Following the recent launch of Pinball FX2, Zen Studios show no sign of slowing down. They’ve been hard at work on building the next few tables for their pinball series, this time tapping into the goldmine offered by the Marvel comic book licences.
Marvel Pinball is available for both PSN and XBLA, but the method of obtaining it differs depending on which platform you choose. On PSN it’s a stand alone release, but on XBLA it takes the form of a downloadable expansion for Pinball FX2. The reason for this is the way that Zen Pinball was designed and although it allows for extra tables, unlike Pinball FX2 you are required to pay for the core engine. Zen say they didn’t want to restrict people to buying Zen Pinball just to play the Marvel tables and that’s certainly a fair point, but to our minds if you haven’t bought it then you really should make it a priority since it really is that good.
There are four new comic themed tables in this release, each with different Marvel heroes – currently this stands as Spider-Man, Iron-Man, Wolverine and Blade. Each one features the seminal heroes and a selection of their most notable villains, with all the fan service a comic book aficionado could ever want. This ranges from Tony Stark’s propensity for drink and parties, through to Deacon Frost’s plans to throw the world into darkness on the Blade table.
As we’ve come to expect from Zen, each one is extremely well crafted, making them a delight to play. Be it the large swooping ramps on the Spider-Man table which are befitting the web slingers aerial acrobatics, through to the animated characters who dominate the tables, each one is a visual spectacle to be enjoyed. It’s certainly a sight to behold as Doc Ock starts to clamber down the table towards the flippers, Wolverine’s claws punch through the top of the table, or Iron Man suits up to tackle The Mandarin or Whiplash. These are a spectacle that just wouldn’t be possible on a traditional pinball table, but despite their grandeur they manage to stay functional and serve a purpose. They also show that Zen know how to strike a balance between producing an entertaining table without over egging the pudding.
It also goes without saying that the tables feature Zen’s excellent leaderboard and score integration, meaning highscore addicts will have plenty to keep them occupied and the new tables open up new possibilities for laying down whole new challenges amongst your friends.
With additional Marvel tables already planned it’s clear that they’re tackling the license with relish. This enthusiasm shows in spades and there’s certainly more than enough here to keep both fans of Marvel and Zen’s pinball very happy indeed.
Fantastic Four DLC Review – 27th May 2011 by Jamie Davies
When Zen published the Marvel tables for Pinball FX2, they hastily promised that more were on the way. The first of these titles is now here, featuring everyone’s favourite superhero family, The Fantastic Four.
At this point the hardcore comic fans will probably start wailing about how The Fantastic Four are no more thanks to the death of Johnny Storm and the quartet’s transformation into the Future Foundation. But that’s the kind of stuff that will only bother the most blinkered of comic book fans (let’s be honest we all know that it’s a massive fake-out and The Human Torch will be back at some point). Using the heritage of the Fantastic Four allows them to draw on a rich litany of characters and incorporate them into the pinball action.
So alongside The Human Torch (just deal with it nerds!), Mr Fantastic, Invisible Woman and The Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing, the player will find the table populated by The Skrulls, Dr Doom, Galactus and even Mole-Man. Once again it’s the sort of fan service which elevated the previous Marvel tables into a must-play addition and they’ve managed the exact same thing here. It’s hard not to smile the first time you see Reed Richards stretch his arms out to reposition the ball, witness The Thing stomping the table for all he’s worth, or hear Galactus’ voice booming out
As you’ve probably come to expect by now, gameplay on the table is fast and furious and if there’s any criticism to be levied then it’s that the table is perhaps a little too busy on times. However this is a grumble that won’t last long for those who are willing to put the time into learning the finer intricacies of how it all works, eventually flipping that complaint around since there’s more opportunities to rack up an additional score.
Once again Zen have provided an exciting, entertaining and well balanced table with which any self-respecting owner Pinball FX fan, let alone comic book fan, needs to own.
Captain America DLC Review – 27th June 2011 by Jamie Davies
Fortuitously (and no doubt deliberately) timed to coincide with the build up to Marvel’s latest summer movie blockbuster Captain America, Zen Studios have given the red white and blue Avenger his own pinball table.
By now Zen have become dab hands at delivering the goods with the Marvel franchise and on starting up Cap’s table you’ll probably be struck by how slower it feels in pace compared to something like the recent Fantastic Four release.
Of course there’s still plenty to see and do, including the nefarious Red Skull, Baron Zemo and Sleeper robots, along with allies such as Bucky and The Howling Commandos. But this time the table seems to deliberately dial back a little on the crazy thundering and bumping exhibited by some of the other tables, at the same time managing not to sacrificing things. There’s still plenty to see and scoring mechanics to master in order to rack up the points; learning the intricacies of the ramps, challenges and dabbling with The Cosmic Cube to increase your score will certainly provide more than enough challenge and entertainment
There’s no doubt that this Captain America release is another table which pinball fans and Marvel fans alike will thoroughly enjoy.
Vengeance & Virtue DLC Review – 18th December 2011 by Jamie Davies
After a few `one shot` releases it seems that Zen Studios have decided to, once again, pack four Marvel themed pinball tables together with the release of the Vengeance & Virtue DLC.
It’s an odd decision given the separate releases for Captain America and The Fantastic Four were reasonably strong, but by way of speculation there’s possibly a number of reasons for this. Of course there are well known characters in this release such as the X-men who, thanks to their cinematic offerings, are widely recognised outside of the fan base generated by the long running comics. But it also includes a Thor and Ghost Rider table and while both of these characters have had recent film releases based on them, dare it be said the collective destructive forces of Kenneth `lovie` Branner and Nicholas `Bear Punch` Cage were the nails in each of the coffins for the wider public.
Then there’s also the Moon Knight table, undoubtedly an odd decision for inclusion given that, even for comic book fans, he’s pretty left field (but arguably one of the most interesting and underused in Marvel’s roster).
These musings aside, there’s clearly the titular Vengeance and Virtue theme running through all the included characters that anyone with even a passing understanding of their back story will be able to string together. And regardless it’s not important in light of the most vital aspect – how the tables actually play.
In that regard, Zen have once again knocked the proverbial ball out of the park. Each of the four tables is given the usual loving touch and attention to detail that’s beginning to make these summaries sound like a stuck record. But it really is true, there’s a clear love for the source material which just shines through and Marvel fans won’t be able to help sitting there and grinning at the fan service on offer.
From the antagonizing remarks of Moon god Khonshu on the Moon Knight table, through to performing stunts as Johnny Blaze (aka Ghost Rider) there’s lots of the usual neat little touches. Some tables employ nice features such as reversed flippers for a small section of the table which require you to push the ball downwards, instead of the traditional method of up the table. Traditional sweeping ramps and bumper targets are once again accompanied by more fantastical additions such as huge animated shotguns to fire out the ball and moving characters, all of which add to the authenticity and make good use of the Marvel licence.
Coupled with needing to learn the intricacies for each table’s different score-multipliers, there’s plenty on offer here. If there are any criticisms to be levied at the tables it’s one that’s raised its head before, in that some of them do feel a bit too flash for their own good . A classic example is the X-men table which feels a bit too garish and busy to readily keep track of the ball, and the Moon Knight table’s multi-ball function which, when triggered, sees the balls being turned into glowing moon spheres which makes them awkward to follow.
But these are minor gripes that can be adjusted too, leaving this release as another bumper pack for players to get to grips with in an attempt to rack up even more high scores. Coupled with the Marvel Pinball / Pinball FX2 framework which allows for challenging players on your friends list, it’s incredibly easy to get sucked back in all over again.
