There was a time when pinball was the arcade. Well before we had video screens on which to do our gaming, there were games of skill on which to prove ourselves, and pinball ruled them all. It is important that we recognize the difference between these “games of skill” and “gambling games.”
This distinction can easily be understood when comparing a pinball table and a slot machine. With a pinball table (yes, I call them tables, though I realize it’s “taboo” for some in the pin world to do so) a player’s skill is on display, and their score is an easy distillation and representation of said skill. When playing a slot machine, however, no skill is involved; it’s completely a game of luck. The two play concepts are completely at odds with each other, like water and oil, but sometimes we have to experiment to see if blending two polar opposites can make a fine milkshake.
Enter Slot Shots Pinball Ultimate Edition
When the original Slot Shots Pinball released, developed and produced by Pinblend Studios, it was clearly an experiment in many ways. Even though casino concepts have been done on other pinball tables, blending the slot machine concept is a core function in Slot Shots Pinball; it’s baked into the name. Every table has the slot rewards pasted to the front, and it’s always evident that a high score can very much rely on your luck with the slots.
What was not so evident at first, for me, was that the pinball itself was going to play so very well. Now, let me put it into perspective: the original Slot Shots Pinball was not the best pinball experience in the digital world. I think anyone with any knowledge of video pinball will realize that, regardless of how you view their business practices, Zen Studios has been making stellar pinball machines for quite some time. But when compared to Zen’s original offerings so many moons ago, Slot Shots Pinball played equally well or even better than Zen’s machines.
With Slot Shots Pinball Ultimate Edition, Pinblend Studios made many changes and enhancements to the tables that served to launch the quality up to a surprising degree. Though the newer tables feature more intricate playfields and different physics, the older tables here play surprisingly well. None of the tables have much of a story that backs up the themes of each table, so there is not as much depth in the modes as many modern tables and those in Zen’s catalogs. But the layouts of the tables, especially the newer ones, feel very modern, indeed.
The graphics are also fairly attractive, though there is certainly room for improvement here. Sound effects stand out with a ton of personality, and the music design is fairly solid, though some of it apes licensed music too closely for my liking, which I’ll talk about in the respective tables in just a moment.
Table Talk
Now, let’s get to the tables. As with any pinball experience, the enjoyment comes down to each individual table, and these vary wildly in Slot Shots Pinball Ultimate Edition. So what I’ll do is talk briefly about each of the thirteen tables, putting them in my personal order from least to greatest overall. And it all starts with Neon Nights Original.
13. Neon Nights Original
This one was obvious as even Pinblend Studios noted it was added as a bonus. While it is one of the thirteen tables, it is the one that started it all…and it shows. The field feels barren, and elements do not flow very well. Plus, personally, I’m not a fan of the outlanes being another set of flippers since it adds more chaos than intrigue. One could get a lackluster impression if Neon Nights Original was the only table played as it’s by far the weakest. But it is more of a bonus, and the other tables are all much better.
12. Neon Nights Ultimate
So why is another Neon Nights table the next one up; what went wrong? Neon Nights Ultimate does a lot of things correctly, actually. But it seems to force the idea of their first table into working after “figuring it out” with their other tables. Still, a lot was “corrected” on this table, including much better flow, more interesting goals, and more exciting situations overall. Neon Nights Ultimate may be the next on this list, but make no mistake: this one is MUCH better than the original.
11. Dream World
Do you remember when I mentioned going over the music a bit later? Well, here we are. Dream World has the theme of a 1950’s diner if it was based in the clouds and made of sugar. And the soundtrack was pulled straight from the 1955 portion of Back to the Future, only it’s different. The music isn’t licensed, so it’s not quite the same as the originals, but it’s close enough that I wished it was either the actual songs or altogether different. Still, the table plays fairly well and is good overall, though the layout isn’t as smooth and sensible as others higher on this list.
10. Tomb Keeper Manor
This table went through some changes before being in its current state. It tries so hard to present a certain aesthetic, and it nearly hits that mark in most aspects. That’s the actual theme: it nearly does it all so well. Something is slightly off throughout the table, but maybe that’s the point? The genius? Every time I’ve played Tomb Keeper Manor, it’s grown on me as it intrigued me. Who knows…the next time I play it, it might just be near the top for me! As it stands, it is a very good table that keeps me thinking about it.
9. Neon Nights 2 Skylines
As the third and final in the Neon Nights trilogy of tables, it seems the second time is the charm. Not only did they get rid of the flippers on the outlanes, but the entire experience is better with target locations and goals that make sense. As someone who loves the theme of a neon cityscape, I’m thrilled that the best version of Neon Nights is oh so fantastic.
8. Bass Hunter
A fun fact about Bass Hunter is that Pinblend Studios labels it as the most difficult table. I’m not sure that I found that to be the case, though it’s entirely possible. For some reason, the table tried to fight me in other ways. For some reason, there would be hiccups quite frequently, where the game would pause and then propel forward after a moment. This happened a time or two on other tables as well, but it happened every time I played Bass Hunter, including one time where the game froze and never corrected. When it’s working, Bass Hunter is a ton of fun with incredible music and atmosphere, and it is one that I look forward to spending more time with, hopefully with those issues soon fixed.
7. Super Vixel Land
Here we go; Super Vixel Land is a true surprise! These are the tables that I really enjoy: the ones that have a risky theme but end up working incredibly well. The concept takes Super Mario Bros. and changes enough to distill it into a non-licensed table design. The graphics work well here given the intentional pixel design, and the music and sound effects sound catchy and nostalgic. There is a lot to enjoy in Super Vixel Land.
6. Slot Shots Casino
If any table exemplifies the Slot Shots Pinball experience, it is absolutely Slot Shots Casino. Despite the premise being found literally in the name, slots are all the rage on this table. There is fun to be found in every corner, and there are a lot of ways to score big. The scoring is based in equal parts on luck and skill, and the feeling of scoring big hits harder here, perhaps, than on any other table in the package.
5. Dracula’s Pawn
I love this table. The theme is tied with Mystic Ballistic as my favorite of them all. It feels like there is a mystery to solve, and the table missions lead more toward an end conclusion here than the rest of the catalog. Plus, although the voice of Dracula doesn’t sound like I would imagine the Count to sound, I wouldn’t change it for any other as it is awesome. This is one table that I will continue to spend quite some time with. It’s the first of Pinblend Studios’ true masterclass tables in Slot Shots Pinball Ultimate Edition, and even the usage of slots serves not to distract but to add an air of mystery without overstaying its welcome.
4. The Kraken’s Cove
This table brings the fun. From a theme of adventure on the high seas to table goals that are as exciting to engage in as they are to accomplish, The Kraken’s Cove keeps on giving. One minor issue I had was that the ball actually jumped over my flipper once, causing a ball out, but that minor quibble wasn’t enough to distract me from how special each outing is in The Kraken’s Cove.
3. Ocean Breeze
When the table’s entire theme is fun in the sun, the layout has to bring it. And Ocean Breeze offers chutes, ramps, and possibly the most complex play space of all of the tables on offer. But the interconnectedness of the elements is chiseled to perfection, and racking up high scores on this ocean of a table truly is a breeze and a blast of fun.
2. Outergalactic Aliens
It was difficult to decide whether Outergalactic Aliens or Mystic Ballistic would be top on my chart, and I could probably go back and forth between the two several more times. Make no mistake: both are sublime. Outergalactic Aliens does this even being one of the older tables, albeit one that has been updated. It is obvious that the elements of this table have been maneuvered and tweaked to get the flow just right, and it flows so well. The aesthetics combine to make a table that proves a somewhat simple design can amount to so much more.
1. Mystic Ballistic
My love for nature pushed Mystic Ballistic to the top for me. Well, that and masterful design ensured the top spot for this one. Mystic Ballistic reminds me of the old Centipede game in its concept, with secrets around every corner of the foliage-filled table. Regarding the top tables on this list, it will always be a subjective preference because they’re all fantastic, but I absolutely love everything about Mystic Ballistic: how it plays, how it sounds, how it looks, the missions, element placement, flow…it’s fantastic in all of the ways, and it is my personal standout of the bunch.
Skill Versus Luck
So those were some brief thoughts on each table, but let’s discuss what makes Slot Shots Pinball Ultimate Edition different from other video pinball packages, and that would be the slots themselves. While skill is needed to accomplish missions and shot goals on the tables, introducing slots as an essential feature of each table means some of the scoring will be based entirely on luck. This is a bit of a double-edged sword for me because who doesn’t enjoy winning it big? But when someone’s score can be based entirely on incredible luck, it can serve to diminish the impact of the scoreboards which normally portray skill and table knowledge.
To its credit, Slot Shots Pinball Ultimate Edition does a pretty decent job at integrating the slots overall. But their inclusion can still be a detriment against skill-based scoring, especially on tables where the slots are easier to engage. Also, the jackpots can be insanely huge, making it so one player’s score after thirty minutes of play can be surpassed by one lucky go at the slots from another less skilled player. With slots, the jackpots have to be sizeable to be exciting, but I think this could be further balanced by decreasing the jackpot amounts a bit more and ensuring that engaging the slots in the first place still requires a decent amount of skill.
A Few Smudges
Beyond the slots, which is admittedly a personal issue and one that obviously isn’t going anywhere in a game with slots in its name, I was genuinely surprised by my time with Slot Shots Pinball Ultimate Edition. With the exception of a few hiccups during gameplay (especially during Bass Hunter) and the odd times where the ball would get stuck or jump over my flipper, each table plays very smoothly. Another concerning drag, though, is the atrocious UI at present. Trying to navigate around the menus is a learning experience, and the need to press a button to manually upload high scores after each play is very strange; why does this not happen automatically?
Final Thoughts
I have no doubt, given Pinblend Studios’ previous actions, that the game will continue to get attention and support to aid with all of these issues, improve existing tables, and add in whatever else they might think is needed. In the mean time, what we have is a video pinball experience that is a bit different than the others, and it’s mostly incredible. With great-playing tables, varied and enticing themes, multiple exciting camera angles, and design that continues to improve and delight, Pinblend Studios hits the mark more than they miss. Slot Shots Pinball Ultimate Edition is a surprisingly good pinball effort, and, though this one is labeled as an ultimate edition, I have a feeling that Pinblend Studios’ greatness may just be getting started.
You can find Seasoned Gaming’s review policy here. Thanks to the team at Keymailer for the review key.
