REVISED REVIEW
DEVELOPER: Shine Research
PUBLISHER: Plug In Digital
INTRODUCTION
While I haven't logged much time with this game yet I already have a good grasp of it, so I thought that I'd go ahead and write a review for it, especially as it plays very much like Zombie Pinball from the same Developer and Publisher. I currently own 33 video pinball games on Steam. While most that I've reviewed have received a Thumbs Up from me, not all have managed it. Admittedly I haven't reviewed all 33 that I currently own.
TABLES 6 Tables + 1 endless special table
Borsippa
Exallatur
Uruk
Tuttul
Qattara
Akkad
Special Level
What I didn't understand when I first played this game is that each of the 6 tables is it's own level within' the overall game. Once you meet all of the goals of Borisppa, for example, you then move onto Exallature. Meet all the goals on that table, you then move on to Uruk. And so on.
The Special Level table has you attempting to hit and thus destroy endless waves of (space) invaders. It can be game over for you even if you have balls remaining. So technically it's not endless, unless you're really good playing this table.
The only table unlocked at the beginning is Borsippa. To unlock the next table (I listed them above in the order in which they become available) you must either beat the previous table, or play it 10 times.
MODES Each of the 6 main tables has several mini-mode features:
Big Points
Black Line
Dead Head
Evil Magic
Fog
Hurry Up
Iron Fire
Magic Portal
Miniature
Fog, for example, obscures parts of the playfield with fog, including the flippers. Miniature zooms in so that you can only see one part of the field.
The voice-over artist sounds like the same guy who provided the voice for Zombie Pinball, although in Babylon 2055 Pinball it's far easier to make out what he's saying.
LAUNCHING THE GAME
When you launch Babylon 2055 Pinball you are given the option of either playing it full screen or windowed. Both worked fine for me.
CONTROLS
Keyboard. Default controls are:
LEFT FLIPPERS Left Control (Ctrl on most keyboards)
RIGHT FLIPPERS Right Control (Ctrl on most keyboards)
BALL LAUNCH Space Bar
No apparent controller support, although the control scheme can't be remapped the choices made by the developer are comfortable for me.
HIGHSCORES
There are two HIGHSCORE boards. One Labeled ALL LEVELS, the other SPECIAL LEVELS. These are Local. The game automatically identified me as MARKMSH.
The first time I played ALL LEVELS my score was a decidedly unimpressive 4,939,450. My second game, where I made it to Table 3, Uruk, my score was 145,791,503. Somewhat an improvement I'd say.
CONCLUSION
Although, while I like Zombie Pinball, the bright over-saturated colors make my eyes bleed. That's not the case with this game, for which I'm grateful.
I first came across Zombie Pinball on Android (devices), and I suspect that's the route Babylon 2055 Pinball took, especially as this publisher releases games across multiple platforms. My feeling is that if you like Zombie Pinball, then you will like this one too. If you didn't, then you won't.
