Review: Williams Pinball Classics

Words by: Jennifer Allen | Posted on: Thursday 21st July, 2011 | Filed under: Game Reviews, Retail Games.

Pinball eh? Offering the most basic instinct of all things gaming related, high score chasing, it’s certainly a potent genre. There’s no need for investing oneself in complex or twisting narratives, nor any need for spending hours tweaking the perfect setup. All that’s required is fast reactions and a bit of thought to put into determining how to get the best score. That’s not to say that any pinball table is simple – far from it. It’s the purest gaming out there, enriched by decades upon decades of history. Much of this grand history stems from Williams, one of the most successful pinball table manufacturers of all. During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, some of the greatest pinball tables ever were devised by them. Handily for those who didn’t experience them the first time round, there’s now the opportunity to play through such tables on the Xbox 360 with Williams Pinball Classics.

Clearly designed with more than a hint of nostalgia, the entire interface of Williams Pinball Classics revolves around a traditional arcade. From the outset players are provided with a number of virtual credits to play any of the 13 available tables with. Free play modes are also available for two of the tables with more unlocked by completing set targets. Tables are varied with the likes of Gorgar, Taxi, Pin*Bot, Funhouse, Black Knight, Space Shuttle, Firepower, Whirlwind, Sorcerer, Jive Time, Medieval Madness, Tales Of The Arabian Nights, and No Good Gofers available.

Each of the tables has been recreated perfectly. The level of authenticity is unmatched right down to the ability to call an attendant in case of a problem (not once did I find the ball stick anywhere however). Table goals are provided for each table, with Wizard goals unlocked once these have been completed. At first, completing all these goals feels impossible. Particularly to a pinball newbie, everything feels more down to chance and general randomness when it comes to actually gaining any points. To an extent, this is the case. Keeping track of ball physics at such speed will always require a small degree of luck but it’s not too long before everything gels together. Little things like letting the ball bounce onto the other flipper rather than hit it with the first can make all the difference. Nudge plays an important role too with the left stick adjusting that. Much like real life, excessive use freezes the flippers and other mechanisms, but careful nudges can benefit high score competitors a lot. For such things as this to be so useful, effective ball physics are vital and Williams Pinball Classics shines here. Even when a multiball is in effect, there’s never a hint of slowdown with the game engine performing admirably. The game’s camera does a fine job of keeping up with the action but there’s always the option of manual controls too, although I never really found a need to use them.

Wandering around the arcade in the first person is a great touch that’s reinforced by other nostalgic moments such as the ability to view flyers for each machine and read through some pretty extensive manuals.

Besides the Arcade mode, there’s also the Tournament mode in which players can take it in turns to compete for the highest score. The Williams Challenge is a real connoisseur’s challenge with players having to complete tables with a set score with only two reattempts available for each table. No save points ensures a great challenge indeed.

It’s unfortunate then that for the achievement seeker, there are few rewards. Achievements are a bit too functional with each table coming with two achievements – completing the basic goals and the wizard goals. Only one achievement veers away from that with 100 points assigned to completing the Williams Challenge and thus unlocking the Jive Time table. A few high score related achievements wouldn’t have gone amiss here.

Despite this though, Williams Pinball Classics is a fine title indeed. It’s a true grower for anyone interested in twitch or high score aiming gaming. For the pinball fan this is a triumph of nostalgia and an essential purchase – the kind of game that will happily reside in a collection for a long time to come. There’s certainly plenty to master here.

About Jennifer Allen

Jen's been playing games for longer than she can remember (20 odd years) and has been writing about them for 4 years. In her spare time she likes to pretend she can train her guinea pigs to do tricks. She should stick to chocobos.

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