The Multiballs of Guardians of the  Galaxy; The Order of Zen

By Paul Fiander
​​With the release of Guardians Volume 2 it felt like a great time to dump a lot of time into this this Multiball heavy celebration of Peter Quill and friends. Released in 2014 in conjunction with the first film you can feel the films influence throughout even though the voices are not the same.

​The table has a few nice modes with the fight against Yondu being my favourite but it’s the team up modes in the shape of multiballs that make this table a rather unique experience. On the negative side the various character balls can be difficult to make out on the rather dark table, this is more of an issue on the smallwer Vita screen. The Image below shows the five balls as follows Star Lord, Drax, Gamora, Groot and Rocket. Persoanlly I find the GROOT ball the most challenging to see with Rocket being slightly easier thanks to the paw print. This is only a small blemish on what is otherwise a really challenging yet fun table.

So without further ado I bring my choices for the my favourite multiball modes.
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​Ball 1; Guardians

Activated by hitting the G ramp and spelling out the word GUARDIANS. This three ball mode allows you to take on Ronin with interchangeable characters by sinking a ball in the left sinkhole. This is a nice way of trying to match balls to lit lanes as you can grab extra points for matching ball to lane.

​The idea of the mode is to destroy the incoming Necrocraft fleet and you will literally have a blast doing it. This is one of the harder modes to activate second only to the Collector however the point bonus is certainly worth as is the promise of the easily achievable wizard mode.

​I truly enjoy this mode as it has an achievable goal and the ability to swap balls out is a great way of utilising all the team if you so wish. Not only that the mode continues down tot he last ball and does not end once you only have one left like other Multiball modes.

​Ball 2; Rocket

Quite simply the most dynamic duo in Marvel comics as well as the movies, this mode sees Rocket being protected by his personal Bodyguard Groot in order to take Ronin down. This is completed by hitting a Rocket lit lane to attack and a Groot hit lane to replenish his protective branch based shield. Again there is a nice bonus for hitting the corresponding lane with the correct ball.

The voice over work in this mode is great as we get the witty banter from everyone favourite genetically enhanced Rodent and the immortal phrase I AM GROOT thrown in for extra measure.

​The animation in the bottom right hand corner can be distracting as it draws the eye in a good way but once you get used it it becomes another piece of beautiful animation.

Ball 3; Sparring Gamora vs Nebula

​A non main Mode this fun aside allows you to be whisked off to the Gamora mini table to hunt down a large score without the fear of losing a ball . You take control of two balls and aim to hit the lit lanes to try to build a score. This can be a tricky one to master especially with the curved sides making the ball come at you at speed. When you do get the hang of it it is possible to get a decent total as well as become acquainted to the mode table in which you will try to complete the Gamora mode.

Personally I do tend to use this mode as a bit of a breather when the pressure is on during the main modes on the table. I find it a chance to relax change my focus especially after missing a few shots or losing a ball.

The Extra Ball; Escape the Kyln

60 seconds of pandemonium is probably the best way to explain the opening sequence of The Guardians table. You get balls thrown at you left right and centre in the name of defeating prisoners in the infamous Kyln prison. Although this is a fun mode it is let down by the relatively score yield it gives you but in terms of creating a spectacle it is very hard to beat.