Pinball Challenge Deluxe (GBA) (Retro)
User Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (EU): August 30, 2021
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Developer: Binary9
- Genres: Pinball
Game Features:
Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative
Review Approach:
Just some observations and reflections (perhaps trivia for someone, or nonsense for another one) on apparently small and insignificant games, often homebrews, which reveal, upon closed examination, a certain verve, originality and involvement ability.
One of the earliest images of my childhood is of a pinball, me standing on a chair in front of it, barely able to touch the side buttons, my father triggering the initial spring, and the metal ball that as soon as it starts goes directly and sadly between the two flippers, getting lost in nothingness. But I was enchanted and hypnotized by the little lights that flashed and alternated and the text that flowed quickly on the luminous board.
Memories of a past that will not return....
There are several pinball titles for gba, almost all of them interesting and fun, and this one stands out as a revival of a timeless classic.
This game is nothing more than a collection of 2 titles for Amiga, then brought on snes, gameboy and other consoles, namely Pinball Dreams and Pinball Fantasies.
In total it contains 8 pinballs, each one characterized by a specific theme, its own sound effects and various music.
Among others, there is the circus setting, the space setting, the old west setting and the horror setting etc. I personally prefer the 4 pinballs of the second collection, whose structure is more complex.
Compared to the 2 famous Amiga games, here the visible portion of the screen is obviously reduced and the elements are enlarged, but excellent is the graphic rendering of details (even the smallest) the brightness and variety of colors, and the realism of the movement of the ball and its collision with the various bumpers on the track. There are also various metal ramps with alternative paths, as well as holes and "dens" that give the inevitable bonus points.
In particular I found pleasant the richness and combination of colors in this 32bit version, with delicate pastel shades, better than the darker ones on Amiga (there 16bit, of course).
The view is the classic flat one, from above, which I prefer to the more isometric one, of Pinball Advance, and being the part of the screen visible smaller, the camera makes a wide movement up and down to follow the ball between the various obstacles and bumpers, and the game is fast, frantic and engaging.
The scoreboard is represented by a strip at the top of the screen where you can quickly see the scores and scrolling messages.
As for the music, they are the original Amiga ones, all catchy and relevant to the theme of that pinball, and create a perfect blend with the various and bizarre sound effects and the vocal track, present in each game table.
In the horror table, for example, we'll hear creaks, squeaks, a bell, thunder and an evil laugh.
The movement of the flippers are attributed to the shoulder buttons and are not modifiable, a button drives the spring at the beginning of the game and another simulates the tap that you gave, every now and then, to the real pinball to change the trajectory of the ball and as in reality, can cause tilt and lock the flippers, if abused.
For the nostalgic of the simple and classic pinball and its features, this game is definitely the best for gba, while others, perhaps richer in elements and game variety, do not reflect the spirit and playability of the original pinball.
I use it on original hardware, and precisely on slot2 of the DS Lite, whose screen with 4 degrees of brightness allows a sharper view and colors much more vivid and bright even than the gba sp 101.
As for me, I find it ideal for quick and occasional plays in my spare time and in the moments of pause between one commitment and another; I often bring it to the office and I play it during my lunch break, alternating it with other puzzle titles or similar.
For those who want to relive the old and nostalgic sensations felt in front of a real arcade pinball (if they were lucky enough to play it) there is no better choice on GBA, moreover it can be easily taken anywhere and always available.
In conclusion, due to its simplicity and repetitiveness, it will fascinate especially the nostalgic of the genre and those who want to spend a half hour quiet and not too busy.
I apologize if I made any syntactical or semantic errors.
This game is nothing more than a collection of 2 titles for Amiga, then brought on snes, gameboy and other consoles, namely Pinball Dreams and Pinball Fantasies.
In total it contains 8 pinballs, each one characterized by a specific theme, its own sound effects and various music.
Among others, there is the circus setting, the space setting, the old west setting and the horror setting etc. I personally prefer the 4 pinballs of the second collection, whose structure is more complex.
Compared to the 2 famous Amiga games, here the visible portion of the screen is obviously reduced and the elements are enlarged, but excellent is the graphic rendering of details (even the smallest) the brightness and variety of colors, and the realism of the movement of the ball and its collision with the various bumpers on the track. There are also various metal ramps with alternative paths, as well as holes and "dens" that give the inevitable bonus points.
In particular I found pleasant the richness and combination of colors in this 32bit version, with delicate pastel shades, better than the darker ones on Amiga (there 16bit, of course).
The view is the classic flat one, from above, which I prefer to the more isometric one, of Pinball Advance, and being the part of the screen visible smaller, the camera makes a wide movement up and down to follow the ball between the various obstacles and bumpers, and the game is fast, frantic and engaging.
The scoreboard is represented by a strip at the top of the screen where you can quickly see the scores and scrolling messages.
As for the music, they are the original Amiga ones, all catchy and relevant to the theme of that pinball, and create a perfect blend with the various and bizarre sound effects and the vocal track, present in each game table.
In the horror table, for example, we'll hear creaks, squeaks, a bell, thunder and an evil laugh.
The movement of the flippers are attributed to the shoulder buttons and are not modifiable, a button drives the spring at the beginning of the game and another simulates the tap that you gave, every now and then, to the real pinball to change the trajectory of the ball and as in reality, can cause tilt and lock the flippers, if abused.
For the nostalgic of the simple and classic pinball and its features, this game is definitely the best for gba, while others, perhaps richer in elements and game variety, do not reflect the spirit and playability of the original pinball.
I use it on original hardware, and precisely on slot2 of the DS Lite, whose screen with 4 degrees of brightness allows a sharper view and colors much more vivid and bright even than the gba sp 101.
As for me, I find it ideal for quick and occasional plays in my spare time and in the moments of pause between one commitment and another; I often bring it to the office and I play it during my lunch break, alternating it with other puzzle titles or similar.
For those who want to relive the old and nostalgic sensations felt in front of a real arcade pinball (if they were lucky enough to play it) there is no better choice on GBA, moreover it can be easily taken anywhere and always available.
In conclusion, due to its simplicity and repetitiveness, it will fascinate especially the nostalgic of the genre and those who want to spend a half hour quiet and not too busy.
I apologize if I made any syntactical or semantic errors.
Verdict
What I Liked ...
- Vivid and bright colors
- Numerous music and sound effects
What I Didn't Like ...
- Inevitably repetitive
- Limited view
8
out of 10
