Two years ago,
an incredible thing happened: I added several new pinball machines to my game
room. They were large enough and accurate enough to feel like the real thing but
small enough to fit in my pocket. How was this possible? No, it wasn’t a stroke
of magic. It was the creation of the first stellar pinball game – Pinball Hall
of Fame. The choppy gameplay, zany mini-games and unrealistic ball physics of
other pinball games had been replaced by true-to-life mechanics. For those
of us who didn’t have the money (or the space) for a dozen pinball machines,
Pinball Hall of Fame gave us the next best thing.
The series’
update – Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection – is once again headed to
PSP and PlayStation 2, as well as Nintendo Wii. On PS2 you can look forward to a
starting lineup of four new pinball machines, each with different sizes and
interior obstacles to keep us excited. Arcade, Challenge and Tournament modes
are offered, the first of which contains numerous objectives – finishing them
will give you access to four additional tables. But you won’t have an easy time
completing them. In fact, you might want to grab a pillow or cardboard box to
beat on when things get rough.
"I missed the
score goal by 5,000 points!? Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Credits are
earned by playing the Challenge mode that combines all the pinball machines
together. You’ll defeat them by achieving the high score, which is much lower
than the score requirement in the Arcade mode. Two continues are provided per
table, so keep your pillow within an arm’s reach.
"I lost? At the
seventh table? Now I have to start all over again!? Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Like the first
Pinball Hall of Fame, The Williams Collection is insanely addictive in spite of
(or perhaps because of) its exasperating, frustration-thriving gameplay. Taxi,
Gorgar, Space Shuttle, Funhouse, Pin-Bot, Whirlwind, Firepower, and Black Knight
make up the pinball collection. Each has a distinct feel that matches the types
of gameplay from their respective eras.
Taxi, a classic
table from the ‘80s, has a fast board with two ramps/overpasses, a
roulette-style spinner for a launch bonus, and a taxi fare that racks up
additional points for every second of play. Firepower’s futuristic design (for
its time) contains four circular bumpers, five rectangular bumpers, six
elimination targets, and one pause slot. The Black Knight table, however, has
just one circular bumper but offers three ramps, four flippers, and 12
elimination targets.
Gorgar is the
most basic of all the tables. But basic doesn’t mean easy. With few things to
bump into, the ball is more likely to fall between the flippers. Space Shuttle,
the table that should pique Buzz Lightyear’s attention, has a large shuttle to
soar under for extra points. Funhouse, the strangest of all the tables, has
three flippers, two trap doors, one ramp, one extra ball slot, and a creepy
mechanical face that talks.
Pin-Bot doesn’t
have much going on, but there’s a large bonus area at the top that can be opened
up for a point bonus. Whirlwind is sort of like the Funhouse stage, offering
three flippers and two trap doors. It also has three spinning areas built into
the floor of the table – when the ball rolls over them, the ball is slightly
gripped and veers into another direction.
As far as the
controls are concerned, nothing seems to have changed. The table-bumping feature
is back, allowing players to jerk the table and hopefully thrust the ball to
safety. Balls are fired off at the start by pulling back on the right analog
stick, giving realistic precision to the game. The camera pre-sets are the same
as before and work great. On the closer views, the camera seamlessly follows the
ball as it travels across each table.
This preview
build seems to cover the gist of the game, and though the final version may not
offer much more, the new tables are difficult to put down. Pinball fans can get
theirs in just a few more weeks – the game ships on February 28th.
