Pinball FX2 – Marvel’s Ant-Man

Developer: Zen Studios | Publisher: Microsoft Studios | Release Date: 2015 | Genre: Indie / Adventure / RPG | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

After the first Marvel movie tie-in earlier this year with the Age of Ultron table, Zen Studios are back with another team-up. This time it is the Ant-Man movie that got the pinball table treatment and Zen Studios definitely impressed us with this one. Their artists and designers really did the license justice with this table and it not only looks great, but is also fun to play.

Zoom out to the full-table view mode and you’ll notice that the pint sized pinball table is nestled between a pair of glasses and a microscope on top of a cluttered desk. It is a very nice visual touch and ties in nicely with the Ant-Man character. Speaking of Ant-Man, you’ll find him fully suited up and ready for action on the left side of the table. In the upper right corner you’ll spot Dr. Hank Pym keeping an eye on things while offering advice. Their 3D models are up to the usual high standards set by Zen Studios and Yellowjacket, as well as a flying ant, also makes an appearance during certain modes.

The layout of this table is a lot more open than some of the previous Pinball FX tables. The color scheme is a mixture of red and gray, which matches the costume of the hero. In fact, there’s a large rotating Ant-Man helmet that dominates the left side of the table. Other eye-catching elements on this table include the miniature playing field in the middle, the “Cassie-save” feature on the bottom and a large glowing “Pym particle” near the top. The miniature playing field actually features rotatable slingshots instead of flippers and does not zoom-in for a closer look when accessed. These two factors usually mean that without a lot of practice your trips to this mini-table will be short-lived. The “Cassie-save” also requires a bit of practice to utilize effectively, but once mastered will allow you to minimize drains on the left outlane. One of the coolest features on the table is the Pym particle though, as repeatedly shooting it actually causes it to shrink until it drops down and becomes a second ball. Some features, such as the magna save for the right outlane doesn’t work on the Pym particle though. This means it is a good idea to lock it back in place and switch to a normal pinball when you are down to one ball again.

The table features three flippers and a variety of loops and ramps, but doesn’t feel overly cluttered. Combos can be racked up by consecutively hitting the inner loops, big loops, center ramps, turnaround ramps and right ramp shots. The table also features three different skill shots to master. The missions are easy enough to trigger and offer some interesting challenges. In one, you even have to aim a paintball gun at a shrunken Ant-Man who is moving between the different ramps and loops. The table features two achievements, one for shooting Ant-Man at least five times during the sparring challenge and one for activating the Pym particle multi-ball. Overall, the table is not only a good pinball interpretation of the character and the movie, but also good in its own right. You really don’t have to be a fan of the character, or even have watched the movie to enjoy this table, although it certainly helps.

The audio for this table is very good and apart from suitably heroic sounding music you’ll also hear plenty of quips from Dr. Pym and Ant-Man as well as other characters such as Hope Van Dyne. The voice acting is fairly decent and the actors do a good enough job of imitating the stars from the movie. Thankfully, despite some repetition, the voice acting never becomes as annoying as some of the other tables in the Pinball FX roster either. In addition, the table also features plenty of sound effects and a few of them sound decidedly retro, but still fitting.

The Ant-Man table is well designed and enjoyable enough to keep veterans and newcomers hooked. Both of the outlanes are a bit of a nuisance, but with practice can be avoided. The table also doesn’t feature a lot of color, but still manages to look striking. Whether you are a fan of the movie, comics or simply want to experience an enjoyable pinball table, this one comes highly recommended.