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Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection

9.4 based on 27 reviews Read critic reviews How did we calculate this? based on 11 votes Read user comments Rate this game

• Official Website

Relive the days when the pinball table was king, but play like you have unlimited quarters. Pinball Hall of Fame resurrects seven of Gottlieb's greatest pinball machines spanning the 60 years of arcade pinball's golden age. Recreated in a stunning 3-D environment, the game play, visuals and sound effects are so authentic, you'll feel like you're in a real arcade. You can choose from such classic tables as Ace High, Central Park, Big Shot, Genie, Black Hole, Victory, and Tee'd Off from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Historical art, fun facts and an unlockable bonus table. Bonus arcade novelty games for even more old-school fun. [Crave Entertainment]

PUBLISHER:	Crave Entertainment
DEVELOPER:	FarSight Studios
GENRE(S):	Pinball
PLAYERS:	4
ESRB RATING:	E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE:	December 7, 2005

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

Computer Games Magazine

Hall of Fame was released for the major console systems in 2004, but this PSP port comes with extra tables, all presented as virtuoso 3D recreations, fully playable from your choice of six camera views that can easily be switched on the fly. [Mar 2006, p.91]

89

Digital Entertainment News

For the most part Pinball Hall of Fame is a worthy purchase for any fan of classic games or for parents looking for a “safe” game for their kids.

85

Pelit (Finland)

Some of the tables are weak, but most are simply superb. It is a great travel-mate and a must-buy for any pinball enthusiast. [April 2006]

85

Deeko

Some may start a game of Central Park and laugh at the amusing graphics and simplistic gameplay, only to find themselves losing the game within two minutes. Seriously, some of the games look easy, but are deceptively hard.

80

GameZone

Playing this game is as much of a nostalgic experience as it is a new one. It doesn’t replace the real thing; it complements it.

80

PSX Extreme

If you're looking for a fun game to pick up and play for a few minutes at a time, or if you've heard about the fun of Metroid Prime Pinball (review) but own a PSP instead of a Nintendo DS, you can't go wrong with Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection.

80

Yahoo! Games

All told, this is a great package for the PSP that offers discrete slices of fun with every game.

80

DailyGame

If you're looking for a fun game to pick up and play for a few minutes at a time, or if you've heard about the fun of "Metroid Prime Pinball" but own a PSP instead of a Nintendo DS, you can't go wrong with Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection.

80

Game Chronicles

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection was a wonderful trip down memory lane; at least for the tables I actually remembered playing.

79

Worth Playing

Grab the codes off GameFAQs, unlock all the tables, and enjoy.

78

eToychest

It does everything it sets out to do very well, but it’s not very compelling beyond the obvious nostalgia value.

76

Cheat Code Central

I would pay big money to see a two-hour pinball documentary that also included simulated, digital versions of each machine to try out. We get a taste of that in Pinball Hall of Fame but what I really want is a meal, dammit.

75

Console Gameworld

Gives pinball fans access to some of the most popular and beloved pinball machines of all time, fully recreated in all their glory in digital format.

72

Next Level Gaming

Pinball Hall of Fame is a nice throwback to an old and dying arcade game.

72

Jolt Online Gaming UK

It may not be quite the same as owning a real table, but it’s certainly cheaper and the game feels a lot less cynical than some of the under-polished retro arcade packages that are currently available.

71

GameSpot

Pinball Hall of Fame delivers some accurate re-creations of some of Gottlieb's classic pinball tables, but the graphics get a little muddy in spots.

70

Sydney Morning Herald

Pinball may seem like an anachronism on the high-tech PlayStation Portable, but it can offer short bursts of fun wherever you go.

70

Adrenaline Vault

Pinball Hall of Fame has a lot going for it, what with numerous tables accurately reproduced, excellent physics, and decent controls.

70

PSM Magazine

Based on the PS2 game, but adding four tables, Pinball Hall of Fame works remarkably well on the PSP. [Mar 2006, p.88]

70

Gamer's Hell

While a somewhat throwaway experience by its limited genre content, The Gottlieb Collection definitely provides a formidable gameplay challenge, and some of the specific goals laid at the feet of the player are nigh on impossible without masses of sheer luck.

70

IGN

Offers a decent experience overall by providing 10 classic boards. The physics feel a little off, mainly due to the ball's lack of weight, but it gets the job done in the end.

70

TotalPlayStation

A very solid $20 offering. It's nothing that will sell a PSP, but as a impulse bargain buy, it should keep most very, very happy -- provided they like pinball. REALLY like pinball.

70

PALGN

Gottlieb Pinball Classics is a very enjoyable game and one of the best pinball titles released in a very long time. The game features a wide range of tables and the physics are generally very accurate.

70

My Gamer

Pinball games are usually hit or miss, and Pinball Hall of Fame is a hit… but only if you are into pinball as these games are usually only played by long time fans.

70

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

Brilliant in short bursts and great looking to boot; only question marks about its longevity prevent Gottlieb earning a higher score. [May 2006, p.93]

50

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

When I wasn't short-circuiting the game myself, there were bugs to contend with--about once an hour, the game would freeze and I would have to restart. [Mar 2006, p.94]

49

PSM2 Magazine UK

It's OK for a quickie, but with such lacklustre tables, you'll never be able to form a lasting relationship with it. [July 2006, p.112]

The average user rating for this game is 9.4 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Daniel gave it a10:
This is a great game. Very straight forward and simple, but fun. You are able to jump in for some quick fun without being tied up in a long sequence as you are in many games. The graphics are very good.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
This game totally rocks! Being a baby boomer who can remember the time that only pinball tables were the in thing to do, I can say you will enjoy this pinball game more than you know. It recreates the physics and dynamics of the real thing. Have played it for hours. It totally beats the ds metroid pinball game, hands down superior. This is a reason to own a PSP, if your into pinball, or even if your not. After playing this, you soon will be.

The Wizard of Pinball gave it a10:
OK, I got this game during the Christmas season and was immediately addicted, but decided to write a review after I've played a lot of it (I've beat most of the table goals or bought codes to unlock all the secrets as well) to see how I'd feel about it after extended play. And here I am, about a month after I first started playing it, and it's still all I can think about. Any one of the 11 or so tables (some are better than others) here can become so addicting that you'll find yourself playing hours long sessions. I just simply still cannot put it down. From the older, more straightahead tables like Big Shot and Central Park to the newer, more sophisticated ramps and objectives on Victory and Tee'd Off, and the exciting multiball frenzy that is Goin Nuts and the double table challenge of Black Hole, this game is the most fun a PSP owning pinball fan can have while not at an arcade. There are some small ball and flipper problems; very very rarely when the ball is traveling at a very fast speed it may pass through the flipper or warp through a part of the table all together, which can cause frustration while in the middle of white hot point streak. However like I said this is rare, and all the problems are far outweighed by how, just like real pinball, this game can become wickedly addictive if you don't look out.

J. Roberts gave it an8:
This is a great game, especially on the go. You can play from over seven different games and won't even notice how much time is gong past! You can spend hours on this and it will never get old. There is also a lot of exciting documentaries on this game that include a picture tour of the gottlieb factory, the history of the game, and so much more. The funnest part about this game is that you can have up to 4 players without having to hook up to another psp. Over- all this game is defiitely a great buy for that "old-school fun. "

Major P. gave it a10:
Unfortunately, I think the people who will most likely receive this game this holiday season are those who won't appreciate. It's value-ish price makes it the perfect target for clueless parents who think this will make the perfect give for their kid because "dang gummit, I loved pinball when I was younger!". You're better off getting the kid Burnout or Lumines or something. For people who actually still appreciate pinball (all 12 of us) this should be a must buy. Almost all of these tables are wickedly addictive and because of pinball's relatively straightforward, short nature there's gonna be a lot of those "just one more game!" moments that turn into hours long sessions. It's certainly got a pretty narrow audience as far as PSP games go, but if you can understand what would drive a person to spend all their money at the arcade playing pinball, then this is your game.

J. Max gave it a9:
Great gameplay that is currently consuming a TON of my time. This is a perfect game for a portable platform, and it has a ton of variety with all the different tables, and even some silly novelties. The physics are nearly perfect, and that really makes the gameplay stand out. I wish that there were a few more late 80s/early 90s tables, but many of those were licensed so they are bound to not be included. The only complaint I have is the slightly muddy textures for some of the graphics, and the scrolling is a bit too fast for the screen to kepp up in certain places. I hope that Midway gets on the ball and releases a Williams version of this! This is an absolute must-have game for the PSP if you are a pinball fan, and a must-have for anyone who wants some retro fun!

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