $0.99 6.8MB

    [​IMG]

    Zen Pinball: Inferno - Publisher X In Queue
    $4.99 9.4MB

    SmallBall Pinball: SmallBall In Queue
    $FREE 4.1MB

    Monster Pinball - Matmi In Review
    $3.99 10.4MB

    Pinball Destruction - Martin Reddy In Queue
    $1.99 3.1MB

    iTiltPinball - Random5 LLC In Queue
    $1.99 683KB

    Freeballin' - IUGO In Queue
    $1.99 27.3MB

    Neon Ball - Springheadmedia In Queue
    $0.99 406KB

    uVent - John Gregorek In Queue
    $0.99 1.6MB

    Games not yet released:

    The Deep Pinball - OOO Gameprom Pending Release
    $?.?? XXMB

    Jungle themed pinball - OOO Gameprom Pending Development
    $?.?? XXMB

    Pinball Fantasies - Cowboy Rodeo Pending Release
    $?.?? XXMB

    Pinball Illusions - Cowboy Rodeo Pending Development
    $?.?? XXMB

    Thats it, I'll start submitting full reviews as I do them, into this thread. Thanks for your participation!

    - Dogmeat
     
  2. DonD_GT

    DonD_GT Well-Known Member

    May 12, 2009
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    I've only tried Freeballin' and Wild West.

    The ball physics in Freeballin' just seem off to me and I can't get into the game. It has several tables to choose from, but I can't seem to want to play it since I feel like there's something inherently wrong with the way the ball comes off of the flipper and the way it moves across the screen. The speed seems wrong.

    Wild West has only 1 table but plays the way I expect pinball to play. The ball physics seem very realistic to me and this is the go-to game when I'm in the mood for pinball. The table is limited, having only a couple of hittable items and only a few mission options. It's a good game though and gets my recommendation.
     
  3. gscal

    gscal Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2009
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    Dogmeat, I'd like to know if you own those all (since you're a pinball fan), and which one is your favorite and why. If you can't decide on one, tell me what would be good for someone who likes: 1. Secret places 2. Lots of interaction 3. More than two flippers 4. Cool backgrounds. I already own Freeballin' and WWP, and plan on getting The Deep and Monster Pinball. I also don't really care about ball physics. Thanks!
     
  4. Eli

    Eli ᕕ┌◕ᗜ◕┐ᕗ
    Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold

    While Wild West Pinball only has one table, it's by far the best pinball game out there and I've tried them all. It has the most authentic pinball feel to it, and I really have a hard time getting worked up over the one pinball table thing. I probably put hundreds of dollars in to the lone pinball machine at the local bowling alley near me when I was growing up and it never got old. ;)

    Different strokes for different folks though, Freeballin' is also pretty good and has a Sega Genesis Sonic Spinball kind of feel to it. Still fun, just not as fun!
     
  5. dogmeat

    dogmeat Well-Known Member

    Apr 6, 2009
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    Its going to cost about 24$ to get the games that I don't already have, but I am going to do in depth reviews of all and I will not only give them a general score:

    graphics
    sound
    performance
    fun
    price

    But I will be reviewing specific things like:

    Ball Physics
    Flippers
    Fun Zones ( things you hit or the ball goes into )
    Scoring Tips

    to name a few.

    It will probably take me a few weeks to review them all but I will get it done, so I suggest subscribe to this thread if you're a fan.
     
  6. gscal

    gscal Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2009
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    While WWP is probably one of the best pinball games out there, I have one complaint. It's not that there's only one table, it's the constantly moving camera that gets to me. If they include an option to keep the camera still, then I would love that game even more. Eveything else in that game is great, though.
     
  7. dogmeat

    dogmeat Well-Known Member

    Apr 6, 2009
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    Also, I want to let everyone know that I will be keeping all comments in mind when I review each game, its not just my review, but partly a reflection from this community as well.
     
  8. GodSon

    GodSon Well-Known Member

    Mar 12, 2009
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    Out of all the pinball games i have; my favorite is freeballin atm. i like the online scoreboard, the multiple tables, levels per table, adventure mode and all other modes as well. future updates will be nice. my only real problem other than the ball physics would be regarding the fun factor/interaction per table.

    -Tiki Trouble: This board is probably all around the best board in the game because it gives you a since of adventure. I wish that once you move into the sub levels they had more to offer because they get a little plain as far as gameplay features but the artwork in the levels are great (i.e. bumpers, Bonuses of some sort, etc...).

    -Monsteropolis: There is just way too much going on in this stage as far as the background and it makes it annoying when i am trying to focus on achieving something and they could offer more interaction as well rather than just scenery.

    -Dreams & Nightmares: this has to be the worst table of them all to me. its just very plain. its quiet and it seems to lack everything on the table. I don't feel the nightmare aspect. its more of monsters inc. meets an earth tone color scheme. the table is bland and again the interaction in the table is horrible to me and i probably play this table the least. This table needs a complete facelift.

    -Neometric: this board is a simple futuristic neon schemed table that is fun but i think it is too basic and too small as well which takes the fun out of it a little bit. this board really needs to just be expanded. This table could use some background life like robots, aliens, anything futuristic. still fun and simple.

    All in all this game is my favorite all around and i hope to see some new tables and other updates in the future. the graphics are great and the adventure modes/online scores are fun as well. I am satisfied and do not regret purchasing it or any of the other pinball games i have for my Touch. I will let you know about the other pinball games in other posts. :D
     
  9. f e a r l e s s

    f e a r l e s s Well-Known Member

    Mar 12, 2009
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    Don't forget Neon Ball by Springheadmedia. It's cool, but they really need better flippers.

    $0.99

    No copy+paste on iphone so no link :(
     
  10. gscal

    gscal Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2009
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    Neon Ball Link

    Also, on your iPod, wrap [app] around the game's name. It won't be a direct link ,but it'll be an iTunes link. For example: [a p p] Neon Ball [/a p p] (but without the spaces)
     
  11. dogmeat

    dogmeat Well-Known Member

    Apr 6, 2009
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    Added Neon Ball to the list. I just got a new puppy yesterday so I'll probably start the review process tomorrow or saturday.

    Also, neon ball looks very interesting, has anyone played it?
     
  12. Habakuk

    Habakuk Well-Known Member

    #12 Habakuk, May 15, 2009
    Last edited: May 16, 2009
    Good thread. I own them all in the list and wrote extensive reviews on them here at tA only lacking those two ones:

    Pinball by Tiny Diversions: App Store -- Not so bad. Good physics. Simple. Different game speeds. Accelerometer support.

    iTiltPinball by Random 5LLC: App Store -- Worst game ever. Forget it. Bad physics, graphics, cruel sound... Want my money back ;) Wait, they are promising an update on their iTunes site. Let's see...
     
  13. Benegesserit

    Benegesserit Well-Known Member

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    #13 Benegesserit, May 15, 2009
    Last edited: May 15, 2009
    I own Pinball Dreams and I must say the game has an incredible soundtrack (especially the table selection page). The main problem I have with the game is lag spikes. It's not an iPhone problem, as I play plenty of other games with more action on screen with no lag. It's a problem with the code. When playing music games, pinball, FPS, anything twitchy, lag will ruin your game.

    The only pinball games I'm interested in picking up from the reviews about to be posted, are the ones that can claim 0 lag.

    I read their post on the other board regarding that they know their stuff about optimizing, but I still can't grasp how such an old game has issues with framerate when I can play a game that renders much higher quality graphics with 0 lag.

    I understand it has to draw it faster as a pinball game but the graphics must be less demanding to render.
     
  14. Rudi

    Rudi Well-Known Member

    Mar 3, 2009
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    Great for Pinball Fans are Visual Pinball and Visual Pinmame for Computer, just google it. I know, it´s not for iphone but it´s the best way to play Pinball without a real Pinball Machine.
     
  15. svolskiy

    svolskiy Well-Known Member

    Apr 5, 2009
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    OMG there is so many pinballs...and looks like in future AppStore will be overloaded with pinballs.
    May be we need Pinball section in games? :)
     
  16. dogmeat

    dogmeat Well-Known Member

    Apr 6, 2009
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    Just grabbed Pinball from Tiny Diversions and while I thought it was going to be very weak, i'm actually impressed with what it is. I would be downloading all the games on the list right now, but I left my charger cable at home, doh!
     
  17. dogmeat

    dogmeat Well-Known Member

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    #17 dogmeat, May 16, 2009
    Last edited: May 16, 2009
    Pinball - Tiny Diversions
    $0.99 4.0MB

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    I picked up "Pinball" from the appStore for 99 cents. When you fire it up, it just states "pinball" with some background music. The game offers the minimal ammount of options once the title screen dissapears and the menu pops up. You can choose game length, which is measured in the terms of how many balls or "plays" you want. You can choose from 1 play, 3 plays or 5 plays. You can also adjust the game speed from slow, normal to turbo. The differences between the speeds are very well balanced, turbo for example would be well suited for a pinball pro, while the slow mode may be for grandma.

    All in all, I played the game for my entire lunch break and every spare moment I got from there to now. I will go into more depth below, as far as the specifics on why I think this is a worthy pinball game on the appstore but I really found myself liking this purchase and will continue to play this pinball game daily.

    Graphics

    The graphics in "Pinball" are 2d and very simple. Upon looking at a screenshot or two of the game, I can see how some people may be turned off by its looks but when you jump in and play the table itself the graphics play very smoothly and I found no graphical hiccups while playing. The table itself is fairly simple, consisting of 4 main fun zones for the ball to trigger. All in all, the graphics are consistently done and once you get into playing, you will soon realize the graphics aren't what make this game enjoyable, the game is.

    Sound

    The sound in "Pinball" is very simple. There is a musical track that plays when you first start the game but no music anywhere else. You can't play your music while playing this game either. The sounds while playing the table are simple yet satisfying.

    Handling

    Handling can either make or break a pinball game and the handling in "Pinball" is very well done, a notch below Wild West Pinball. The Ball physics seem very solid and I never noticed the ball going in some odd direction it shouldn't go while rolling around. Using the flippers in this game is very satisfying in the sense you can really control the direction the ball is going and with how much force you want to apply to it. My only gripe about the handling is the fact that the contact area for your thumbs/fingers to activate each lever seems short in height so I find myself having to keep my thumbs all the way towards the bottom, which is fine, just took some getting used to. One thing I could not figure out, was a pause feature. The game seems to pause if you let it sit till your phone goes to sleep but other than that, I couldn't figure out how to pause the game.

    Fun

    "Pinball" is fun! No doubt about that, and this developers take on pinball works well. For one simple table I found myself going back for more and more trying to get a higher score. The best feature in this game is once you roll your ball up one of the rails, the game will display an arrow pointing at your next target, the more you hit the targets, your score multiplies, if you complete the circuit, you get 2 balls at a time. I'm sure if you're really good you can get more balls than 2 but we'll see. I had a blast playing this one and I'm going to keep going till I hit 1 million points, maybe more, who knows.

    Price

    This game is priced perfectly, you get one simplified table with 4 fun zone areas and objectives to keep you wanting those multipliers and double balls. I definitely reccomend this pinball game for anyone looking for that "simplified" table in their iDevice pinball collection. Go get it!
     
  18. Habakuk

    Habakuk Well-Known Member

    Good review, thank you, dogmeat! I recommend "Pinball by Tiny Diversions" too. The graphics are not overwhelming but it's a "real" pinball simulator (the "engine" is okay) and it runs smooth on my iPhone 3G. Love to play it. But it needs a name and a logo.

    Can't await "The Deep Pinball" and the update of "Wild West Pinball".
     
  19. dogmeat

    dogmeat Well-Known Member

    Apr 6, 2009
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    Wild West Pinball - OOO Gameprom
    $0.99 6.1MB

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    I picked up Wild West Pinball just a short while after I joined TouchArcade.com. I hadn't really played pinball in quite a while, but I wanted to see how it would work on the iPhone. Needless to say, after a few plays I was completely hooked! Not only had I gotten myself into the top 15 score list, I was eager to keep playing to master the way of the paddle. At any rate, my review of Wild West Pinball lies ahead.

    Graphics

    Wild West Pinball features 3d graphics, the table layout and the ball itself are all rendered on the screen. The game has an interesting camera style that follows the ball and zooms in/out depending on where it is on the board. I really enjoyed this from the first play, but some players think it is bothersome. I like it because it keeps your eye right on the ball and it helps teach you proper timing with your paddles and gives you a greater depth of your table since you have to memorize more aspects of it. The table design itself is well done, with well placed western decals to the 3D pins on the table that represent tee-pees, train tracks, money bags and lights. The framerate is very fast, I notice some slowdowns sometimes but it has only cost me the ball once. Regardless, the slowdowns aren't anything to worry about as they are very infrequent and last a second or less. The game has an interesting pinball-esque scoreboard ( led style ) at the top of the screen which reflects your score, lives ( represented in bullets ) and nice special effects when you score 100,000 500,000 1 MILLION and so on. All in all, the graphics of this game are very well done in a consistent manner and the presentation value is spot on.

    Sound

    Wild West Pinball features no soundtrack whatsoever but it does feature a pack of sounds that really fit the theme of the game. When your ball goes through the train track, you hear "choo-choo", when you shoot harry, you hear gun sounds, etc.. All in all, the sound effects in the game really satisfy the ear and keep you wanting to hit those fun spots more and more.

    Handling

    This game features a nice, big plunger for firing your ball onto the table and is really satisfying to pull back and watch it go. If you pull a little, the ball goes a small distance. If you pull all the way back, your ball fires like a rocket. The speed of the ball is absolutely perfect and when you hit the ball with your flippers there is a lot of force behind every paddle swipe. These mechanisms really add to the realism of the ball feeling like a huge round ball of metal instead of a programmed video game object. When the ball hits the various funspots througout the table they accurately repel the ball away or suck it in depending on what you're doing. The game also features a table shaking feature which will allow you to get your ball out of tough spots by shaking your phone at the right moment. One of the things I didn't like had to do with the gutters on each side of the table. It seems whenever your ball gets stuck in one, and fires out, if you don't intervene with a slight shake at the right moments, it gets repelled back into the gutter and you loose a ball. This happens 95% of the time and seems like a design flaw unless shaking is a requirement with this game. Which leads me to the bank, when you manage to get your ball into the bank, shaking is absolutely necessary. Try to hit each light, and when your ball falls down to the money bags, gently shake it once to have it bounce back up into the lights. You can control your score multiplier in the bank this way, and you can "shake" to hit the money bags repeatedly. Something I found you could do was to shake the ball once its about to exit the bank through the hole, if you can time it perfectly, you can get the ball to hit the money bags over and over. All in all, handling is multi-dimensional in this game, not only do you have to use the paddles, but shaking is absolutely necessary to achieve a multi-million score. You can pause the game by tapping the scoreboard at the top of the screen, this is handy when getting on or off the train!

    Fun

    Wild West Pinball is by far, the most fun I've had on a portable device, period. Not only have I played this game since the day it came out, I continuously play this game even while reviewing the other pinball games. This game is my inspiration for reviewing all the other pinball games as well, its a great comparison to the others and while it doesn't get all 5's it is probably the most fun pinball game I have. One of the best features of this game is the online hiscoring. I loved playing in the arcade due to getting your name up there on that scoreboard and defending that title day in and day out. With the online hiscoring, I am absolutely motivated to unlock all the secrets of the table and perfect my techniques to play since I want to always stay in a certain score range. This kind of motivation is really lacking from a lot of games these days although with the iPhone I'm starting to think the arcade is just coming to our palms now. Wild West Pinball is absolutely fun, fun to play, fun to talk about and fun to compete in!

    Price

    Wild West Pinball at $0.99 is an absolute steal. Being possibly the best pinball game on the app store, one could easily pay $2.99 for such a treasure. Wild West Pinball is highly accessable, you can pull it out of your pocket and get into a game in less than 30 seconds or you can sit for 6 hours straight trying to beat that online hiscore you've been after. For the price, you won't go wrong. Wild West Pinball is the model of what a pinball game should be on the iDevice, so go get it today!
     
  20. Habakuk

    Habakuk Well-Known Member

    #20 Habakuk, May 16, 2009
    Last edited: May 16, 2009
    As an addition I recommend the extensive Wild West Pinball threads here at tA. You'll find lots of tips and hints there by the long-time world champion and tA member Shinto in-person.

    Wild West Pinball
    Wild West Pinball $0.99 - limited offer!

    I just wanted to point out that there is a delicious retro and nostalgia factor in WWP. It's a fine wooden table with impressive natural stereophonic sounds. Okay--the dot-matrix display (although it's pretty) doesn't quite fit historically, but the game is some serious ;) kind of a living and very modern 3D-museum what I love.

    Another global historic fact: It was--together with Freeballin'--the first pinball in the world with those fascinating and motivating online scores!

    Not easy, a realistic simulator, perfect physics, cinematographic panning and zooming, nice theme: No doubts--one of the best pinball games for iDevices with lots of fans here.

    We are awaiting a major update (and a price raise?) in these days. So get it as soon as possible.

    Edit: Just arrived here at tA: The first and very promising screenshots of THE DEEP PINBALL by the same developer as Wild West Pinball!
     

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