Review: Monster Pinball

Score:
90%

Author: Matmi

Buy Link | Download / Information Link

I've mentioned before about my love for pinball, arguably one of the very first physics based computer games. Done right, it can be very immersive and evocative - and Monster Pinball does it right. Themed around alien/mutant/monster invaders, here's the official blurb:

Simply the most action packed pinball game you have ever played! Six linked tables bring you into the mind boggling pinball world of the Monster Mafia characters sending you into a spin at every flick of your paddles.

This game is not a simulator nor a retro port, it's a totally original pinball extravaganza, taking the core principles of pinball to a new level. Multiple flippers, rebounds, stallballs, boosts, bonus, freeballs and tilt are all present taking full advantage of your device's power. 

Beautifully animated and presented graphics together with wonderfully crazy sound effects. A sensational 60 frames per second physics engine make it the smoothest pinball game yet. Monster Pinball is a long overdue breath of fresh helium filled air to the pinball world!

As with Nokia's own Mile High Pinball, many years ago, one of the unique selling points here is that the tables are inter-connected. So shoot the ball (or let it fall) into one of the various gullies and hey presto, it falls into a different table, keeping the visuals, gameplay and goals as fresh as possible. There aren't as many tables as Mile High Pinball, but then there's far more attention to detail here and a lot more going on.

I do have a confession to make, though. Even on real pinball tables, my strategy would be, as often as not, to simply keep the ball in play and fired off up the table - as opposed to the 'better' strategy of analysing each table, working out what to hit in order to trigger the so and so, which then opens up the other goal thingamajig, and so on.... 

In the  case of Monster Pinball, the rapid succession of totally different tables and the sheer number of things happening at the same time mean that the first strategy is probably best for most people - so you're dependent on realistic physics and a degree of (ahem) cheating here and there to succeed. You see, not only does Monster Pinball have impeccable (and super smooth) physics and graphics, it also responds to you 'tilting' your phone, as you would a real table, gently nudging the playing surface if the ball looks like heading down between the flippers. This is all done with the accelerometer and the table responds just as a real one would - right down to the 'TILT' error (and lock down) that occurs if you 'tilt' too violently.

The sound effects are immersive too, as you'll hear in the video above. There's a volume control on the opening screen, though the hardware volume controls on each phone also work, as you'd expect. Also selectable is a difficulty level, which simply sets the physics speed lower ("Beginner") or higher ("Expert") - but "Medium" is about perfect for most people so best not to fiddle from this default.

On the 4"-screened X7 and E7, the game plays tremendously well, though I'd imagine it a little fiddly on the 3.2"-screened C6-01. Monster Pinball also respects Symbian OS and plays perfectly with being put into the background or interrupted (e.g. with a phone call), simply putting itself into a hibernate state and then taking a few seconds to restore this state exactly when you want to resume.

Finally, a word about the price - £1. Monster Pinball is priced as a budget game but don't be fooled, this is full commercial quality and a steal at a quid (or your local equivalent). Go buy it now if there's an ounce of the arcade loumger in you!

Steve Litchfield, All About Symbian, 27 June 2011

Reviewed by Steve Litchfield at 10:57 UTC, June 27th 2011