Pinball FX3

1. bl1rt

   Jan 3, 2019

   10

   As with all pinball games, you will not like every table, and if you don't like pinball, you won't like the game at all. But if you do, thereAs with all pinball games, you will not like every table, and if you don't like pinball, you won't like the game at all. But if you do, there are a so many great tables here that will keep you busy for hours and hours.… Expand

   • 0 of 2 users found this helpful
2. DecoyDoctorpus

   Jun 25, 2020

   10

   There is really nothing bad to say about this game. I say 'game' but really it is an incredible catalogue and portfolio of tables. Some, likeThere is really nothing bad to say about this game. I say 'game' but really it is an incredible catalogue and portfolio of tables. Some, like the free 'Sorcerers Lair' and the purchasable Aliens package, are insanely good. I dont even play anything else on my Switch at this point, and the online tournaments are great and still running. Simply one one of the best things you can get on Switch. The added benefit of Switch version is vertical (tate) mode, which makes it 10/10.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. RUSArtemFokin

   Dec 25, 2017

   10

   So finally, free games for Switch are finally coming. This time we got a pinball game.
   Lots of cool DLCs.
   Easy and addictive Many types ofSo finally, free games for Switch are finally coming. This time we got a pinball game.
   Lots of cool DLCs.
   Easy and addictive
   Many types of pinball tables.
   IDK… Expand

   • 2 of 3 users found this helpful
5. jibbitt

   Jun 20, 2018

   9

   This is a great pinball game. It has a huge amount of tables, satisfying physics, great sound design and a host of game modes.
   
   This is notThis is a great pinball game. It has a huge amount of tables, satisfying physics, great sound design and a host of game modes.
   
   This is not a realistic emulation of actual commercial pinball tables (like Pinball Arcade), but a more sensational, effects-laden experience. This very much works in its favour, having offered Zen Studios the ability to add characters with animations, 'magic', and various larger-than-life mechanics, just not possible in a 'simulation' title. The name of the game here is 'maximum fun'.
   
   There is also a whole host of licensed tables, including table packs using major properties like Universal Movies, Jurassic Park, Bethesda Games, Fox Cartoons and more. The base game is completely free with one table (which allows you to play in the many different available modes). Although you could get several hours out of mastering just that one, additional tables (available as DLC) come in reasonably-priced, themed bundles, resulting in each table costing less than a beer at a bar.
   
   Then there are the various modes. Each table has a 'classic mode', which is a no-frills high score fest, a 'normal mode', which enables a host of unlockable assists and multipliers, and three challenge modes (1-ball, 5 minute and survival). The challenge modes are scored against 15 levels - you must hit a certain score in a run to reach the next one).
   
   That's not to mention match-up mode, cross platform tournaments (self-host or play any of those already available) and a huge selection of unlockables based on your mastery of tables. There really is a lot to get your teeth into here.
   
   Additionally, there is a huge array of options which allows you to tailor the experience to your liking. Even in game, you can easily pick between several views of the table.
   
   All of this is true of every version, but the Switch version also comes with delightfully tactile HD rumble. The game remains one of the best examples of its implementation on the system, outside first party titles. Every 'plunk' and 'click' is sent straight to your hands, being a rare example of haptic feedback genuinely adding to enjoyment of a title.
   
   With the Switch's portable screen, the game's vertical mode option is also available, allowing you to see the whole table at one time. Touch controls are also implemented, so you can even choose to play the game like a tablet.
   
   Along with this, the recent update to resolution and frame rate (60fps in all modes) means it does not significantly suffer against the PC version, and the portability is a huge advantage for this type of game. It's perfect for jumping in and playing a quick round in between daily tasks.
   
   I can't recommend this game enough for anyone who remotely likes pinball and, considering you can get started for free, there's no reason not to dive right in.… Expand

   • 0 of 1 users found this helpful
6. Jack5switch

   Dec 18, 2017

   8

   Pinball FX3 contains well-designed original pinball tables with 3D elements and various special effects attached, accompanied by a lineup ofPinball FX3 contains well-designed original pinball tables with 3D elements and various special effects attached, accompanied by a lineup of recognisable franchises from Universal Studios, FOX Entertainment and Valve. By free-to-play, I mean you get one full table on download, and have to buy the rest. I managed to get two extra on launch for free and also bought the Portal table for around 4 dollars, and I am very impressed with the amount of replayability this game has in terms of missions and multiplayer. The few gripes I have with the game are that there is no free table rotation, and the Son of Zeus table is too loud and lags when in handheld mode. But still, Pinball FX3 is a free download, why not try it out?… Expand

   • 2 of 3 users found this helpful
7. Sanistus

   Dec 23, 2017

   8

   A solid game of pinball. You can set the game to play vertically, which makes perfect sense on the switch since if you have a 3rd party stand,A solid game of pinball. You can set the game to play vertically, which makes perfect sense on the switch since if you have a 3rd party stand, you can set the console vertically on a table.
   
   There's a few different game modes for each table, as well as online multiplayer and leaderboards. For me, the leaderboards are the only thing that's really necessary, but it's nice to get more options for gameplay nonetheless.
   
   I think having to pay for tables is a fine idea, especially when they're as detailed as these, but the prices could be just a tad lower. Instead of $9.99 for three tables, maybe $7.50 would be a bit better. Buying tables a la carte would also be nice. I might want to try the Archer table, but I have zero interest in the Family Guy and American Dad tables.
   
   Another thing I'd like to see is more customization for controls. This game doesn't have a set of preset schemes like some games, but it's also not fully customizable. It's sort of a combination of each. You can change the button for each action, but certain actions can only be bound to certain keys. I wanted to bind the flippers to the d-pad and y button like the old GB and GBA pinball games I used to play, but you just aren't allowed to do that.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
8. BarcSsarc

   Dec 31, 2017

   4

   I have always loved pinball. I've found it captivating since I was really little. It's how this tiny, metal ball becomes infused with kineticI have always loved pinball. I've found it captivating since I was really little. It's how this tiny, metal ball becomes infused with kinetic energy and rips through its own physics playground packed to the brim with the unexpected. It's the invisible underbelly; how the electronics can tie one plunger into countless flow charts. It's the way a consciousness can inhabit the ball itself just like any other vehicle, giving the player a whole new perspective of the physical world. It's the experience of using that perspective to explore every nook and cranny of a contained ecosystem wrought by unimaginable time and human effort. Pinball, man. Love.
   
   I've always had a love-hate relationship with digital pinball. Part of me has always been excited at the idea of being able to play pinball any time. And, unless you have considerable money to burn, either to buy a table or play at a bar, digital pinball is really the only way to do that. When I was a pre-teen, I loved Full Tilt! for Windows 3.1. When I was a teenager, I had Pinball Fantasies, Epic Pinball, and Sonic Spinball. These were all great games, and I really enjoyed them. For a time. Eventually, the allure of digital pinball wore off. I got bored of all of them, and newer digital pinball games weren't doing it for me either. Every time I picked up a pinball videogame, I would stop playing within 15 minutes. And, every time that happened, I would remember that I'm just tired of pinball.
   
   Days or months later, I would find myself putting money into a pinball table at some bar or arcade, and part of me would wake up. Oh yeah, THIS is pinball. I will never be tired of pinball. It's just the videogames. They don't do it. They can't do it right.
   
   Recently, two different pinball games appeared on the Nintendo Switch as freebies: Pinball FX 3 (PBFX3 Hereafter) and Stern Pinball Arcade (SBA Hereafter). I tried SBA first, because it was the lesser-known, more-generic looking one. Better to just get it out of the way. What I didn't realize before I started playing was that this videogame is a licensed product, specifically designed to reproduce real, physical tables. After navigating a minimal menu system and surprisingly long loading screen to get a game started, I was shocked and amazed at how realistic SBA looks and feels. It is exactly what I had no idea I wanted. It is simply wonderful. I played it for an hour, totally engrossed.
   
   Then I decided to try PBFX3. By comparison, it has a slick interface. The menus are really responsive. There are online game modes. There's hotseat multiplayer. Bells and whistles. I chose from one of the three available free tables (which I thought was nice, since SBA only has one free table), and started a single player game. Immediately, my heart sank. The game looks really nice, but the table is small and simplistic. The game runs at ~15-25fps. The physics are just okay; everything feels a little mushy. It's ...a videogame. I played each table one time, then I deleted it from my console.
   
   Tonight, on a whim, I decided to re-install and give it another shot, because I was having so much fun with SBA (I bought extra tables and have put more time into it) that I just wanted a little more variety without paying more. I also don't like to form opinions on one short experience. Again, PBFX3 feels sluggish and overtly digital. Second impression: not good.
   
   After that experience, I became curious what critics thought of these two titles.
   PBFX3: Critics-87/100, Users-7.1/10. That's enough to put it at #4 overall by Metascore, though its User Score puts it at ~#64.
   SBA: No scores; not enough ratings. There are two Critic ratings: A 60/100 from Nintendo Life, complaining the game is too 'simplistic;' and a 40/100 from Digitall Downloaded, complaining about a lack of features and online play, also saying it can't compete with Pinball FX 3 for these reasons. There's one User review giving it a 9/10, which poetically describes exactly why physical pinball is so superior to digital. It's an inspired review.
   
   I'm trying to understand how someone can criticize a faithful recreation of an entire physical pinball machine as "simplistic." I'm struggling to empathize with the opinion that the presence of online leaderboards makes [a reasonably compelling pinball game that practically gives the finger to everything physically compelling about pinball] better than [aforementioned faithful recreations of tables that were painstakingly designed and masterfully manufactured]. I'm not a purist about many things, but I cannot disagree more with the critics on this one.
   
   PBFX3: get it on another console; even if you like the Pinball FX series, it runs terribly on the Switch. Maybe they'll patch it. But hey this one's free so what the hell give it a shot I guess.
   
   SBA, though, is an amazing piece of software. I offer my strongest recommendation to anyone who loves physical pinball machines.… Expand

   • 5 of 11 users found this helpful

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