Subject: REVIEW: Pinball Illusions version 1.5
From: [email-masked] (Hidehiko Ogata)
Date: 20 Apr 1995 18:07:04 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews

PRODUCT NAME

	Pinball Illusions version 1.5

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

	The third incarnation of computerized pinball by Digital Illusions.

AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION

	Name:		Digital Illusions
			Published by 21st Century Entertainment Ltd.

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

	Telephone:	+44 (0) 1235 851852
	FAX:		+44 (0) 1235 851473

LIST PRICE

	29.99 (UK pounds).  I paid 4700 yen (Japan).

SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

	HARDWARE

		AGA Amiga required.

		About 3.2MB of hard disk space required, if you install
		the program on your hard disk.

		Works with 68040 and 32bit RAM (no VBR/cache hassles
		whatsoever).

	SOFTWARE

		"LIBS:lowlevel.library" and "LIBS:nonvolatile.library"
		required; both are included in the package.

SYSTEM FRIENDLINESS

	o	Can be started from Workbench, and exits to Workbench.
	o	Does not multitask during play.
	o	Can be iconified to return temporarily to Workbench.
	o	Runs on a PAL screen even on a NTSC machine.
	o	Cannot be run on graphic cards.
	o	Does work with the AutoSwitch option of PicassoII.

COPY PROTECTION

	None.  In any form.  Wow.
	Hard disk installable.

MACHINE USED FOR TESTING

	Amiga 4000 with 2MB Chip RAM and 16MB Fast RAM.
	WarpEngine 040/40 with 32MB 32bit RAM.
	Western Digital "Caviar" AC2420H IDE hard drive.
	PicassoII graphic board.
	IDEK MF-5017 monitor.
	Kickstart 40.68 (3.1), Workbench 40.42 (3.1).

INSTALLATION

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

	Installation to the hard disk is quite easy with the Commodore
Installer on Disk 4 (though the manual states it's on Disk 1).

	The directory where high scores are saved is configurable.  It
defaults to "PIN3001:Scores" when booted from floppy disk, and to
"ENVARC:Highscores" when installed on hard disk.

STARTING UP

	Ever since I laid my hands on Black Knight, I have regarded pinball
as serious sport and thought no computerized ones could match the real
experience... until 12 years later, in 1992 a program named Pinball Dreams
(PD) came around from then-unknown company Digital Illusions (DI).

	By now, almost every Amigoid knows PD and its sequel, Pinball
Fantasies (PF), are the closest (if not equal) to the real thing.  Naturally
I've been waiting eagerly for its third incarnation, Pinball Illusions (PI),
which finally materialized on the shelves of my local dealer.  I literally
grabbed it instantly (and paid for it on the way out :)).

	The game starts with a short, yet nice, intro (which looks
suspiciously like LightWave rendering).  It can be skipped by pressing a
mouse button.

	Next comes a simple menu, in the spirit of megademo.  Somehow,
controls are limited to cursor keys and space bar; it could be a sad
reminder that the world is dominated by The Unspeakably Lame Platform (TM).
Fortunately function keys put you right in front of one of three available
tables, which are:

		Law 'n Justice (LnJ)
		Babewatch (BW)
		Extreme Sports (ES)

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS

	All tables now feature the much-requested multiball play, when up to
3 balls can be in play at one time.  A more subtle, yet very important
addition is the ability to nudge table the sideways; combined with forward
push (which was the only movement allowed in PD/PF), you can nudge the table
now in five directions.  Consequently, bangbacks require more skill than in
PD/PF.

	Other new pinball features include: autoplunger, diverter and "video
mode."  Unlike PF, combo shots are clearly indicated with red lighted arrows.
Gone are center post and status report.  Tilt has become much more sensitive.

	The screen arrangement hasn't been changed; at the top is a thin,
horizontal, lo-res score panel which mimics the antics on the dot-matrix
display of the latest real pinball pretty well.  The rest of the screen is
dedicated to the top-down, zoomed-in view of the playfield where all the
action happens.  This part is normally in lo-res and shows about 40% as tall
as the whole table, and scrolls vertically (and very smoothly) following the
ball movement.  New in PI is the ability to put this area in hi-res
interlaced mode, allowing much taller view (about 80%) over the playfield.
This feature kicks in automatically with multiball play, yet can be switched
manually, too.

	Graphics are good as ever; from translucency of bumpers to shadows of
ramps, the attention to detail is incredible, and really benefits from AGA
treatment.  Slingshots are now animated, and the way flashing lights
illuminate their surroundings adds to the drama.

	Music and sound effects are nice too, and go with the themes of the
tables very well.  The music changes the mood according to modes of the
playfield, and flows better than in PD/PF because other events don't restart
the music from the beginning.  Somehow, it cannot be turned off now (which
was possible in PD/PF).  Sound effects feel somewhat subdued behind
continuous music, yet they are quite adequate as well.  There are lots of
speech samples.

	The following is a quick summary of each table, intended for serious
pinballers.  It's riddled with pinball jargons so beware. :)

LAW 'N JUSTICE

	This is a single playfield table with a "future cop" theme.  Your
goal is to deal with 8 situations (modes).  From left to right: above left
inlane there is a 3rd flipper, and further above is the left spiral.  To the
right of it are two holes; one is used to start modes, and the other acts as
"jail" in various modes.  Two ramps, center and right, are actually U-turns
overlapping each other.  Between them is the right spiral that has to be
cleared to qualify for modes.  It also covers another hole which is used to
lock balls.

	One of 8 modes is a "video mode," and various awards are available
with repeated shots to the left spiral.

	This table seems to punish players a bit too much.  Uncleared balls
to the right spiral head straight down the left outlane, and 3 ganged-up
bumpers at the mouth of the right ramp kick any inaccurate shots right back
to the center drain (which does have a ballsaver, perhaps as compensation).
You have to be very alert to stay alive... I guess it's not called "Law 'n
Justice" for nothing. :)  This is the simplest table of the three.

BABEWATCH

	This is a dual-playfield table with a "beach boys" theme.  Your aim
is to impress beach babes with just about every "he-man" feature
conceivable. :} It's somewhat symmetrical; pairs of lanes and spirals, to the
left and right.  Between them is a raised playfield which looks like a
roulette table.  It's entered via the left lane and has a flipper of its own,
which you use to enter a big casino building at the top left corner to try
your luck.  In the bottom right corner of the raised playfield is an entry
to another gimmick: a working jukebox (with the proper amount of "coins," of
course :).  Above it are some regular rollovers and bumpers.  Above them,
there is a hole to lock balls which can be reached via plunger/right lane.
Two more holes are hidden beneath the raised playfield.  There seems to be
some wasted space above the left outlane, but there is a kickback at the
bottom of it.

	Each of the 4 modes actually goes through 2 stages, so lots of
effort is needed to go through them.  Additionally, shots to the left spiral
trigger "chicken race" mode, which has a nice flow with a proper sense of
speed.  There also is an unique hunt-for-hidden-item feature.

	Lanes/spirals are somewhat narrower than other tables, demanding more
accurate shots.  Still, this table has a laid-back feel to it, mainly because
of the large space around the centerfield; this feeling goes along with the
theme very well.  With lots of goals to achieve and nice flows, this table
would have been my favorite of the three if it wasn't so bug-ridden (see
BUGS).

EXTREME SPORTS

	This is another dual-playfield table, where you have to survive 6
eccentric sports (modes) in one piece.  The upper half of the playfield is a
raised one.  It has rollovers to the right, a hole sandwiched by two lanes
(leading down to inlanes) to the left, and a flipper at the bottom center.
On the bottom half, from left to right: left ramp to upper rollovers, left
passage to start modes, center ramp to the upper playfield, a steep,
dead-end center ramp which qualifies you for modes, the right spiral, and
bumpers behind it, where the left passage loops back.  There is a diverter
between the right outlane and the plunger lane (hmmm... Playboy :)).

	In addition to 6 modes, there is a "speed" mode triggered by shots to
the right spiral, and a spell-out.

	This is a challenging, fast-paced table.  Quick shots to just about
every lane/ramp are required, yet none of them is too acrobatic (like
"Billion Dollar Game Show" in PF).  Shots to the dead-end center ramp seem
to be a bit too delicate (or I'm getting old :)), but it's nothing serious.
This table is my favorite of the three.

DOCUMENTATION

	The package contains a 64-page manual and a quick-start sheet (with
false information, see INSTALLATION).  Both are in four languages.

	Each table's rules are explained in detail, and major features are
clearly noted in the accompanying illustrations.  Pinball jargon abounds, but
you're not reading rules if you're not serious about pinball, are you? :)

	Some documented rules don't coincide with that of the actual table;
perhaps the manual was written before the rules had been finalized.  Prepare
to be surprised with what you don't earn which you thought you did.

	One major omission from the manual is the ability to iconify the
whole program and go back to Workbench, with a press of the Tab key.  It's
noted on the dot-matrix display, though.

LIKES

	The game's level of realism is simply amazing.  Although flippers are
not perfect yet (see below), they feel natural quite enough.  The ball feels
a bit too light sometimes; otherwise I would say its movement is near
perfect, even in multiball play (yes you can billiard-block :)).

	Of course, the big plus is the multiball play, but I eventually found
the hi-res mode and 5-way nudge to be the most important additions.  Wider
view over the playfield combined with additional control makes PI all the
more a test of skill, which real pinball truly is.  Many real technique
can be adapted successfully, from slapsaves to bangbacks.

	All three tables flow much better than those of PD/PF.  No more
meaningless spaces as in PD, or too acrobatic shots so prominent in PF.  DI
have yet to achieve the flow of Steve Ritchie pins, but their designing
skill is getting better.

	As noted above, this is the system-friendliest game in a long time
(perhaps since CubeMaster... remember that one?).  You can even iconify it,
which I'm doing right now to write this review :)

	For the last, I have to say something about copy protection... or
total lack of it.  Cheers to 21st Century Entertainment for such a decision;
I hope this practice is welcomed by Amigoids with respect, rather than taken
advantage of.

DISLIKES AND SUGGESTIONS

	My main gripe is the feel of flippers; backhand redirection is
noticeably too strong, whereas shots to the centerfield are surprisingly weak
(most noticeable in "Law 'n Justice").  Hold-trapped ball barely clears the
center ramps.

	Some modes don't flow well.  For example, in hover chase mode of LnJ,
repeated shots from the right flipper to the left ramp are required; yet each
successful shot puts the ball down into the left inlane, and any delicate
pass to the right ruins the illusion of speed.

	There isn't any counter on playfield to keep track of loops/spells
(and in BW, no indicator light for ballsaver).  This is especially odd in
ES, where the word "extreme" is written in your face between slingshots, yet
not utilized at all.  Now that status report is no more, you have to pay
more attention to the realtime dot-matrix display.

	Rules are somewhat too linear.  90's pins have become more complex
with multi-threaded rules and short/long-term goals to achieve.

	There are some surprising omission from essentials of pinball, like:

	o	Bonus countdown (inexcusable, isn't it? :)
	o	Lane change is (still) one-way.
	o	Status report (was in both PD and PF).

	Other minor gripes are:

	o	Some drop/standup targets lack sound effects.
	o	Menu supports only keyboard control.
	o	Music cannot be turned off (was possible in PD and PF).
	o	The playfield stays in hi-res mode after multiball play
		(should revert to the pre-multiball status).
	o	Dot-matrix animations cannot be skipped.

	One suggestion is devising more eccentric gimmicks, like
turbocharger in High Speed II, or Hand in The Addams Family (both real
pins).  They characterize each table so much nowadays, and this I think is
where computerized pins could improve upon real ones.

	One table with more relaxed design in line with classics in the 70's
would have been a nice deviation.  PD had one spacy gem named Ignition,
which I enjoyed enormously :)

COMPARISON TO OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS

	Still no match for the real pins, and it shouldn't be; yet very nice
compensation indeed (and you don't have to worry about shoddy maintenance :)

BUGS

	The sound engine is flaky.  Sometimes it gets out of sync with
ongoing events, in rare occasions it dies off completely (particularly in
LnJ).

	Several in BW:

	o	Further modes become unattainable if the table is tilted
		during "pump-up" stage of the mode 1.
	o	As above, if 3rd ball is locked during "chicken race" mode.
	o	Ball tend to be get stuck around saucers.
	o	Ball can be pushed out of the raised playfield with the
		underside of the flipper.  This sometimes results in a ball
		trapped in the railworks and puts the program in a very busy
		loop (can be pushed out of it though).

	In ES, "restart Iron Man" feature doesn't work.

	If a table is tilted in the attraction mode, you will be penalized at
the start of a game.

	If the game is iconified in the attraction mode, sounds get stuck.

	If a game is aborted with a ball in the plunger lane, only the "intro"
music is played in the attraction mode.

VENDOR SUPPORT

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

WARRANTY

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

CONCLUSIONS

	This is a good stuff.  I have griped a bit (?), but it should be
seen as the evidence how close this game is to the real thing; close enough
for minor differences to become evident.  Another must for AGA owners.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

	Copyright 1995 Hidehiko Ogata.  All rights reserved.

  //     }{idehiko ()gata     "They live. We sleep..."
\X/   [email-masked]      - John Carpenter

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