GENRE
	Arcade Simulation
	DEVELOPER
	TopWare Interactive
	PUBLISHER
	South Peak Games
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-4
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	No
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Playing pinball requires a unique blend of skills. There is some planning, some reflexive reaction, a feel for where the flipper will send the ball, and even some bending of the rules. Dream Pinball 3D delivers playability on each of these levels and more, but is not without flaws.

visuals

Each table has been painstakingly modeled to look believably real. From shiny metallic parts to back-lit graphics and flashing lights, the tables look real enough to touch. There is even an option to toggle reflections from table lights on the virtual glass of the virtual machine. There is an interesting particle effect that looks somewhat like lava erupting from the ball when it hits various scoring elements. The trouble is, because everything else looks so realistic, this effect actually detracts from the realism.

While the tables look great, the menu interface is decidedly less than stellar. Menus are incredibly flat in color and drab in design;. Why not make a menu that's a pinball table in itself? It couldn't be any worse than the cumbersome, current interface, and at least it would look more interesting.

audio

This is one area where Dream Pinball 3D really shines. Players who close their eyes and just listen can easily believe that they're in an arcade, playing a real pinball machine. Four different types of sound, each with its own volume control layer together for an aural treat. Music, sound effects, table sounds and voice acting are all as flashy and fun as the table lights. Knight Tournament table's clash of swords and Monsters table's "Meet me in the graveyard!" line are just a couple of examples of sounds that elicit smiles. There is even a background drone of voices that simulates being in a real, crowded arcade.

The six different tables to choose from are Knight Tournament, Monsters, Dino Wars, Aquatic, Spinning Rotors and Amber Moon. Knight Tournament is a medieval table complete with tiny pennants and sounds of clashing swords, horse neighs and medieval music. Monsters' over-the-top spookiness makes it more comical than frightening, with sounds of breaking glass, screams and a tolling bell. Unsurprisingly, Dino Wars features roaring dinosaurs, and Aquatic has much squeaking of dolphins and air bubbles. Finally, Spinning Rotors' audio feedback is in the form of a chopper pilot's radio, and Amber Moon's fantasy RPG table sounds like a cross between the Monsters and Knight Tournament tables.

gameplay

Great ball physics and motion controls combine with aforementioned graphics and audio to justify Dream Pinball 3D's worth. The ball moves with realistic weight and inertia, bouncing and rolling just as expected. It will even bounce up off the table slightly if it runs into a solid barrier at high speed. There are different balls made of metals, wood and stone that have unique materials-based physics. While a neat idea, it's held back by the inability to choose a ball type at the start of the game. Instead, players must swap it out on the table by shooting the ball into a hole once Ball Change has been activated. It's a fickle process, and difficult to pull off reliably.

The camera does a decent job of following the ball, though occasionally it does get going fast and falls below the screen for a split second. This is true of most any virtual pinball game, and the easiest way around it is to simply hold the flipper early to catch the ball, slowing it and giving the camera a chance to catch up.

There is a fixed camera mode above the entire table, but some detail is inevitably lost at that distance. While options are always good, six dynamic camera choices feels a bit excessive. Players will have trouble deciding between the six as several are close with only slight variations in angle or distance. It may have been better to pare the choices down to three. Also, switching between cameras is a bit of a pain and can be done accidentally for the same reason: it's done via the d-pad, left on which (with the remote turned sideways) is the left flipper.

Like any good pinball re-creation, in addition to using the flippers players can also shake the table. In one of the best, most intuitive Wii remote control pairings, shaking the Wii remote shakes the pinball table. Players can shake both forward and laterally. When shaken too much the table will realistically return a Tilt. The shake control works so well that it's quite doable to lift a flipper and shake the ball out of the dead zone corridor beneath the flippers.

Until players memorize each table's nuances, the instruction manual contains helpful numbered diagrams of each table, explanations of tables modes and how score is calculated. It's great information to have in the manual, but it would also have been nice to include in the game as an interactive tutorial for players who never crack open the manual or those who get the game used, missing the manual. This, combined with the stark menu interface make the game feel like little more than a straight port from the PC version.

multiplayer

Up to four players can take turns on the same table, rotating out each time a ball is lost.

overall

In terms of simulating a real, pinball table experience, Dream Pinball 3D does a great job. While it doesn't take many risks and the menu interface is terrible, at the game's core is solid pinball gameplay. For its discount price point, pinball enthusiasts will be entertained.

7.0/10