Marvel Pinball Avengers Chronicles
SCORE: 77
The gang over at ZEN Studios has been up to their old tricks again. They’ve released yet another set of four pinball tables for Marvel Pinball with the Avengers Chronicles pack. Is this a shameless ploy to capitalize on the hulking success of the recent Avengers movie? Perhaps, but if someone was going to do it, it may as well be a studio that has consistently shown their loyalty and respect for the Marvel Universe. This add-on pack includes The Avengers, World War Hulk, The Infinity Gauntlet, and Fear Itself tables.
It comes as no surprise that the visuals in this table pack are stunning. The amount of detail put into these tables continues to impress. The graphics are crisp and clean and provide the visual appeal of actual pinball tables complete with lights, ramps, flippers, and other shiny things. All four of these tables use an abundance of bright colors but manage to avoid the cartoony feel. Each table features between three and five 3D modeled characters that you’ll get to interact with in some way during game play. The Avengers table even goes so far as to give each of the six Avengers featured in this table their own custom pinball (selectable by you during play). While the visuals are impressive, parents should note that this collection of tables features some dark imagery that may not be appropriate for younger players. Specifically, the Fear Itself table has a very sinister feel to it and also includes some demon-like characters.
In regards to audio, Marvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles rocks on. The music is powerful and is certain to get your inner hero pumped for battle. The sound effects are fantastic and are right on par with the graphics. The voice acting is good so long as you don’t have your little hero heart set on hearing the actors from the Avengers movie. The amount of dialog used in these tables is substantial and presents a unique storytelling experience. Again, parents do need to be cautioned about the content. While I didn’t hear any blatantly foul language, there are some mature themes that little ears aren’t meant to hear. I’ll pick on the Fear Itself table again for starters. The words “I am god, I can do anything” are voiced by the villain. While obviously a delusion of grandeur, this isn’t the type of thing I want my children exposed to just yet. The World War Hulk table also uses the phrases “they killed my wife and unborn child” and “blazes of hell”. Keep in mind that ZEN is drawing from the source material here, but with an ‘E’ for everyone rated game, this dialog seems a bit too mature.
Marvel Pinball always ranks high on the leaderboards when it comes to replay value. Until you’ve played these tables for yourself, you can’t truly appreciate how much content is packed in there. There are so many things to do it’s actually a bit overwhelming at times. You can play the same table dozens of times and continue to find some previously undiscovered secret mode or mini-game. The multiplayer features simply add to the already massive replay value and on-line leaderboards feed your need for competition. When you consider that this four table pack is only $10 for the PS3 or XBOX 360, you can’t deny that it’s a great value. I even did the math for you, its $2.50 per table.
This game is just plain fun to play casually or, for you serious types, competitively on-line. The gameplay of Avengers Chronicles is consistently exciting. These four tables pack a lot of action that will keep your flippers flippin’. The controls are responsive and the movement is fluid. The table physics are realistic and present enough challenge to keep the game interesting. The table designs are very clever with unique uses of ramps and other table elements that will require you to hone your pinball skills. The Infinity Gauntlet table even features a mode that will flip the table upside down. Sure this may sound cool, but it is really quite disorienting and not all that fun in my opinion. If you enjoy vertigo and the sudden urge to vomit, then this mode is for you!
Marvel Pinball has a lot of
potential to be fun for the whole family. It was a pleasure to play and
review the Avengers Chronicles table pack and I’m definitely looking
forward to some more tables from ZEN in the future. Being that I’m not
an expert on Marvel lore, I particularly enjoyed getting to learn a bit
more of the story of Thanos who is briefly hinted at in the Avengers
film. Sadly, this four pack features too much content that’s
inappropriate for young players to get a thumbs up for family
friendliness. The dark themes, references to false gods, death content,
and other mature dialog makes this game a stretch for the ‘E’ for
everyone rating. If you’re a fan of Marvel heroes and old enough to
handle the content this game is amazing. Parents should, however, be
aware of the content that may not be appropriate for the kiddies.
- Roger
Graphics: 74%
Sound: 72%
Replay/Extras: 86%
Gameplay: 90%
Family Friendly Factor: 63%
System: PS3/Xbox 360
Publisher: Zen Studios
Rating: 'E' - Everyone
{Mild Fantasy Violence}
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