For those who want a quick review of this.... save your money. It isn't worth even the $5.
Now it is a simple game, and that isn't a bad thing with me. But there is so much that isn't well though out on this.
Pros:
1) It does have good art.
2) Does have decent pinball physics.
Cons:
1) Music seems a bit generic.
2) Each table (including ones you make) has goals.
3) Unable to rebind keys or use a controller. Heck the controls are bad!
4) The editor! My god this is bad!
5) No way to import models, artwork, music, or even sound.
6) Menus.
Now the physics are pretty good, and the art including isn't to bad, but the music is pretty generic and short. (Running the game in the background as I write this.) Now onto the bad things about this! This may get long!
Since I already discussed the music, I will start with the controls, you know, the thing that needs to be good! It is bad! Most of your controls are placed onto the arrow keys and camera set to A, S, D, Z, X and C keys which is annoying. Rebinding these would have increased the game play massively for me on this. If this isn't bad, there is no controller support! Even I have controller support in the game I am making! Most engines of any type have some sort of way to code that in!
Now goals isn't the problem with me, but how they tell you when you get them not well thought out. When you complete so many goals, a voice will tell you "X percent", which can be kinda annoying. When you do complete them, it stops your game play to tell you that you completed the goals, and ask if you want to continue the table or go to the next. I will go to the next table next time I am ready, and I believe most do as well. Heck, it took me a couple of minutes to figure out these little stars are indeed goals, and never tells you that this is what your need to do.
Now I am going to skipped importing and the editor, these are kinda the same and will be discussed at the end.
The menus are terrible in here. Like there is a lack of them. When you start the game, you are jumped into a table with some boxes at top. That is your menu, folks! There is a couple of windows inside there, but to choose a table, you need to hit settings. Sorry baKno, this is not a setting, this is game play. No keybindings at all. Game just reloads the table you selected and lets you play. then you have editor which will let you into the editor, but can't all this be on something like a main menu? I would think it wouldn't be that difficult to program that! I have made many of them in all sort of languages that I coded in before.
Now with making tables. Now I would complain about workshop not being included, but this was released before that, so I will give this a pass on this. However! What I will not give a pass on is the controls. The NES has better controls, and that only had four face buttons and a d-pad. This has the entire keyboard and mouse. Panning, and zooming is all used with those same keys as before when playing the game, and mouse. There is no categories for the parts in this, and you must drag the parts from the toolbar to the table. Some of the parts you use, like ramps, are a static model. Ramps should be molded to what you want them to be, not be a u-turn. You cannot change the sizes of the bumpers at all, and the color of the lights. The saucers are only for multi-balls. You cannot link any of the targets or lights, which are both targets. There are no flashing lights or regular lights that you can use. The artwork is only a generic looking table or one of the other ten table's artwork that you get in game. You cannot even change the music on any table. Just theme the look and that is all.
Importing is not an option, at all. I can kind of understand copyright, but make some more art if this is going to be the case or include decals, heck both, but still, you can put something in your EULA stating you are not responsible for what others put in the game. I have read that so many times, since I like games with editors, this is a disappointment.
This game is bad. Not good bad, just bad. There is not much you can do here. To simple of a menu, to simple of an editor, to lazy to make rebinding of keys at least. Lazily made music. Not many options. The worst part of this is that you can send a table into them so they can post it on their site. Regardless, stay far far far far far away from this thing. I am going to return it. I may get it again if they pay me $5. Yeah folks, it isn't worth it if it is free.
