3D Ultra Thrill Ride Pinball PC Gameplay [HD]

FACEBOOK :   / danielsgamevault   "Ultra Thrill Ride Pinball" by Sierra is a pretty unique concept for a pinball game: it's pretty much an advertisement for the "Hersheypark" theme park in Derry Township, Pennsylvania, which is what the pinball "table" in this game actually replicates. I looked up the names of some of the rides featured in the game and it turns out they're all real rides from Hersheypark. For a pinball game, the graphics are impressive: I'm no game expert, but to me it seems like quite an achievement of programming and 3D photography for the time, as all the rides in the game resemble their original counterparts very well. Another interesting aspect is that you get 3 commentators: a woman and two guys, which is something you don't tend to see in a pinball game, since there is nothing to comment on most of the time ! Here though, it's executed pretty well and I like the idea. Not only do they cheer you on, but also give you instructions on what to do when you unlock certain game modes and bonuses. I always liked to imagine they're a family of 3 visiting the park: the female voice would be the mother, the man with the deeper voice the father and the younger-sounding boy would be their son. This idea came when I clear the "lights out" mode and the father says "Let's wrap it up and go home" and the son replies "But I don't want to go home", followed by the father's reply "Well, why didn't you say so ?" and then the game carries on like normal. The game also has some "mini-games" or "sub-tables" which you activate when your ball enters certain spots or triggers specific elements on the playfield. These take you to different tables where you try to keep the ball in play as much as possible while performing different tasks, like knocking down boulders with the ball to allow rafts to go down "River Rapids" or hitting targets to create a "virtual roller coaster" ride based on the "Lightning Racer" - another ride which actually exists in real life. The soundtracks are also great - you could sell a CD with the OSTs ! There are virtually no flaws I can find in this game, no matter how picky I try to be ! Being more familiar with DOS pinball games than newer ones, it was a bit of a steep curve for me to adapt to its 3D style and gameplay, but once I did, it was an awesome experience, mainly because of the graphics and the high level of realism. It seems Sierra always makes great games: see After Dark Games and The Incredible Machine. Give 3D Ultra Thrill Ride Pinball a shot - it's awesome and you can tell there was a lot of effort put into it ! Two thumbs up from Danny for this title :D