From: jadorety@eos.ncsu.edu (JAMES ALLEN DORETY)
Subject: Reformed lynxist (Pinball Jam)
Originator: jadorety@c00067-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jadorety@eos.ncsu.edu (JAMES ALLEN DORETY)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 18:17:30 GMT


I've had my lynx for a while now, but hadn't played it much.  I had Klax and
Bill & Ted, and while they were good games, they didn't impress me.  I was
disheartened, because growing up with atari games, I expected to be thrilled.

I decided to give my lynx one more chance when I heard about Pinball Jam.

Klax was good, but it isn't the type of game you go home to and say "Hmm. Think
I'll play some Klax."  I'ts more like Solitare:  You play it when there is 
nothing else to do in the car.

Pinball Jam rocks.  The best way to compare it would be to Pinbot for Nintendo,
which I think is the standard.  Pinbot was the first realistic version of an
actuall Pin that played like the pin.  I remember being blown away by it a few
years ago, even though I didn't like the real pin that much.

Visually, PJ wins.  Since the developers trashed shading effects and
concentrated on playability,  the playfield is uncluttered (well, as uncluttered
as you could get considering the complexity of the 2 pins it has).  Scrolling
is super.  I was afraid that the small screen would make this game to difficult
but atari really managed to find the best scale to get good graphics and still
give you a large view of the table.  Pinbot is at times cluttered and confusing.

The Sounds take you right to the arcade.  Better than nintendo...

The playablilty is what pushes this game over the top for me.  First, Elvira by
itself would be enough.  The pin is simply more interesting than Pinbot or its
sequel High Speed.  Add Police force and you get the picture: Variety.  These
pins don't get boring or routine, as there are several ways to score on them.
Atari also managed to keep the "random" feel of real pinball Pinbot missed.
Taking 2 shots from the right flipper and hitting the same point twice doesn't
have the same effect on where the ball goes.  The game is consistant, but still
retains this effect. Pinbot suffered from patterns the ball would travel in
certain cases.  Add to that the intensionally unrealistic things: the pinball
eater and such that atari leaves out of PJ.  Pinbot feels like a video game. 
Pinball Jam feels like pinball.  Thats the highest compliment I can pay it since
is the only video pinball I've ever played that deserved it.

The reason I wrote all of this about a game Robert reviewed a while ago is that
he somehow misses some things in his reviews.  I appreciate them and hope he
continues to do them, but another point of view can be helpfull.  I'm lucky to
buy a game every 3-4 months, like many of you.  Robert can call games good that
keep his attention only 2-3 weeks because he has others to play, and he can come
back to the good ones (like Klax) that don't hold his attention long.  People
like myself want to hear about the games that are worth $37.  I had given up
on finding such a game, but it appears I gave up too soon.  I'm reformed, and
I'm saving for Xybots now.  Thanks to Robert and all who write reviews, but keep
the "little" people like me in mind.  We can't afford the good games, we want
the great ones that you keep coming back to. In short I suggest a new catagory:
Long term playability, for those of us who need a game to last a month or two 
before it wears thin.

Jim Dorety (jadorety@eos.ncsu.edu)

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Dorety -----------> jadorety@eos.ncsu.edu
AKA ------------------> Gnor - Evil God of Sex and Excess...
Newsgroups: rec.games.video