Windows Phone Central Game Roundup: Pinball Games
Any aspiring pinball wizards in the house? If so, we've there are a handful of pinball games available for our Windows Phone. These games are fast paced, full of detail, a fun way to pass the time and the focus of this week's roundup.
For those who cut their teeth on buttons, flipper, bells and lights of an arcade pinball machine, these games might be a decent substitute. Granted you can't bump the game with your hip or bounce the pinball off the glass but these games can hold their own.
Monster Pinball HD (no trial/$2.49): No pun intended but Monster Pinball HD is a monster of a pinball game. Graphics are nice, animations smooth and the tables are challenging.
Tables are linked where you can send your pinball through portals and play multiple tables in one turn.
You don't have buttons to control the paddles, instead you swipe at the paddles to activate them. You can tilt the game by shaking your Windows Phone too much and if you progress far enough in the linked table game, you can unlock the single table mode and play on just one table.
The biggest downside to Monster Pinball HD is the lack of a trial version. If you're a pinball fan, Monster Pinball HD is well worth the $2.49 price tag. Still, it would be nice to try things out before buying.
You can find Monster Pinball HD here in the Windows Phone Store.
Davinci Pinball (trial/$.99): Davinci Pinball is an Xbox title and an exclusive to the Nokia Lumia Windows Phone line. The pinball table has a steam punk feel to it with a medieval flare.
The paddles are controlled by tapping the left or right sides of the screen which gives the game a little more of a pinbally feel to it. The table is full of rails, gates, bumpers and pockets.
Davinci has two camera views. The static view keeps you in one spot, overlooking the entire table. The flying view zooms in closer to the table and follows your pinball around the table. The flying view really pulls out the detail of the table but be careful not to pay too much attention to the table and lose track of where you ball is.
There is a trial version available for Davinci Pinball with the full version currently running $.99. Again, for the time being, Davinci is an exclusive for the Nokia Lumia Windows Phones. You can find Davinci Pinball here in the Nokia Collection.
Hardboiled Pinball (trial/$.99): Hardboiled Pinball has a softer themed pinball table that is nicely drawn up with a crime novel theme.
Compared to the other tables, Hardboiled is a little on the minimalist side of the coin but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Hardboiled supports a landscape view that follows your ball around the table or a portrait view that gives you a static overview of things.
Paddles are controlled by tapping on the left or right side of the screen and the jazz soundtrack isn't too bad on the ears. You can simulate bumping the pinball table by tapping the side of your Windows Phone.
There is a trial version available for Hardboiled Pinball that limits the time you can play each ball. It's a little bit of an annoying trial because just when you get in the groove of things, the timer expires and power to the table shuts down. The full version is currently running $.99 and you can find Hardboiled Pinball here in the Windows Phone Store.
Dr. Pickaxe (trial/$1.99): Dr. Pickaxe is a followup to the Windows Phone game Pinball League: The Juggler. You're following the adventures of Dr. Pickaxe as he travels the world discovering new locations, battling monsters and solving puzzles.
The pinball table is linked to other tables that act as mini-games. Paddles are controlled by tapping the screen and while you can't bump the table, you can tilt the game.
The physics engine with Dr. Pickaxe mimics pinball action you would find on a table rather nicely. The game only has one view point from landscape orientation that follows the ball loosely around the table.
There is a trial version available for Dr. Pickaxe with the full version running $1.99. You can find Dr. Pickaxe here in the Windows Phone Store. Oh... and if you didn't catch the news Dr. Pickaxe is now available for Windows 8 and RT. You can find it here in the Windows Store for $1.49.
Of the bunch, the physics of Dr. Pickaxe was spot on but the tables on Monster Pinball HD shined the brightest. The linked tables was a nice touch and kept you on your toes.
All four have merit and, as always, if we've overlooked your favorite pinball game feel free to sound off in the comments with your recommendation.
