-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
The Pinball Arcade |OT| play them all from Soho to Brighton
- Thread starter AMUSIX
- Start date
From TPA's Facebook page, they posted this in a comment thread literally about an hour ago:
Hunter-Zero
Member
That pricing is godlike, can´t wait, some news about the ps3-vita version release date?
There's a problem with the Xbox Live Marketplace? YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME.
It's the only item on there that's broken, too
Worked for me...
Minsc
Member
You mean you don't sit down on the floor and check for gum stuck to the bottom of the table when you launch the ball either? To be honest, it makes as much sense to me as binding the flippers to the left and right arrow keys (which they actually did in the Mac version, no options anywhere to change the controls either).
The perfect Dark
Banned
Hmm I tried the demo and I don't know if it's worth the 800 points. Yeah it's fun and I like it (plays very different than Pinball FX) but only four tables..hmm....
Did they mention release dates for new tables?
Did they mention release dates for new tables?
Minsc
Member
They are aiming for 1-2 tables a month, and the first two DLC are already submitted to Apple, and should appear in iOS soon. MS will get them this week, and then it just depends on how long their approval process is:
I don't think the number of tables is bad for the price at all, it breaks down to just over $2 a table right (or maybe less if you buy your points on sale)? I guess they could sell them for $1 a table, but you can't get too much cheaper than that!
I imagine the new tables will require you to buy the current 4, and will cost extra of course.Parallax Scroll
Banned
I tried this out a little bit on Xbox. I have it on ipad as well but as far as I'm concerned, this is the first version that really counts since I'm not a fan of touch screen controls. The physics and audio are godlike. I haven't tried messing with the camera much yet. My XBL is ParallaxScroll. Please add me if you haven't already so we can get some scoreboards going!
Mihos
Member
I am addicted to this on my Galaxy Tab. I can't wait for Fun House. I played the hell out of that when I was younger. Fun House and PinBot were probably the only two pinball games I was good enough to play all day with one credit.
Only complaint I have so far is there seems to be the slightest hint of flipper lag, especially in multi-ball.
Only complaint I have so far is there seems to be the slightest hint of flipper lag, especially in multi-ball.
Hunter-Zero
Member
Agreed, i was playing the demo version in my ipad yesterday, and i don´t like it so much either...is weird, maybe the setting turns me off, the mechanics are ok though.
I managed to top the local high scores without ever really knowing what I was doing, scoring two or three extra balls from my first. The top of the playfield feels far too bunched together and there's no real flow to the table at all. On top of that, the theme's pretty shit.
It gets decent reception on IPDB.org, but I'm really not seeing it. But having said that, I'd struggle to think of another Stern game to fit the bill of not having an expensive license *and* being good. In fact, I can't think of any recent Stern games at all that wouldn't have a high licensing fee. Possibly World Poker Tour would fit the bill, but I'm a little biased toward tables with more flow and less clutter.
Baron
Member
I just put in a half hour of play on the 360 version, and my only complaint so far is the animation for the plunger. It's really choppy, which is odd, because I don't recall it being unusual in the disc Williams collection. And it seems to be the choppy on all the tables, not just one. I hope they fix this - it's pretty inconsequential in the larger game, but it's a distraction right at the start.
I love it otherwise - loading times are nearly nil, which is awesome.
I love it otherwise - loading times are nearly nil, which is awesome.
The perfect Dark
Banned
Hmm I'm still not sure :s
I don't like Black Hole and I keep losing the ball very quickly on every table :/
I don't like Black Hole and I keep losing the ball very quickly on every table :/
Hunter-Zero
Member
That´s the beauty of this game, the awesome physics, in the real world you can´t be playing with the first ball forever on this tables unless you get really good at them...you need more practice, that´s all.
Minsc
Member
Yeah, I'm actually more impressed by the simulations when the ball is lost with me just hitting it once (or sometimes not even once), as it reminds me of how that always would happen in real pinball tables, I remember so many times it'd drop out the side gutter right from launch.
Had this a couple of days now for review purposes.
It is glorious and offers a different experience to Pinball FX, that being more for fantasy tables, where they can go to town with effects and what not. This though is just bringing back memories of the real life tables I used to play in the arcades.
Physics seem spot on to me and having played a lot of Ripley's over the years, it feels just right in this version.
800 Points is a bargain too, as it will work out to 200 points per table, which is basically the price of a table on Pinball FX2 and hopefully the price per future table on Pinball Arcade.
In the seafront arcade near me, they have a Black Hole table that I haven't played much, or for ages. So going to hammer it on here and see how well it transfers to the real table.
It is glorious and offers a different experience to Pinball FX, that being more for fantasy tables, where they can go to town with effects and what not. This though is just bringing back memories of the real life tables I used to play in the arcades.
Physics seem spot on to me and having played a lot of Ripley's over the years, it feels just right in this version.
800 Points is a bargain too, as it will work out to 200 points per table, which is basically the price of a table on Pinball FX2 and hopefully the price per future table on Pinball Arcade.
In the seafront arcade near me, they have a Black Hole table that I haven't played much, or for ages. So going to hammer it on here and see how well it transfers to the real table.
BolognaSoup
Member
Baron
Member
That doesn't happen to be the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, does it?
Minsc
Member
Yeah, isn't it great! Sure beats having to buy 20 different pinball games to get the tables you want. I much prefer this method of 1 game + DLC tables. I hope they support it even longer, as I'll hate having to rebuy all the tables on a new engine down the road at some point, but if that's what it comes to...
Nah, I am in the UK. It is (was) in Southend. Beaten up and tatty, but it is Black Hole.
So after an hour of play I can say I'm really satisfied with my purchase on XBLA. Williams Collection was one of my favorite games and I own it on PS2, PSP, Wii, and 360. After Gottlieb collection, Farsight really kicked it into gear in the physics to know what a good pinball video game could be.
I have some minor complaints but I'll start with the good stuff:
1) Theatre of Magic, this is one of my all time favorite tables, I know every nook and cranny and all the secrets to this table. Its a blast to play. The flow of the game is excellent because of all the many loops but there's still a ton of toys to play with to keep you interested. The wizard mode is excellent that its not just another lets throw a shitton of balls at your way and see how you'll fare in 60 seconds, but it gives you objectives to aim for in a period of time. Do you bother getting extra balls or do you go for 50 million per smack or do you try to activate Tiger Saw multiball. All in all a great table.
1) Black Hole. Aside from the stupid re-entry gate this is one of the few Gottlieb tables that actually feel "fair" when you play it. Its just a matter of ball control and shot placement and not try to play the sub-table until you're ready.
2) Ripley's Believe it or not, admittedly I've only played this table twice, and both times were in an airport arcade in Minneapolis' Airport. It's not a bad Stern table to showcase for PA's release. There's so much shit going on ala Simpsons Pinball Party but not as deep as Simpsons. There's a ton of stuff to do and objectives to reach and the way it keeps tally on your objectives for further bonus scoring is quite neat. The table design is kinda generic because its a lot like The Addams Family (GEE I WONDER WHY hohoho) in terms of flipper and ramp placement. But on the flipside its probably the closest we'll get to TAF in terms of gameplay. Its not TAF but its still fun. What's really fun is the inside jokes that this table has especially towards The Addams family.
4) Tales of the Arabian Nights (TOTAN) now this is easily in my top 5 favorite pins of all time. I really, really love this table. I've probably but more quarters is table than any other since there was a bar that had it in perfect shape and I would drink beers and smoke cigarettes for hours on end playing it. It has a running, cohesive story, direct objectives to complete, an excellent wizard mode and lots of fun secrets. I learn new stuff about this table every day, I wasn't aware of the super skillshot until about 2 years ago.
With that said, there's some gripes i have which are minor but in some cases are affecting my play.
1) TOTAN is barely playable for me like in Williams Collection on 360. I don't know what it is but I feel like I have no ball control what so ever. I hate making Tiger Loops because they seem to drain right down the middle after completing the left loop shot or the ball with drain STRM after shooting up the ball lock head on in the space between the bazaar and the lamp instead of shooting it towards the lock area. Hitting the genie reliably also feels off. It really has to do with angles and in Williams Collection you had 6 angles to goof around with, this you only get 3.
2) You only get 3 angles to deal with. I'm not sure why this is the case right now, in Williams and in Pinball FX2 you get a ton of angles. Pinball is and always will be a game played in the third dimension and you need that depth to judge angles, camera angles help with that regard to make shots but it'll never be the same as real pinball. More options are better, I'm kind of sad to see that there's only 3. Hopefully that can be patched later.
3) Bounciness, the ball feels a lot more "rubbery", its not impossible to control, as I got 3 billion on theater of magic, but I found myself judging bounce passes wrong, post passes wrong, and not able to flipper pass with regular predictability. Its not that the physics are broken, it just means I have to take the time to get used to it. It's a minor thing but not as bad as getting so many drains due to angle of ball placement like in TOTAN, thats really frustrating.
Anyway I only had an hour in and I have to go to work, but its really awesome that this game finally came out. I like Pinball FX2 well enough, but its not the same as actual pins. This really comes the closest and feels even better than Visual Pinball ever did. I'm happy with the 4 games that they released with but I'm really wanting more soon. I'm glad I have Ripley's to dick around with and two of my favorite pins of all time in this collection right off the bat, but I'm really salivating for Cirques Voltaire, which is a pin I never got to play in real life sadly, no matter how much I looked for it, and only got to play it in Visual Pinball. I'm really excited for it.
As for a wishlist, well since Stern gave Farsight the go ahead with any of their tables as long as they can secure the product tie-in license then I can see the possibilities for some really great or interesting tables that might not cost an arm and a leg to get:
World Poker Tour
That Jeanette Lee Pool Table one
Wheel of Fortune
Roller Coaster Tycooon
Family Guy
If they had unlimited funding, then my one wish would be to get Pirates of The Caribbean table. It's probably my favorite modern pinball table.
As for the Bally or Williams tables, I'd really like to see Whodunnit or Champion Pub. And I don't think it should be too hard for them to get that license. Cactus Canyon would be great too.
I have some minor complaints but I'll start with the good stuff:
1) Theatre of Magic, this is one of my all time favorite tables, I know every nook and cranny and all the secrets to this table. Its a blast to play. The flow of the game is excellent because of all the many loops but there's still a ton of toys to play with to keep you interested. The wizard mode is excellent that its not just another lets throw a shitton of balls at your way and see how you'll fare in 60 seconds, but it gives you objectives to aim for in a period of time. Do you bother getting extra balls or do you go for 50 million per smack or do you try to activate Tiger Saw multiball. All in all a great table.
1) Black Hole. Aside from the stupid re-entry gate this is one of the few Gottlieb tables that actually feel "fair" when you play it. Its just a matter of ball control and shot placement and not try to play the sub-table until you're ready.
2) Ripley's Believe it or not, admittedly I've only played this table twice, and both times were in an airport arcade in Minneapolis' Airport. It's not a bad Stern table to showcase for PA's release. There's so much shit going on ala Simpsons Pinball Party but not as deep as Simpsons. There's a ton of stuff to do and objectives to reach and the way it keeps tally on your objectives for further bonus scoring is quite neat. The table design is kinda generic because its a lot like The Addams Family (GEE I WONDER WHY hohoho) in terms of flipper and ramp placement. But on the flipside its probably the closest we'll get to TAF in terms of gameplay. Its not TAF but its still fun. What's really fun is the inside jokes that this table has especially towards The Addams family.
4) Tales of the Arabian Nights (TOTAN) now this is easily in my top 5 favorite pins of all time. I really, really love this table. I've probably but more quarters is table than any other since there was a bar that had it in perfect shape and I would drink beers and smoke cigarettes for hours on end playing it. It has a running, cohesive story, direct objectives to complete, an excellent wizard mode and lots of fun secrets. I learn new stuff about this table every day, I wasn't aware of the super skillshot until about 2 years ago.
With that said, there's some gripes i have which are minor but in some cases are affecting my play.
1) TOTAN is barely playable for me like in Williams Collection on 360. I don't know what it is but I feel like I have no ball control what so ever. I hate making Tiger Loops because they seem to drain right down the middle after completing the left loop shot or the ball with drain STRM after shooting up the ball lock head on in the space between the bazaar and the lamp instead of shooting it towards the lock area. Hitting the genie reliably also feels off. It really has to do with angles and in Williams Collection you had 6 angles to goof around with, this you only get 3.
2) You only get 3 angles to deal with. I'm not sure why this is the case right now, in Williams and in Pinball FX2 you get a ton of angles. Pinball is and always will be a game played in the third dimension and you need that depth to judge angles, camera angles help with that regard to make shots but it'll never be the same as real pinball. More options are better, I'm kind of sad to see that there's only 3. Hopefully that can be patched later.
3) Bounciness, the ball feels a lot more "rubbery", its not impossible to control, as I got 3 billion on theater of magic, but I found myself judging bounce passes wrong, post passes wrong, and not able to flipper pass with regular predictability. Its not that the physics are broken, it just means I have to take the time to get used to it. It's a minor thing but not as bad as getting so many drains due to angle of ball placement like in TOTAN, thats really frustrating.
Anyway I only had an hour in and I have to go to work, but its really awesome that this game finally came out. I like Pinball FX2 well enough, but its not the same as actual pins. This really comes the closest and feels even better than Visual Pinball ever did. I'm happy with the 4 games that they released with but I'm really wanting more soon. I'm glad I have Ripley's to dick around with and two of my favorite pins of all time in this collection right off the bat, but I'm really salivating for Cirques Voltaire, which is a pin I never got to play in real life sadly, no matter how much I looked for it, and only got to play it in Visual Pinball. I'm really excited for it.
As for a wishlist, well since Stern gave Farsight the go ahead with any of their tables as long as they can secure the product tie-in license then I can see the possibilities for some really great or interesting tables that might not cost an arm and a leg to get:
World Poker Tour
That Jeanette Lee Pool Table one
Wheel of Fortune
Roller Coaster Tycooon
Family Guy
If they had unlimited funding, then my one wish would be to get Pirates of The Caribbean table. It's probably my favorite modern pinball table.
As for the Bally or Williams tables, I'd really like to see Whodunnit or Champion Pub. And I don't think it should be too hard for them to get that license. Cactus Canyon would be great too.
Just picked it up for the 360, $10 is a decent price for the 4 tables, similar to the williams pinball classics being $30 for 12 tables. Not sure I'm looking forward to getting the achievements for the TotAN table again though, it took me forever to get the Harem multiball on the pinball classics collection
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
The fact that "Jackbot" isn't on that list makes me sad. Hope it comes out. I also need a version of High Speed 2: The Getaway.
Also, I know it's licensed but I'd love to see the "Congo" machine based on the horrific movie.
Why not just play Taxi on PHOF? I mean, Taxi is one of my favorite tables too, and is a day 1 buy, but I don't see a reason to sit and wait in anticipation for it.
While it's kind of a bummer that 2 of the tables in this are repeats from previous PHOF collections (though getting Black Hole in HD is a nice update), I'm pretty happy with the two new tables I played. I only got to get one play on each over lunch break, but both tables seem like a lot of fun. The blinking playfield lights on Ripley can make it a bit hard to track the ball sometimes, but that may be intentional.
Look forward to getting some more plays in on these tonight.
Black Hole is a cruel, cruel table. One that can be learned, but I find it very hard to break myself of certain habits when I play it. (It seems that about once per game I'll forget not to trap with the left flipper and lose a ball)
TheyTookOurJobs
Member
I played Theatre of Magic very briefly this morning and I'm somewhat disappointed.
1.) Graphics seem washed out compared to Williams collection and iOS
2.) The camera isn't like it was in Williams; it seems stationary.
3.) The instructions for the tables aren't narrated.
4.) Can't map the controls to the bumpers
Despite all of these gripes, I will still play and enjoy this collection.
1.) Graphics seem washed out compared to Williams collection and iOS
2.) The camera isn't like it was in Williams; it seems stationary.
3.) The instructions for the tables aren't narrated.
4.) Can't map the controls to the bumpers
Despite all of these gripes, I will still play and enjoy this collection.
Hm, this is a pretty huge omission, IMO.
Not happy about this. Someone needs to hit them up on Facebook about it.
I've only got PHOF on PSP. Was waiting for the Xbox version to go Games on Demand before double dipping. Now I won't have to.
Wow, no bumpers? Wtf?
Edit: Er yeah, DLing this as soon as I get home, and will play the shit out of all the tables, but Taxi's my favorite.... Till Addams Family.
You can switch between stationary and non-stationary camera with the X button.
If they are looking at this as a platform that will last for years, I think them patching this in and some other fixes would be a reasonable expectation. If it's not in, I'd image it might take a month or two at least, pending other bug reports and with the long certification process.
edit:
hm, just saw this on the FB page: "I noticed even if you set the controls to use the bumpers instead of the triggers, it still makes you use the triggers to input your initials."
someone else was asking why it's not there. Is it hidden somewhere, perhaps?
Are you talking about the 360 version? I was able to change it from the triggers to bumpers somewhere in the menus. It was the first thing I looked for so I know it's there.
B switches between Camera angles, and X switches between stationary/dynamic camera. (circle/square if you're on PS3)
Yep, you are right. It's under the settings on the 360, just tired it and set it to rb/lb and it works fine. I'm still working so haven't really had a chance to play it yet.
Phew. That's good.