Game Info --------------------------------------------------- Developer: Digital Illusions Publisher: 21st Century Entertainment Year of Release: 1992 Game Review & Impressions --------------------------------------------------- We finally come to a genre and series of games which, until now, I have avoided covering on this channel. The luck, randomness and overall open-endedness inherent in pinball means it's quite difficult to determine when the mandate of a longplay -- a showcase of as much of a game's content as reasonably possible -- is fulfilled. For the purposes of this video, I set myself the task of simply achieving as high a score as possible within a single credit, trying to hit as many of the bonus zones, ramps and general features as possible. I might not have covered the minutiae of each table, but I'm pretty happy with the overall result and I hope those watching enjoy the video. But it would be remiss of me not to talk about the game itself, for it really is one of THE quintessential games on the Amiga, not to mention formidable pinball simulation. This is the game upon which DICE, or Digital Illusions as the studio was known as at the time, built its fortunes and achieved mainstream success. Pinball games for home computers and games consoles were nothing new by this point, with Bill Budge's Pinball Construction Set being one of the earliest and most successful examples, but thanks to the graphical and audio capabilities of the Amiga, not to mention some very robust ball physics, Pinball Dreams was really the first example of a pinball game which could recreate the excitement of an actual mechanical pinball table to any serious degree. In terms of features, the game includes four tables to choose from, each with a unique design and feature set. The complexity of the table layouts, particularly Beat Box and Nightmare, is impressive for the time, boasting multiple score bumpers, ramps and ball traps that trigger various score event, timed jackpots and other events. Up to eight players can compete against each other in competition to register the highest possible score, leading to some impressively fraught and sweaty gaming sessions. Instead of trying to cram the entire table into the restricted viewport available on a 4:3 display, the tables are rendered two full screens high, scrolling vertically whenever the ball reaches the edge of the viewable play area. One of the reasons why the game is such a success is the way the camera tracks the ball, making sure it's always visible to the player, adjusting the scroll speed in line with the ball's velocity. Although the physics and mechanical aspects of Pinball Dreams are both undeniable contributors to the game's success, so do is the overall aesthetic, level of polish and attention to detail. The artwork of the tables and general presentation is extremely impressive, even down to the scoreboard, designed to replicate the classic digital clock style display, complete with authentic font and orange glow. The matrix-style LED displays in Pinball Fantasies and subsequent sequels would be even more impressive, bringing full animation and mini-games to the display, the attention to detail goes some way to delivering an authentic pinball experience. Finally, we have to talk about the music and sound effects. Each table features a main tune which plays plays throughout the course of the play session, but this is constantly interrupted by a plethora of interstitial tunes, jingles and spot effects whenever the ball triggers a bonus or traverses a ramp. Impressively, the main table theme resumes play from almost the same point at which it was interrupted, which was a pretty clever feature for its time. Olof Gustafsson should really be commended for creating such an integral part to the game's overall success, certainly one which raised the bar for subsequent pinball titles, not to mention games in general. When it comes to criticisms, there's really very little I can think of. The table layout and physics often result in the ball flying to oblivion down the side gutters perhaps a little too often, and the game fails to include multi-ball or additional flippers in other areas of the table. Although these do show up in Pinball Fantasies and later sequels, I guess these features were beyond what DICE could reasonably deliver at the time and, to be honest, the action is sufficiently fast-paced and involved that I really don't think most players even notice their absence. Overall, Pinball Dreams remains, in my opinion, one of the greatest Amiga games of all time. Yes, Pinball Fantasies is an even more impressive sequel, but Pinball Dreams remains a thoroughly excellent 2D pinball game, one that's still great fun to play. Chapters --------------------------------------------------- 0:00:00 Intro credits & main menu 0:01:52 Table 1: Ignition 0:24:40 Table 2: Steel Wheel 0:42:50 Table 3: Beat-Box 1:07:30 Table 4: Nightmare
