Overview:
I haven’t had the opportunity to ask the folks at Maxis what motivated
them to make this game the way they did, but it wouldn’t surprise me if
it was simply because they either A) thought pinball was really, really
cool, or B) hired some designers who thought pinball was really, really
cool. Whatever the reason, this is a surprisingly pleasing set of tables.
I’m usually pretty cynical about why people do what the do when they stand
to make money, but this game seems so much like an affectionate tribute
that I can’t help but halfway feel like this is a labor of•if not "love",
then at least "thinking something is really, really, cool".
There are three tables, Mad Scientist, Alien Daze, and my personal
favorite, Capitan Hero. The themes are well embellished in each
case, with a great deal of good humor involved in the design.
Gameplay:
For the benefit of those creatures who’ve crash landed on our happy planet
and are currently undergoing the difficult task of integrating themselves
into our earthling society, I’ll explain: Keep the ball in play. Use the
flippers. Bump the table. Again; keep the ball in play.
One of the cool things about this particular game is that you can bump
the table from the center, left, or right, depending on your need. The
tables seem juuuuust sensitive enough to what’s too much bumping.
Graphics and Audio:
The graphics are way keen. All two hundred and fifty six colors are put
to good use, but the emphasis seems to be somewhere near the darker end
of the color spectrum. The tables are lush, even pretty. Very nice SVGA.
The sounds are fun and funny, with good, traditional, cornball sense of
humor to them.
Customization:
More than you could ever really need. The screen can be adjusted for five
different levels of brightness. The sounds and music are on/off optional,
individually. Player controls, like the flippers and tilt buttons, are
all available for the changing. You can, in Win 95 at least, play full
screen or in a window (although the tables look a little scrunched with
the latter), and the game doesn’t suck your system resources away, so it
tucks itself nicely away on the start bar if need be.
Parental Warning / Rating:
OK for everybody. For the most part, you don't even have to be able to
read to play.
Documentation:
Excellent. Not only are all the controls thoroughly explained, and the
sound and video issues explored in depth, but there’s a considerable amount
of space dedicated to playing tips, like aiming the ball, nudging the table,
and so on. Also, there’s a section in the back devoted both to the history
of pinball and looking ahead to it’s future. Both of these are very nice
touches, and indicative of the kind of attention devoted to the entire
game.
Bottom Line:
A wonderful example of "how it’s done". Every aspect of the game,
from documentation to design, is well crafted, balanced, and just generally
cool. The attention to detail and obvious forethought of the design elevates
this package from a "nice time waster" to being a very worthwhile
game.
System Requirements:
For Win 95: 486 DX or above, 8MB of RAM, 20MB of hard drive space
for complete installation, 2x CD ROM Drive, 256 color SVGA monitor which
supports 640 x 480 mode, supports moist Windows compatible sound cards.
For Windows 3.1: 486 DX or above, 20MB of hard drive space for
complete installation, 8MB of RAM, 2x CD ROM Drive, 256 color SVGA monitor
which supports 640 x 480 mode, supports moist Windows compatible sound
cards.
All contents © 1997 Gamezilla! a Game Point Magazine
Production.
|
