Retina Screenshots (click to enlarge) iPad Screenshots: (click to enlarge) Pinball Dreams HD Cowboy Rodeo One more time, the veritable blast from the past, a legend amongst pinballs is back! This time we are giving you a HD-3… TouchArcade Rating: $3.99 Buy Now Watch Media DetailsOne more time, the veritable blast from the past, a legend amongst pinballs is back! This time we are giving you a HD-3D version with all the 4 original tables and it works on pretty much everything starting from iPhone 3GS. Smooth as silk, 60FPS all the way! 20 years ago Pinball Dreams almost single-handedly created the pinball simulator genre. 20 years later it is still one of the best pinball simulations ever created with addictive tables giving hours and hours of challenge and fun! Our original Pinball Dreams iOS port was chosen by the Edge Magazine as one of the best 50 iPhone games. The game features Game Center leaderboards and anti-aliasing on iPad2. Information Seller:Cowboy Rodeo Genre:Arcade, Simulation Release:Jul 02, 2011 Updated:Jul 20, 2011 Version:1.2 Size:12.5 MB TouchArcade Rating: User Rating:Unrated Your Rating:unrated Compatibility:HD Universal Subscribe to the TouchArcade YouTube channel medianotzu Well-Known Member Nov 21, 2009 3,803 9 36 #2 medianotzu, Jul 8, 2011 It's back! I'll just say right off the bat that it is a fairly surreal experience playing these tables with the new graphics. It's also really very cool. Also, maybe I'm the only one who feels it, but does it seem like the flippers are a bit slower to react than in the classic? Is it my imagination? BeefJerky Well-Known Member Jun 4, 2009 392 1 0 #3 BeefJerky, Jul 8, 2011 I don't know, the flippers seem the same to me. Hard to be sure though. I bought this when it appeared the last time and the update has definitely made it much smoother. And the AA on the iPad really helps. I love it. It plays just like Pinball Dreams but now works with the big iPad screen. My only criticism would be that it does feel something has been lost visually in the translation. Hard to be sure exactly without going back to compare but the tables feel darker, somewhat less colourful and, odd considering it's going HD, it feels like there is a layer of detail lost - like on the kicker/slingshot things, for example. In its flat pixel form, there were more details that added to the feel of each table. But that doesn't affect how they play - which is always great. And good to futureproof the series. I hope this does well and we get a HD Fantasies. medianotzu Well-Known Member Nov 21, 2009 3,803 9 36 #4 medianotzu, Jul 8, 2011 It's strange...I think the flippers actually are the same speed, but look slower in landscape. I think it has to do with camera movement. It's sort of an optical illusion, perhaps. I I know what you mean about the layer of detail that's seemingly absent, but it's hard to put your finger on it. I think it's just that the contrast in colors has been toned down a bit. I won't criticize that though; I think it very well may work better than the older (some might say more garish?) colors. To me, these tables look beautiful, although I do love the retrotastic style of the old tables as well. It's just to say that there is a good reason to keep both on your device, I suppose. Another thing that sort of represents the visual weirdness to me of having a new and updated version is that, while the physics feel completely the same, the ball movement looks a lot more realistic in the HD version. The whole effect is just very strange, but in a good way. I was most skeptical about the camera following the ball, but as it turns out, this is hardly an issue. In portrait it's more noticeable and not quite to my liking, but not nearly as obnoxious as the flying camera view in the Gameprom tables (which I'm not knocking because I still love their tables, by the way). In landscape, which is what I prefer anyway, it's not an issue at all and I really like the camera angle. All in all, even though I was initially pretty hesitant about the new version, I'm loving it so far. donner Well-Known Member Oct 9, 2008 362 0 16 http://www.houseandhold.com #5 donner, Jul 8, 2011 I'd say this HD version is a +1 on every level. The tables look HOT and play very well. Big thanks to the devs for caring enough to update this game. I may be deleting my gameprom games soon as I dont get a real enough feel of pinbal from them... With the new viewing angle of Pinball Dreams HD it really feels like the real deal. your personal robot Well-Known Member Nov 11, 2008 3,606 3 0 nonverbalist Berlin #6 your personal robot, Jul 8, 2011 Personally, it's the best Pinball game in the App Store. The tables were endlessly addicting and challenging before and now they look even better. Just love it! medianotzu Well-Known Member Nov 21, 2009 3,803 9 36 #7 medianotzu, Jul 8, 2011 Kudos on you Graveyard table score, by the way... TheDukester Well-Known Member Dec 13, 2010 823 0 0 Wherever Ascension wants me #8 TheDukester, Jul 8, 2011 I'm a big pinball fan, but I've yet to find an iOS version that makes me happy. Either the layouts are uninspiring or else the gameplay/physics just don't seem pinball-esque. Or maybe it's just me being too picky; I really don't know. Anyway, I like how this one looks and it seems to have a lot of enthusiastic fans here. So would y'all recommend this to the sort of picky person (me, in other words) I mentioned above? Does it have a "pinball vibe"? Do the physics seem reasonably close to real-world? your personal robot Well-Known Member Nov 11, 2008 3,606 3 0 nonverbalist Berlin #9 your personal robot, Jul 8, 2011 If you are searching for a real-world simulation, then I think Pinball Dreams won't be the best bet for you. It's definitely digital and also feels that way. But that being said, back in the days it was one of the best pinball games available, the table design is just REALLY well thought out. So, you really get a lot for your money. After years and years of playing this game, I'm still not getting tired. But again. Physics are nowhere near a simulation, I think. But they work perfectly within this game. Best simulation table so far is Pinball Tristan... a quite simple yet extremely fun table with the best physics in the App Store. dekk Well-Known Member Feb 2, 2009 84 0 0 #10 dekk, Jul 8, 2011 Thank you! About the flippers, it's an optical illusion, I was thinking of the same thinking when testing the game The physics engine under the hood is still 100% absolutely the same, not a single line of code has been changed. ,,juuso // rodeo BeefJerky Well-Known Member Jun 4, 2009 392 1 0 #11 BeefJerky, Jul 8, 2011 Plays beautifully on my 3rd gen Touch. Actually better than my iPad2 for whatever reason. That slightly slow flipper feeling? Totally not there on my Touch. Beautifully smooth and the loss of details is much less noticeable too. Works great on a screen of that size. Of course, the other version does too but it's nice to have options! shyguy3 Well-Known Member Sep 18, 2010 628 0 0 #12 shyguy3, Jul 8, 2011 Excellent update to a PB game that was already amazing. Now for an update to "PB fantasys" please. TheClaff Well-Known Member Dec 18, 2008 492 0 16 Senior Producer, Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda, Maryland #13 TheClaff, Jul 8, 2011 For some reason I was under the impression this was a update to the previous game. Doh. Still it looks excellent so may have to pick it up for my ipad. RS200 Active Member Sep 22, 2009 37 0 0 #14 RS200, Jul 8, 2011 This was an insta-buy for me. Just as the original Dreams and Fantasies was. In one word - 'beautiful' .. the HD graphics are stunning and to play it's fantastic - I'm so pleased that it plays exactly as it should. It's strange to play at first if you are use to the old version - you are just not used to the tables moving around as it does in this but I find myself just marvelling at the graphics - they are just fantastic! If you are a fan of the original - you must get this ... really ... you must. Well done Cowboy Rodeo! ... now where is Illusions? ;D your personal robot Well-Known Member Nov 11, 2008 3,606 3 0 nonverbalist Berlin #15 your personal robot, Jul 8, 2011 Give these guys a break to enjoy their beers JamesDean69 Well-Known Member Nov 19, 2009 289 0 0 #16 JamesDean69, Jul 9, 2011 I also am yet to find an iOS pinball game that has the physics that feel like a true pinball machine. The consoles have great pinball games with Pinball Hall of Fame The Williams Collection, and Pinball Hall of Fame The Gottlieb Collection. They are actually real tables replicated into a game. My father owned an arcade when i was a kid and these games are carbon copies of their real counterparts. The actually ball feels like it has weight to it. I find that in the iOS Pinball games the ball always feels like its floating. And i never feel that "real" physic of the flippers hitting the ball. The Zen Pinball game on XBOX Live is also Amazing. They add tables constantly. I really hope we finally get a more true arcade feeling pinball game soon on the App Store. The Pinball HD games by Gameprom just didnt do it for me. The ball felt so tiny and weightless. When the flipper hits the ball it flies all over the place. Fafner Well-Known Member Apr 18, 2009 334 0 0 #17 Fafner, Jul 9, 2011 about the flippers.... they're not moving slow but there's a bit of lag. it wakes them a split second to react to the touch... everything else is perfect though blastemup Well-Known Member Feb 2, 2009 67 0 0 #18 blastemup, Jul 9, 2011 Slow flipper response Just played my first few games. Flipper response is definitely slow in my opinion. your personal robot Well-Known Member Nov 11, 2008 3,606 3 0 nonverbalist Berlin #19 your personal robot, Jul 9, 2011 I think most of us got this impression. But as the dev said, it's the same engine under the hood as in the 2D version. And it's just an optical trick. The reaction seems to be identical to the other version. I got used to it pretty quickly. dekk Well-Known Member Feb 2, 2009 84 0 0 #20 dekk, Jul 9, 2011 If you compare it to for example GP tables, the response IS slow, but it's because it's slow in the original game aswell You can even compare it directly to PD 2D version and it should be just the same. Remember to switch the "classical difficulty" on though as the hardcore speed is on permanent turbo boost (physics engine is running "too fast") and it actually does make the flippers react quicker. Mind you, we have a different routine to reading the touch events which *forces* the read in every frame but we weren't able to discern any difference to the "by-the-book" way it's done now. The HD version now has the exact original ball speed from the Amiga version, something we never were able to do in the 2D versions so if you've played the 2D version in hardcore difficulty, you can perceive the 3D as being slower - which it is ,,juuso // rodeo (You must log in or sign up to post here.) 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It's back! I'll just say right off the bat that it is a fairly surreal experience playing these tables with the new graphics. It's also really very cool. Also, maybe I'm the only one who feels it, but does it seem like the flippers are a bit slower to react than in the classic? Is it my imagination?
I don't know, the flippers seem the same to me. Hard to be sure though. I bought this when it appeared the last time and the update has definitely made it much smoother. And the AA on the iPad really helps. I love it. It plays just like Pinball Dreams but now works with the big iPad screen. My only criticism would be that it does feel something has been lost visually in the translation. Hard to be sure exactly without going back to compare but the tables feel darker, somewhat less colourful and, odd considering it's going HD, it feels like there is a layer of detail lost - like on the kicker/slingshot things, for example. In its flat pixel form, there were more details that added to the feel of each table. But that doesn't affect how they play - which is always great. And good to futureproof the series. I hope this does well and we get a HD Fantasies.
It's strange...I think the flippers actually are the same speed, but look slower in landscape. I think it has to do with camera movement. It's sort of an optical illusion, perhaps. I I know what you mean about the layer of detail that's seemingly absent, but it's hard to put your finger on it. I think it's just that the contrast in colors has been toned down a bit. I won't criticize that though; I think it very well may work better than the older (some might say more garish?) colors. To me, these tables look beautiful, although I do love the retrotastic style of the old tables as well. It's just to say that there is a good reason to keep both on your device, I suppose. Another thing that sort of represents the visual weirdness to me of having a new and updated version is that, while the physics feel completely the same, the ball movement looks a lot more realistic in the HD version. The whole effect is just very strange, but in a good way. I was most skeptical about the camera following the ball, but as it turns out, this is hardly an issue. In portrait it's more noticeable and not quite to my liking, but not nearly as obnoxious as the flying camera view in the Gameprom tables (which I'm not knocking because I still love their tables, by the way). In landscape, which is what I prefer anyway, it's not an issue at all and I really like the camera angle. All in all, even though I was initially pretty hesitant about the new version, I'm loving it so far.
I'd say this HD version is a +1 on every level. The tables look HOT and play very well. Big thanks to the devs for caring enough to update this game. I may be deleting my gameprom games soon as I dont get a real enough feel of pinbal from them... With the new viewing angle of Pinball Dreams HD it really feels like the real deal.
Personally, it's the best Pinball game in the App Store. The tables were endlessly addicting and challenging before and now they look even better. Just love it!
I'm a big pinball fan, but I've yet to find an iOS version that makes me happy. Either the layouts are uninspiring or else the gameplay/physics just don't seem pinball-esque. Or maybe it's just me being too picky; I really don't know. Anyway, I like how this one looks and it seems to have a lot of enthusiastic fans here. So would y'all recommend this to the sort of picky person (me, in other words) I mentioned above? Does it have a "pinball vibe"? Do the physics seem reasonably close to real-world?
If you are searching for a real-world simulation, then I think Pinball Dreams won't be the best bet for you. It's definitely digital and also feels that way. But that being said, back in the days it was one of the best pinball games available, the table design is just REALLY well thought out. So, you really get a lot for your money. After years and years of playing this game, I'm still not getting tired. But again. Physics are nowhere near a simulation, I think. But they work perfectly within this game. Best simulation table so far is Pinball Tristan... a quite simple yet extremely fun table with the best physics in the App Store.
Thank you! About the flippers, it's an optical illusion, I was thinking of the same thinking when testing the game The physics engine under the hood is still 100% absolutely the same, not a single line of code has been changed. ,,juuso // rodeo
Plays beautifully on my 3rd gen Touch. Actually better than my iPad2 for whatever reason. That slightly slow flipper feeling? Totally not there on my Touch. Beautifully smooth and the loss of details is much less noticeable too. Works great on a screen of that size. Of course, the other version does too but it's nice to have options!
For some reason I was under the impression this was a update to the previous game. Doh. Still it looks excellent so may have to pick it up for my ipad.
This was an insta-buy for me. Just as the original Dreams and Fantasies was. In one word - 'beautiful' .. the HD graphics are stunning and to play it's fantastic - I'm so pleased that it plays exactly as it should. It's strange to play at first if you are use to the old version - you are just not used to the tables moving around as it does in this but I find myself just marvelling at the graphics - they are just fantastic! If you are a fan of the original - you must get this ... really ... you must. Well done Cowboy Rodeo! ... now where is Illusions? ;D
I also am yet to find an iOS pinball game that has the physics that feel like a true pinball machine. The consoles have great pinball games with Pinball Hall of Fame The Williams Collection, and Pinball Hall of Fame The Gottlieb Collection. They are actually real tables replicated into a game. My father owned an arcade when i was a kid and these games are carbon copies of their real counterparts. The actually ball feels like it has weight to it. I find that in the iOS Pinball games the ball always feels like its floating. And i never feel that "real" physic of the flippers hitting the ball. The Zen Pinball game on XBOX Live is also Amazing. They add tables constantly. I really hope we finally get a more true arcade feeling pinball game soon on the App Store. The Pinball HD games by Gameprom just didnt do it for me. The ball felt so tiny and weightless. When the flipper hits the ball it flies all over the place.
about the flippers.... they're not moving slow but there's a bit of lag. it wakes them a split second to react to the touch... everything else is perfect though
Slow flipper response Just played my first few games. Flipper response is definitely slow in my opinion.
I think most of us got this impression. But as the dev said, it's the same engine under the hood as in the 2D version. And it's just an optical trick. The reaction seems to be identical to the other version. I got used to it pretty quickly.
If you compare it to for example GP tables, the response IS slow, but it's because it's slow in the original game aswell You can even compare it directly to PD 2D version and it should be just the same. Remember to switch the "classical difficulty" on though as the hardcore speed is on permanent turbo boost (physics engine is running "too fast") and it actually does make the flippers react quicker. Mind you, we have a different routine to reading the touch events which *forces* the read in every frame but we weren't able to discern any difference to the "by-the-book" way it's done now. The HD version now has the exact original ball speed from the Amiga version, something we never were able to do in the 2D versions so if you've played the 2D version in hardcore difficulty, you can perceive the 3D as being slower - which it is ,,juuso // rodeo