Release of the PHOF 3D in germany / waiting for PA

[xNiCeGuYx]

Hi guys,
a couple of days PHOF 3D was released in germany and I don't know if I should buy it because of:
1. I own the 360 version
2. I own PA for 360
3. tables are missing compared to PS3/360
4. PA is coming for the 3DS in near future (I hope so)
5. worse ball physics compared to PA

What do you think? Is it worth? Should I wait for PA?

 

[goforthewall]

If you want to support FarSight - buy them all

 

[ScotchYeti]

You basically answered the question yourself. If you can't wait for the PA release on the 3DS then go for it.

 

[FurVid]

I've loved every version of every PHOF title I've played, except that one. Don't know if it was the resolution, frame-rate, or whatever, but just couldn't get into it.

 

[xNiCeGuYx]

Are there any differences to the american version of the game?

 

[Crush3d_Turtle]

I picked up the game a while back and to be honest I was mildly disappointed. The table selection was pretty sparse and the ones that got included didn't offer much replay value. There was no unlock or bonus to finishing the "Williams Challenge" mode which also had its issues due to the fact that the game was much too easy. I often would let the last ball or two drain simply because I was tired of playing the same table for very long periods of time and simply wanted to move on. The graphics were decent and the 3D effect was nice especially considering the limitations of the 3DS. Overall I would give the game a 7/10 for having decent pinball action but lacking any replay value or polish. I have gotten much more enjoyment out of PA on my PS Vita than I ever did on the PHoF on the 3DS.

 

[mmmagnetic]

I bought it after really enjoying Zen Pinball. It's quite a shoddy port - way too dark, low resolution (obviously), and weird looking 3D. Couldn't even change the buttons to d-pad and buttons, the way Zen PB played, only shoulder buttons, which I find rather uncomfortable considering how tiny the ones on the 3ds are... sent it back the same day.

I now play TPA for hours on end on my shiny new iPad 3 in glorious hi-res and in vertical orientation, which works like a dream.

However... I just ordered PHOF 3DS again. Why? Because I've fallen in love with pinball so much that I just need these other tables on PHOF that are not yet on TPA. I want Gorgar, Taxi, Black Knight... even if it's just on the tiny 3ds screen.
And ever since I started playing (virtual) pinball I just lost all interest in my other videogames, and I just can't see my 3ds collect dust. And hey, it's more money for Farsight, I just love to support them.

So, in the end it boils down to this: Even on a tiny screen with poor resolution and dark graphics, it's still pinball, which means it blows almost anything else on the system out of the water. And the iPad gets kinda heavy during intense sessions, and I don't really want to take it with me on the toilet, so that's where PBHOF jumps in

 

[Freelance]

I still have no idea how people are finding the game 'too dark.' I have it and I can see everything just fine. Yes it is kinda dark on the first brightness setting but on setting 3 to 5 it looks great to me. I guess I'm the abnormal one here.

At any rate, it's still a great port, just like all the other versions I have of it.

P.S. I think it's weird to hear someone say a pinball game has no replay value. Pinball is all about replay value...

 

[mmmagnetic]

It really is dark though, I don't think this is much of an subjective issue, no offense - I always play the game on brightness 5, and when I switch into the OS it's almost blindingly bright. Back to the game again, and it looks like some in-game contrast setting is messed up. I'm not talking about dark table graphics - everything has very low contrast in the game. Seems something has gone wrong in the porting process.

And I just got to play the PSP Williams collection, which is the exact same game, only with the addition of Firepower, Sorcerer and the, well, rather forgetable Jive Time. The framerate is also significantly better with what seems to me like rock solid 60 frames per second, it has a portrait mode (which makes sense with the symetrical form factor of the PSP, not so much with the 3DS) and the whole presentation is better. Not to mention the PSP has 480x272, compared to the 400x240 of the 3DS. (The smart camera on the PSP is really weird, however, zooming in way too late, works much better on the 3DS)

I will add, though, that the 3D works really well on this sort of game. I find it even better then on Zen Pinball, where it has a slightly uncomfortable "tunnel" effect, in PHOF it's more subtle and more immersive.

I hope TPA 3DS will be a much better port, as I'm still really looking forward to it, mostly for the 3D, which helps me get over things like the low resolution. I just love being able to gaze into the table in 3D from a low angle.

And really, the 3DS can look really good if used well (Kid Icarus Uprising or Resident Evil for example). I hope Farsight are not spreading themselves too thin and rush this port - programming 3D into ports doesn't seem to be a trivial task from what I've seen. I still love my 3DS and am certainly willing to pay again for all the tables if it plays well, has good 3D and, most importantly, a solid, smooth framerate. Zen Pinball could do that, so I hope Farsight can do it too!

 

[Crush3d_Turtle]

I think it's weird to hear someone say a pinball game has no replay value. Pinball is all about replay value...

Indeed it is weird to say that a pinball game has no replay value and that is why I listed it as a negative point about the game. The biggest problem I had was that it was far too easy to the point of being able to put up such massive scores on a single ball that I wouldn't even want to play the other balls because I was already sick of the table. I could even play drain monsters like Pinbot for upwards of an hour without feeling any intensity or threat of losing a ball. Sure that is fun at first, but when you would have to play for hours at a time on a single table (such as Space Shuttle which doesn't have a deep ruleset) to even have a chance at matching your score there is no incentive to play the game. The deepest ruleset in the game would be on Funhouse, but that too suffers from the ability to complete all of the modes nearly every game. I think that the weakness of the hardware in the 3DS was a huge detrimental factor in the selection of the tables for this game. I have got far more replay value out of the 4 tables included in TPA on my PSVita.

 

[xNiCeGuYx]

I've bought it today because I was sick of waiting for the xbox download tables. It has old physics, slightly too dark, but fun to play. Now I can play some of my favorite tables while taking a ****!

 

[mmmagnetic]

Yeah, I keep coming back to this game, I think I´ve never loved and hated a game at the same time as much as this one The PSP version might run much smoother, but man, the textures are just brutally tiny on that version, and the camera isn´t useful at all, much better on PHOF 3DS. And given how much of a rainy, dark summer we´re having here right now, the dark graphics don´t bother me at all anymore.

I just wish you could customize the controls a bit, I like playing with the shoulder buttons, but after a while it feels a bit uncomfortable - I prefer playing with the d-pad and buttons like on Zen pinball, it feels less stressful on my hands somehow.

And it´s fascinating how much fun these slightly older tables are. I like Whirlwind even more than Funhouse, Taxi is pure joy (and looks really, really good with the 3D!), and I keep coming back to Gorgar no matter how frustrating it can be at times, Space Shuttle is nice for quick, easy multiball... the only table I don´t like at all is PinBot for some reason. I just can´t get into it, it´s brutal and somewhat boring at the same time, but who knows, maybe I´ll warm up to it.

I mean, it really shows how compelling these tables can be if it´s still that much fun on such a problematic port

 

[Matt McIrvin]

And it´s fascinating how much fun these slightly older tables are. I like Whirlwind even more than Funhouse, Taxi is pure joy (and looks really, really good with the 3D!), and I keep coming back to Gorgar no matter how frustrating it can be at times, Space Shuttle is nice for quick, easy multiball... the only table I don´t like at all is PinBot for some reason. I just can´t get into it, it´s brutal and somewhat boring at the same time, but who knows, maybe I´ll warm up to it.

For some reason, the PHoF: TWC tables I got the most addicted to were Firepower, Pinbot and Taxi. With Pinbot, the left outlane is murder, and I've heard that the "advance planet" target is harder there than it is on the real machine; but I liked that wide-open target-bashing action and the challenging multiball. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment.

 

[mmmagnetic]

Haha, I know what you mean! I just spent and hour or two on Whirlwind on the 3DS, and in contrast to a lot of tables on TPA I can't afford to relax my concentration for even one second, the physics are simply too unpredictable, especially during multiball. It's incredibly challenging and sometimes feels unfair, but hard games pull me in a lot more, same with MM and the big flipper gap.

It's weird how much things aren't perfect on PHOF 3DS, and yet it's quickly becoming my most played game on my 3DS. I really hope Farsight can work out the ROM emulation on this system, as much as I love the retina graphics and the portrait style on the iPad, having the tables in 3D (despite the laughably low resolution) looks really good.

 

[Supermans]

I can't believe how dark the 3ds game is. It really strains my eyes to play any table. It's as if the developers who ported the game didn't play it at all as any developer should have and would have noticed how dark the game was which was not normal and could have fixed the problem.

 

[mmmagnetic]

Yeah, it's really absurd that something so simple could go so wrong. You'd think somebody would have noticed this the minute they turned the game on... maybe they never tested on the real hardware, which I find hard to believe with the 3D involved.

 

[laughing_lunatic]

the iPad gets kinda heavy during intense sessions, and I don't really want to take it with me on the toilet

Meh, that's about the only time I ever do use my iPad, not for pinball, but puzzle games, crosswords and the like...

I have PHOF on my 3DS and I think it looks and plays just fine, the shoulder buttons mean I have to hold the machine at a kinda funny angle, but after a few minutes, it seems to be less of an issue. I don't think it's a good as [puts on flame suit] the Zen ports in graphics, but it's still a fun distraction.

 

[Crush3d_Turtle]

I finally played this game for the first time in a while and I am amazed at how dark it is. Initially I though it was an issue with the new XL that I got, but this topic shows that other people are finding it this way too. It is a shame that we will probably not see TPA on the 3DS since the 3D is a very nice feature for pinball.

 

[Brian Clark]

According to the latest Pinball Arcade newsletter, a new PHoF is coming to 3DS featuring the non-emulated Pinball Arcade tables from Gottlieb and Williams.