Pinball fans and Marvel fans can unite in joyous harmony with the release of Marvel Pinball from none other than Zen Studios and Marvel.
If you’ve been reading our reviews, you probably know that we’ve pretty much reviewed every pinball game form Zen studios, starting with Zen Pinball, all the way to the latest DLC table, Paranormal… and we’ve loved them all! So naturally, we expect nothing less from them. So how does Marvel Pinball live up to our expectations? Pretty damn well.
So let’s start with the most important aspect: gameplay. I’d say Marvel Pinball passes with flying colors. It has all the accurate pinball simulation you’d expect from Zen Studios. But there are a few subtle differences that we felt playing this one, especially right after playing Zen Pinball.
First of all, the game in general seemed a bit easier. I was able to beat some of my high scores on Zen Pinball after only a few tries on Marvel Pinball. I was able to access more of the mini-games and missions after only an hour or so of trials. It may sound like I’m saying this as a negative aspect, but it’s all about prespective. For myself, I think it’s great. The mini-games and missions are where the crux of the fun of pinball gaming lies. So if it takes too long to even get to them, it can be a little frustrating. But then again, having them too easily accessible just makes it boring. I think this game has reached a happy balance of challenge and fun.
The second subtle difference was in the pinball physics itself. This was a matter of opinion among our editors, but personally I couldn’t help but notice that the ball seemed a little bit lighter, especially when you’ve recently played Zen Pinball. It could be the size or design of Marvel tables, but indeed it felt a bit different than the traditional Zen Pinball tables we’ve seen so far and we think it’s a good thing.
Now that we’ve talked about the general gameplay, let’s take a look at the individual tables themselves. This is where the game really shines. This game comes with 4 tables: Wolverine, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Blade. They are all very pretty to look at. Each table features a host of great character-based designs, as well as a few key villains. For example, the Spider-Man table has Doc Oc, Mysterio, the Green Goblin, and J.J., while the Woverine table features Sabertooth, Silver Samurai, and the Sentinel. There are some great mini-games and missions packed into these tables, sure to satisfy both pinball and marvel fans alike.
My favorite table would probably have to be either the Wolverine or Blade table. The Wolverine table features Wolverine on the right half of the table, with Silver Samurai at the top left corner, Sabertooth in the center, and the Sentinel in the top right corner. The reason I love this table is that it’s really dynamic. For example, when the Sabertooth mission is activated, Sabertooth actually jumps to where Wolverine is, and they duke it out! How awesome is that?
The Blade table has a great set up as well. The table has a day and night system, where during the day, the mini-games and mission all relate to preparation for the hunt: getting cash, buying weapons, collecting talismans, etc.
Once night falls, Blade and Hannibal are on the hunt, with the main villain being Frost. It really does bring an interesting twist into the pinball strategy.
My least favorite table was Iron Man. The table attempts to capture the sleek, metalic look of Iron Man, and it does so successfully. But the playing field seemed a little plain and uninventive. But Iron Man himself was very cool. He starts out as Tony Stark, but once you get a mission going, he suits up to become Iron Man.
The Spiderman Table offers alot of playing fields. Though this is the only table that doesn’t feature a moving, talking Spider-Man figure, it definitely holds its own in terms of playability and fun. The table is full of fast, twisting ramps that the ball travels, capturing the feel of web-slinging.
As you’ve probably seen from these screenshots, the visuals look great. The music is also good too. It has the old school sound, and captures the feel of each table. The one small disappointment I had with the sound is the voices of each character. Whether its Spiderman or Wolverine, the voices just didn’t fit what I had grown up with/seen in the movies. But other than that, this game is a pretty well rounded package.
The multiplayer modes for Marvel Pinball are pretty standard: Offline, players can play a “Hotseat” game where each player takes a turn on the same table. Online, players compete to reach the target score. The host can also put a time limit on the game, awarding the player with the highest score a win. Like any game, this game features Leaderboards that keep track of high scores for each table, as well as a more overall score called Hero Scores.
So in conclusion, I’d have to say that Zen Studio and Marvel did a great job with this game. This game would definitely be a great introduction into the pinball simulation scene, with both accessible table motifs as well as difficulty. As I mentioned earlier, the physics seem slightly off when compared with Zen Pinball, but I’m certain that this will satisfy both Pinball fans and Marvel fans alike.
