Pinball Games - Pinball FX, Pinball Arcade, etc

[stefcha]

I meant in terms of that... "One more try to beat [PERSON]'s score... argh.... JUST ONE MORE GO" feeling

Why don't more XBLA games do things like this? Most of the stuff I've got is about putting in a score / time or similar, but apart from this, Geometry Wars 2 and Trials HD I can't think of much else. But it's BRILLIANT

[Vimster]

Why don't more XBLA games do things like this? Most of the stuff I've got is about putting in a score / time or similar, but apart from this, Geometry Wars 2 and Trials HD I can't think of much else. But it's BRILLIANT

It seems scores are a bit out of fashion and/or not friendly enough these days. Personally I love a really good score attack, and especially with the games you mentioned. I'm going to have to give this one a go too even though I've not played a 'video pinball' game since Slam Tilt on the Amiga.

[bradigor]

Score attacks are so much fun. Really adds to the experience.

[Meatball]

Ahh gotta love that send challenge button, especially when it's pestering Meatball.

Bugger! Just turned on for a quick blast before The Apprentice and spotted your messages

Guess I know what I'm doing after that then.

[Fondue]

If I'm honest it's a fairly big edge

I'll have to content myself with knowing that once I was top of the leaderboard!

[Dimahoo]

Why don't more XBLA games do things like this? Most of the stuff I've got is about putting in a score / time or similar, but apart from this, Geometry Wars 2 and Trials HD I can't think of much else. But it's BRILLIANT

Well, there is highscore tables. Or have they gone now?

That was a selling point with XBLA.

[DC]

Argh................cant go on.

I'll be back Stefcha.

[Corleth the Fey]

Sent a friend request, we'll see about that

I've still got a couple on you! I was thinking of my wizard score when I accepted your request!

[MatOfTheDead]

can some of you add MattyHustedUk please

[stefcha]

Well, there is highscore tables. Or have they gone now?

That was a selling point with XBLA.

Well, yeah, they all have that, but these are RIGHT IN YOUR FACE!

[Vimster]

can some of you add MattyHustedUk please

I just added you.

I've only been playing this 3 minutes, er no, half an hour! Crikey. Just getting used to the tables at the mo, flinging the ball about and seeing what does what.

[MatOfTheDead]

yeah it sucks you in vim

[SqueakyG]

I'm wrapping my head around this. A couple of questions:

Why does the game (or even each table) not remember my initials after a game? I just hit AAA because I can't be bothered. Is there an option to change this?

Is there a more useful score readout available, which can constantly show your score and how many balls remaining? I know you need to see the flashy readout because it shows important things, but most of the time they are showing something flashy rather than the score.

I'm getting scores in the 2 to 4 million range right now, without knowing much about what's happening. I think the scoring instruction sheets aren't very understandable.

[moosegrinder]

That's just the nature of pinball tables. They've kept it as true as possible to that tiny sliver of information you used to get just above the plunger. Half the fun is finding stuff out

[Vorgot]

I'm loving just giving the tables a go and trying to figure out what the hell I am supposed to be doing. Very satisfying when I manage to trigger something new.

What view is everyone using? I'm on 4 at the moment, wondered what others were using.

[Vimster]

Can you change the view to follow the ball or is it fixed like that all the time? I know there's that picture-in-pinture bit but I'm so busy trying not to lose my ball I can't be looking at that, the ball and the matrix display.

Despite this I'm slowly working out what does what. The matrix animations are good but stuff flashes up and I haven't a clue what it is all about. Hopefully repeat play will eventually help.

[the_buddha_of_gaming]

Possible Game of the Year, this is. I remember buying Pinball FX when it came out, playing it for a but and letting it gather dust. This is just massively good fun, and insane value for money. I might add a few of you guys for Leaderboards if nobody minds, a few of you are already on it but if any game needs swollen leaderboards it's this one.

[moosegrinder]

I use View 4 for what it's worth. Vimster, I think there is a view to track the ball round the table. Think.

[Corleth the Fey]

I use view 6. Need to see as much table as possible.

No one has mentioned probably my favourite feature of this game - the rumble. So subtle but perfect and it is the bridge that helps this virtual pinball feel so much more like the real thing.

[stefcha]

Why does the game (or even each table) not remember my initials after a game? I just hit AAA because I can't be bothered. Is there an option to change this?

Not seen anything to change it but I think it only asks for the 4 new tables anyway. I've not even seen where it's used so perhaps a bit pointless putting anything other than AAA in?

Is there a more useful score readout available, which can constantly show your score and how many balls remaining? I know you need to see the flashy readout because it shows important things, but most of the time they are showing something flashy rather than the score.

As long as you're not in a feature just hold the ball in a flipper and the score should be there.

I'm getting scores in the 2 to 4 million range right now, without knowing much about what's happening. I think the scoring instruction sheets aren't very understandable.

Some are better than others, but generally just hit targets / lanes / loops and see what happens when you do, after a while you should be able to tie in what you're seeing with what the instructions say a bit more. Basically, if something's flashing, try and hit it.

[bradigor]

Possible Game of the Year, this is. I remember buying Pinball FX when it came out, playing it for a but and letting it gather dust. This is just massively good fun, and insane value for money. I might add a few of you guys for Leaderboards if nobody minds, a few of you are already on it but if any game needs swollen leaderboards it's this one.

Add me up, I'll go through my list again and get streamlining. (I NEED that robe)

[stefcha]

What view is everyone using? I'm on 4 at the moment, wondered what others were using.

Different for each table, usually 1 or 6 if 1 doesn't offer a good enough view of the top end. I can't do with the ones that follow the ball a bit more closely, but I think I use 5 on one table (that's the one that only zooms out a bit if you go up the top end).

[SqueakyG]

Pasha is all like "Hurry! You're running out of time to choose a tale from the Book of Secrets!" and I'm like, "Well how do I fucking do that then!"

Not complaining, it's fun:)

[geldra]

Quite liking this, though not had much time to put into it yet.

Is there a list of Gamertags of people who are score attacking so I can add some people up?

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Not sure, but I'm playing this. Although I think you might be on my friends list already, not sure...

[geldra]

Cool, if not I'll add you up this evening.

[bradigor]

Just added a bunch of you

[Blu3Flame]

Pasha is all like "Hurry! You're running out of time to choose a tale from the Book of Secrets!" and I'm like, "Well how do I fucking do that then!"

Not complaining, it's fun:)

There are four tales. There is the Oasis entrance which you reach by bouncing the ball off the top right flipper into a hole tucked into the top left of the table.

Then the Magic Carpet and Fight tales in the Palace entrance, which one you get depends on the graphic showing at the beginning of the ramp at that time. The Palace ramp is the one tucked under the top right flipper. You'll need to bounce the ball off the end of the top left flipper and have the top right one raised at the same time.

After you've done those three the Cave entrance opens for the fourth tale.

[stefcha]

Then the Magic Carpet and Fight tales in the Palace entrance, which one you get depends on the graphic showing at the beginning of the ramp at that time.

Ahhhh, I've never spotted that! It implies you can influence which tale you get by doing loops beforehand, not worked out which does what if so.

SqueakyG, assuming do you activate a Tale, the fight/rescue ones you need to get through the guards on the hidden under-table, magic carpet you use L&R triggers to tilt the mini balance table on the right to hit the lit spots, and the other type is the one in the tower where the L&R triggers are magnets and you need to keep the ball spinning by attracting from one to the other - use alternate taps rather than holding one then the other for the best results, I've found. I find them all really hard to complete.

[Untogether]

Possible Game of the Year, this is. I remember buying Pinball FX when it came out, playing it for a but and letting it gather dust. This is just massively good fun, and insane value for money. I might add a few of you guys for Leaderboards if nobody minds, a few of you are already on it but if any game needs swollen leaderboards it's this one.

I can't really speak for everyone but I would have thought that most anyone in this thread would be happy to receive friend requests for Pinball FX scores (assuming their list isn't full, of course). As you say, this is definitely a case of the more the merrier, and you'd probably be actively missing out with only a couple of folk on there.

I'm now starting to wonder what it is that makes certain people consistently top of the boards. Obviously good reactions helps with not losing the ball through the flippers and hitting the nudge but is it just keeping the ball alive or is it taking advantage of every feature that comes up and being able to hit the specific ramp, bumper, whatever at will? Or a combination of both. It's slightly irksome that my best scores still on some tables came on my first or second go where I had no clue what triggered what event.

Oh well, best have another go.