The creators of Zen Pinball have really nailed the format, bringing some
awesome tables to mobile devices and consoles over the past couple of
years. Their latest triumph is South Park Pinball, a hilarious throwback
to decidedly different days of yesteryear, rife with everything that
makes South Park memorable. Oh, and the new tables can be played as
standalones as well!
The Good
If
you're a South Park fan you'll find plenty to love about Zen's selction
of tables, with situations ripped straight out of the show that you'll
no doubt enjoy. You'll try to keep Stan from barfing whenever Wendy's
around, visit Chef, and even kill Kenny. What's a South Park game if you
don't kill Kenny at some point? There are plentiful references to the
game's colorful humor and it shows in so many ways.
Butters even
gets his own table, with several different modes of play that involve
the bizarre little boy and his several different fantasies. No matter
which table you choose, there's fast, frenetic action for everyone, and
addictive bonuses to seek out with them.
The Bad
In a bid to
undoubtedly ensure these tables would be appropriate for everyone, it's
obvious the normally cutting-edge humor was toned down considerably.
Longtime fans will no doubt notice this immediately, as some of the
jokes have lost their edge in translation. Additionally, the fact that
there are only two tables does mean a little less variety, especially
when there's such a large universe to work within here.
The Verdict
Zen
Studios has done it again with another well-crafted, loving tribute to
the property it draws from in order to make a solid pinball game. If you
enjoy South Park or even pinball in general, these are an awesome
couple of tables you'll undoubtedly want to spend plenty of time with.