Reviews

Being a pinball game lover of both realistic and virtual pinball games, I decided to purchase Dream Pinball for my pc. I figured that since it was released in 2008, it must be even better than Microsoft Pinball Arcade and Pro Pinball's Big Race USA, Time Shock, and The Web. After all, these games came out more than 10 years ago and although they are very good in their own right, surely improvements would be made with the development of high performance pc hardware that we have today. Was it worth the purchase??? Yes, if you buy it from the seller offering $0.29. Okay, it's really not THAT bad! But the pinball games I mentioned above that were released several years ago are much better. First of all as some reviewer said, when you buy any pc game, you shouldn't have to activate it online, by email, or by telephone. If you don't activate Dream Pinball, all you get is a demo mode. That's ridiculous and unheard of with any pc game, let alone a bargain basement one. Regarding the game itself, there are 6 "different" tables but it's really hard to distinquish one table from another. They really all look and play the same and even on HARD mode, it's way too easy to get high scores. I had the highest score of the default scores listed on 3 of the tables I played the very first time I played them really without even trying. The ball physics aren't terrible but one thing that stands out is that the number of pop bumbers are minimal on all tables and the little action that you get from them are animated fire like explosions that sends pc graphics back 15 years. You never get the pop bumper sound that a pinball table makes which is really what makes a pinball table a pinball table. Launching a ball is just stupid. You see a launcher pop up and released but you don't see the ball until it reaches the table. The music and sounds that go with each table are okay but not exciting and it gets old. Although Dream Pinball has 7 views with which to see the table as you play it, the only good view is #1. Views #2 through #6 focus on the ball as it travels on the table. It's tough on the eyes and it's really not very realistic. View #7 is like #1 but the table looks distorted. Overall the game is fun for a litle while at least but there is no long lasting appeal even for a hard core pinball fan like me. My last gripe is that even with this bargain basemnet game with limited graphics, you really need a high end pc to run it on the highest graphic settings. Though my pc is not state of the art, it exceeds the requirements to play the game yet I have to play the game on lower graphic settings in order for the ball to behave like it should. So if you're new to computer pinball games and are looking for a true pinball experience, look no further then the games I mentioned above. I personnally think that Microsoft Pinball Arcade is very much under-rated. It's an excellent pinball simulation and it was released in 1999. As far as 2008 Dream Pinball, I'll continue to dream of an updated pinball game that has got to be better than this.

Spent 10 bucks for this and it was 10 bucks too much. The graphics are washed out; the sound effects second rate, the lag time between pressing the flipper buttons is too slow etc etc...the free space cadet pinball that came with windows 95 was light years ahead in realism and game feel. And I installed this on two brand new laptops that are loaded so I don't think it is the computers...major disappointment.

Save your money on this one controls are unresponsive. The graphics are good ,but you still need to be able use flippers, Flipper reactions are very slow.

I wanted a game comparable to the old Epic pinball games. I decided to try this one and I am glad I did. These are some really good games and a lot of fun to play. The price of this game is great too. There are some similarities between the pinball games, but they are all different enough with different board setups and themes to make them all enjoyable to play. I would recommend this product to anyone who enjoyed the old Epic games. I did not like having to register immediately before playing, but it went through easily. Overall it was a minor annoyance.

This is the first pinball since Extreme Pinball back in the 90's that I have found addicting, it's not perfect however most of the flaws are over come by the great gameplay. First the bad. 1: As a previous reviewer pointed out, the effects for hitting targets, bumpers, etc are the same across all the tables, they could have been more creative with this, especialy for a pixel shader 2.0 game. 2: Once again for a graphicaly advanced game you would think it would support wide aspect monitor resolutions such as 1440x900, however it only supports 4:3 modes up to 1600x1200, fortunately with a 16:9 toggle which allows the game to at least be displayed with the proper aspect. 2.5: Main menu is displayed in a lower resolution than the actual game engine, causing annoying mode switching between tables. Anyone remember the first Half Life? Other than small details the game otherwise is truly excellent if you enjoy pinball on the pc. The Amber Moon table (AKA: Two Worlds) is an obvious favorite and for good reason, it's easy enough to keep a game going for at least a short while and offers smooth game play with a slow progression of objectives to keep it interesting. The Monster table is also pretty good, however I found the other tables really pale compared to Amber Moon, maybe this is just personal preference. Another strong point is the cost of this game, which really nullifies any flaws I can find up to this point, for $15 on DVD with a small but decent manual I really feel I got a great deal.

Reviews

I played for almost 10 minutes and I doubt I'll ever try it again. Poor graphics, poor gameplay and tables that are just no fun to play. Williams Pinball collection is the ultimate console pinball game.

I just picked this up used. Overall I'd say it's a pretty decent game. I consider myself a casual gamer - not a fanatic - so my standards may be a bit lower than some, but, despite some flaws pointed out in other reviews, I really find it enjoyable.

Ok, I've been playing pinball since the 1960's and this game with it's 6 tables and during game ball material changes keeps the challange going . The Wii controls have almost zero lag which make any video game fun . The background music and "Atmosphere" is pretty good . That being said , Don't expect this to look or play absolutely like the Willams ,Sterns, Chicago Coin, Gottlieb Tables . As a collector of P.C. and console pinball games this piece of software is pretty good for the $20 that i spent on it .

Everyone has pretty much killed this game and rightfully so. I purchased the game at blockbuster for $6.99 figuring I couldn't go wrong because I love pinball games so much. I already own the Williams collection for PS2 (fantastic by the way), but wanted one on the WII. I had already read the reviews here and knew what I was getting into. Well, it's barely worth the $6.99 for me and I have a pretty high tolerance when it comes to pinball games. I don't need the physics to be perfect, I even enjoyed pinball dreams, epic pinball, sonic, etc. I have never written a review, but I wanted to come back and share my experience that others may have missed. First, the camera angle 6 was the only one tolerable. If you leave the camera angle in it's default mode, I agree with everyone that it's impossible to follow. But don't let the camera angle deter you if you want a "gamey" pinball game that doesn't feel much like the right thing. Here's why I wouldn't buy it: * The camera angles are easy to switch, but too easy. They use the up and down d-pad when hitting left is the left flipper. This results with inadvertent camera switches with my big thumbs during the game. * The ball changes happen often and always to something you don't want. What I mean by this is the game says "ball change" and you have a new ball made of fire or stone or something wacky. If they are going to make the leap and give you the possibility of a fireball, then might as well completely cross over into an arcade game. * On the default settings (I think there are levels, so it may just be on easy) you can play a machine for what seems like an infinite amount of time. Every time you lose a ball, it says fight again, or shoot again, etc. I don't really want levels, I just want the machine. Again, they walked the line by adding a few unrealistic elements without choosing one way or the other. But if you don't have any pinball games, and you see a used one on here for cheap, it's not the worst thing ever. I gave it two stars because I have williams pinball. I think I may have enjoyed it close to the three star level had I just wanted a fun game to pass back and forth with my wife. Read the 4-5 stars, there are some people who enjoyed it who aren't concerned about the physics (like me), but also don't care about the points I made above. Bottom line though is Williams Pinball on PS2 is way better and based on the other reviews I suspect the same for the wii.

this is bad game, the graphics are poor, the physics are poor and the tables are uninspired. For made up tables that aren't trying to emulate 'real' pinball tables, these are pretty bland and the graphics are this ugly pix-elated looking , the DS version is worse, waste of money on both, a good example of the shovelware made for the most popular console this generation, [...]

Reviews

The game is okay. You have to hold your DS very close to see whats going on. Did not keep me for hours playing which I expect from a game. On sell I would maybe buy it, but not for regular price.

Worst Choice in a game I ever made. I am a supreme Fan of "PINBALL GAMES " This is not even close to what a pinball game is. Metroid Prime Pinball was my last purchase in this genre and more than worth it 2. I still play this game a lot. also The little Mermaid Pinball, Mario pinball land is also a specially good pinball games I even have Pokeman Pinball from 2000 it is still very playable I will never give it up either. But this game is a ha,ha, ha, Gotcha Joke. .

This is a great game with great graphics! My son loves it and so do I! A must have for a pinball lover.

I am 33 so I remember playing real pinball and I have had a blast playing Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection for the Wii, which I have no doubt is the best pinball video game ever. I decided to try Dream Pinball for the DS, but it has been a complete disappointment. This game doesn't feel anything like real pinball, the camera is no good, and the game just isn't any fun. I will be selling this game.