Marvel Pinball
Encyclopedia
Marvel Pinball is an arcade pinball machine video game developed by Zen Studios
. It features Marvel Comics
-themed pinball tables. It is available as a stand alone game for the PlayStation 3
via the PlayStation Network, and as downloadable content for Pinball FX 2
on the Xbox 360
via Xbox Live Arcade
. It is the second pinball title for the PlayStation 3, succeeding Zen Pinball
. It was released on December 8, 2010 on the Xbox 360 and December 14, 2010 on the PlayStation 3.
The game was positively received by critics. It holds an aggregate score of 88.08% on the Xbox 360 and 84.57% on the PlayStation 3 at GameRankings. Reviewers praised the visual presentation of each table, and commented specifically on the bright colors and animated characters. Most reviewers felt the table design was excellent, however some felt that certain sections of the table felt bare. Critics generally felt that it was an excellent value for the cost. Sales during the month of its release exceeded 47,000 copies on the Xbox 360 and 19,000 on the PlayStation 3.
machine, albeit in a virtual environment. As with a traditional pinball machine, the player fires a steel ball onto the playfield using a plunger. Once the ball is in play the player controls the flippers and can nudge the machine to influence the path of the ball. Each of the game's tables become more complex as the game advances, opening new paths and opportunities.
The Xbox 360 version was released as downloadable content
for another Zen pinball video game, Pinball FX 2
. The PlayStation 3 version of Marvel Pinball has been made available as a stand-alone release, only. While the PlayStation 3 version does not feature split-screen multiplayer, it features the ability to nudge the table by tilting the controller. Both versions feature four pinball tables based on major Marvel Comics characters: Blade
, Iron Man
, Spider-Man
, and Wolverine
. Additional tables are available via downloadable content. The official site held a poll to determine which table would be released next based on fan response.
Downloadable content
Vengeance and Virtue
website October 20, 2010. It was officially announced on November 15, 2010. It was released on December 8, 2010 on the Xbox 360 and December 14, 2010 on the PlayStation 3. It is available as a stand alone game for the PlayStation 3
via the PlayStation Network, and as downloadable content for Pinball FX 2
on the Xbox 360
via Xbox Live Arcade
. It is the second pinball title for the PlayStation 3, succeeding Zen Pinball
. As Marvel Comics has granted Zen Studios full license to the Marvel universe, the studio has stated future tables will expand beyond characters to cover events such as the Marvel Civil War
and the Dark Siege
.
In an interview with Gamesworld Zen Studios hinted that a table centered around Captain America
would be downloadable content. On April 29, 2011 Zen announced that the next table in the series would feature the Fantastic Four
; this table was made available on May 17, 2011 on the PlayStation Network and May 18 on Xbox Live. On June 15, 2011 it was announced that a Captain America table will be released on June 28 on the PSN and on the 29th for Xbox Live. On July 24, 2011 Zen Studios and Marvel Comics announced Vengeance and Virtue, a four table expansion for Marvel Pinball. The first of the tables, themed around the character Ghost Rider
, was revealed at the same time. Zen and Marvel further announced that Marvel Pinball would be coming to additional platforms. Ports for the Nintendo 3DS
, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Android OS and Microsoft Windows
were announced. The second table of the Vengeance and Virtue expansion pack was revealed to be X-men
at the 2011 New York Comic Con. The third table, based on Moon Knight
, was revealed on November 10, 2011. On November 27, 2011, a PS3 update to the trophy list revealed that the fourth and final table of the Vengeance and Virtue expansion pack would be Thor
.
reports similar scores, with the Xbox 360 version holding an average of 87/100 and the PlayStation 3 version averaging 86/100. Sales during the month of its release exceeded 47,000 copies on the Xbox 360 and 19,000 on the PlayStation 3.
Richard Basset of TeamXbox
gave Marvel Pinball a 9.5/10, stating of the Xbox Live version that the tables "are a top-notch addition to an awesome game". The reviewer for MS Xbox World also gave the Xbox Live version a 9.5/10, stating that "Marvel Pinball is by far the best pack of tables that Pinball FX2 has to offer and gives something both comic and pinball fans." GameZone
's Robert Workman gave it an 8.5/10, stating it was "a simply must buy."
Jim Cook of Gamers Daily News score the Xbox Live version a slightly lower 8.5/10, saying that Marvel Pinball is "reasonably priced for what you get and its good aspects definitely outweigh the somewhat barren mid-field play on most of these tables." Mike Rose of Strategy Informer gave the Marvel Pinball an 8.5/10. He stated that while he felt all four tables were amazing, he needed "to take all gamers into consideration, and while this is a near-perfect experience for pinball fanatics, plenty of gamers won't find the action as exhilarating." Game Informer
s Matt Miller scored it an 8.5/10, lauding its "excellent comic art and highly detailed visual effects make each table pop with energy and color." He did, however criticize the loss of realism with character interactions to the table. "I also don’t always like when onscreen events occur that wouldn’t be possible on a real table, [...] the game is at its best when the illusion of true pinball is maintained" he stated.
GamesRadar
's Matthew Keast scored it a 7/10. He praised the overall look of each table, but cited visibility issues when Blade's table changes from day to night. Matt Swider of GamePro
disagreed, stating that the "odd-man-out choice of Blade amongst the three other Marvel heavyweights proves to be a successful one with its great use of day and night themes." Swider further praised the animated fights between the heroes and villains during gameplay. He did warn users that due to the intricate detail it was "not an ideal game if you own a small TV."
Zen Studios
Zen Studios is a software development company based in Budapest, Hungary. Primarily known for its pinball machine video games, the company worked with several franchises, including Marvel Comics, Ghostbusters, and Rocky and Bullwinkle.As of June 2011 Zen Studios is continuing to release...
. It features Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
-themed pinball tables. It is available as a stand alone game for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via the PlayStation Network, and as downloadable content for Pinball FX 2
Pinball FX 2
Pinball FX 2 is the sequel to the pinball machine video game Pinball FX for the Xbox 360. It was developed by Zen Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released on October 27, 2010 via the Xbox Live Arcade service. The game features several new features, such as local...
on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
. It is the second pinball title for the PlayStation 3, succeeding Zen Pinball
Zen Pinball
Zen Pinball is a series of pinball machine video games for iOS and the PlayStation 3 developed by Zen Studios. The iOS releases are two separate applications, each containing one table; Zen Pinball: Rollercoaster, released July 7, 2008, and Zen Pinball: Inferno, released October 31, 2010...
. It was released on December 8, 2010 on the Xbox 360 and December 14, 2010 on the PlayStation 3.
The game was positively received by critics. It holds an aggregate score of 88.08% on the Xbox 360 and 84.57% on the PlayStation 3 at GameRankings. Reviewers praised the visual presentation of each table, and commented specifically on the bright colors and animated characters. Most reviewers felt the table design was excellent, however some felt that certain sections of the table felt bare. Critics generally felt that it was an excellent value for the cost. Sales during the month of its release exceeded 47,000 copies on the Xbox 360 and 19,000 on the PlayStation 3.
Gameplay
Marvel Pinball utilizes the same basic rules as a physical pinballPinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
machine, albeit in a virtual environment. As with a traditional pinball machine, the player fires a steel ball onto the playfield using a plunger. Once the ball is in play the player controls the flippers and can nudge the machine to influence the path of the ball. Each of the game's tables become more complex as the game advances, opening new paths and opportunities.
The Xbox 360 version was released as downloadable content
Paid content
Paid content is the non-free electronic commerce of digital content and information goods in digital media. Examples of digital media are, for example, the Internet, the World Wide Web or mobile media...
for another Zen pinball video game, Pinball FX 2
Pinball FX 2
Pinball FX 2 is the sequel to the pinball machine video game Pinball FX for the Xbox 360. It was developed by Zen Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released on October 27, 2010 via the Xbox Live Arcade service. The game features several new features, such as local...
. The PlayStation 3 version of Marvel Pinball has been made available as a stand-alone release, only. While the PlayStation 3 version does not feature split-screen multiplayer, it features the ability to nudge the table by tilting the controller. Both versions feature four pinball tables based on major Marvel Comics characters: Blade
Blade (comics)
Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, and Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
. Additional tables are available via downloadable content. The official site held a poll to determine which table would be released next based on fan response.
| Tables | ||
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Downloadable content
Vengeance and Virtue
Development
Marvel Pinball was first leaked to the public via the Australian Classification BoardAustralian Classification Board
The Australian Classification Board is a statutory classification body formed by the Australian Government which classifies films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia since its establishment in 1970. The Australian Classification Board was originally incorporated...
website October 20, 2010. It was officially announced on November 15, 2010. It was released on December 8, 2010 on the Xbox 360 and December 14, 2010 on the PlayStation 3. It is available as a stand alone game for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via the PlayStation Network, and as downloadable content for Pinball FX 2
Pinball FX 2
Pinball FX 2 is the sequel to the pinball machine video game Pinball FX for the Xbox 360. It was developed by Zen Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released on October 27, 2010 via the Xbox Live Arcade service. The game features several new features, such as local...
on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
. It is the second pinball title for the PlayStation 3, succeeding Zen Pinball
Zen Pinball
Zen Pinball is a series of pinball machine video games for iOS and the PlayStation 3 developed by Zen Studios. The iOS releases are two separate applications, each containing one table; Zen Pinball: Rollercoaster, released July 7, 2008, and Zen Pinball: Inferno, released October 31, 2010...
. As Marvel Comics has granted Zen Studios full license to the Marvel universe, the studio has stated future tables will expand beyond characters to cover events such as the Marvel Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
and the Dark Siege
Siege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
.
In an interview with Gamesworld Zen Studios hinted that a table centered around Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
would be downloadable content. On April 29, 2011 Zen announced that the next table in the series would feature the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
; this table was made available on May 17, 2011 on the PlayStation Network and May 18 on Xbox Live. On June 15, 2011 it was announced that a Captain America table will be released on June 28 on the PSN and on the 29th for Xbox Live. On July 24, 2011 Zen Studios and Marvel Comics announced Vengeance and Virtue, a four table expansion for Marvel Pinball. The first of the tables, themed around the character Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider (comics)
Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Night Rider and subsequently to Phantom Rider.The first supernatural Ghost Rider is...
, was revealed at the same time. Zen and Marvel further announced that Marvel Pinball would be coming to additional platforms. Ports for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Android OS and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
were announced. The second table of the Vengeance and Virtue expansion pack was revealed to be X-men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
at the 2011 New York Comic Con. The third table, based on Moon Knight
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
, was revealed on November 10, 2011. On November 27, 2011, a PS3 update to the trophy list revealed that the fourth and final table of the Vengeance and Virtue expansion pack would be Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
.
Reception
Marvel Pinball was released to positive reception among critics. It currently holds an aggregate score of 88.08% at GameRankings on the Xbox 360 and 84.57% on the PlayStation 3. Fellow aggregate website MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reports similar scores, with the Xbox 360 version holding an average of 87/100 and the PlayStation 3 version averaging 86/100. Sales during the month of its release exceeded 47,000 copies on the Xbox 360 and 19,000 on the PlayStation 3.
Richard Basset of TeamXbox
TeamXbox
TeamXbox is a gaming media web site dedicated to Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms. While the majority of content is Xbox and Xbox 360 related, the site occasionally covers general technology and other video game news....
gave Marvel Pinball a 9.5/10, stating of the Xbox Live version that the tables "are a top-notch addition to an awesome game". The reviewer for MS Xbox World also gave the Xbox Live version a 9.5/10, stating that "Marvel Pinball is by far the best pack of tables that Pinball FX2 has to offer and gives something both comic and pinball fans." GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
's Robert Workman gave it an 8.5/10, stating it was "a simply must buy."
Jim Cook of Gamers Daily News score the Xbox Live version a slightly lower 8.5/10, saying that Marvel Pinball is "reasonably priced for what you get and its good aspects definitely outweigh the somewhat barren mid-field play on most of these tables." Mike Rose of Strategy Informer gave the Marvel Pinball an 8.5/10. He stated that while he felt all four tables were amazing, he needed "to take all gamers into consideration, and while this is a near-perfect experience for pinball fanatics, plenty of gamers won't find the action as exhilarating." Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
s Matt Miller scored it an 8.5/10, lauding its "excellent comic art and highly detailed visual effects make each table pop with energy and color." He did, however criticize the loss of realism with character interactions to the table. "I also don’t always like when onscreen events occur that wouldn’t be possible on a real table, [...] the game is at its best when the illusion of true pinball is maintained" he stated.
GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
's Matthew Keast scored it a 7/10. He praised the overall look of each table, but cited visibility issues when Blade's table changes from day to night. Matt Swider of GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
disagreed, stating that the "odd-man-out choice of Blade amongst the three other Marvel heavyweights proves to be a successful one with its great use of day and night themes." Swider further praised the animated fights between the heroes and villains during gameplay. He did warn users that due to the intricate detail it was "not an ideal game if you own a small TV."