ESPN is a very popular sports network. Pinball is that fun arcade game you’ve been playing at the pizzeria since you were old enough to get your hands on popsicles. So what do these two have in common? It may not sound like much, but that’s changed since the creation of ESPN Pinball, a colorful, fast-paced game that brings the two together and showcases what the iPhone 4 is capable of.
The first thing a player will notice when ESPN Pinball loads up is the eye-catching retina-enhanced graphics. Even the main menu is covered in shiny chrome and carbon fiber textures. Unlike the arcade games of yesteryear, this new version is more like Pinball 2.0: sparks and debris fly when the ball hits another object on the table. And other times, the ball is overloaded with fire or shoots lightning.
ESPN Pinball features three different game tables: basketball, soccer, and World Cup, which cannot be accessed until the player accumulates at least 100,000 points on the soccer table. All of the tables are beautiful and considerably more elaborate than most other pinball games. On the basketball board, the most points are earned when the player makes a basket by shooting the ball down a ramp and through the hoop at the top. The soccer table is actually a double-decker pinball machine, with a separate set of paddles on top.
The controls of this app are easily understandable for everyone who has ever played a pinball game on an iPhone or iPod touch: the left side of the screen controls the left paddle and the right side controls the right paddle. In a real life simulation, you start the game by throwing the ball. To do this, simply drag down the spring on the right side of the table.
This app still has a few other bells and whistles worth mentioning. For example, each table contains a “turbine” that can catch the ball. Start playing and the turbine will spin faster to charge the ball and give it more power and earn you more points.
The game comes with a fairly wide variety of options. Players can play single player pinball or turn it into a multiplayer game. Players are also encouraged to create a profile so they can login to their favorite teams or link the app to their Facebook accounts and compare high scores with their friends.
ESPN Pinball is a good game with a good design. This is a challenging and fun sports game as well as enjoyable for sports fans and pinball fans alike.