[Review] Extreme Pinball

REVIEW # 00000000 00010110

Rock again

Before 3D Pinball: Space Cadet became a must for all the owners of a personal computer with Windows on it, in the era of slow internet/connection in fits and starts, there were some other good titles for the pinball lover and one of them, surely on a virtual podium (maybe even on top) was Extreme Pinball.

Developed by Epic MegaGames, at its second try after 1993 Epic Pinball, this game is simply wonderful.

I wasn’t the one that used to like pinball game, that one was my father, but I have to say Extreme Pinball was quite a surprise, for its colourful graphics, god-tier soundracks and great longevity. Playing it has alway been a good exercise for my reflexes and a good way for keyboard producers to earn money from my rants everytime I was hitting the high score while the ball was falling dramatically down the table.

Talking about the tables (there are four) my favourite has always been Monkey Mahyem, maybe the one with the highest number of missions available and the one that permitted the highest scores. I remember burning challenges between me and my dad on it trying to reach the top score ad the tons of screams, swears and curses on the computer.

So not a relaxing game, but…

My heart says…

Even if I’m not a pinball fan, during my gamer life I had many moments in which I didn’t want to spend time on a difficult game or maybe I just wanted to “relax” without thinking about tricks, puzzles and stuff like that. In those moments Extreme Pinball alwayes helped me so is one of those “interlude” games I’m more close to.

Splash screen

Very good with a pleasing musical background. Also the menu, even if very simple is somewhat alluring.

Graphics

Extreme pinball is cool! We have colourful graphics and the screen follows the ball, so you can see only the top or the bottom of the table but not the whole one. The graphics are quite “static” and even when some led light up you won’t see averything too blinky but maybe it’s better like that, so you don’t have to risk to have convulsions.

Narrative

If I tell you this game broadly speaking has a plot would you laugh in my face? ‘Cause otherwise I won’t tell you.

No, I’m joking but in some particular way every table has its own history: in Rock Fatasy you play to become a rockstar: you’ll se the ball changing from the classic one to one record-shaped (that will become golden an platinum if you reach a huge score) and every mission you accomplish is another stap that leads you on the stage for the concert.

In Urban Chaos it’s like you are a policeman trying to put some brakes on the crime, in Medieval Knights every mission is wrapped up in an atmosphere that can recall in some way Game of Thrones and in Monkey Mahyem…you’ll be thrown in a big mess of animals!

Gameplay

The game is easy to handle and as in other pinball games the goal is to reach the high score not only trying not to lose the ball but also completing the many mission you will find in every table. Anyway sometimes it seems the game plays with your nerves since it happens that the slingshots bumps your ball away, precisely where it doens’t have to go. It’s pointless telling the natural reaction to this is only one: crushing the keyboard…

Sound

Extreme Pinball features one of the best soundtracks ever made for a PC game. Every single table has a different one, but while Medieval Knights is too gloomy, Monkey Mahyem too fuzzy and Urban Chaos too…chaotic (so the table name fits 100%), Rock Fantasy has an unbelievable magnificient background music. The rhytm, the wonderful electric guitar solo and the stage atmosphere make this table the one you HAVE TO play if you need energy and inpsiration. Check it out in the following video and make sure your speakers are on maximum volume!

Longevity

For the nature of the game, Extreme Pinball has a great replayability. Moreover you don’t have one, nor two or three tables to play with but even four so you can try to beat yourself everytime in everyone of them.

I used to organize small tournaments among my friends in which everyone had to play each table once and get the highest score, being the final standings the sum of the 4 scores: this is the reason why I always played Monkey Mayem, the one where reaching trilions of points was possible and loathe a bit Medieval Knights.

Final score 80/100

Year: 1995

Developer: Epic MegaGames, Digital Extremes, High Score Entertrainment

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Genre: Pinball

Game Mode: Single Player, Multiplayer

Original Platform: MS-DOS

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