Pacific Rim Pinball & Universal Pinball: TV Classics | Xbox Review

Last year, Zen Studios released their latest Pinball FX client. While I had some issue with their new pricing structure and the need to re-purchase tables or subscribe to a service, it’s impossible to argue the high quality tables they have to offer. No other digital pinball game has even come close to high-level physics and attention to detail. Needless to say, I was more than pumped when I heard there were new tables on the horizon. One is based on a popular sci-fi film, and the others are centered around iconic TV shows from the past. As expected, each table is highly polished with lots of fan service that will make people who watched the respective properties very happy. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the source materials but love the silver ball, you can’t go wrong. Check out my brief descriptions below of each one.

Pacific Rim

Back in 2013 when I was one of the hosts of The Hollywood Outsider, my co-host Aaron reviewed Pacific Rim. In that review, he called it “a summer blockbuster with a few flaws, but more than enough in entertainment.” I was also a huge fan of the film, as it was exactly what I was looking for in a summer blockbuster.

Pinball FX’s digital pinball table is similar in quality. It’s also one of the more accessible tables I’ve played in quite a while. It’s not difficult to determine where you need to shoot in order to progress quests, and the shots are relatively easy to hit. Couple that with voice overs quoting lines from the film and giant Jaegers flashing across the screen, and you’ve got a winning combination. I had so much fun with this table, and was actually able to score in the top 100 on my first credit. It’s more than likely been wiped away at this point, but all the more reason for me to jump back into it. This table is a ton of fun.

Xena: Warrior Princess

I watched my fair share of 90s TV, but one show I never got around to was Xena: Warrior Princess. With that said, this property is the one of the lot I’m least familiar with. Because of this, I gravitated to this entry less than the others. That doesn’t mean that the quality is an issue here. On the contrary, Xena’s table stands out the most against the others. The gravity feels more “chunky”, giving the impression you’re playing an actual pinball machine instead of a digital one. It’s a ton of fun.

Knight Rider

While Xena may not have been my cup of tea when I was a kid, Knight Rider was the epitome of cool during the 80s. I’m happy to report that the cool factor is echoed on the pinball table. Although the voices aren’t the same ones from the show, they’re serviceable. K.I.T.T.’s voice, in particular, seems about as spot on as you can get without getting the real thing. What really drives this one home are the sound effects, which do feel directly lifted from Knight Rider.

The playing field is also very unique. At first glance, it appears that the table plays at a slight angle, something I’ve not seen before. I was worried this was going to throw me off, but it felt very natural after a couple of minutes. This table is incredibly fun to play. The shots feel solid, and the missions are more than enjoyable. This was the table I was most looking forward to, and I was far from disappointed.

Battlestar Galactica

I’ve never watched a single episode of the original Battlestar Galactica from the 70s, but I was obsessed with the rebooted series that started in 2004. By random coincidence, I recently started my rewatch of the series on Amazon Prime. So I was extremely excited to jump into a pinball table based on one of my favorite television shows.

Much like Knight Rider‘s table, the voices here are very obviously not from those of the stars on the show. As fun as that would be, it doesn’t impede on the enjoyment provided from playing it. Some of the lines are directly lifted from dialogue from Battlestar Galactica, as are the missions. I’ve spent the most time on this particular table. It’s incredibly fun, but I’m obviously a little biased due to my love of the show.

Final Verdict

I’ve been covering Zen Studios’ Pinball FX tables for years now. If you’ve ever read my reviews or heard me talk about them on our podcast, you probably know what I’m going to say about the latest tables. If you’re a fan of pinball, there’s simply no reason to hold back on picking up any of the latest entries. I always hope that some property will be the one that finally gets others into pinball. If you’re a fan of any of these shows or the movie, I implore you to give it a shot. The nostalgia hit might just be the one to get you into one of my favorite genres. So say we all.

To hear me talk more about Pinball FX’s Pacific Rim and Universal Pinball: TV Classics, be sure to listen to our June 5th, 2024 podcast episode around the 1:42:16 time stamp.

This review is based on Xbox review codes provided by Zen Studios for coverage purposes. The tables are also available on PlayStation and PC.