Avatar Pinball is a time-munching title that chews up your minutes instead of your quarters. Joining a handful of other Xbox LIVE Indie Game entries that put your XBL Avatar in the spotlight, the ladron/NoStatic-developed diversion spices up the lone pinball table with a variety of modes of play. With these tweaks on gameplay, you’ll be able to participate in traditional pinball…or take advantage of the ragdoll physics and launch Avatars all over the board!
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Though the pinball table only has room for one player, the 3D visuals and tropical island theme aim to take your mind off of such trivial matter. If three-dimensional pinball in a temperate locale doesn’t tug at your MS Points, maybe a little mode potpourri will do the trick. Old Skool mode is open for traditionalists, or at least those who are a little squeamish at the thought of flailing digital people hurtling through a giant gaming machine. For the more sadistic, the other four modes of play will make you cackle with glee.
Sock Puppet Pinball mode replaces the metal sphere with a sock monkey, while other modes like Be The Ball! and Avatar Classic toss Avatars around for the sake of a high score. While playing as the ball, control of both flippers and the Avatar is in your hands. Pulling each trigger will cause the respective flipper to jump, while the analog stick will directly manipulate the Avatar. While control of your digital self doesn’t have any significant effect on gameplay, it’s a neat addition to the game.
A lone pinball table may seem boring after awhile, and most of the game modes are essentially reskins of a classic arcade staple. Though the slow camera doesn’t necessarily inhibit gameplay, it can be mildly annoying as it sluggishly adjusts to the ball’s location. At 80 :MSPoints:, however, you get a fun yet basic game that features Avatar cameos. If you don’t mind sacrificing a little variety for a tried-and-true throwback game with a new face, Avatar Pinball should be right up your alley.
You can find more information on Avatar Pinball on the Marketplace.
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