Marvel Pinball: The Avengers Chronicles Review

This game was reviewed on Xbox 360

Fans of both Marvel Comics and Pinball FX2 will be jumping for fandom joy: The Avengers Chronicles set of tables for the flipper-smacking title have launched and are ready to save the day!  Included are four new tables to enjoy, not only from the recently released movie, The Avengers, but from the general Marvel universe as well.

Our first table is, of course, the one based on the recent silver-screen hit, The Avengers. Players are presented a playing field that resembles the inside of the S.H.I.E.L.D. carrier, using metallic floor pieces, 3D and 2D representations of the superheroes, and the evil Loki standing on a podium near the back-center.  At the beginning of a round, gamers are able to select their own Avenger-themed pinball, one for each member.  Every ball has its own perks to be unlocked by hitting ramps, and skill-shot mini-games are activated by hitting panels on Loki’s platform.  Overall, this table does a great job of capturing the theme established by the movie, and the ability to select a special themed ball lets it stand out greatly from other tables.

Up next is Fear Itself, based around the comic series of the same name, and depicts The Avenger’s battle with the Asgardian fear deity known as the Serpent and his minions, the Worthy.  Readers of the series will notice the art style and theme are immensely accurate to the comics, retaining the same dark atmosphere, earthy colours, and even features the iconic broken halves of Captain America’s shield as lower bumpers.  The key gameplay feature of this table is the battles against the Worthy; once you trigger a skill-shot, you’re given a choice of which Worthy you’d like to face and are given a certain mini-game to complete based on who you chose.   Fear Itself’s more pessimistic appearance and multiple mini-games provide a nice contrast to other tables available in-game.

Moving right along, we have The Infinity Gauntlet, which also borrows its name and theme from another comic series.  Here, the villain Thanos has collected the six Infinity Gems and has crafted them onto a gauntlet, which now gives him control over all the aspects of the multiverse.  These powers are the main theme to the table, as each gem is featured in a skill-shot mini-game, which test not only the player’s skill but his or her mental adaptability as well.  All of the events consist of a mind-bend of sorts, such as flipping the table upside-down and reversing gravity so objects fall upward, or having the flippers point up instead of down, making players hold the button to pull them down and release to flick.  This set of unique mini-games, mixed with the celestial appearance of the table, make The Infinity Gauntlet one of the most creative and impressive tables to hit Pinball FX 2.

Our final table, World War Hulk, is (as you must have guessed) yet again named and themed after its comic book fathers.  In this game, players roll their metal ball across the devastated remains of what was once Manhattan, in an attempt to prevent an enraged Hulk from exacting his revenge for the lost of his wife and unborn child.  Skill-shots here include helping heroes like Iron Man and Doctor Strange fight Hulk head-on, evacuate innocent civilians, and battle super heroes in Hulk’s vicious arena.  While nothing in particular causes this table to stand out, its fast-paced action and slightly smaller size still delivers a frantic and fun experience.

Whether you’re a Marvel fan or are just looking for some extra Pinball FX2 tables (or both in some cases), The Avengers Chronicles is sure to deliver quite the bit of bang for your buck.  Sporting not only fantastic representations of their comic/movie counterparts, but also some of the most imaginative tables to date, this is one set that pinball wizards everywhere are certainly going to love.  So get on your spandex, shine up your shield or weapon, and get ready to assemble!

Final Score 5.0 / 5.0 and one heck of a strong repulsor blast!