Crave really did try here. They did! And to be honest, they pulled off a perfectly admirable job. This game is made with care and dedication and is far more than a thrown together nostalgia cash in. From the simulated glass glare to the realistic background din of the arcade, all the extras are here in a reasonable sheen of developer polish. The goal of this game is a great idea, too. Reproducing actual tables for home consoles is something that I myself have never seen before this title, and it seems a great way to celebrate pinball's history and bring gamers into a different or perhaps reminiscent experience. Of particular merit is the choice to include such a diverse array of tables. Machines from every era (excluding the very recent) are present here. BUT- and you knew that was coming- Pinball Hall of Fame falls into the very basic and fundamental error of all pinball video games: pinball just isn't any fun with a controller! The very core of pinball and its appeal is the kinetic and physical activity of the real table, that of gamer vs. gravity. Despite the myriad attempts throughout the years- some better than others- a perfectly "valid" pinball video game has yet to be made. Metroid Prime Pinball comes closest, with it's creative worlds and modes, and the Space Cadet pinball that came with your copy of Windows is entertaining in its own quirky way, but to truly replicate the feel and experience of pinball has proven to be a futile effort. Crave's Pinball Hall of Fame is an admirable effort in its obvious love of its subject, but when the novelty wears off, which doesn't take long, all the gamer is left with is a nice little history lesson in the form of bad gameplay. Nice try, though.
I wrote that review for the GameFly user reviews section. I just started a membership with GameFly. We'll see how that goes.
