I don't see Tina, the best character

Joining Family Guy in Zen's "Balls of Glory" Pinball Pack is the vastly superior Bob's Burgers. The table i??s set up on the street outside the titular restaurant, with It's Your Funeral Home & Crematorium next door and Jimmy Pesto's across the way.

The whole family is here in some slick cel shading; Bob is manning the grill near the mustard-themed plunger, Linda is set up near a fire extinguisher toward the back, Gene is advertising in his burger costume out front, Louise is standing around across the street, and Tina... wait, wher?e's Tina? Don't tell me they left out my favorite character! We can hear her near the end of the trailer, so maybe she has a role on the table not shown in the promotional material.

No specific release information is given past that this table is "coming" to Zen's titles, spanning basically all relevant platforms. The Family Guy table was slated for "fall," so? if this is rele?asing along with it, we can expect it soon.

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Now you're plinking with portals

The teaser is less than a week old, and now we have some more details on the collaboration between Zen Studios (best known for its pinball games) and Valve (best known for not developing Half-Life 3). It's not the excellent play on words Xen Pinball. The project is the Aperture Science Heuristic Portal Pinball Device, or just Portal Pinball for short.

There are a bunch of neat uses of the Portal license on this table. Chell and Wheatley navigate the facility, GLaDOS makes an appearance, and the multiball summons co-op partners ATLAS and P-Body. The flippers and bumpers all sport the glowy blue/orange portal colors. Surprisingly, none of the screens so far show any areas where the ball itself can pass through portals. I sincerely hope that mechanic makes it in; it would be a shame to include so much from the Portal franchise without using the central ide?a that made it so amaz?ing back in 2007.

The Portal table will be available on May 25 as an add-on for Pinball FX2 and Zen Pinball 2. It will cost $2.99 on PC and consoles, an?d only $1.99 on mobile platforms.

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Around every flipper

Zen Studios has been quite busy the past few years expanding its line of pinball tables; most of which have been in the form of licensed Marvel and Star Wars tables. There have been videogame-themed tables in the past -- such as Ms. Splosion Man and Plants vs. Zombies ??-- but it's been quite awhile since Zen has stepped outside of those colossal franchis??es.

It was slightly surprising when Telltale Games and Skybound Entertainment announced a partnership with Zen to create a table based on The Walking Dead: Season One, but welcome all the same. After spending some time with the table, it's everything I could?? have hoped for.

The Walking Dead Pinball (Google Play, iOS, Mac, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 [reviewed], PlayStation Vita [reviewed], Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Developer: Zen Studios
Publisher: Zen Studios
Released: August 26, 2014 (PSN) / August 27, 2014 (PC, Xbox 360) / August 28, 2014 (Amazon, Google Play, iOS, Wii U, Xbox One)
MSRP: $2.99 (Mac, PC, PSN, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One) / $1.99 (Android, iOS)

At this point, there's a few things one can expect from a Zen Studios table: phenomenal table design, art, and? elements that separate it from any other table. To keep this short, that's all here. The table looks incredible and uses the same models with the same comic book cel-shading found in the game. Voice acting sounds particularly great here as Zen was uncharacteristically able to use the original voice clips. The soundtrack also sounds stellar, with a collection of atmospheric tracks playing throughout that sound like they were pulled straight from the game.

The Walking Dead Pinball is unquestionably a pinball table, but outside of where the ball is actually in play there are no walls giving the indication of playing a virtual pinball table. Instead, the field of play is set on a landscape of all the most memorable set pieces from each of the five episodes contained in The Walking Dead: Season One. Ar?ound the table, you will see scale representations of Clementine's house, St. John's barn, the Motel camp, a block of buildings from Savannah, and the train. On the table is the bell tower, boat, Everett's Pharmacy, and Lee interacting with Clementine. This is by far the most packed table to date.

Visually the table packs in every detail from Season One, but the missions do as well. Obviously the main missions are split between each of the five episodes, but how these play out is slightly different than the norm. While what is done to complete each mission is always the same, after selecting one to play the player has to immediately make a split-second dec??ision pulled straight from the episode. Every time that same mission is selected, a different choice is presented. I don't think this adds up to anything in the end, but it's a re?ally cool way to present the same mechanic on a pinball table.

Of course, no Walking Dead tie-in would be complete without zombies. Zen Studios sure does??n't let you forget they're there, either. Numerous zombies stumble around all the background sets, block the mission hole, are prominent all over the table art, and appear for some of the missions.

Speaking of the missions, they're as fun as they are interesting. Worth mentioning here are the sniper and defend-against-a-horde missions (which isn't to say I don't like the other missions). The sniper mission is similar to stuff that has been done in some of the Star Wars tables (a shooting gallery mini-game off-table), and the horde is similar to a mission in the Plants vs. Zombies table? (hit the zombies that appear before they get too close). They were fun then, and still a??re within the context of this new table.

Everything we loved about The Walking Dead is presented again through a pinball table, and, with pinball and Walking Dead being two of my favorite things, it's a dream come true for me that something like this even exists. But even if you only like one or the other, The Walking Dead Pinball is still definitely worth your time and money, as it's an incredi??ble addition to an already phenomenal lineup of pinball tables that delivers with every new entry.

Here's hoping we have future tables based on 400 Days and/or Season Two to look forward to.

The post The ??Walking Dead Pinball is just as good a??s I had hoped appeared first on Destructoid.

Including Guardians of the Galaxy

The Wii U version of Zen Pinball is going to catch up to its predecessors soon, as Zen Studios has just confirmed an update scheduled for August 28th. On that date Zen Pinball 2 will get Guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool, Doctor Strange, and The Walking Dead tables.

Each table will run you $2.99. Be sure to check out the Guardians table in particular, as our own Brett Zielder says it's probably the best one yet. I'm glad that at least a few thir??d party companies are being diligent about bringing upda?tes and DLC to the Wii U.

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Marvel and pinball, together again

Heh. There's a mini Deadpool p??inball table in this Deadpool pinball table. That's fun.

Quick-time events, even if they're suppos??ed to be a joke? Less fun. But I like that Zen Studios is giving Deadpool a table all his own -- it's coming next week to all of the usual platforms:

• Pinball FX2 for Xbox 360 and Steam: June 25
• Zen Pinball 2 for PS3, PS4, and PS Vita: June 24 in North America, June 25 in Europe.
• Zen Pinball 2 for Mac: June 25
• Zen Pinball / Marvel Pinball for Android, iOS, and Amazon: June 26

Exp?ect the fourth wall to be broken. Again?? and again.

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Kill zombies using only your balls

Not only is Telltale's Walking Dead series coming to Zen Pinball 2, it's shambling. Or staggering. Or one of the hundreds of zombie-related puns I thought about using for the headline before deciding to play it straight. But regardless of how it arrives, it's going to be coming to Zen Pinball 2 as yet another brilliant alternative to straight pinball. And if this trailer is any indication, it's go??ing to be pretty fun.

The pinball table stays true to the original Telltale adventure game, which branching choices that span the first five episodes of season 1, original dialogue, and scenarios that force you to choose who lives or dies. What's more, this is a collaboration with Robert Kirkman, so you know it's g??oing to deliver.

The Walking Dead pinball table will be shown at E3 next week, but will be up for grabs as a digital download this summer across PC, consoles, and mobile devices. Now we just need The Wolf Among Us to be graced with a pinball adaptation. ?Can you imagine? We'd ask, but I imagine Telltale would respond with "These lips are sealed."

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That PS4 sure plays a mean pinball

You've no doubt run into at least one of Zen Studios' pinball platforms by now, appearing on virtually every current device out there that can play games (the only exception being Xbox One as of right now). They hit it big over the years with numerous licensed and original tables such as Star Wars, Marvel, Plants vs. Zombies, Ninja Gaiden, and Street Fighter, with many more surely on their way for 2014.

After landing on the Wii U last year, the PlayStation 4 is the next current-gen system to get the pinball treatment from Zen Studios in the form of Zen Pinball 2. Those who have checked out any past incarnation know what to expect, but newcomers are definitely in for a treat should they jump in -??- which they absolutely should.

Zen Pinball 2 (PlayStation 3, PS Vita, PlayStation 4 [reviewed], Wii U)
Developer: Zen Studios
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment, Zen Studios
Released: September 4 2012 (PS3/Vita) / March 21 2013 (Wii U) / December 24, 2013 (PS4)
MSRP: Free (Sorcerer's Lair table included, other tables are various additional prices)

As usual, Zen Pinball 2 is a free platform that offers a "try before you buy" model for each table, and an import process for players who own any tables from PlayStation 3 and/or PlayStation Vita's Zen Pinball 2. Whereas on PS3/Vita this was a simple Cross-Buy purchase, on the PlayStation 4 this has to be done thro??ugh an import button on the game's main menu.

Since this entry is not technically a Cross-Buy title, the import process does not work backwards from the PlayStation 4 version to any other system, so a player with multiple systems who would li??ke the most bang from their buck would do well to remember this. It's clear the import system was not the easy solution, so the effort Zen Studios went through to make sure players would not have to re-purchase anything is definitely appreciated.

PS4's Zen Pinball 2 does not currently offer the entire back catalog of tables. Instead, it has Star Wars Pinball, Star Wars: Balance of the Force, Marvel Pinball, Avengers Chronicles, Plants vs. Zombies, Epic Quest, Paranormal, Earth Defense, and Sorcerer's Lair in starting line-up. This collection includes arguably the best tables Zen has put together so far and will no doubt give players plent?y of pinball action to digest while the rest of the library -- and new tables, of course -- will inevitably make? their way to the platform in the coming months. 

The game runs in 1080p at a blazing 60 FPS, and looks stunning in motion. There doesn't appear to be any noticeable visual edge here, but there didn't need to be. Zen Studios' tables are consistently colorful, vibrant, and have always had an unmatched visual presentation. It l??ooked stellar before, and still does in this outing. Ball physics also appear to be untouched; which is also great as they were perfect the way they were.

Zen Pinball is not a simulation of the real pi??nball experience, but rather what I colloquially refer to as cinematic pinball. Objects and characters will move around the table a?nd directly influence the ball, with the camera sometimes moving to set pieces that do not exist on the table itself. These are pinball tables that can only exist in a videogame, and that's what makes them -- and this game -- so special.

Controls are standard fare, with things like the DualShock 4's TouchPad not being used for any radical control option. Of course, this is just fine as it wouldn't make any sense and would more than likely end up fe?eling imprecise; detrimental to something like a pinball videogame. L1/R1 (or L2/R2) control the left and right bumpers respectively, and the left ??analog stick handles nudging (don't tilt!). The controls are simple, but there's a sense of even more control now with the fantastic DualShock 4 feeling much more tight and precise than the DualShock 3.

Leaderboards, personal statistics, the in-game trophy system, multiplayer, and an operator's menu are all here, and create a wide r??ange of incentives to continually return to the game o?utside of simply wanting to impulsively best personal high scores.

Zen Studios were undoubtedly the digital pinball kings last-gen, and are already well on their way to claim the same title on current-gen. PS3/PS Vita players, other platform players, and complete newcomers alike all have no reason to miss Zen Pinball 2 on the PS4. There's no added benefit to this versi?on; just the same game with the same tables we've come to adore, but that doesn't stop it from being a game absolutely everyone should p??lay.

Zen Pinball is a must-have anywhere you can grab it, and Zen Pinball 2 specifically on PlayStation 4 is ?equally just as des?irable -- if not more-so.

The post Review: Zen Pinball 2 (PS4) appeared first on Destructoid.

Select PS3 tables can be imported

Zen Studios is bringing Zen Pinball 2 to PlayStation 4 on December 17 in North America and Dec. 18 in Europe. If you've already bought into the platform on PS3, you'll be able to import a number of tables for this new version. Otherwise, tables will go for $2.99 a piece, or $9.99 when compiled in a table pack. Here's t??he list of PS4 content planned for launch:

• Star Wars Pinball
• Star Wars Pinball: Balance of the Force
• Marvel Pinball
• Marvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles
• Plants vs. Zombies Pinball
• Epic Quest
• Paranormal
• Earth Defense

There's also the upcoming Marvel's Doctor Strange, which will be ready in time for Zen Pinball 2's PS4 debut, and the Sorcerer's Lair table, a free download for all players. As much as I'd also like to see ??wholly new titles on a new console, games are games and it's especially nice to have an upgrade? program like this in place.

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Zen Studios announced this morning that Zen Pinball 2 will launch on the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 and Vit?a on September 4. And, if you happen to have both platforms, you can enjoy the game on both for no additional charge. Gotta love that. 

In related news, Zen Studios is also teasing a new table based on one of PopCap Games' most popular titles. This mystery table will accompany the release of Zen Pinball 2 as DLC. It seems that they plan to reveal the full details of this table later this month at PAX Prime, where it will be playable at their booth. Zuma?

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After being pushed back a tiny bit, the Avengers Chronicles expansion is finally headed to Marvel Pinball and Pinball FX2 on June 19th and 20th, respectively. As always, it'll be 800 Microsoft points ($9.99). In it, you'll find the "Avengers", "Infinity Gauntlet", "Fear Itself"?, and "World War Hulk" tables. Above, you ??can watch the newly released trailer for "Infinity Gauntlet", which truly is as fun to play as it looks.

It's great to see Thanos getting so much attention lately, as he's one of the coolest villains ever. His table will also have 139 lines of dialogue, so it will be the most story-driven pinball t??able Zen Studios has put together. I recently had the pleasure of checking out "Infinity Gauntlet" and "Fear Itself" at E3, so you can look forward to my impressions sometime tomorrow. Spo??iler: they were amazing.

The post Marve?l Pinball: Avengers Chronicles has a release date appeared first on Destructoid.

While Zen Studios continues to pump out more pinball tables for its games, the developer will also work on Zen Pinball 2, a free upgrade to Marvel Pinball and Zen Pinball that's comin??g to PlayStation 3 and P?layStation Vita this spring.

The new product, which can be thought of more as a platform than anything else, will be releasing alongside Marvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles and offer access to 26 different tables at launch. If you own one of the aforementioned games, you'll receive an update that will transfer your purchases into Zen Pinball 2.

By doing so, tables will get up??dated physics, expanded Trophies, and social functionality with support for Facebook. Did I mention that you only have to pay for content once to get it on both PS3 and Vita? And that these versions have shared ??global leaderboards, friend challenges, and tournaments? Oh, it's on.

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