The Best Beginners Tables; The Order of Zen
This is not a list of the easiest tables to get high scores on instead it is a look at the tables which I feel help to bring new players into the rules and mechanics of Silver Ball Bashing. Here Zen Studios have an ace up their sleeve in the allowance of trials for tables. This allows new players the chance to play and enjoy, however many will go for the franchises they like and that can be a serious issue if your favourite character is Iron Man. Jumping on that table with no knowledge of the mechanics of play can be disastrous as it is not the easiest table to build a score on.
So this list compromises the best tables to get you into Pinball in my opinion and hopefully I back each choice up throughout the article. Though if you have any questions, please feel free to drop a message to the email below or the Twitter/Facebook account.
This is not a list of the easiest tables to get high scores on instead it is a look at the tables which I feel help to bring new players into the rules and mechanics of Silver Ball Bashing. Here Zen Studios have an ace up their sleeve in the allowance of trials for tables. This allows new players the chance to play and enjoy, however many will go for the franchises they like and that can be a serious issue if your favourite character is Iron Man. Jumping on that table with no knowledge of the mechanics of play can be disastrous as it is not the easiest table to build a score on.
So this list compromises the best tables to get you into Pinball in my opinion and hopefully I back each choice up throughout the article. Though if you have any questions, please feel free to drop a message to the email below or the Twitter/Facebook account.
So this list compromises the best tables to get you into Pinball in my opinion and hopefully I back each choice up throughout the article. Though if you have any questions, please feel free to drop a message to the email below or the Twitter/Facebook account.
This is not a list of the easiest tables to get high scores on instead it is a look at the tables which I feel help to bring new players into the rules and mechanics of Silver Ball Bashing. Here Zen Studios have an ace up their sleeve in the allowance of trials for tables. This allows new players the chance to play and enjoy, however many will go for the franchises they like and that can be a serious issue if your favourite character is Iron Man. Jumping on that table with no knowledge of the mechanics of play can be disastrous as it is not the easiest table to build a score on.
So this list compromises the best tables to get you into Pinball in my opinion and hopefully I back each choice up throughout the article. Though if you have any questions, please feel free to drop a message to the email below or the Twitter/Facebook account.
Ball 1; The Avengers
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Scoring in Pinball takes on many forms from spinners to combos; each table uses a combination of these to help the player to build a score. The issue sometimes is however learning how to utilise each particular mechanic. Enter The Avengers Table, although you only have one table the use of six balls with differing specialisations helps to make this the ideal starter table.
The best example is the Hawkeye ball that is built around the idea of Skillshots. To get the best out of the archer extraordinaire you have to be able to hit marks on the table. This helps to builds both the idea of seeing the flashing targets but also hitting them. Also the hitting of a skillshot straight off the bat can give you the boost in scoring that fills you confidence for the later section of the table. He also helps the player to build Kickbacks which are literally a way of gaining free balls throughout the game as they eliminate mistakes of the loss variety. |
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Elsewhere we have Thor’s ball which concentrates on hitting a spinner and building Odin force, the Hulk ball is for hitting Bumpers, slings , Captain America which is all about combos and building a ball save, Iron Man’s focus is bonus multipliers and SHIELD and of course Black widow who is more concerned with mission bonus and Quinjet Boosts. Each ball has its purpose on top of the obvious use of playing the game. However this reductionist method for me helps to build the essential skills the player needs. Just be careful not to focus on the ball that you can use to the maximum effect all the time, otherwise you will never improve.
Ball 2; Sorcerer’s Lair
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I’m adding this table as it is the table I received for free and so one of the reasons I got hooked on Zen Pinball in the first place. It is quite a forgiving table with east to hit bumpers and lanes; however the real pull is its more realistic structure. Despite the 3D whooping willowesque animation it could almost be a real table converted into the digital world. Unlike the Mars table however it is not sparse and gives you the taste for what Zen are able to add to the digital world to bring a whole new experience to Pinball play.
There is a challenge on the table but it does allow a multiple million score on the first go for most players so it has the hook and looks vibrant keeping the eyes more than fulfilled throughout your entire time on the table. |
Ball 3; The Clone Wars
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Let’s just face it the Star Wars franchise is a juggernaut and many players will be attracted to the world of Zen by the use of the licence. So for those among you with a desire to experience George Lucas’s vision in Pinball form I give you Star Wars the Clone Wars. This table is a high scoring fest with tonnes of ramps and lanes to hit and rather inventive modes to exploit. It has a few nasty corners that can make you lose a ball faster than the Millennium Flacon but overall it is a high scoring affair that shows off the fun of Pinball as well as the 3D animations that Zen is particularly great at.
The real tipper for this table however is the ease of the modes to understand. Each is we3ll explained and lighted up like a Christmas tree allowing new players to get the idea of each from the outset. This helps build confidence in what you are trying to achieve and makes for a great starter table. |
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The Extra Ball; Super League
A little out of left and not one the purists may truly enjoy but Super League is a great example of bringing Pinball into a different sphere. The teams are little old but the opportunity to buy a selection of teams is a nice touch. You can also just use a team based on the Zen Studios crew if you prefer. The table is designed for the players to score goals and as such has more of a set purpose than simply point’s accumulation. This focus is a great help in what can be a confusing world for the newbie.
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