Zen Studios is very unpredictable when it comes to theming. Some releases feature videogame themes, while others are completely out of left field. I'm not really sure where the inspiration for
Zen Pinball: Sorcerer's Lair came from, but based on the artwork adorning the table, it may very well have been something as simple as a Saturday morning cartoon. The two children on the playing field (and their ghostly companion Whisper) are doll-like hybrids of Western and Japanese animation, and it works well enough. As always, the special events look fantastic; the titular sorcerer cuts a menacing figure, and the tree guarding the Freaky Forest ramp is a mix between
Mortal Kombat's haunted face trees and the Whomping Willow from
Harry Potter.
As always, the sound design almost bears no explanation. No wrong steps are taken, and while the soundtrack is whimsical and befitting of the subject matter, it won't have you wishing for MP3 releases. The voice acting is also appropriately cheesy.
