Was really psyched for this, but deleted it when I realised there was a timer on the gameplay - don't do timers.
But that's the entire point of the game. It's not an energy system. The point of it is to get as far as you can as fast as you can and get the time extenders and all of that. Billy
Understood, and I would normally agree, but it works well as a source of tension here. Without it, they'd have to make shots far more unfair/difficult in order to have a game, or cause you to lose the ball if it went between a set of flippers. This was the right call for this game, IMO. Furthermore, the game is built entirely around ways to acquire more time with skillful play. The timer is the backbone of the game in many ways, but not in an annoying "get more stars by being fast" fashion that is tacked on to so many games.
It's already about as unfair as pinball typically gets, IMO. And then some. I like it - the visual design is strong, and the music is terrific - but jeez, if you don't like pinball to begin with, this won't change your mind. Massive, massive areas of every level (well, up to 4 so far) which exist for no reason other than as empty space to torment you when you miss a shot and have to watch the ball slowly... rolling... all... the... way... back. The vast majority of shots do that thing where you have to hit a tiny strip of the paddle that's about five pixels wide at just the right moment or you're screwed (like, the first few in level 1 give you a couple of alternatives, then the hammer comes down). And I wish that stupid powerup that stops the timer for ten flips would go away - it's almost physically impossible for me not to press both paddles every time, so that means it's always used up twice as fast as it should be. (Okay, that one's on me. BUT STILL.) So yeah, I'm enjoying it, but dear Lord I'd call it unfair, in pretty much the same way as every pinball table going is intentionally trying to make you screw up every shot. Worse, in some respects - it's crying out for an Easy mode where you cannot drop back to the previous level. That's about the biggest kick in the teeth going. (And no, that would not invalidate having to pay for checkpoints.)
By far the best pinball game I have yet to play on iOS and the music is amazeballs. This game is hard and addictive just like smash hit and just like smash hit, I can't stop playing it. Thanks for this one Mediocre, and I am so glad you guys made it premium
Ha I know what you mean. I managed to get pretty good times for checkpoints 2 & 3, but not for 4. And I always fall in that section. So much. It hurts. And yet I keep coming back for more pain!
Game has great atmosphere, looks and sounds awesome and has a great arcade virtual pinball feel. Maybe I'm too lenient, because I didn't expect this to feel like a "real" pinball and/or because I've made some pinball games myself, but I found this game just as fun (if not more so) than Smash Hit. Kudos Devs. You've earned my $2
I beat the game in a handful of attempts. Pinball is not unfair at all, it just takes A LOT of skill and practice. If pinball was unfair then it wouldn't possible for me to have 3-ball games that last up to 20 minutes. There are guys out there than can play a single game for an hour, or hours. You said it was impossible for you to not flip both flippers at the same time - of course it's possible, you just have to train your brain and force yourself to be more disciplined. It takes practice. Aiming shots is just like aiming shots in pool - is pool unfair? It's all about angles, a bad shot is going to bounce back and go between the flippers, a wide shot is going to loop back around, etc. Just keep at it, don't assume a game is unfair just because you aren't immediately good at it. Real pinball is something I have only been playing for a couple years but getting better at it has been incredibly satisfying. This game is much easier than real pinball. Heck, it's easier than Zen Pinball. What would the point of an easy mode be? Games are fun because they are challenging! And I would argue that falling to lower levels is integral to the game design. It allows you take different paths to get power ups and time bonuses, it's not just a penalty.
Andy, that's just the easy part. Looking forward to your full game play video. Which will probably be one long run with no checkpoints. I hate you. J/k
I just reached level 5 for the first time; every single way off that first screen requires a perfect shot or you will fall straight back to level 4 (I had more than a minute on the clock and that still wasn't enough to get any further). That is not fair. It's more than possible all the way there to set the ball up so it will fall back down the table for ten, even fifteen seconds with absolutely no chance to save it. That is not fair. I got stuck on one of the long tunnel sections - I spent twenty seconds or more watching the ball slowly rolling... all... the... way... there before it stopped right at the lip and then rolled... all... the... way... back with nothing I could do (I think there was some kind of tilt, but the game never told me how to use it, and it didn't help). That. Is. Not. Fair. I've never touched a real pinball machine but I've spent forty, fifty hours on Zen Pinball at least, so I know how it works - I mean, I'm more annoyed by your (possibly accidentally) patronising me than the way the game behaves. I'm just saying, pinball demands godlike reflexes and concentration to do really, really well and makes almost zero concessions to anyone who doesn't know how to play. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and I can see why people enjoy it - like I said, I do too, up to a point - but for want of a better way to describe it, that is not playing fair, same as usual. PinOut! is unquestionably a good game - I don't think Mediocre quite deserve all the praise they get round here but they're definitely one of the App Store's more talented developers. But other than the checkpoints and a couple of minor things like slowing the ball on the paddles (which sometimes makes things worse, IMO) as far as I'm concerned they do very little to change the idea that a pinball game is basically for people willing to sink an age into mastering it and everyone else can go hang.
^ I think maybe this is just not for you. THAT SAID, the key to a pinball game is the feel, and this one does feel a little off to me. The ball always seems a little 'behind' where I feel like it should be, which makes aiming shots more frustrating than I expected. Fun game, and I may change my tune once I get used to the timing, but the physics feel just a little laggy.
I dont understand those who say this game isnt fair or its too hard... Honestly i find it quite easy and short... You just need to master the 3 and 4 levels in order to approach 5 and 6 with a big amount or time... I dont understand however the endless mode... Without the time its just a matter of 80 seconds...
As mentioned up thread, this is probably due to the zones near the flippers that slow the ball down (look for the parallel lines).
Yes, I think so. The flipper physics aren't very nuanced and the ball slowing down really threw me off. I know that the ball speed can affect your timing when aiming a shot in other pinball games, having it slow down was actually making it hard for me to time the shots accurately for a bit. Once you adjust to it the game gets much easier. I want to say that if you want to throw Mediocre a bone and buy the Premium version for $2 that's cool, but after I unlocked checkpoints I found the game far too easy. Completed it very quickly and was surprised by how short it was. Playing without checkpoints and trying to clear the game in one run seems like the way to play. I don't really feel compelled to improve my time on individual zones. That said, the checkpoints do allow you to practice just the zones that are giving you trouble, making it easier to attempt a single run from the start. I'm hoping we get more tables in the future.
The music on the main title screen reminds me of Stranger Things...anyone else get that vibe? Having so much fun with this game! The flipper slowdown physics are strange at first, but you can quickly get used to it.
I'd like to know the age of anyone who beats it relatively easily, as well the age of anyone who's stuck and has thrown in the towel. I doubt my eyebrows would be raised by the results.
I complete the game and I unlock the endless mode, but I really don't get it. No time-balls, only 40 seconds (the last level delta) to do what? The real name is "extra time" not endless. Please someone explain me how does it work... PS really great game but too short.
