Marvel Pinball

Xbox Live Arcade

The Pinball FX series has brought the arcade staple back into the limelight, and Marvel Pinball only adds to the modern day renaissance. Available as a downloadable table pack on the Xbox 360 for Pinball FX2 owners (or as a standalone game for PS3), Marvel Pinball features four distinct tables based on popular Marvel characters: Spider-man, Wolverine, Iron Man, and Blade.

Of course Blade seems like the odd-man out of the four. Sure he had a trilogy of movies that were successful, but comic book fans or even casual Marvel fans could name a dozen characters they’d rather see. Regardless, Blade proved to be an inspired choice given the table design. Each character has a unique design meant to match the themes of that particular character. For Blade, the table switches between night-and-day themes, carrying with it a different set of monsters to contend with as you play. The night theme is a great change of pace as all those bright colors get muted, and the board becomes an eerie dark-land lit up by well-placed neon lights.

The Spider-Man and Wolverine boards are sure to be the most popular. For Spider-man’s table, villain bosses such as Green Goblin and Mysterio come out to make things challenging on the board. Doc Ock, for example, introduces multiple balls to the table. The Wolverine table has Sabretooth, Silver Samurai, and Sentinels. Watching Wolverine and Sabretooth battle it out is a highlight in the game, though Spider-Man’s table overall is the better choice.

What makes the game from being a perfect addition to the Pinball FX series is Iron Man’s board. You’d think that seeing as how he’s a hero based on modern technology that designing a table to match would be a piece of cake. Instead, it’s rather uninspired and robotic (in a bad way). Tony Stark’s dialogue is far too repetitive, and unlike the other three tables, there are certain spots where the ball slows to a crawl, severely slowing down the flow of the game. Chances are you’ll try it out a few times, but stick with the other three boards.

Aside from Iron Man’s board design, voice talent all around is the weakest point. Not only does it get repetitive, but the acting isn’t even all that ground. Getting the movie actors to reprise their role is, for obvious reasons, not possible, but getting better voice talent wouldn’t have you considering hitting the mute button. Too bad, because the music is quite appropriate for each level.

Unlike the arcade where you have to take turns, Zen Studios implemented a multiplayer experience that increases the fun level. You can compete online, or against one other player on a split screen. Even if sharing the screen with someone else isn’t your cup of tea, there’s still the tried and true pinball method of racking up as high as score as you can and comparing with others.

The game is a little pricey for Xbox ($10 download), especially if you’re going to only end up play a couple of the boards. However, it is a fun and addictive add-on if you’re a fan of the genre.