Zen Studios was kind enough to grant Seasoned Gaming early access to their five new Pinball FX tables, which all become available in Pinball FX on May 16th. As someone who plays a lot of pinball, both digital and physical, I was more than happy to put each of these tables through their paces. So, what are the new tables, and are they worth purchasing and playing? Let’s get into it!
What I’ll do is quickly introduce each of the tables, and then I will order the five from what I feel is the greatest to the least, speaking in-depth about each one. And to get the introductions out of the way, we have these five tables: Super League Football, Pacific Rim Pinball, Xena: Warrior Princess Pinball, Knight Rider Pinball, and Battlestar Galactica Pinball. Super League Football and Pacific Rim Pinball are both stand alone offerings, whereas the other three will come as a set as the Universal TV Classics Pinball Collection.
Now, let’s dive into each one. Here is the order of tables, starting from the best of the bunch.
Note: You can find our prior review of Pinball FX here along with our full table rankings prior to this release here
1. Super League Football
This table has a bit of history to it. It was actually crafted as a Pinball FX2 and Zen Pinball 2 table back in 2014, and it included full licensing from the Premier League, allowing players to select their preferred club and engage with their favorite heroes from the pitch. Eventually, that licensing contract expired, and the table became a bit of a ghost. Depending on your region, you might have discovered that the table disappeared, or that it changed minus the licensing. The loss of licensing was a bummer because of how the table incorporates a fixture schedule, allowing you to play matches (albeit, pinball versions) in a league and advancing through the schedule as your top score rises alongside your success.
The unlicensed version is what we have re-integrated back into Pinball FX. And, though the lack of licensing is a bummer, make no mistake: this table is GOOD! It originally set out to be an homage to the legendary World Cup Soccer, and though it doesn’t quite hit those highs (what can, really?), it’s easily the best table in this bunch. It’s also one of Zen’s best ever crafted, and it’s one that, once you’ve sorted its systems, you’ll want to come back to again and again.
2. Xena: Warrior Princess Pinball
Besides presenting one of the most attractive playfields I’ve seen on a pinball table (fitting for the Warrior Princess, of course), the grandiose adventures on hand are spot on, running the gamut of several epic Xena moments from the TV show. The field of play is interesting with lots of fun shots to discover, the music and sound effects are absolutely on point, including some great voice-overs for signature quips, and the HD score display brings all sorts of nostalgia, delivering awesome moments repeatedly.
As one of three tables in the Universal TV Classics Pinball Collection, Xena: Warrior Princess Pinball is a step ahead of the rest. Super League Football might edge this one out for me, but I could see Xena easily being the favorite for many players. It’s that good. I suspect that those who were excited for one of the other tables may just find their hours being spent alongside Xena and her companions in her heroic saga.
3. Battlestar Galactica Pinball
Battlestar Galactica Pinball is a blast. Sometimes, a pinball table is set up simply to give the player a smile throughout, and the layout of this table delivers exactly that. It is a bit ramp heavy, but it uses those ramps for some cool combinations, including a dedicated flipper on the left to add more to that concept. The ramp design can be a bit grating and limiting since most of the play relies on shooting these ramps, but the positions of them keep the pace quite quick.
None of the other tables from the Universal TV Classics Pinball Collection was going to beat out the Warrior Princess, but Battlestar Galactica is different enough that it finds a terrific place in the collection. It’s quick-paced, filled with engaging missions and modes (including some ship battles against the cylons), and it’s fun, making terrific use of the source material. So say we all.
4. Pacific Rim Pinball
And now we come to the other side. Pacific Rim Pinball has so much potential going for it. It’s based on a story in which giant monsters need to be battled against in order to save humanity. Who else does kaiju pinball battles better than Zen Studios? No one, that’s who…unless they’re competing against themselves, that is. Sadly, I have to report that Pacific Rim Pinball doesn’t hold a candle to the incredible efforts found in the Godzilla and Kong tables. Why is that; what went wrong?
You may have heard me rant in other articles or reviews about my extreme dislike for certain table designs, namely those found in Star Wars: Classic Collectibles and the equally-jinxed System Shock tables. What’s wrong with them? It’s all about utilizing the middle of the space. The issue with Pacific Rim Pinball, though it’s not as egregious as those other two tables, is that it stacks a massive robot into the middle of the field.
Pinball tables have a resemblance to shooting galleries: there are many fun things to shoot at to see what happens. But imagine going to a shooting gallery and finding a massive barrel in front of you. Sure, it has three targets on it, but then you notice thirty-seven targets behind it. Yet, to hit any of them, you have to be a lucky sharpshooter because you have no real estate in front of you to work with. Again, Pacific Rim Pinball isn’t AS bad as the other two tables, but everything flows through that robot (barrel) in the middle, and you have to learn quite quickly which shots get on its good side and which to avoid. Though, I suppose, this is likely what it feels like to pilot a Jaeger, let alone Gypsy Danger. The table IS fun overall, but the flow is hindered somewhat from true greatness.
5. Knight Rider Pinball
Is Knight Rider Pinball that terrible to be at the bottom after the ribbing I just gave Pacific Rim Pinball? Understand this, I don’t hate Pacific Rim Pinball; I’m simply pointing out the more critical parts of the table instead of avoiding them in favor of overwhelming praise. I wanted a bit more out of Pacific Rim Pinball’s design and flow, but I still DO really enjoy it! Conversely, I didn’t hold Knight Rider to the same pre-conceived standards, and I got pretty much exactly what I thought I would.
Imagine a mix of V12 (one of Zen’s oldest originals) mixed with Jaws Pinball from Zen’s Universal Classics Pinball (the Universal collection from well before this one). That’s pretty much the design. It’s actually quite fun, but it doesn’t do anything particularly bold or daring. It has some fun drop targets that reminded me of Zen’s Rocky and Bulwinkle in their diagonal design. Knight Rider Pinball also has a conveyer belt that lies horizontally across the top of the playfield wherein all sorts of chaos may ensue. Setting up all of that fun is a fairly open and free-flowing field, but it didn’t feel as engaging to me as the other tables.
One nifty feature the table has is that you can hold the flippers before play in order to turn off the iconic, but licensed, Knight Rider music in case you’re streaming online. As such, the music and sounds are spot on, and even the non-licensed stuff feels like it belongs, which is no easy feat alongside a tune that many of us have been humming since infancy. Knight Rider Pinball might be the lowest on this list, but you could do far worse than the action-packed zaniness in which K.I.T.T. and Michael Knight find themselves in on this quite capable table.
Setting The Score
All five tables really are a blast, and though I find them in this particular order, perhaps your tastes will differ? There’s only one way to find out, after all! Each table brings with it a plethora of items to earn and collect, and I can envision some epic tourneys and events featuring them. People are posting their scores, and I’d love to see all of yours join the fray. Will you knock off my scores? Give it a shot! You’ll have a lot of fun in the process, and so will I.
