Pinball HD collection - IOS

[Samandor]

Don't see anything about these games here. I find them to be more satisfying than the Zen games. Physics are incomplete and the games are slow and repetitive, but Da Vinci, e.g, is a very cool game design. Enabling camera tilt in the settings gives you a 3d perspective of the table, which contributes nothing to game play, but is pretty nifty - TPA has this in the table flyover, but obscured by buttons and uncontrollable (aside from the pro version table examination mode). This digital-only series at least attempts to emulate tables that could be physically built, and play (with shake to nudge) is pretty satisfyingly realistic. The main flaw is that the tables weren't designed by the stars of the art form, but by folks who should be their apprentices.

 

[JefferyD]

I’m with you, I love the Pinball HD stuff. I was playing those constantly until I found TPA. I spent time addicted to each of those tables and I still enjoy them, but they are a more leisurely experience. The ones I’ve played the most are probably Wild West, Platoon, and The Deep.

The sounds and music in of Pinball HD are really spectacular; very rich and immersive. They are fantasy pinball landscapes, but they are graceful and the physics are very lovely. I, too, prefer them over the any of the Zen tables I’ve played.

I really like the camera tilt. When I first discovered TPA, I searched all over for the camera tilt, thinking that it MUST be there somewhere. It is easier to see the table if I can tip the view a little this way. I know it’s all 3D but if it’s locked in on one view it’s becomes 2D, and -- being totally unfamiliar with most of the TPA tables -- it’s hard for me to decipher the layouts sometimes.

There are TPA tables I just can’t get a handle on because they’re so visually noisy it’s hard to see what’s what. If I could shift the view slightly by rocking back and forth it would help tremendously. Medieval Madness in particular confounds my eyes.

Best thing about Pinball HD: if you're playing a long game you can turn it off and come back to it later. I have a game of "The Deep" that I've been working on for months, and it's always there when I turn it on. If there's one thing that inflicts serious feelings of disappointment for TPA it's that it crashes (or whatever you call it) more often than not when I leave in the middle of game and try to come back to it later. Really frustrating. (But that’s my ONLY complaint.)

 

[dagwood]

There are TPA tables I just can’t get a handle on because they’re so visually noisy it’s hard to see what’s what. If I could shift the view slightly by rocking back and forth it would help tremendously. Medieval Madness in particular confounds my eyes.

I agree with this, the worst offender for me is Funhouse, when all the play-field lights are flashing the ball just gets lost. What TPA need to do is have a ball trail like Zen tables do.

My favourite Pinball HD tables are ACDC & Arcade

 

[Carl Spiby]

I agree with this, the worst offender for me is Funhouse, when all the play-field lights are flashing the ball just gets lost. What TPA need to do is have a ball trail like Zen tables do.

What they really need to do is having fading lights like incandescents in the real machine, not just an on/off state like they do now.

 

[night]

I have the WAR tables, I bought them before TPA. They are fun, Platoon, Mission Impossible and Navy Seals. Cool samples from the movies, pretty camp of course. Not a serious pinball simulation, kind of a funny toy. I don't care for the Pinball HD collection, but Wild West is nice.

 

[Kolchak357]

I'm not a big Slayer fan but I think that table is fun. DaVinci is good for a play now and then too.

 

[sotie]

Deleted this app from my iOS devices a long time ago. I remember the games seemed to last forever and would never end. I found it very tedious playing them.

 

[Carl Spiby]

Bit like Zen then.

 

[Kolchak357]

Longer game times than Zen for me. I don't really mind longish game times if it it still fun with something to achieve. Unfortunately the Pinball HD games get monotonous more quickly than Zen or TPA for me. Probably why I don't play it all that often.

 

[Gord Lacey]

They are fun, Platoon, Mission Impossible and Navy Seals.

I think you mean "Missing in Action."

 

[Jeff Strong]

I haven't played these in a long time. The graphics were always nice, but the flippers ruined it for me: they're way too long (resulting in a tiny gap), and also angled to a ridiculous degree. Compare them to real pinball flippers and you'll see exactly what I mean.

 

[norbert26]

somehow i missed this thread. I have had that APP and purchased all the tables back from when i first had my iPhone 4 long before i even got my iPad. I did not know about TPA then. I like those tables and i really like the camera zoom options. weird thing is starting out with 4 balls i have heard of 3 and 5 ball games but 4 is odd. i also have the war pinball set but theres a bug on the first one (platoon) up in the left where the plane is the ball gets stuck when it supposed to release multiball or something they never fixed the bug. Now onto ZEN. I downloaded the iOS APP and tried the free included table lair . It looked great at first when the ball loaded in the shooter alley nice camera zoom. I shoot the ball in camera goes 10 miles in the sky requiring a telescope to see the tiny flippers along with the tiny dot of a ball. At least have a camera zoom comparable to TPA number 4 camera. I did try all the camera settings none were quite up to camera 4 on TPA. Add to it could not select from custom balls. If a ball appears too small in TPA i can swap it out for my eyeball or the twilight zone ball and then i can see the ball even on tables that don't zoom in well. Also i like pinball to look like pinball so loose the ball trails (i believe turning off settings was an option) but those camera or lack of good cam settings were deal breakers for me on iOS anyways which is my platform of choice. sure there is Zen on my windows 8 machine but i only loaded the free mars table as i really don't want to play on the computer i wanted more of something i can hold in my hands and sit comfortable when playing.

 

[night]

I think you mean "Missing in Action."

Yes! Chuck Norris who likes to shoot with an ultra-mean-machine gun, and everybody gets hurt except Chuck. Loved this movie when I was a teenager.

 

[Kolchak357]

somehow i missed this thread. I have had that APP and purchased all the tables back from when i first had my iPhone 4 long before i even got my iPad. I did not know about TPA then. I like those tables and i really like the camera zoom options. weird thing is starting out with 4 balls i have heard of 3 and 5 ball games but 4 is odd. i also have the war pinball set but theres a bug on the first one (platoon) up in the left where the plane is the ball gets stuck when it supposed to release multiball or something they never fixed the bug. Now onto ZEN. I downloaded the iOS APP and tried the free included table lair . It looked great at first when the ball loaded in the shooter alley nice camera zoom. I shoot the ball in camera goes 10 miles in the sky requiring a telescope to see the tiny flippers along with the tiny dot of a ball. At least have a camera zoom comparable to TPA number 4 camera. I did try all the camera settings none were quite up to camera 4 on TPA. Add to it could not select from custom balls. If a ball appears too small in TPA i can swap it out for my eyeball or the twilight zone ball and then i can see the ball even on tables that don't zoom in well. Also i like pinball to look like pinball so loose the ball trails (i believe turning off settings was an option) but those camera or lack of good cam settings were deal breakers for me on iOS anyways which is my platform of choice. sure there is Zen on my windows 8 machine but i only loaded the free mars table as i really don't want to play on the computer i wanted more of something i can hold in my hands and sit comfortable when playing.

Norb, try playing Zen in landscape. For some reason their landscape views seem much better to me than the portrait.

 

[norbert26]

Norb, try playing Zen in landscape. For some reason their landscape views seem much better to me than the portrait.

i will explore that i did overlook that possibility.

 

[norbert26]

i will explore that i did overlook that possibility.

OMG !!! difference is night and day oh no heres comes a table buying spree.

 

[sotie]

I tried their new Alice in Chains table in free mode. On my very first play I put it down after not having a ball drain within 5 minutes.

 

[dagwood]

Yeah I didn't mind that AiC table either, but you're right about game times. Sometimes you just want a quick one and Pin HD is not the way to go. And yeah, those ultra high flipper angles make it difficult to aim the ball when you're used to normal flippers. Though I have to give them props for stunning detailed graphics, right down to the ball reflection on the glossy playfield

 

[Kolchak357]

I have the WAR tables, I bought them before TPA. They are fun, Platoon, Mission Impossible and Navy Seals. Cool samples from the movies, pretty camp of course. Not a serious pinball simulation, kind of a funny toy. I don't care for the Pinball HD collection, but Wild West is nice.

This war collection has been on sale for $.99 for iOS. I picked it up yesterday. Worth a buck if you overlook the strange angle & design of the flippers.

 

[heddhunter]

Deleted this app from my iOS devices a long time ago. I remember the games seemed to last forever and would never end. I found it very tedious playing them.

Ditto.