Review: Pinball FX 2 (XBLA)

Pinball is one of those age-old varieties of gaming that unlike the arcade culture that birthed it, refuses to die. Though no longer being dominated by the traditional heavy hitters like Williams and Gottlieb, the genre has recently seen a rebirth in a digital form, proving that the fan base is still there. In response to this dedicated population, Zen Studios released Pinball FX for Xbox LIVE Arcade in 2007. Initially, the title was heralded for its solid simulation, but unfortunately this was only a result of reviewers comparing it to the products of previous console generations.

Game: Pinball FX 2
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Zen Studios
Genre: Pinball Simulation
Price: Free for base application, 800 Microsoft Points for table packs
Verdict: Addictive and authentic
Pros: This is everything that the original Pinball FX should have been.
Cons: The legacy tables do not hold up to the scrutiny of the new engine.

Download Code acquired via Publisher

As time passed, the game was shown in a more accurate light, receiving criticism for imprecise and inaccurate physics, along with sparse and bland table design. Zen then took another whack at the tilt-inducing genre in 2009 with the release of their PlayStation Network sim, the aptly named Zen Pinball. This time out the physics were tight, tables were fantastically designed, and the action was intense. On many fronts this seemed like the game that Pinball FX was SUPPOSED to be. Whether it acts as an apology for the first outing or more of a love letter to fans, Pinball FX 2 hits the Xbox LIVE Arcade in hopes of making things right the second time around. So is this an apology worth accepting, or should the hardcore pinball fans migrate back to their PlayStation 3?

Right out of the gate, it should be noted that this is as much a new game as the American Revolution was a regional dispute over taxation practices. At risk of calling bullshit on Zen Studios shenanigans, this is more of a glorified title update that completely undoes all of the mistakes of the original installment. Further evidence of this is the game’s “free” price tag, complete with the ability to import all of your tables from the first game, revamped to play within the sequel’s new and much improved framework. No, this is not fan service, it is an admission of guilt for the first game, masquerading as something new. That isn’t to say this is necessarily a bad thing though.

It would be impossible to speak intelligently about any kind of pinball simulation without discussing the physics engine. Whereas the prior iteration felt like whacking around a helium-filled ping pong ball, in FX 2 there is a genuine heft at which the ball carries. Continuing down the road of realism, momentum plays a serious role in the both the flight of the ball and the design of the new tables, while thankfully not resulting in a “floaty” shot trajectory. Even the telltale recoil of a ball bounding off of a bumper seems more closely grounded in actuality. This may very well be the closest that one could get to replicating the minutia of pinball in electronic form, without having to “quarter up” and wait your turn.

Though it was alluded to earlier, it should reiterated that if you purchased the original Pinball FX your money has not been wasted, because all of the tables both included with the game and purchased as DLC can be imported into FX 2. So even if a player were not to purchase any of the newly available tables exclusive to the sequel, it would still be well worth the download if for no other reasons than the vastly improved physics engine, visual enhancements, and completely new batch of achievements, all of which can be applied to their pre-existing library. The one problem with this is that the new engine further shows how weak the initial batch of tables were.

Fortunately for the discerning among us, Zen Studios have also remedied this situation by provided a completely new pack of tables that are far superior to anything that has ever been available on the Xbox 360 platform. Taking everything that was gleaned from developing Zen Pinball on the PlayStation 3, the four new maps are jam packed with more lights, bumpers, ramps, models and interactive items than you could shake a proverbial stick at. Thank goodness they have taken these changes to heart because the variety and quality needed serious help to regain relevancy. These should all be a dramatic step in the right direction.

In Pasha, players get to navigate their way through a Persian themed setting, complete with every ethnic and regional cliché possible. Starkly contrasting that location, Rome, as one could assume from the name, takes place during the heyday of the Roman Empire. Just when you thought it was okay to go back into the water, Secrets of the Deep shows you why that would be a bad idea, completely with submarines and undersea exploration. Lastly, BioLab lands you in the middle of a genetic engineering project gone horribly awry. If you are looking for variety, you have certainly come to the right place.

Pinball FX 2 is far more than simply a game though, it turns their successful and finally feature complete engine into a platform for delivering countless pieces of DLC. Players will be able to download and demo individual tables that they have no obligation to purchase, much like what is found on XBLA. This is a perfect way for Zen Studios to be able to make a buck, licensing out the engine to other would-be developers, in hopes that they can follow in their stellar footsteps. To say this is brilliant would be an understatement, but let’s just hope this doesn’t lead to any degradation in the quality of the table design. The course of the USS Pinball FX has finally been righted, it would be a shame to see someone else act as an iceberg.

Without even touching on features like a fully realized online and split-screen multiplayer, Pinball FX 2 is the kind of game that you don’t as much recommend, as you implore everyone to download. This is the closest you are ever going to get to an arcade from the comfort of your own couch. The action is quick, the colors are flashy and the animations are smooth, making it a cocktail of distractions for ADD gamers everywhere. Luckily, this time out, the gameplay can back up the price tag in a big way. So save your quarters, because you will definitely want to take this out for a long test drive.