Originally published at: Review | Jurassic Pinball - XboxEra
Super PowerUp Games have been putting in work with single-table pinball game releases. One of their latest is Jurassic Pinball. These basic affairs offer up ok feeling pinball mechanics on top of realistically setup tables at a low cost. We all know their true purpose though, and that’s a quick 1000 achievement points!
Roar!!!
Jurassic Pinball is an extremely basic table. You have two main bumpers tied to each of your triggers. The left side of the table is lined with 5 dino eggs, while the right has 3. There’s a triceratops head, two other dino models in the back, and two pathways to hit the ball up. A small bumper section in the back right rounds things out and that is it. It’s a basic-assed, generic-as-all-heck table.
Ball physics continue Super PowerUp Games’ tradition of almost feeling great. There were times when hitting the ball felt incredibly satisfying as it went exactly where I wanted. Other times a hit that should have sent it flying hard resulted in a teeny tiny hit that barely moved things. Graphically the table itself looks fine, but it screams generic knock-off.
The color scheme is muted, with few vibrant colors and nothing over the top to sell it as a video game. Room-wise, the series continues its tradition of promoting its other pinball tables and it looks pretty good for this type of budget. Texture work all around is of surprisingly high quality for this price point. I’m not sure if they’re making them or buying assets off of an online store but it looks alright. The splash art that loads up when you first open the game on the other hand is hilarious. It looks like something taken directly from a cheap kid’s book you’d find in a bargain bin Christian bookshop about how man and the dinosaurs used to get along like best buds.
The sound is a disappointment as well with nothing in the way of memorable music. The sound effects are fine, but sound as if they are recycled from past tables. The big thing though for most people buying these games is the achievements. They follow the standard set by a title we previously reviewed, Touchdown Pinball. Most players with any type of pinball skill should be able to get all 1000 achievement points in roughly an hour or two of playtime. They are mostly tied to score, though a few aren’t so you’ll want to check out the list to make sure you know how to get them all.
Wrapping Things Up
For $3 US this is one of the better titles for achievement hunters to check out. It’s cheap, decently fun to play, and all of the achievements can be earned in no more than two hours.