I'm a pinball fan. I spent the last couple of months on a PC Pinball buying spree looking for the best pinball game out there, and believe me - there are plenty out there! Microsoft Pinball Arcade, Balls of Steel, 3D Ultra Pinball, Addiction Pinball, Full Tilt Pinball... It seems like nearly every game company thinks they can rake in some easy cash by putting out a second-rate pinball game. Most of them were disappointing, some were fun for a while, but then I played Pro Pinball: Timeshock! and fell in love.

First off, the physics model of the playfield is simply the best. It truly feels like you're playing the real thing. The ball comes off the flippers like you expect, the animation is smooth, and the ball movement is strikingly realistic. Even spin on the ball is modeled well. If you have been frustrated in the past by games that didn't "feel" right, Timeshock won't disappoint.

Timeshock only has one table, unlike most other pinball sims which come with several. I thought this would be a drawback, until I realized what a great job they did with the single table. It is very well designed, and has a practically unlimited supply of challenges. I'm still trying to master some of the combinations and "missions", months after I started playing the game.

Like any pinball game, the basic controls are simple - two buttons for the flippers and one to launch the ball. For the more advanced player, you can also "nudge" the table up, left, and right, but watch out for a TILT. The right gutter also has a "Magno-Save" which you can activate at the right time to save your ball. It has enough subtile features to make it really shine in the hands of a skilled pinball wizard. There are several multiball opportunities, culminating with a grand 10-ball multiball (I believe), provided you can get that far. You can also play the game from several viewing angles, whatever suits your preference.

Unlike some of its competitors, Timeshock doesn't try to add on fancy animations, morphing tables, or any other crazy stuff you could only do with a computer program. Instead, it sticks to making a terrific simulation of a real pinball game. And it does a great job.

Incidentally, there are two newer games in the Pro Pinball series - "Big Race USA" and "Fantastic Journey". I haven't played them yet, but rest assured I will soon. They are based on the same great pinball engine, so I expect these games to also be of the highest calibur.





Recommended: Yes