Virtual pinball has never stayed constant throughout the years across the various gaming consoles, always a coin toss on whether or not a new title will be a success or nothing but a dud. Zen Pinball is full of pizazz, addictive content and solid gameplay to keep you wiggling those flippers and craving to keep each silver ball alive. Whatever that "it" is, Zen Pinball has it ... and uses it perfectly.
Just four tables might seem bare at first, but from the moment you begin playing, it's obvious there are hundreds of little hidden goodies to discover. As opposed to lightly sprinkling a few things across 10 backdrops, Zen Pinball uses four -- with much hope for some DLC in the near future. The detail is prestine and gorgeous at the same time. Let's conquer these four first, shall we?
Start-up rule sheets are displayed giving you the 4-1-1 on one specific pinball table, mentioning hints and how to conquer each one. It's fun, too, to try out the six camera angles and see which works for you. All of them do a magnificent job of keeping track of the ball and when to smack the flippers, never hurting your chances of staying alive and cooking.
Zen Pinball is at the top of its game as well in the multiplayer/interactive department, linking gamers across the world with online leaderboards (high scores, score speeds, top one-minute scores), constantly-refreshing updates of other pinballers and standard local/online battles between humans. Arguably the most fun feature is the race to reach a certain score, as everyone competing does on their own pinball board individually. Lose a ball? No problem. Shoot another one and keep racking up points after a small deduction in points.
Overall, Zen Pinball does it right and puts itself into a class of its own. Pinball machines are a very unique invention and to replicate the feel of one by using a gaming controller isn't easy. But with gorgeous graphics, fun sound effects and addictive featury gameplay, you'll gain faith in a game like this.
Pros: PS Eye used during gameplay to chat, random online tournaments available, sleek design and real-feel gameplay
Cons: Long loading screens at times, certain bounces make you lose balls unexpectedly
Sounds: 4.25
Control: 4.5
Graphics: 4.5
Fun Factor : 4.25The Info: Platform: Playstation Network, Publisher: Sony, Developer: Zen Studios, Players: 1-2, ESRB: E, Price: $4.99
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