For a videogamer there is nothing more fascinating than a coin-op of the golden age, yet the pinball machine has an aura of almost mythological historicity with regard to the machines for entertainment, difficult to reach from a any electronic system. This obviously because they have emerged much earlier and we can only imagine the impact that such objects could have in the 50s and 60s,
with regard to the first introductions on the market. Almost completely disappeared from the scene, the pinball machines are finding a new way to establish themselves, paradoxically, precisely through the system that has substantially removed them, that is the videogame.
Among the many series that have succeeded over the years,, recently reached the third chapter and finally arrived on Nintendo Switch in a version that reflects in all respects that already seen on PC and other platforms but with some special additions that further enhance it.
For the basic information we refer you to the review already published some time ago on these pages, but let’s explore some of the peculiarities of the Switch version to see why this could ultimately be the best version seen so far of Pinball FX3.
Also in this case the game is a sort of platform: it starts from a free table (Sorcerer’s Lair, however the same already present in FX2 but still very suitable to make an introduction to the characteristics of the title) and a wide range of others to be purchased separately or in thematic packages, with a total expense that can also become important (without considering Adventure Land Pinball and Son of Zeus distributed free for the first days of launch) and that therefore makes a selective evaluation on the tables useful to buy or not. Regarding this review
MAGICIANS, PORTALS, SHARKS AND TIME MACHINES
It is clear how an evaluation of the game can derive from a sort of media among the various tables, whose selection modifies the gameplay in a sensitive way, since on the game engine, as a basis, there is very little to discuss.
This is a convincing replica of the pinball focused on a physical simulation that does not represent perhaps the maximum of possible realism, but that was probably designed to be the optimal meeting point between realistic rendering of the ball behavior and arcade interpretation given by application of bonuses and power-ups.
It is indeed the latter a peculiar feature of Pinball FX3, which deviates from the classic direction of pinball simulations to stage a new interpretation of these, adding a constant progression of the player and quasi-rolistic elements applied to the gameplay.
The high score race finds a new justification here, in addition to the direct comparison with the other players through the online leaderboards: the conquered points also allow you to raise the level of experience and unlock special abilities that can be applied to the various tables and affect the progress of the games.
These are slow-moving multipliers, multipliers and power-ups that can bring the challenge to the highest score on increasingly competitive levels. All this adds considerable variety to the basic gameplay, even if the purists could turn up their noses in the face of a digression now somewhat detached from reality for this pinball simulation.
In fact, it is an excellent system to guarantee a certain longevity to the game, maintaining a high level of interest thanks to the application of interesting variations even on a small number of tables and making every single game important and significant in the perspective of constant progression of the player.
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