Well... Pinball, why should I give that a try; its some old archaic arcade remnant right? Wrong, Pinball is a fantastic gameform thats been innovationg for over 100 years. Pinball FX2 by Zen Studios has captured the
feel of arcade pinball for your 360. Zen has gotten the physics right where so many vdeo pinball games got
it wrong. Not only are the newer tables gorgeous on a big HDTV but PBFX2 has lots of game modes including: local hotseat (where you can play with up to 4 people locally) local hiscore leaderboard, online worldwide leaderboards for all-time and weekly leaderboards for all tables. Split-screen local where you and a player compete to reach a user definable goal. For example, first player to reach 50 million points with a 10% loss of score for any ball you lose; or it could be play for 10 minutes with no penalty. These game setups are
available locally or online with up to 4 players. Any friends who also have the game can send challenges in
the form of a higher score on a table and you have to see if you can beat it. Your friends score will show up
on screen while you play as you get closer to it, creating even more suspense as you try to beat it. There is
also a Superscore which is all your scores and all your friends scores combined on a leaderboard. On each
table you can choose between 7 or 8 different "views" to allow you to see the table just the way you like it. For
example, a stationary overhead view of the whole table or you could choose a low angle that follows the ball
up and down the table etc. This customization also extends to settings in the "Operators Menu" that allow
numerous changes such as: changing flipper power, changing the color of the DMD (Dot Matrix Display), adjusting the features on the table making it harder or easier etc. There are 19 tables available with a new
table every 6 weeks approximately. Later this year another 4 Marvel tables will be available. Each table can
be downloaded and played for a few minutes so you can try before you buy. The main PBFX2 interface is
FREE to download (322mb) and each table is around 50mb. If you are just starting out, I would recommend
the Pinball FX 2 Core Pack (Rome, Secrets of the Deep, Pasha and Biolab) and also the newer tables
like Sorceror's Lair, Mars, Ms. Spolsion Man or Paranormal. The Marvel Pack (Wolverine, Spider-Man, Blade
and Iron Man) are also excellent, with Captain America and Fantastic Four available as individual downloads.
The original Pinball FX tables (Agents, Exteme, Speed Machine and Buccaneer) have updated graphics but
do not generally have as high regard in the FX community compared to the newest tables. Finally, imho PBFX2 is not only one of the best games on XBLA it is one of ther best games on the 360. Highly Recommended.… Expand

Some Tables/Sets are great, others are lacking. The Marvel set is pretty much the cream of the crop. I was disappointed in the Street Fighter table. VERY VERY Lacking in Pinball Action. I am now more hesitant to purchase more.

This is the first game I have written a review for, so go easy on me! Pinball FX 2 is a game that has a lot to offer for what I believe is a small price compared to other games on Xbox Live. For starters, there are a ton of tables, they look great, they play great - and there is this really cool in game notification system that tells you when you are close to beating an old score, or a friends high score (I am yet to beat any of them!). Also, this is a game that got my wife playing, which is hard to do. She considers me a lazy guy who should read books instead of play games, but when she saw Pinball FX 2, she wanted to play! Overall, I think PInball FX 2 is one of the best games I have played in a long time. Going to check out the Marvel Pinball tables next.… Expand

Let me get right to the point: The physics of this game feel all wrong. If you're looking for the feel of a pinball machine, look towards the outstanding Williams Collection title. Not downloadable, alas, but between having real tables and a much better feel to the game, it's far more bang for a somewhat increased amount of buck.

I'm not one who often writes a lot of game reviews, as my tastes and those of a lot of modern gamers have diverged significantly over the passing years. Pinball, on the other hand, is a great love, and it saddens me to see pinball tables all but disappeared outside of conventions or the occasional movie theatre arcade.

Pinball FX 2 is inexpensive and easy to get a hold of. It has all the modern whizbangery you'd expect of an Xbox title - tight integration with Live so you can have your bragging rights with your friends. The artwork is superb, the music is well-composed but lacks the life of the pinball machines of yore. The voices are pretty terrible, but who can expect Raul Julia to voice for every table?

Still, I can't get past the feel of the game. The ball feels heavy and dead, and the tables are generally far too busy, and the design, again, lacks the natural flow of the games of old. The Williams greats (and their virtual equivalents) were made by people with a love of the art, and it showed. Pinball FX 2 was made by people who clearly had skill, but the love wasn't there, and the end result is a tease of what could have been.… Expand

I bought Pinball FX 1 and could never get into it. The physics seemed a little off, the sound effects and graphics were pretty bland, and the whole affair was just a bit off-putting for whatever reason. Pinball FX 2 completely changes that; it's weirdly compelling, and it's got updated versions of the tables I've already paid for from the first game. The ability to trial extra tables is a great idea, and the social aspects are well put-together (and help me realize how horrible my scores actually are). The physics, sounds, and graphics feel more reflective of actual pinball tables, and the whole thing just ends up being more fun. // It's disappointing that single-console multiplayer only works on the new tables, the table sounds still aren't terrific, and the tables don't have as much personality as decent (real) pinball tables, but it's still a great package.… Expand

The moderately enjoyable, if a little bland, Pinball FX has been given the makeover treatment and now returns as the flashier, more immersive and more enjoyable Pinball FX 2. Zen has done many things right by addressing the shortcomings of the original Pinball FX while also adding a number of new features, that it's hard to find a reason to not recommend this to fans of the original as well as players who may be new to the video pinball genre.

In addition to newly-added multi-player features (local and online play), there is the much-advertised ability to import your existing Pinball FX games into the PFX 2 interface for free, with new achievements to unlock for all the original tables - all the more reason to play them again! PFX 2 gives you an easily accessible and at-a-glance view of all the tables (locked and unlocked) that you have across both versions and is a breeze to navigate through.

The only downside of PFX 2 I'd have to say is that even though the tables are graphically better than PFX 1, they are visually darker. This is especially noticable on the imported tables (like Rocky and Bullwinkle) where the areas of the table that only light up once you activate them are now shrouded in shadows instead of being just "off". It makes a great effect once the whole table lights up, but until they do, you can't help but feel like you're playing on a table with a couple of fuses blown.

But overall, Pinball FX 2 is great upgrade and a worthy addition to the panthenon of video pinball games -- and if you have PFX1 then getting this is a no-brainer.… Expand

While I still prefer The Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection due to its perfect execution of real tables, this is still a fantastic collection of tables. It still seems like the ball jumps off the flipper a little too quickly in a non-realistic manner, which is the only thing that is keeping this game from a perfect 10 score. Download it and enjoy!

Pinball FX 2 is not so much a game its a platform. You can download it for free and play trials of any table you want up to a specific point limit. The thing is the game is so addictive you'll need to get hold of as many tables as possible.

Anybody who owned Pinball FX can download the original tables for free (and those who purchased the individual dlc for Pinball FX will get those tables free too). It when playing these tables that the differences between the original and this game become apparent. On top of the impressively overhauled and improved graphics, the physics of the gravity on the ball is much more realistic.

The four brand spanking new tables are also a few steps up from the original offerings. They're more complicated tables, with more minigames and special fx that you cold ever expect to be on a pinball table, but they never lose realism.

On top of the tables there is an nice added social aspect to the game. Get a number of friends who also play pinball fx 2 and you'll get on screen notifications when you're nearing and surpass their high-score. You also have local split scene multiplayer and xbox live multiplayer.

All in all Pinball FX2 is a package you can't fault.… Collapse