Pinball

I have mixed feelings about reviewing this game, for it just doesn't feel like an entire, cohesive publication. Although it supports several players and spans four different pinball machines, the lack of objectives, sound effects, and animated objects make it feel more like it should be a part of a larger collection of minigames. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to get your pinball fix elsewhere.

I just can't shake the feeling that Philips put absolutely no effort into creating this thing. When starting a game, though, it looks as though at least a minimal amount of fun can be had, with its support of up to six players and four different machines to choose from. Unfortunately, once you pick a machine and start playing, that's the precise moment the fun ends; and, to be honest, I can't say navigating menu screens is what I would call a good time. The four versions available include Cyber, which features a large robot character and nothing else; Dogfight, featuring a few planes and nothing else; Spring Break, which really has nothing going for it; and Meltdown, which is the most sparse and uninteresting of the bunch.

This is basically a game which leads you to believe it sports all the bells and whistles of a console pinball game, minus the bells and whistles of a console pinball game! The tables themselves are ill conceived to say the least, with maybe three or four objects to interact with in any given iteration. The most confusing thing about each game is the fact that each level has its own music to accommodate the mood of the table, but the music is NOT present during play, only in the level select screen! I don't know whose idea that was, but it really highlights the lack of effort that surrounds the whole experience. The sound effects are also either non-existent or come later than they are supposed to, like when you hit something.

There's really nothing interesting about any of these tables. I wish I could say something nice about this game, but it doesn't even feel right to call this a full game. Maybe if this were part of a larger collection of wholly un-enjoyable minigames it would have received a higher score, but as it is, it just isn't worth it.