Pinball FX – Williams™ Pinball Volume 8 | Xbox Review

After all these years, you’d think I’d get tired of playing and reviewing digital pinball tables, but no. Here I am excitedly sharing my experience with another collection of tables from Zen Studios. This time around it’s a collection of three tables that are new to the digital front, but exist as real, physical tables. These three are from 1988 and 1989, which is evident from their design. As expected, each table plays perfectly, adding fun animations not possible on actual tables. But best of all, you won’t need a quarter or two to play them over and over again.

Black Knight™ 2000

Much like the other two tables in this collection, I admittedly haven’t played this one in real life. The closest I’ve come is the more modern take that Stern did back in 2019. Thankfully, Black Knight 2000 isn’t nearly as difficult as that one. It’s still the toughest of the current bunch, by far. I definitely had the most nerve-wracking moments with this one and struggle to know exactly what to do to score higher points outside of survival.

This one more than the other two really gives you that late ’80s vibe both in presentation and how the table plays. There’s something about the lighting and aesthetics of this one that really takes you back. I’m so happy that I have the ability, much like with Zen’s other collections, to go back and experience these tables whenever I like.

Banzai Run™

One of my favorite physical tables of all time is The Getaway: High Speed II from Williams. Banzai Run definitely gave me vibes from that table for sure. Instead of running from the cops, you’re actually participating in a motocross race. Reaching certain criteria grants you with audio that gives you a status on the race. “He’s taking over “[such-and-such racer]”.

The truly fun gimmick of this table is the fact that the ball can actually be shot up into the vertical section of the table. The back glass below your score turns into its own pinball table with gravity playing a much heavier factor due to the lack of angle. This novelty was a reason I always wanted to play in real life, but now I can play here, and it translates just fine. I thoroughly enjoy this one, and look forward to jumping back into it once my friends surpass my top score.

Earthshaker

My personal favorite from Volume 8 is definitely Earthshaker. As the name implies, the theme is earthquakes. The physical table has buildings that move, but this digital version obviously has more creative liberties. The extra animations make this one a fun table to experience.

I found Earthshaker the most accessible of the bunch. It’s quite easy to understand what you need to do, and you rarely have unfair drains that make you want to throw your controller against the wall. It’s genuinely a ton of fun.

Pinball FX – Williams Pinball Volume 8 Final Verdict

It puts a smile on my face to see Zen Studios continue to show love to these classic tables from my childhood. I’m so nostalgic for the classic look of the tables from the late 80s and 90s. There’s something so great about that era of lights and sounds that feels like the true pinnacle of pinball, and that shines through in Volume 8. If you’re a fan of classic tables or pinball at all, this is a no-brainer.

To hear me talk more about Pinball FX – Williams Pinball Volume 8, be sure to listen to our December 23rd episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 53:07 time stamp.

This review is based on an Xbox copy of Pinball FX – Williams™ Pinball Volume 8 provided by Uber Strategist for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.