Pinball FX 2 for Xbox LIVE Arcade is one of the highest rated downloadable titles of last year, winning many awards and accolades, as well as the hearts and minds of those enamored with it. Not content to rest on their laurels, ZEN Studios developed and published the Marvel Pinball Tables which were heaped with even more praise. Everyone was wondering what was next to be released on the Pinball FX 2 platform, and now we know. The newest addition to the FX family is Mars, released on Wednesday. Clobber-Tron and Shaz-Bot are two unabashed pinball fanatics, and here are their impressions of the table.
Before we get started, I wanted to mention that the Mars table has been available on the PlayStation 3’s Zen Pinball for a while now, but neither of us had played it before, so this is a “it’s new to me!” type of review.
This can be really jarring if you aren't expecting it, but it's damned cool.
SB: My first impressions when I saw the table were that there wasn’t much going on. The table looks as barren as the Red Planet itself, at least at first.
As I played the table, I found that it is completely packed with features, modes, and cool effects. I’ll elaborate on these a bit later, but what were your first thoughts, Clobby?
CT: The playing field looks like a smiley face and reminded me of the Watchmen in an odd way and does seem a little empty, some boards seem really ‘busy’ this one looks very uncomplicated until you launch the ball. Also, the ramps look a little far away from the flippers so I wasn’t sure if I could hit them consistently.
SB: I see, very astute. I ended up having a 5 hour marathon play session last night to get to the highest score I could, and in so doing, I discovered a bunch of different modes, and I have to say this table is both easy and fun, which makes for a really addictive combination. Unlike say, the Iron Man table, this table is fun for experienced and novices alike. The ball doesn’t insta-drain and if you can manipulate the outlanes correctly, you can have a ball last long enough to unlock a special event! I got to experience stuff such as the magnetic crane, a pyramid transmitting, later having to battle against the pyramid, and my personal favorite, zero-G multiball. In fact, the only mode i didn’t like was the teleports, which I’ll elaborate on after you have your say.
CT: I love these pinball tables as much as you but I’m nowhere near as experienced. The first game I played was actually my most successful. I had not yet read through the missions so I was relying on the dot matrix display to guide me. I did a little of everything including sample collecting with the crane and hit the five hologram icons, but that was about it. I couldn’t start ignition on the ship and I’ve yet to get to the multiball. I think I need to have a huge marathon session too.
They look innocuous, but those holographic yellow gates are killer.
SB: I get what you’re saying, that actually kind of underlines what I like most about ZEN’s pinball tables. The more you play them, the more you learn the ins and outs of any particular table, thereby increasing your enjoyment. So keep playing, and you’ll get to see all that stuff eventually.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows though, as I mentioned before, I am not a fan of the teleport mode. You get all of these translucent yellow gates on the playfield, and if you shoot your ball into one, you have no idea where it’s going to come out resulting in an instant drain if you’re not expecting it (which I wasn’t). The only other real complaint I had was that my preferred view doesn’t really give a good look at the lanes at the top of the playfield. I eventually compensated and was even able to get a 10x multiplier/extra ball, but at first, it was a pain.
If you use a view that doesn't show these lanes, the handy video window will.
CT: The only negatives I have on ALL of the FX Pinball tables is the table bump. I just can’t get the hang of it, luckily this table is very easy to navigate without losing the ball in the side gutters. These really are fun to play alone or with friends, I thank you for turning me on to them, I always wanted to buy an arcade pinball machine but these tables are just as good.
SB: All in all, I have to give the Mars table a big recommendation. It’s perfect for someone who just wants to kill a few minutes with a quick game, or the truly dedicated that will stay up until 4 am just to beat some one’s high score. (guilty)
CT: I totally agree, thanks to Mel and the Staff at Zen studios for the incredible tables. Highly recommended from the BSR staff.
A nice, uncluttered view of the whole table.
Mars is available on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, or withing the Pinball FX 2 game itself for 240 Microsoft Points. You can also grab it for the PS3’s ZEN Pinball for $2.50. Codes were given to us by the developers for review purposes.