[tab:Review]
Zen Studios has been releasing some very nice tables for the Pinball FX2 platform. The support is outstanding, and the content couldn’t get any better. The newest addition to the platform, Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue, is no exception.
The pack comes in the form of 4 Marvel Comics themed tables with the likes of Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, The X-Men, and Thor. Each comes with its own unique play style and objectives, as well as some flashy visuals and sound effects.
The Thor table is very colorful, and Thor constantly raving about how awesome Asgard is, giving off an epic feel. The table is actually rather easy to learn. You can take on missions by spelling URU by sending the ball up the main center area. Once spelled out, the gate and Rainbow Bridge to Asgard opens up. Shooting the ball up the path will allow you to select a mission. Most consist of Thor taking on a villain and having the player shoot lit up lanes and holes for attacks. By taking on 4 elementals, you can get a nice multiball going. Everything on the Thor table is pretty well laid out and easy to understand.
The X-Men table is my least favorite out of the pack. That’s not to say it’s a bad table; it’s just not too fancy. I like how Magneto’s powers come into play during the game. He will sometimes block the ball, and even stop it and send it flying in a different direction. You will have to unite the X-Men by spelling UNITE by shooting the ramps and sending the ball around the table. After gathering all the X-Men together, you can take on missions and Magneto. I do like the rather easy multiball you can get with Cyclops and Jean. If used properly, you can get an insane bonus.
Moon Knight may not be a very popular Marvel character, but I’m a big fan of his table. He can take on crime, top villains, and even upgrade his gadgets. The table has a nice visual style, as well. The moonlight glow that affects the ball and shines during the Whirlybird multiball is very nice. There’s even a cool first person shooter mini-game you can activate that will rack up a ton of points.
Ghost Rider is, by far, my favorite table in the pack. The table is lit up with red and orange flames that give off the look of the fiery pits of hell. Johnny Blaze can take on multiple missions that range from beating villains to surviving a death race. The skill shot is actually really easy to hit from the launch, and the combos seem to come naturally. One cool feature is the wagering you can do with Lucifer. Lucifer will take the ball and allow you to wager points. Lucifer will then throw the ball at high speed towards the ball out area. If you time your hit just right, you can save it and win the wager. The smaller point wagers will allow for a ball save, but the big one, 5 million points, will result in a ball lost if you miss.
All in all, Vengeance and Virtue is a really solid deal. There are some fantastic tables in the pack that can easily keep you busy for hours. The variety is plentiful, and each table has a unique play style that players will learn to love. The only problem is almost every table has missions where you have to shoot the ball in certain lanes, but other lanes will hinder you. This can become bothersome to unseasoned pinball players. For 800 MS points, you really can’t go wrong with this package. It is well worth the price.
Review copy of the game provided by publisher.
[tab:Screenshots]
[tab:END]
