Pro Pinball: Big Race USA
Score: 87% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Take 2 Interactive Developer: Take 2 Interactive Media: CD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Arcade/ Action/ Simulation
Graphics & Sound: The graphics in Pro Pinball: Big Race USA consist of a static table with a moving ball (duh) and an LCD display. Because the table isn’t being rendered in 3D, the engine can afford to run in the PlayStation’s high-res mode, and as such, it looks very nice. There are little animations, of course -- lights, mechanical returns, and whatnot -- but the majority of the board stays the same. The board itself has something of a mechanical-retro feel to it, what with the police car and taxicab and whatnot. That could just be me, but eh. As for the sounds, there’s really nothing of note. You’ll hear lots of thumps and bangs as the ball bounces around, and some special effects sounds as various events trigger, but pinball has never been about thumping music or amazing aural outputs. By and large, it’s about the gameplay and the mechanics.
Gameplay: And Big Race USA certainly delivers on the gameplay. The game consists of a single board -- Big Race USA, obviously -- which may seem like a bummer until you realize that the game retails at just fewer than ten bucks. And if you’re a pinball aficionado, it’s definitely worth the dough. Everything you expect from a pinball table is here -- sinks, bumpers, and of course your flippers. In fact, there are four flippers, the two main ones at the bottom and two near the top that you can use to keep the ball alive in high-scoring zones for a little more time. All the while, the LCD screen is giving you information on just what’s going on, what you should be trying to do, and the score you currently have. There are tons of lights and targets and, well, everything that you expect in a pinball game. You’re trying to race across the USA, and in doing so, you must visit different cities. By hitting the right things, you can go into bonus modes that let you rack up more points and do fun things like shoot down UFOs. Yeah, it’s crazy, but it’s pinball, right? And that’s the core essence of the game. Pro Pinball: Big Race USA is hardcore pinball action. You can adjust everything in the game, but in the end it’s a single table. If you’re a fan of pinball, you’re going to love it. If not, this isn’t going to convert you.
Difficulty: Big Race USA is a challenging board, but it’s not impossible. (Anyone else remember that damned racecar track in Epic Pinball? Ugh.) Careful use of jiggling the board at opportune moments can make or break your game, and you’ll find that the ball will stay alive much longer once you master the art of beating the tilt. Even if you’re not a pinball wizard, the game has enough “flash-bang” and “doodads” to keep you interested and not get too mad at starting over every few seconds.
Game Mechanics: Like all of the games in the Pro Pinball series, the game’s mechanics are damn near flawless. The ball moves like a real ball, the flippers shoot like real flippers, and the mechanical bits work like real mechanical bits. You can even tinker around with the settings of the game, seeing how much time has been spent playing, adjusting the angle of the board, and setting the “wear” level of the table (higher wear means less “oomph” behind the components). Pretty much everything you imagine is fiddle-ready, letting you really get the enjoyment you want from the table. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again -- Big Race USA is a pinball simulation. It’s only one table, which hurts, but it’s only ten bucks, which helps a lot. If you’re a pinball fan, you’re going to love it. It’s a complex enough table to keep you going for hours. If you’re not a pinball fan, you’ll be pitching it to the side in 20 minutes. You’re going to have to make the call. But in the end, you really can’t go wrong with Pro Pinball: Big Race USA.
-Sunfall to-Ennien, GameVortex Communications AKA Phil Bordelon
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