Subject: REVIEW: SlamTilt pinball simulator
From: [email-masked] (Hidehiko Ogata)
Date: 21 May 1996 23:52:19 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews

PRODUCT NAME

	SlamTilt version 1.224

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

	Yet another pinball simulator for AGA Amiga, with four modern tables.

AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION

	Name:		21st Century Entertainment Ltd.
	Address:	Westbrook Street
			Blewbury
			Oxon
			OX11 9QB
			UK

	FAX:		+44 (0) 1235 851473

LIST PRICE

	Unknown.  I paid $34.95 (US).

DEMO VERSION

	Available on Aminet:

		game/demo/slamdemo.lha

	It features one table (Ace of Space).  It returns to demo mode
after five minutes of play.

	Some people might be annoyed by the unusual layout of in-game
keys.  In the commercial version, they can be configured to suit your
taste.

SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

	HARDWARE

		AGA Amiga required.

		About 3.5MB of hard drive space required, if you install
		the program on your hard drive.

	SOFTWARE

		"LIBS:lowlevel.library" required.  It is included in the
		package.

SYSTEM FRIENDLINESS

	o	Works with 68060 and 32bit RAM (no VBR/cache/pipeline hassles
		whatsoever).
	o	Can be started from Workbench, and exits to Workbench.
	o	Before start, the Workbench screen must be in PAL mode for the
		game to run properly.
	o	Does not multitask during play.
	o	Cannot be promoted to DBLPAL mode.
	o	Cannot be run on graphic cards.
	o	Does not work with the AutoSwitch option of PicassoII.

COPY PROTECTION

	None.  Hard drive installable.

MACHINE USED FOR TESTING

	Amiga 4000 with 2MB Chip RAM and 16MB Fast RAM.
	CyberStorm 060/50 with 32MB 32bit RAM.
	GVP Impact Series II A2000 HC+8 SCSI host adapter with 4MB Fast RAM
	 and Guru-ROM V6.
	Quantum "Grand Prix" XP34301 SCSI-2 hard drive with Ami-FileSafe
	Professional version 2.2.
	PicassoII graphic board with CyberGraphX version 2.16.
	IDEK MF-5017 monitor.
	Kickstart 40.68 (3.1), Workbench 40.42 (3.1).

INSTALLATION

	The game is standard AmigaDOS files on five 2 double-density
FFS floppy disks, and can be run from backups.

	Installation to hard drive is easily done with the Commodore
Installer.

	The package also includes an optional script for an Amiga with
a hard drive and a small amount of RAM.  It mounts a minimal
ramdrive.device named STB0: and reboots from there, and the rest of
the files are read from the hard drive.

OH NO!  NOT ANOTHER...

	Which is more difficult: dazzling people with novelty, or
making an impression within established bounds?  It's hard to tell,
but it hardly matters, because the point is having fun: and playing
SlamTilt certainly is fun.

	No, I'm not talking about the bad manners of real pinball
players.  SlamTilt is the name of yet another pinball simulator by new
programming team Liquid Dezign [sic], introduced to us by 21st Century
Entertainment.  They themselves went through rather rough events of
parting with Digital Illusions (who started it all, with their
brilliant series of Pinball Dreams, Fantasies and Illusions) and
partnership with Spidersoft (of allegedly-disappointing Pinball
Mania).  I think they have found a new talent again.

GENERAL FEATURES

	Four tables are available:

		Mean Machines (MM)
		Pirates (PIR)
		Ace of Space (AoS)
		Night of Demons (NoD)

	All are single-level tables with copious use of habitrails
(wireforms).  NoD has two flippers; others have three, all normal
sized.

	Admittedly, the game offers little that is technically new.
Maximum number of balls in multiball mode has been increased to a
whopping four, and each is beautifully lightsourced.  Also new to the
Amiga screen is Magna-Save, a magnet to save drains to the side
(outlanes).  That's all; we've seen everything else.  Dot-matrix score
bar at the top.  Vertically-scrolling, top-down view over the
playfield at the bottom.  Hi-res mode for multiball mode.  5-way
nudge.  You get the picture.

	But the game more than compensates for the lack of novelty
with great attention to detail.  It feels like a completed project by
people who actually care, rather than a rushed, cash-in attempt in a
popular genre.

	The graphics are distinctively drawn dark.  Couple that with a
generous number of illumination effects ("attraction" mode actually
LOOKS attractive), and we are treated to a very dramatic display of
the playfield.  Also, the dot-matrix bar is framed with a colorful panel
designed for each table, which adds to the character.  I would say
dot-matrix animations are more stylish than those of certain real
tables, though they can be surprisingly gory at times.

	But what is the most striking about this game is the rich
playability of all four tables; in fact, they are up to the standard
of 90's real pinballs.  Ball/flipper interaction is nearly perfect.
There are few peculiarities of ball physics to dispel the illusion.
Each table flows very well and has at least two sets of modes, with
various short-term goals thrown in.  Risk/award ratio (i.e.  no pain,
no gain) seems spot-on.  Shaping an ideal strategy for each table will
be a long, tough and fun process.

	Music is resourceful and spirited (particularly the rendition
of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" in PIR).  The orchestration
leaves a bit to be desired; some instruments sound decidedly "chippy"
and lack oomph, so to speak.  Sound effects are plentiful too, both
realistic and thematic (like foreboding thunder and clock tower tolling
in NoD).  There are some speech samples.

	To put a pupil in a drawn dragon, as an old Japanese saying
goes, various aspects of the game can be configured and saved for
later use. There are separate volume adjustments for music and sound
effects, with an additional option to play "jingle" music only.
Toggle for auto lo/hi-res switch, apparently for those players (myself
included) who prefer playing in hi-res mode all the time.  Remapping
of in-game controls, even to two buttons of a mouse or joystick.
Great attention to detail, like I said.

	The following is "quick take" of each table, intended for
serious pinball players.  Playfield descriptions start from the bottom
left corner, then proceed basically clockwise.  Naturally, they are
chock-full of pinball jargon; casual players might like to skip to
the "DOCUMENTATION" section.  You have been warned. :)

MEAN MACHINES

	The theme of this table is motor sports.  Your goal is to race
in various categories, wreak havoc and finish first (Michael Andretti
style, for IndyCar fans :).

	There is a kickback at the left outlane.  Short lane feeds the
left "Formula 1" saucer.  The left ramp feeds habitrail to the right
inlane.  "Freeway" ramp joins to the "Engine" loop (see below).  The
center ramp curves to the top-left saucer, which in turn feeds
rollovers and bumpers below.  At the top-right corner, there are two
concentric tight "Engine" loops, with a flipper of its own.  A magnet
is hidden just in front of the flipper and "traps" the ball in a mode,
so that the ball can be "kickstarted" by the flipper into either loops
(a la Spiral Helper of Twilight Zone).  The inner loop feeds habitrail
to the left inlane, while the outer one loops back to the top of the
flipper, allowing multiple loops.  A "drain" from here feeds habitrail
to the right inlane.  The right "Skull" ramp feeds habitrail to the
left inlane.  A sinkhole is hidden beneath the ramp of the right
spiral (feeds habitrail to the right inlane).  There is a diverter
between the right inlane and outlane.  The autoplunger feeds habitrail
to the left inlane.  Couple sets of standup targets and rollovers are
scattered around the playfield.  Also, a habitrail for multiball
launch starts from the mid-left, goes below the center drain, loops
back toward the centerfield then ends at the right slingshot (a la
Batman Forever).  It neatly feeds the Freeway ramp far above.

	There are two sets of modes, including one quick multiball
(QMB) mode and two video modes (VM)... like short yet nice
texture-mapped racing game a la XTreme Racing!  They are complemented
by two special modes (which can be activated even if other mode is
already active) and "Speed" 4-ball multiball (MB) mode, for a total of
twelve.

	The theme, the playfield artwork, "run the red light" scheme,
frenzy pace of everything...  All these reminds me of my fond memory
of High Speed, a Williams classic (even that familiar "buzz" is
there).  Abundant mid-range shots and good distribution of targets
contribute to heavy adrenaline rush.  Lack of a final mode is somewhat
anti-climactic, but each mode presents unique challenge, despite their
plentiful numbers.

PIRATES

	In this table, you are a pirate sailing the Spanish Main,
yearning for heart-pounding adventure and vast treasure.

	Magna-Save at the left outlane.  Just above sits a gimmick
"Cannon", which fires the ball across the playfield, hopefully into
the "Mermaid" saucer at the mid-right.  At the mid-left, there is a
large "Skull" spiral (feeds habitrail to the left inlane) which
reaches as far as to the center of the playfield.  Underneath, there
are some standup targets and the "Cave" sinkhole, effectively forming
a wall of targets.  At the top-center, to the right of two bumpers,
the center lane curves to the top-left sinkhole.  It in turn feeds
either the Cannon or another gimmick "MagnaTable" just below.  It
essentially is a tiny pinball table, with two flippers replaced by two
ball-repelling magnets (a la Magna-Flip in Twilight Zone).  Both
successful "shot" to a sinkhole at the top and "drain" from here feed
habitrail to the left inlane.  Just below the right spiral (feeds
habitrail to the right inlane), at the mid- right, is the top flipper.
It is fed either by the right saucer just to the right, or by the Cave
sinkhole.  It can shoot, across the playfield, the left loop or the
left spiral (feeds habitrail to the left inlane) at the top-left.
There is a kickback at the right outlane.  The autoplunger feeds the
right saucer.  More standup targets are placed next to both top
spirals.

	There are two sets of modes, including one VM and four MB
modes.  Completion of both leads to the final "Treasure Island" 4-ball
MB mode, for a total of eleven.

	Despite many differences, this table reminds me of The Addams
Family, which is a big compliment.  One set of modes has to be won
sequentially.  Add to that some interesting long shots, and we have
challenging table here.  Cheerful dot-matrix animations fail to hide,
however, that most modes lack variance; they basically are the same
shoot-any-ramp-for-jackpot action.  Outlanes are prone to drain, but
as noted above, countermeasures are available for the player at the
same time.  A good sign of well-balanced rule.

ACE OF SPACE

	You are a hero/heroine of a space opera in this table.  There
are aliens to eliminate, asteroid field to navigate, space race to
compete in, walkers to crush, an arch-rival to duel with, and planets to
blow up!

	There is a kickback at the left outlane.  Short lane feeds the
left "Space Station" saucer.  Beneath the left spiral (feeds habitrail
to the left inlane), at the mid-left, sits the top flipper.  It can
shoot either the "Airlock" sinkhole or the right "Hack" spiral (feeds
habitrail to the left inlane), both at the mid-right.  The left lane
starts from above the top flipper, then curves to the top-right
sinkhole.  It can feed rollovers and bumpers below.  Just left of the
dead-center sinkhole, the center ramp joins to a major gimmick, the
center loop.  It is an enclosed circular lane raised above the
playfield, and has a mechanism to accelerate the ball to allow
multiple loops (a la Turbocharger of Getaway).  It also has an unique
feature that you can control anytime where the ball is fed after
loops, either the top or right flipper.  At the mid-right are the
right "Blam!" spiral (feeds habitrail to the right inlane) and the
right orbit, which joins to the left lane and feeds the top flipper.
There is a Magna-Save at the right outlane.  The autoplunger lane
joins to the right orbit and feeds the top flipper.  Four standup
targets are placed between lanes/ramps.  All sinkholes feed various
places depending on a mode, adding the element of surprise.

	There are two sets of modes, including two QMB modes and one
"tunnel vision"-type VM.  Only one set of mode is required to trigger
the final "Big Blam!" 4-ball MB mode.  A "classic" MB mode adds up to
a total of eleven modes.

	The wide range of shots, both distance and angle, makes this
table quite enjoyable.  Every mode offers different challenges, and
the use of playfield features by some is very neat (e.g., you have to
"load" the gun first to "shoot" walkers).  The battle for hiscores
will be enduring, could be too much so in fact, because of the
relative ease of winning hold-bonus awards and extra balls.

NIGHT OF DEMONS

	Unspeakable evil is at large in this table.  With a shotgun in
one hand and chainsaw in the other, you are determined to survive the
night... "Good, Bad, I'm the guy with the gun!"

	Kickback at the left outlane.  Four "Moon" standup targets are
lined up along the mid-left wall.  Just above sits the left "Clock
Tower" saucer.  The left ramp makes a jump to the right lane, forming
an orbit.  That right lane curves to the top-left saucer, which feeds
rollovers and bumpers below, at the dead-center.  They, and three
"Skull" standup targets, are sandwiched by two center ramps, both of
which feed habitrail to the left inlane.  At the top- right are the
"Wolf" saucer and the right spiral, which feeds habitrail to the right
inlane.  Five "Tower" standup targets are lined up along the mid-right
wall.  The autoplunger feeds the center-left ramp.  There is a center
post.  Also, a magnet is hidden beneath the centerfield, so that the
ball trajectory can be wickedly affected in a mode (a la "Seance" of
The Addams Family).

	Two sets of modes include one QMB mode.  Completion of both
leads to the final "Demon's Night" 4-ball MB mode.  A "classic" MB
mode and two VM's add up to a total of eleven modes.  For once, VM's
are available as a separate set, to much delight of VM haters. :)

	This table looks to me like a tribute to Firepower, another
Williams classic.  Simple, spacious playfield design and clearly
grouped large targets are reminiscent of the bygone era, when the late
Mr. Jay Miner (R.I.P.) was giving birth to the Atari 800. :) Don't let
its simplicity fool you though; all essential shots are long ones
placed next to each other, demanding a high degree of hand-eye
coordination.  Long shots have been a problem with
vertically-scrolling pinball simulators, but they don't hamper the
gameplay here, thanks to nifty use of playfield insert lights and
dot-matrix animations.

DOCUMENTATION

	The package contains a 128-page manual written in four
languages; English, German, French and Italian.

	After a brief yet sufficient description of installation and
game controls, all of the tables' rules are explained in detail with
accompanying black-and-white screen shots.  Aside from confusing
references to lights as "lamps" and unusual use of the term "lane
change" in AoS, they are written clearly.  That is, if you are fluent
in pinball jargon. :)

	Perhaps because of a layout error, description of some modes
of MM are missing in the English chapter of the manual.

	There are some omissions of essential in-game controls.  They
include:

		o key:		Access game options menu
		Delete key:	Switch to lo-res mode
		Help key:	Switch to hi-res mode

LIKES

	First of all, this is a superb _simulator_, because of decent
ball physics and flipper/ball interaction; even the mess of Magna-Save
in multiball mode is there :).  There is little peculiarity to break
the illusion.

	Not only that, all four tables are excellent _pinball_ games,
thanks to good use of theme, nice flow, clear visual/aural cues,
complex rules, eye- catching illuminations etc.

	Credit is due to Liquid Dezign by keeping up to date with
modern features of real pinball machines of the 90's.

	There is good variety in tables; three feature-packed, fun to
satisfy, sophisticated players, and one challenging trip to the late
70's for old-timers.

	Various settings can be changed and saved for later use.
Sounds simple enough, but this is an odd rarity in Amiga games.

	Cows. :)

DISLIKES AND SUGGESTIONS

	I say the "feel" of ball physics is the best ever, but having
said that, it's not perfect yet (is there such thing?).  The maximum
ball speed seems just a bit too fast; not that I can't keep up to it
:), but it somewhat defies the sense of weight.  Also, friction seems
low; the ball sometimes storms through inlanes.

	As for the rules, the lane change is still one-way (come on,
it started to affect my play of real tables! :).  There is no bonus
countdown (i.e., bonus points counted 1000 points at a time); I know
this is not popular practice today, but at least it would have been
appropriate for NoD, considering its vintage design.  Also, the status
report is missing.  Which leads to my biggest gripe: during play,
there is no clear indication of which ball is in play.  Can be
confusing, especially after many extra balls.

	Speaking of which, extra balls are too easy to win in some
tables.  For better score balance, they should become progressively
harder to win.  The reflexing feature (which adjust the rule according
to recent play statistics) could be applicable, too.

	It should be noted that most gimmicks in this game are
borrowed... er, excuse me ;), are heavily influenced by those of real
tables.  I would like to see more originality here.

	There are two Track-and-Field-type video modes.  When the use
of video mode in pinball itself is controversial, I think this is way
over the line.

	Some might be annoyed by the violence in the dot-matrix
animations.

	My last gripe is a wrong, yet sadly common, assumption of
European games: that the Workbench screen is in PAL mode.  Just one
dummy Intuition PAL screen upon startup, and owners of NTSC/expanded
Amiga would have been happier.

	One small suggestion is a setting for the initial screen mode:
i.e., the mode each table starts in, not just for between multiball
play.  Also, support for all buttons of CD32 joypad would be nice (my
keyboard agrees :).

	The "floor" in hi-res mode looks disappointingly void.  A
parallax-scrolling of a wooden floor, or even better, a glimpse of
tables "to the next" would be nice (it will be just cosmetics,
admittedly).

	My last suggestion is going for a widebody table (a la Space
Invaders, Twilight Zone) or multi-level table (Haunted House).  Even
real table designers struggle to get these formats right.  Considering
the quality of this package, I would love to see Liquid Dezign try.

COMPARISON TO OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS

	Comparison to Pinball Illusions (PI), the most praised pinball
simulator to date, is inevitable.

	Technically, both are very comparable.  So credit is due to PI
by beating the clock by whole one year and paving the way.

	But, as I said earlier, the whole point is having fun.  And
that's where SlamTilt (ST) shines.  All four tables of ST seem to
possess that something intangible which sets great _real_ tables apart
from just good ones.  PI's offering of two excellent tables (one
buggy) and a not-so-good one, with somewhat eccentric flippers and
shallower rules, pales in comparison (for the detail, please read my
USENET review of PI).  By no means PI is a bad package; it's just ST
is that good (and I don't mean _that_ ST! :).

BUGS

	In PIR, the ball can show through gimmicks over the "Cave" sinkhole.

VENDOR SUPPORT

	The telephone number of the customer service is given in the manual.
I haven't tried to call.

WARRANTY

	The package does contain a warranty registration card, but no
detail is mentioned.

CONCLUSIONS

	Having been an avid pinball player for over 16 years, I am
very happy to say that, at long last, pinball simulators have caught
up with the playability of real tables of 90's.  My highest
recommendation to AGA Amiga owners.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB

	If you have been away from the real pinball, for some time or
for life, and have enjoyed SlamTilt, I would like to encourage you to
try real tables.  Over the years, they have grown in complexity enough
to entertain sophisticated players of today.  In fact, they may look
intimidating at first; but part of the fun is finding out how all
elements fit together, as you may have found out with this package.  I
assure you that the method of forming strategy you have gained through
this excellent simulator will work in the fields as well.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

	Copyright 1996 Hidehiko Ogata.

  //     }{idehiko ()gata     "Reality is just what we tell each other it is."
\X/   [email-masked]             - In the Mouth of Madness

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