The last time I was in the Boston area I went over to Cambridge to check out Lanes & Games, a Cambridge bowling alley, arcade, pool hall, and bar. Finding a place to play pinball isn't always easy. There are plenty of machines in the Boston area, but only a few places with a decent range of machines. Lanes & Games has nine different pinball machines, which is exciting, and precisely the reason I went.
Although Lanes & Games has nine machines ranging from 90s era titles like Adams Family and Safe Cracker to relatively brand new machines like Tron: Legacy and Iron Man, I spent the vast majority of my time playing The Simpsons Pinball Party.
The Simpsons Pinball Party is a relatively new machine, being released by Stern in 2003. It is certainly much newer than the first Simpsons pinball machine, released in 1990, merely one year into the ongoing, monolithic Simpsons franchise. Consequently, The Simpsons Pinball Party is far more robust in its Simpsons references.
The game is faithful to its license, with plenty for diehard Simpsons fans to enjoy, even a secret Springfield Mystery Spot. But far more than a tantalizing game for fans, The Simpsons Pinball Party is an excellent machine with good flow, thoughtful layout, and a robust amount of content. The game also features a manual plunger and two skill shots, which I appreciate immensely.
There is a lot to do in this game, so much so that I cannot begin to describe it all here. The game has a series of timed modes which are started by having your ball kicked to an upper playfield, the Spimpsons' living room, complete with a TV mini display. The upper playfield is accessed either by the left side ramp or by shooting the garage door twice (once to open the door and a second time to get into the garage). This two-ways-to-play setup is a consistent theme with The Simpsons Pinball Party, making it an interesting and enjoyable game as the player has a great deal of flexibility.
If I remember correctly, there are seven modes plus a wizard mode, not that I was able to get to that point. My novice skill is such that I am only able to explore a game to a certain point before my wallet gives out. Nevertheless, completing all modes will start the Alien Invasion wizard mode, or so I have read.
In addition to the upper playfield modes, there are two separate multiballs, both of which have challenging (but far from impossible) ball locks, which makes activating multiball a rewarding achievement. One such ball lock also starts a Bart Daredevil mode with loops, ramps, bumpers, and targets.
The playfield is bright, colorful, and characterful with several playfield characters including the Comic Book Guy, Itchy & Scratchy, Daredevil Bart, and Homer Simpson's head. Most of the characters move, but do so minimally. In any case they add far more to the experience than they detract.
I would say that the game is an intermediate difficulty. Unlike a relatively easy Sega machine, it requires skill and practice to play, but it is not punishing. As a novice player, I never felt like the machine was taking me for a ride, and quarters went a respectably long time. The left outlane can be a killer, but it is merely one drawback in an otherwise very solid playing experience.
Overall, The Simpsons Pinball Party deserves its good reputation. It is a solid, enjoyable game with only a short list of mechanical issues more than made up for by a thoughtfully designed playfield and a significant depth of gameplay.
No comments:
Post a Comment