''Zen Pinball'' is a series of

pinball machine Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...

video games developed and published by Zen Studios. It was originally released on

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

as two separate applications, each containing one table; ''Zen Pinball: Rollercoaster'', released July 7, 2008, and ''Zen Pinball: Inferno'', released October 31, 2008. ''Zen Pinball'' for the

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...

features four tables, plus an additional six tables as

downloadable content content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can be added for no extra cost or as a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain ad ...

. It was released on the

PlayStation Network PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...

on May 14, 2009. It is the non-

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

counterpart to the ''

Pinball FX ''Pinball FX'' is a pinball machine video game for the Xbox 360. It was developed by Zen Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released on April 25, 2007 via the Xbox Live Arcade service. The game features three tables, wit ...

'' series on the

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...

, and the first pinball game on the PlayStation 3. The game was also released on Android devices as ''Zen Pinball THD'' on December 1, 2011, and the Nintendo 3DS as ''Zen Pinball 3D'' via the

Nintendo eShop The is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served ...

on December 1, 2011 in Europe and January 12, 2012 in North America. The game was well received by critics with an average score of 80.12% at

GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...

and 80/100 at

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

. It was the top selling PlayStation Network title in May 2009, was a top 10 seller in June 2009, and was the top selling title again in September 2010. Critics were impressed by the physics in the game, and also gave high marks in regards to the game's visuals. Some reviewers felt that four tables was too little for the game, and seven additional tables were later released for ''Zen Pinball'' via downloadable content. The first game is currently delisted from PSN like ''

'', with all content being imported to the sequel.

Gameplay

''Zen Pinball'' utilizes the same basic rules as a physical

pinball Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...

machine, albeit in a virtual environment. As with a traditional pinball machine, the player fires a steel ball onto the playfield using a plunger. Once the ball is in play, the player controls the flippers and can nudge the machine to influence the path of the ball. Each of the game's tables become more complex as the game advances, opening new paths and opportunities. In addition to traditional attempts to reach a high score, the game has specific missions tasked to the player. Both

local Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

and

online multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

are supported, along with leaderboards and tournament competitions. Players will be able to activate a slow motion feature and can save game progress mid-game.

Tables

At the time of release, the game featured four tables. Seven more tables would later be released as downloadable content. The first table, ''

Street Fighter II is a 1991 fighting game developed and published by Capcom for arcade game, arcades. It is the second installment in the ''Street Fighter'' series and the sequel to 1987's ''Street Fighter (video game), Street Fighter''. Designed by Yoshiki O ...

'' Tribute, was released August 20, 2009, and features characters and sounds from the ''

Street Fighter is a Media mix, Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. Street Fighter 1, The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by List of Street Fighter video games, six other ma ...

'' franchise. The '' Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2'' Tribute table was released on January 14, 2010, and features a setting based on ''Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2''. The third table, Earth Defense, was released on March 25, 2010 and features a 1950s

sci-fi Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

theme.

Excalibur Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...

, the fourth table, features a medieval theme focused around

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

and his

Knights of the Round Table The Knights of the Round Table (, , ) are the legendary knights of the fellowship of King Arthur that first appeared in the Matter of Britain literature in the mid-12th century. The Knights are a chivalric order dedicated to ensuring the peace ...

. It was released on April 15, 2010. The fifth table,

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

, was released on July 21, 2010 in Europe and July 27, 2010 in the US. The sixth table, Paranormal was released October 19, 2010. The seventh table, Sorcerer's Lair, was released in April, 2011. Downloadable content
Also available on ''Zen Pinball 3D'', the 3DS version of the game.
Also available as DLC for ''Pinball FX''

Development and marketing

''Zen Pinball: Rollercoaster'' and ''Zen Pinball: Inferno'' were the first games of the Zen Pinball series, and were exclusive to the

platform. Each game contains one table related to its title. ''Zen Pinball: Rollercoaster'' was released on July 7, 2008, while ''Zen Pinball: Inferno'' was released on October 31, 2008. The

version, known simply as ''Zen Pinball'' was announced on April 15, 2009 and was released almost one month later on May 14, 2009, making the first pinball game on the PlayStation 3. The release is also available as a demo version with features the El Dorado table. Between August 4, 2010 and September 2, 2010, ''Zen Pinball'' was released as a free download to

PlayStation Plus PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...

subscribers. The game was also announced for Android devices, marketed as ''Zen Pinball THD'' and the Nintendo 3DS as ''Zen Pinball 3D'' via the

Reception

''Zen Pinball'' was well received by critics. It currently averages 80.12% at

and 80/100 at

. It was the top selling PlayStation Network title in May 2009, as well as September 2010. It was also a top 10 seller for the month of June 2009. In a preview of the game,

Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...

's Michael McWhertor noted that the game's predecessors may have had impact on the game. "Thanks to '' Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection'', ''Zen Pinball'' looks very purchasable" he stated. Critics generally gave high remarks to the game's physics system. Brett Todd of

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

called the physics "superb" and "first-rate" and added "the ball rolls, spins, and bounces like it has real weight."

Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. Histor ...

's Brad Nicholson praised the game's "lifelike pinball physics and ..multiplayer options." Daemon Hatfield of

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

stated that although no virtual table could perfectly replicate gameplay on a real table, he stated that "''Zen Pinball'' makes up for that with new features that you don't get with the real thing." The graphics were also praised by reviewers. GameZone's reviewer called the visuals "beautiful" and stated "the pinball machines are very sharp and crisp, and are the absolute closest you can get to playing pinball without actually being at a pinball machine." IGN's Daemon Hatfield agreed. He felt that the individual tables were well detailed and added praise for the dynamic camera angles show during gameplay. Brad Nicholson of Destructoid also gave high marks for table design and visuals. He stated ''Zen Pinball'' is "a sweet little title that captures the recognizable Pinball look." The pinball tables in ''Zen Pinball'' received mixed commentary from critics. Some reviewers felt that four tables was too little to be shipped in the game. ''

GamePro ''GamePro'' was an American multiplatform video game magazine media company that published online and print content covering the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software. The magazine featured content on various video ...

''s Sean Ely stated "just four tables might seem bare at first" but added that he had "much hope for some DLC in the near future." Destructoid's Brad Nicholson also agreed, stating "With only four tables, all of which can be accessed from the very beginning, Zen Pinball feels a little light on variety." Six additional tables were later released as downloadable content. Nicholson, however, went on to praise solid table design and functionality. Daemon Hatfield of IGN echoed these comments and said the game's tables "are all fun to play, look great, and are hiding all sorts of secrets you'll need to discover if you're going to rack up a high score."

References

External links