Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

There is a cringe that runs down my back every time I read about a popular license coming to the video game arena.  I mean, let’s face it, licensed games are rarely any good, and it only diminishes the brand as well as the developer involved.  Thankfully, in this rare case, it is the perfect medium for a licensed title, as Marvel Pinball mixes up two great pastimes – comic books and pinball.  It seems simple on the surface, but Zen Studios has put a lot of work into crafting more than the normal pinball experience, and it pays off handsomely with this new expansion for its Pinball FX 2 platform.

Marvel Pinball is being sold as an add-on for the Xbox Live Arcade version of Pinball FX 2, but if you look for it on the PSN, you will find it listed as a completely separate product.  Not sure why Zen did not look to import this into their PS3 pinball title, Zen Pinball, but no matter, as it works well on both platforms.  I did receive the XBLA version of the tables a bit early, and I spent on and off, the better part of a week playing around with the tables, and while the game seems like a simple game of pinball, there is a surprising amount of depth happening with each of the four tables included in the package.

With Marvel Pinball, you do get four tables, each themed with a different hero.  Your starter pack for Marvel Pinball includes a Wolverine table, a Blade table, a Spider Man table and finally an Iron Man table.  Each of these tables is themed around elements and enemies that would be found in each hero’s mythos.  In the case of Spider Man, we have Mysterio, Doc Ock and Green Goblin, while Wolverine has Sabertooth, The Silver Samurai and a Sentinel to deal with on his table.  Each of the tables in Marvel Pinball is well crafted and none seem cheap on any level, although if there had to be a sore spot, the Iron Man table is a little on the weak side.  Not bad, but outclassed by the other tables in the package.

While each of the tables starts off deceptively simple, they all start to get very complex after a couple of hours have been invested in the game.  On each table, as you hit specific goals or hit certain targets, you unlock boss battles that are played out by scaled versions of the heroes and villains on the pinball table.   At one point, I had Doc Ock crawling down the table, and the only way to stop him was to hit the ramps that he was using for support with his mechanical arms.  I loved watching these battles take place on the table right above where I was playing.  It made me feel like the little guy that was on the ground in the comics, looking up at these larger than life heroes.

Every aspect of the games is tied into the lore of the heroes.  With the Blade table, you have points in the game where night falls and the vampires come out from the woodwork to cause trouble for Blade and his friends.  Or with the Wolverine table, you can work the table into frenzy mode where you end up getting massive points with every target you hit and destroy.  I loved these little touches, as it gave me a tighter connection to the source material.

On the Xbox Live platform at least (did not get the PSN copy for review), you get all the features of Pinball FX 2 with this title, including leader boards, pinball wizard score, and much more.  Sure, these features are not exactly part of Marvel Pinball, but it adds an addicting layer to a title that is already well designed.

About the only flaw that I came across, and while it is not big, its annoyance will all depend on your patience level, and that would be the dialog.  Each table has a few spoken lines of dialog, but not enough to keep you entertained during a long session of the game.  If I have to hear Blade chime in about his battle toughness one more time, I am liable to jump into the game and kill him myself.  In short bursts is okay, but with a long play session, you are probably going to start wanting to find the character volume switch.

Marvel Pinball is a well designed, and solid table set addition for Pinball FX 2.  Each of the tables offer a ton of replay value and mixed with the addictive friends play, you should have no qualms parting with your hard earned cash for Marvel Pinball.  Marvel Pinball gets 5 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

Check out Marvel Pinball and other XBLA  reviews at Test Freaks.