When I reviewed “Deadpool”, the last pinball table from Zen Studios, one of the reasons I didn’t really connect it was because I have very little real comic book knowledge. I felt like I missed a lot of nods to those people who are really into that scene. As such, I’ll be the first to admit I was somewhat sceptical of Zen’s newest table, “Guardians of the Galaxy”, for a couple reasons. The biggest being I have no idea who any of these characters are so the subtleties of the missions and interactions had a good chance of being lost on me. The other is, well, it’s obviously a video game tie-in to the movie and — let’s be honest — most movie tie-in games suck.
One of my favourite parts about starting a new table is the table fly-by. Just letting the camera move around the table showing off all the ramps, bumpers, orbits and sinkholes is akin to that new car smell. The layout of the table is reminiscent of a middle 90’s table in that there are several ramps clustered around the middle with the classic two orbits and a lone third flipper on the upper right used to hit yet another ramp. I have always been a big fan of chaining ramp combos together and this table allows you to do just that. The one thing I have always said about any table is that the mark of a good table is it fun just to knock the ball around. Regardless of the missions, flashing lanes and objectives, the table needs to have an element of fun about it just by hitting the ball, no matter where it goes. This table is resoundingly successful in capturing that sense of mirth.
Of course, to take the fun of the table to the next level, there are an assortment of missions and objectives to try and master. This table doesn’t start off for the faint of heart, rather throwing you right into an automatic four ball multi-ball. You have 60 seconds to amass as many points as you can as each of the characters, represented by their specially-painted ball, then escape the prison and defeat other prisoners. Once your 60 seconds are up, you need to make a finesse shot with that already mentioned third flipper and extra ramp. From there, there are a variety of objectives and missions culminating in an epic battle with Ronan the Accuser. Each character has a separate battle with him that requires a variety of precise shots to unlock the Wizard mode for the ultimate battle and truly epic point totals. This table has the potential to be one of the higher scoring tables as well, as on my second play, I was able to top 68 million with a very limited understanding of the mechanics.
Graphics-wise, the table is an amazing one to look at. It reminds me of the “Han Solo” table from the “Star Wars: Heroes Within” table pack. It looks like the inside of a ship which, judging from the trailers for the movie, seems fitting. A nice mix of colours makes it easy to track the normal silver ball easily. One negative I found, especially in the initial four ball multi-ball, is when the character-specific balls are on the table due to them mostly being darker in colour they tend to get lost on the table making keeping it alive somewhat difficult. This was much more prevalent on the Vita version. The other minor quibble I have with the Vita version is the entire table feels much more crunched together than either the Steam or 360 versions. It’s not enough to ruin anything or disrupt shots, but after seeing it on a big screen it does feel like I had to adjust for angles versus being the same across all platforms.
One of the things I seem to mention in a lot of my pinball reviews is how quickly the limited dialogue gets old and tiresome. I know voice work isn’t the quintessential thing for a pinball table but it can really add a lot to the experience. A table like “Epic Quest” has simple dialogue, for example, but it’s suited perfectly and never grows old. That’s true for this table as well, partly because there are several characters – each with their own lines – and I have yet to grow tired of it. Add to that another fantastic music score and it takes the enjoyment factor up even higher. It’s catchy, easily recognizable and fits the feel of the table perfectly.
“Guardians of the Galaxy” is a table that I think everyone can pick up enjoy. For those looking to just hit the ball around and occasionally stumble across a mission, it’s an easy table to learn. For those looking to reach the top of the leaderboards and master the table, that’s possible too – although it will take some practice. The adage ‘it’s easy to pick up but takes a lifetime to master’ certainly applies here. It’s a table I think everyone will enjoy, even if you’re like me and have a very limited knowledge base about the Marvel universe.
I have put hundreds of hours into Pinball and have played every table Zen Studios has made. Some I have enjoyed more than others but there are a select few that I always come back to. I have long said “Epic Quest” and “World War Hulk” are my two favourite tables. After playing this table, I now have to say “Guardians of the Galaxy” makes up my top three. Zen hit on all cylinders here and bucked the trend of movie tie-ins being garbage. It’s a great feeling when you can add something your favourites list, and “Guardians of the Galaxy” has certainly earned its place… and now, I want to go see the movie too.
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” table is available now for $2.99 USD on Xbox 360, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Steam, Mac, Android, iOS and Amazon.
