Universal Pinball Arcade - (by FarSight)

On my Iphone4 Ripley's is definitely the worst performer of the bunch. Still, in landscape using camera 1 its not unplayable at all. I just had a nice round of 35 mil actually...lots of multiball action too and it was still not bad. Could be improved though for sure...

 

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but there's a problem with entering initials on ToM. The arrows don't respond to every tap and it feels sluggish. I think maybe there's a conflict between two different entry systems here (with and without the arrow interface).

 

I believe I've noticed the same problem. Actually I definitely saw that problem, but offhand I can't remember which game it was. Probably ToM.

 

You have your answer - read the rules. Otherwise this game isn't a huge amount of fun. In particular it seems incredibly cruel unless you understand how to open the reentry gate, and what causes it to close again. But also in general learning how to score well. Once you get the idea of how to play it it is way more fun.

 

Tim, meet ToM. ToM, this is Tim.

On-topic: don't interrupt the table download! Had to delete & reinstall on one device because it'd crash every time I tried to scroll to Black Hole.

 

I do believe he is referring to my new signature. Wondered how long it would take for you to notice, Tim, LoL.

 

I would like to meet the person who decided Harem Multiball should be a Standard Goal.

I would like to hold this person's face right up next to the game, like one might force a canine to view evidence of a stain on the rug.

I would then like to put this person in the corner for an hour or two to think about what he or she has done.

 

If nothing else, Tilt features in the Options menu unlock once you clear the Wizard goals. As for the Standard goals, I'll let you know if I can ever get more than four letters.

 

Loving this game, loads of depth. The leaderboards are screwed up tho. I don't even sure I like the local leaderboards. Just need to up the quality of the boards otherwise I lose the ball sometimes.
Also I was buying the tables separately on my iPad and someone mentioned that if I want to have them on my iPhone I have to buy again unless I bought all tables together. It said this on pinball arcade Facebook page in comments.
Has anyone been charged here a second time.

 

Harem Multiball, FINALLY.

Which unlocks the ability to work on the Wizard Goals.

Win the Great Camel Race? Light the Ruby? Earn an Extra Ball? Collect 60 Spins? These are harder than H-A-R-E-M? Pshaw.

(Rescue the Princess. Okay, that one takes some effort.)

EDIT: It takes about half an hour, that's what it takes. Finish all Wizard Goals == turn Tilt on and off, though turning it off disables the leaderboard.

 

I never understood why turning off tilt was an unlock after you complete the Wizard goals. Anyone who can do that probably doesn't care to ever turn off the tilt. I sure don't. It was the same in PHoF. Weird. One thing you got in PHoF which was fun was different/goofy ball designs. Yellow smiley face ball, 8 ball, etc. That was kind of fun. I'm not sure that's in this game, though.

 

This. Read the instructions and you will be enlightened on the ways of the Black Hole. It's pretty groovy getting multiball on the lower playfield with the 5x multiplier.

 

Yeah they really could have put Tiger multi in the normal goals and Harem in the wizard goals.

 

So first, I am about to buy this, so this isn't a dig at pinball games. In fact, I have a few in my purchase history.

But how does one be "good" at pinball? I have played many a machine at arcade, and on my iPad, but I seem to have those instances where the ball goes down the outer most chute and drop more often than I care to admit. Add to that the buckets of times the ball has just dropped directly down the center opening between the paddles.

Maybe I don't get it - maybe there is some crazy big strategy/skill to avoiding those situations, but I don't know what they are. Tips, or is it all luck for that?

 

Every table is different, so I'm not going to give specific tips, but yeah, if you play one table enough, you start to see which shots have a risk of draining you and you can choose to make less risky shots instead. You'll also start to recognize which shots count for the most points and when, so you can take a risky shot knowing the rewards are worth it.

Generally, you don't want a lot of side-to-side energy in the ball. That's how it gets to the side of the table where it might go to an outlane. But a perfectly vertical ball runs the risk of slipping between your flippers. It's a balancing act.

Sometimes a well-timed nudge can save your bacon by bouncing a ball out of the outlane area, or even bouncing it away before it starts heading to that area. Or you can nudge a flipper just a little bit closer to the ball to avoid a center drain.

Another trick is to keep control of the ball. Ramp shots and the like almost always return the ball neatly to the flipper, so if you get good at those you can rack up a lot of points without much risk. You can also get good at catching the ball on a flipper so the oncoming energy of the ball doesn't make your shot harder than it needs to be. On some tables, you can even pass the ball from one flipper to the other to line up a shot you really want to make.

Pinball is kind of like poker in that it's a game played at the margins. You manage your risk by cutting your losses and maximizing your wins. Eventually a bad situation will shut you down, but if you try to maintain control and get the most out of risky shots, you'll wring more points out of a single ball than a less-skilled player.

And of course, the more you play the more you simply aim better.