Back in May of 2009, one of my all-time favorite games was released: Matmi’s Monster Pinball (Free). It was an interesting game because it basically threw most pinball conventions out the window, eschewing realistic physics for lightning-quick action and over-the-top table features. And, while not necessarily appealing to the pinball purist, they pulled it off in spectacular fashion.
While the gameplay itself was fast and furious, what really tied Monster Pinball together was its stellar visual style that I would describe as something of a Tim Burton-meets-Pixar kind of look. Monster Pinball was comprised of 6 different interconnected tables, each with its own unique style and silly monster characters. The sound effects, too, matched the overall zaniness of the game.
Matmi went on to release a couple of other pinball games, Ice Road Pinball (Free) and Multiball Pinball ($0.99), both of which are pretty darn fun as well. But as good as they are Matmi’s pinball games haven’t really kept up with iOS’s technical advancements. That means no Universal iPad support, no Retina Display graphics, and no Game Center integration.
Matmi’s games have such wonderful visuals and personality it’s a shame to see them appear jagged and blurry on the newer iOS screens. Thankfully, they’ve taken to doing something about that, and are revamping their most popular pinball title (and my personal favorite) with the upcoming Monster Pinball HD.
Basically, they’ve gone and rebuilt each table from scratch so as to support all the latest screens, including the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5 and new iPod touch. While they were at it, Matmi has inserted a brand new mission and in-game achievement system that has you earning achievements for performing certain goals on each table. This is in addition to full Game Center support with leaderboards and achievements. Have a look at the new trailer.
One cool thing tied into this new achievement system is the ability to play each of the 6 interconnected tables individually. Perform the right task or mission and unlock the appropriate achievement on a table and you can then unlock it for individual use, something I’ve always thought would be a neat addition to the game.
Monster Pinball HD will be a brand new app, so not an update to the original. It will support the iPad in both portrait and landscape orientations, and though I haven’t seen it directly confirmed it looks like it will be a Universal release. No word on price yet either, but as a huge fan of the original Monster Pinball, I’m dying to get my hands on this HD remake, which is said to hit sometime before the end of the year.
