There are many pinball games out there, nearly all of them mediocre. They always have some issue with the physics, and/or try too hard to make them fully 3-D. The most annoying thing with other games, though, is their ways of getting a whole board onto the screen. They often split the board up onto two screens. Full Tilt Pinball has none of these issues. It is cleanly laid out on one screen. It may not be a true 3-D game, but in my opinion, that actually improves the game.
There are only three boards, but they are all executed very well. In addition, no other pinball game I know has such realistic physics. The ball travels smoothly through the level. Rails and ramps are nicely done considering the game has an isometric view. The ball bounces smoothly off the flippers and obstacles, with a good amount of precision and actual variety. Many other pinball games end up in set paths, with only a certain number of realistic ways for the ball to travel, but this doesn't happen with this game.
Full Tilt Pinball's flippers are very responsive, and it is very easy to get the ball to act how you want it to. Rebounds and collisions are smooth; the ball never rebounds in an odd way.
The levels themselves are made up of a very entertaining mission or quest system, in which levels are gained and objectives achieved through hitting targets or passing certain points. The objectives are well designed and add a depth of gameplay that emulates and even goes beyond what you can find in an arcade.
One of the best parts of this game is the sound. Throughout the game, the sounds will keep you entertained, if nothing else. Everything from bumpers to spinners has its own unique sound effect, and voiceovers inform you of many objectives. The controls are effective, if nothing else. They could be better documented, though. Pausing and unpausing the game is a snap, and the high score system works well. I didn’t encounter any glitches whatsoever in the game, making this the smoothest pinball game I have ever played. Many of you will probably recognize one of the levels in the game. Included with every copy of Windows since '95 is a slightly slimmed down level from this game: "Space Cadet." If you've played this level, you know what I'm talking about. The gameplay is smooth and realistic, with great sounds.
If you want a fun game that you can play for a few minutes over and over again, this is the game for you.
