It's busy on the small screen when you're new to the table, but much less so when you've acclimated. I like the complex tables that have lots to do and discover. As far as video-gamey stuff, it's almost all just eye candy. Almost everything could be mechanically replicated, except a few things like Adhesive X on Captain America. And as long as it is about 95% realistic, I am OK with it. I actually prefer it most of the time. If I'm playing the Williams game, I feel like I'm playing an inferior version of an existing machine that doesn't always behave like the original designer intended it to. If I'm playing Zen, everything plays exactly as it was designed to play. Plus, Zen is designed to be video game pinball for consoles/handhelds, not a quarter-munching arcade game. Because it doesn't have to keep taking people's quarters at a regular pace, its design is better as a video game - slingshots don't randomly send balls into the outlanes, ball saves are longer at launch, etc. (I've had many instances on a real Twilight Zone machine where I didn't even get to hit the ball with a flipper before it drained).
My opinion here is that while yes, they do some things on these tables that a real table couldn't do, they are simply taking advantage of the medium. They clearly have a passion for pinball and choose to ask what could we do that would simply be impossible on a physical table. I can appreciate that some don't really care for those elements (and I'm not always nuts about them either as I already said with reference to the Spiderman table) but to completely dismiss what these tables have to offer because of that would be a shame, IMO.
The only thing I really wish for is that there would be more LCD games... Some of my favorite pinball games (real or virtual) have some neat LCD games if you hit a saucer. Or at least interactive elements like mission select or whatever. Maybe Captain America has this? Its the only one I don't yet own.
I think the Zen tables do a fantastic job of simulating a realistic table. They use a bit of artistic license here and there, but on the whole they feel far more like they could really exist than a lot of games do. It's one of the things I like most about it actually, the table really gives off the impression of being mechanical rather than running on virtual magic. The least realistic part is probably the characters that populate the tables, they're far too well animated to be real, but as ShinyT said, it could still be replicated, only with more restricted movement. It's a minor distraction at best, after a couple of plays it'll be the last thing on your mind with all the awesome missions Zen cram into their tables.
Storm the castle is one, and I think there's another as well. You have to use the flippers to choose which mission you want to go on.
Hoping they release an update soon. I got tired of the sluggish framerate on my iPad 1 (and playing without the DMD), so I've been playing other pinball apps instead.
I've been playing more of the Sorcerer's Lair table for that very same reason....I really like the Captain America table too..but the lag hurts it.
Have you vote? ONE LAST DAY to make ZEN PINBALL becomes this week's Touch Arcade Game of the Week. [thread=114872]VOTE HERE[/thread]
Could you tell me how I can enter that? It's not in the 6 missions (3 left ramp, 3 right ramp) is it..
They should've supplied their previous standalone app tables for free too: Rollercoaster and the Rock concert one. Glad that Zen is back on iOS though!
I forget how to trigger it exactly, but the ramp near the middle-right opens up and you shoot the ball in there. You have the option of selecting "Adhesive X," "Death Ray" and "Sparring," you cycle through them with the flippers, then press the checkmark on the screen. It probably mentions how to trigger it in the table rules (pause the game, table rules are at the top).
