Review: Undead Attack! Pinball - Plus Video
by Staff Writer
September 28, 2009
Overview
Undead Attack! Pinball is really two games in one. It’s pinball as well as castle/gate defense. In the game it’s set up like a regular pinball table, but with a twist. Zombies pop out of different portals and progress toward the gate which is behind your bottom flippers. Your objective is to protect the gate at all costs from the different waves of Zombies by using your typical pinball skills. Hit the pinball all over the play area trying to squish the different zombies. Tired of using guns, and other weaponry to kill zombies? Control the plunger and your flippers and prepare for the Undead Attack!
Features
The main feature is changing up the typical pinball game so it isn’t only based on score, but also protecting your gate. As you’re playing you will need more tools to dispatch the undead. When you hit certain targets you will activate the spike ball which is controlled by the accelerometer like labyrinth instead of using the flippers. Another tool is the plasma pump at your gate. If Zombies make it past your flippers then you need to activate the plasma pump, and spin the dial on screen to charge it. Once it’s charged, tap shoot to send out a wave of plasma killing all of the zombies near the gate. Also included is a shake feature to momentarily stun all the zombies on screen. There is a shop as well to upgrade some of your tools. When you hit zombies, the remains can be used to purchase the upgrades.
Two gameplay modes are included: campaign and quick play. There are three different pinball tables: the cemetery, mansion, and temple. In campaign mode each table has 24 waves of zombies to kill with increasing numbers of zombies per wave.
You have to complete 24 waves in the cemetery and mansion to unlock the temple. Quick play mode is basically survival mode on a random table.
The Good
Looking at this as strictly a pinball game, it is done nicely. The controls work flawlessly by controlling the flippers with a touch anywhere on the appropriate side of the screen. If you want to hit the left flipper tap the left side. The inclusion of zombies on the playfield is a great idea, and it's neat idea for quite a few waves. The spike ball, and plasma pump add a lot to the pinball game making it so much more. The gate defense aspect makes this game stand out, the problem is that it isn't too tough to defend your gate.
The visuals are nicely done by providing a 3D landscape on all three tables. Each table is nicely designed with the fine details of a cemetery or haunted mansion included. The animations are smooth as the ball smashes the zombies and a puff of green smoke appears in their wake.
You can play this game for awhile if you like the idea of smashing zombies with a pinball. For some it might feel repetitive, others maybe not. Please see the video to decide for yourself.
The Bad
The gameplay is very repetitive. There's nothing new from wave to wave, just more zombies with each wave. The three different tables don't provide too much difference either. There is only one difficulty level as well. As you play the game it's too easy. The only attack on your gate is when the ball passes between the flippers. The zombies don't come close most of the time, and if they do the plasma pump is easy to use, and takes care of them swiftly. Getting through the waves feels more like a chore than a fun experience.
In a pinball game that keeps track of your score, you would think that online high scores would be included. Sadly they are not, and it's just one more problem with this game.
Another problem are the sound effects. A great haunted theme is played in the menus, but for some reason it's not included in the game. While playing only the table sound effects are included from the different bings and bangs. Also there are two different zombie groans that are played over and over and over again.
Hopefully in an update they can add difficulty levels, easy, medium, and hard, as well as online high scores.
