Kabounce
So you heard about the 48 hour period when you could download the game for free but you missed it? Or you’re just now stumbling upon the game because it finally got a steady position as an indie title? Whatever the case, I want to tell you that, even though many got the game for free, Kabounce absolutely deserves your money.
In the past few years I have grown increasingly more interested in Alternative Future Sports Games (AFSGs). Think of games like Rocket League, Laser League, etc. And if there is one thing I’ve noticed during this time, it’s that indie developers don’t realize just how crucial a few things are to creating a stable and healthy competitive atmosphere. I’m happy to say that it seems like Stitch Heads fully understand what they need to maintain a competitive and exciting indie game.
– Real player with 63.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best Pinball Action Games.
Kabounce is a bold hybrid multiplayer Pinball action game in a multiplayer esports team arena format. Now guys, this is what indie games are all about, but unfortunately rare and unique gems like Kabounce are sometimes overlooked by the gaming community. We need to support our indie developers that bring us these new and really unique games! Kabounce has the potential to be a huge rival for competitive multiplayer e-sports games like Rocket League for example.
Sometimes new games manage to generated huge media hype and player anticipation, but turn out to only disappoint most players, off course there could be various reasons for this, but we’re not going into that here. Sometimes new games within popular genres can even feel like just another re-skin of other games, without really reinventing or adding something new to the genre. Most AAA game developers are also not willing to stick their necks out and take the risks associated with developing something really unique and fresh. They usually prefer development of games that stick to a well established genre, a well proven formula or a game within a well established franchise.
– Real player with 49.3 hrs in game
Pinball FX3
FX3 could have been decent enough update even with the addition of the XP/leveling up mechanics to the tables that are required for maximizing your high scores. This was tolerable and even somewhat amusing to do for the first few tables but after playing a few more on top of that the novelty wears off and you quickly realize that the grind just gets in the way of enjoying the pure pinball experience (it isn’t strictly required since there’s a ‘classic mode’ but all the real competition is on the now regular mode, and unfortunately the level up mechanic is still active in this mode as well). The biggest issue with all this XP accumulation and leveling up is that it causes performance issues and random lag that in pinball means missed shots and needless gutter drains that are about the worst thing that can happen in this type of game where one single delayed input could mean the difference between a new high score or not. Multiply that by it happening continuously throughout your play session and its just a recipe for frustration.
– Real player with 532.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Pinball Family Friendly Games.
Pinball FX 3 is a continuation of a great pinball series, that has continued to grow in number of tables as well as improvements in game play and modes. I have played the full Pinball FX series and am not disappointed in how the game has progressed.
Most tables from FX 2 have made the climb into FX 3, with the tables from FX 2 getting somewhat of a overhaul if there were issues with the table, so some of the problems/bugs with tables from FX 2 have been corrected. With 90 tables available, there is a wide selection of fun tables to pick from. There is however a little bit of a glut of Marvel and Star Wars based tables, which isn’t horrible, but I would like to see more new fresh IP tables based on other movies, and non movie connected totally new concepts etc. Also, Zen studios has recently acquired the Williams pinball contract giving them a new base to make tables for. The tables so far have been good, but as an owner of The Pinball Arcade it’s kind of not such a big thing to get the new tables on release.
– Real player with 522.6 hrs in game
Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbols Adventure
Very average. Plays like a poor man’s ‘Arkanoid’ and the story is kind of preachy.
As for this being a PC port from the Playstation game, they could have at least added a ‘exit’ button to the main menu. It was built for Playstation users to quit via the ‘PS Button’. This is a rather annoying oversight.
– Real player with 2.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Pinball Action Games.
A great entry into the brick breaker genre. Controlling up to 4 paddles at once offers a good challenge, especially when combined with increasing ball speeds and a time limit. The main story can be completed in around an hour but there are a lot of alternative play modes which should provide more entertainment afterwards.
A few gripes:
- There is no way to aim the ball (as per a lot of older brick breakers, something solved by newer games like Shatter, Ultra Break etc). This can lead to frustration when going for the last few bricks, especially when combined with a time limit. A way to aim with precision would have been welcome.
– Real player with 1.8 hrs in game
Power Ball 2021
Overview
Power Ball 2021 is here to provide block busting, ball bouncing, gun shooting action for 1 or 2 players.
Play through 50 levels solo or with a friend in local co-op as you enjoy the casual simplicity of this retro inspired gem.
Levels peppered with hidden powerups will quickly change the pace of the action and do their best to distract you from main ball.
Inspired by great bat and ball games of the past
Features
50 Levels of increasing complexity
Multiple powerups
2 Player action (Play against your friend or work together to make it through the entire game)
Guns generate when there is only 1 block left to make that final block a piece of cake
Zaccaria Pinball
I’m a proud owner of the Platinum Edition. As of this review I have all 82*** tables, but they are making and releasing new tables on a regular basis. Zaccaria was an actual pinball machine manufacturer in Italy from 1974-1990. At their peak they were the third largest manufacturer of pinball machines behind leaders Bally and Williams.
Their first efforts were EM (Electro-Mechanical) tables. 12 of those have been released so far (most recently “Topical,” originally manufactured in 1974). An excellent table by-the-way. This was offered as DLC just this month. Naturally Zaccaria transitioned to Solid State tables. There are 27 SS tables released so far. I say ‘so far’ because beginning in 1988 Zaccaria was reorganized and renamed Mr. Game. While only a few Zaccaria tables remain unreleased none of the 6 Mr. Game tables have been added. By-the-way, five tables were released from 1988-90 under the Tecnoplay name. Those remain undigitized as well.
– Real player with 523.8 hrs in game
What a great game. What. A great. Game.
TL;DR; - this game offers something for all pinball lovers, just spend some time to find out which machines you enjoy and pick just them. If you enjoy older machines, stick with the SS and EM machines. If you enjoy 90s flashy machines, check out the remakes. If you enjoy over the top flashy machines - deluxe is for you. Just spend some time with the free download to see what is to your taste, and only pay for the machines you like.
Now,
I own pretty much all the pinball games here on Steam, and I have to say that although I enjoy all the major players' offerings (Pinball Arcade, Pinball FX3, Pro Pinball Ultra) I have to admit that I like Zaccaria just a bit more than the others.
– Real player with 124.7 hrs in game
Peggle Deluxe
Dear Peggle,
We had been friends for quite a long time before i got to know you really well. We grew up together, we played xbox together. It was fun! But when we started to race that’s when things got serious. You have made me laugh, you have made me cry. Sometimes I wanted to punch you in the head, but I could never do that to you, you were always so nice and fair to me. Even after one-hundred (100) HOURS of playing peggle, I have realized that there is nothing else in this life that is more important than this game. Peggle, without you, I am nothing. I am so thankful you came into my life and I hope that we never have to part ways.
– Real player with 228.3 hrs in game
highly recommend. every gamer should play.
EDIT: I have now 100% completed this game, finished a couple of months ago. The story line that goes through the period of time in your life while playing this for the 100% kind of becomes the peggle story line, somehow. I saw myself getting over life hurdles the day after peggle hurdles, not sure how they do that, but when I completed the game, I was suddenly done with school- minus a few ceremonies and tests.
The mechanics of this game are beyond good, the physics simulation lets you make the coolest shots with just basic knowledge of geometry, such as the tangent line approximation formula and implicit differentiation, and makes you feel extremely good when you hit a really good opener that clears half the board in one turn.
– Real player with 192.4 hrs in game
Rolling Arcade
Very simple and clean design compared to One Bit Studio’s previous games. Even though it may seem as a simple game, there is a great challenge can be found here for those who like these kind of arcade games - also, the game supports 2 player setup (or you can play an online game with your buddy through steam invite) which is always nice.
Even tough the game is super cheap, there are hundreds of similar games - even more complex - like this for free, basically. But again, at this price (even with its DLC - yes, there are more levels!), this is no barrier a for those who would like more arcade challenge to spend some time with. Although it is not my type of game, I bought the game to support the developer.
– Real player with 0.7 hrs in game
Let’s get this out of the way, this game if tough as nails, at least until you get the feel of the ball moving thingy. Once you got that, it gets easier, but it can still be challenging. It needs a few easier levels in the beginning, to ease the player into the game.
But it is only a dollar, so if you are into arcade games like this, you can’t really go wrong with it. It has a decent amount of levels and you can buy a DLC with even more levels. It’s a fun game for short sessions.
I also like the simple aesthetics and the music.
– Real player with 0.7 hrs in game