Star Wars Pinball: Heroes Within
Overview -
When it comes to pinball, Zen Studios continues to carry the torch in a manner that means new, inventive, pinball tables on a variety of platforms, including the Sony trio of PS4, PS3, and PS Vita. In addition to the many tables solely available in 'Zen Pinball 2,' there is a subset of six 'Star Wars Pinball' tables, to which, Zen has added 'Star Wars Pinball: Heroes Within.' With everything currently going on with the 'Star Wars' license, it seems that these four tables have been positioned as the epic finale for the 'Star Wars Pinball' series
Video Review
These tables are just amazing as every nook and cranny is packed with little touches. (The aforementioned quality drop in the 'Masters of the Force' table being the exception.) Furthermore, comparing the nice looking Vita version with the PS4 can feel like night and day. The extra geometry and texture resolution on the PS4 really help to present all of those details, and the animations take a similar step up. The Vita version tends to have some unpredictable load times.
Vita Han Solo:
Though the game has an array camera view options, it's always View 3 for me, which essentially is the most zoomed camera. It not only allows for my best focus, but also reveals the greatest amount of detail.
Audio Review
The audio isn't as much of a slam dunk as I would like. As a pinball game there is an understandable amount of repetition in the audio, and that means that some of the weaker voice actors, like with Yoda, hurt the presentation. Still, both the pinball sounds, and classic 'Star Wars' sound FX and soundtrack are exactly as most would expect, excellent.
Vita Droids:
Final Thoughts
Though these are not the first 'Star Wars Pinball' tables from Zen Studios, they may be the last. That's a shame as these tables feature some of the studio's best work and are recommend for both casual 'Star Wars' fans and those though that sometimes get the urge to play pinball. These tables play great on the Vita, as even the weaker entry 'Masters of the Force' has some fun design elements, and on the PS4, 'Star Wars Pinball: Heroes Within' reaches its zenith.