Rapid Review: ESPN Pinball - For iPad & iPhone
ESPN Pinball on iPad ($3.99) by ESPN is sports themed pinball. Sports are great, and pinball is great therefore a sport pinball game should be amazing. That's a sound equation, but the end result isn't exactly amazing. ESPN Pinball gives you a basketball and soccer themed table though they're similarly designed, and seemingly skinned differently.
There is also an unlockable World Cup themed table though it's exactly like the soccer table, but with World Cup logos. The game offers very good pinball physics, and the perspective is well tuned on the iPad. The ball seems to hit around just as you would expect, though it's a little bit small, and the flippers are angled oddly.
The game offers many switches, and places to hit into, though most never lead to anything big. There is one big aspect where you can shoot the basketball into the hoop, or kick a goal past a goalie once you hit a certain set of bumpers on one ball. The kicking mechanic is good, but shooting the basketball never seems to work properly.
There is only one ramp, and most of the game feels like you're just hitting the ball around the table with no point or purpose. Once you've played a couple times there is no incentive to play again, and it mostly just feels like a waste of time. Though the physics are good the game still pales in comparison to The Pinball which is the best iPad pinball game by far.
The main problem is that the game seems too easy as the only time you lose is when you become disinterested because of the lack of challenge. You seem ti be hitting the ball around effortlessly, and hit into all the targets. There aren't that many targets or unlockable sequences so there is less to really aim for, and less areas to score in huge bunches.
ESPN Pinball plays better on the iPad with the bigger perspective, but the iPhone version offers mostly the same experience. The iPhone version gives you two camera angles to choose from so it's up to the player, though follow ball seemed better on the smaller device. In terms of content and price they're the same so if you do pick it up, just pick your favorite device's version.
For $3.99 ESPN Pinball just isn't worth it for iPad or iPhone because The Pinball is so much better, and only $2.99. The pinball experience is solid, but nothing spectacular, and it's too easy making it more bland than anything else.
