PINBALL DREAMS

Publisher: BG Games Released: 2019

Ever since the late 70s, programmers had been contending with the idea of video pinball to varying degrees of success. It wasn’t until 1992, the realisation of this came to critical acclaim with Digital Illusion’s Pinball Dreams on the Amiga. This title provided ballwhacking fans with both the aesthetics and the all-essential physics. It was a phenomenal success, and that paved the way for many sequels and contemporaries.

Now, all these years later, some daring souls decided to do a port for the Amstrad.

The player is presented with four thematic tables to choose from: Ignition, Steel Wheel, Beatbox & Nightmare. Each of which comes with its very own unique design and sounds. Undoubtedly, there is a flavour for every player’s taste in this selection. As with most pinball games, three balls are the limit per game, and it’s the player’s job to guard the bottom with the flippers. Racking up the score is the key challenge, and mastering any of these tables will take lots of practice. Due to the portrait orientation of pinball, this clearly can’t fit on a standard monitor. To accommodate this, the game constructed of 2 screens — interconnected by the playfield scrolling as it follows the ball; this is always the alienating thing for pinball purists to get used to as they prefer seeing everything at once. It’s a small compensation in order to fit four tables into your bedroom.

AMSTRAD AMSTRAD

PRESENTATION 82%

Exceptional design and a faithful recreation of the original.

GRAPHICS 92%

Bright, vibrant and not a kick off the classic Commodre Amiga version! Stunningly drawn tables and animations.

SOUND 90%

Well composed music and sound FX that alter as the action ramps up.

ADDICTIVENESS 92%

Highly addictive, just as the Amiga version was. You won’t want to put it down!

LASTABILITY 90%

The perfect gameplay and the variety of tables will keep you entertained for months.

OVERALL 90%