There is a reason that Zen Pinball has a monopoly of the digital pinball front, and that’s because they set the bar so high with regards to their use of licenses in tables. The Portal Pinball table is no exception to this rule as it is simply a joy to play from top to bottom; or from test chamber to test chamber. I’m no stranger to these Zen tables, so this time around I tried to go about things a bit differently. Instead of the standard play session I popped on my 3D glasses, booted up the PS3, and tried to see if I could play Portal Pinball in 3D without vomiting violently.
Portal Pinball is a lot of fun for just the average pinball fan and comes highly recommended, but if you are a fan of the Portal series this is a must have piece of the Aperture Science puzzle. The table is laid out to mimic the various testing chambers from the series and offer up a lot of lanes of play that will keep the points combos high. While racking up points is nice and easy, there is still a good deal of skill to making it on the leader-boards as learning the table will be a must.
Being as this is Zen, there are a number off additional mini-games involved when you activate the special testing chamber during play. Activating the chamber allows you to use the flippers to pick the mini-game that you want, all of which revolve around events that you went through in the game, but my favorite of these was Rat Man’s Den. During this game the floor of the table drops away to reveal the nest of our favorite crazed test subject. Those that know of the character will love the look of this mini table as you can see beyond the facade of the clean testing environment.
The mini-games are all played on the main table, but each offers up some unique parameters to complete them. During these games the characters around the board will interact and try to complete each task that each mini-game sets out. It’s always fun seeing Chell interact with the Portal world that surrounds you, but all the included side characters also add a lot to the immersion. From our robot buddies from the Portal 2 expansion, to the ever excitable Wheatley and his various quips, Portal Pinball is a joy to see and play.
Sure, this isn’t the kind of game that you are going to spend playing hours at a time, but that’s what makes it special. Portal Pinball is the type of title that you play for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, but the sort of game that you will want to come back to again and again. You’ll also be happy to know that the 3D features of the game worked great. I usually get really sick with 3D games and movies, but even with the motion of the ball bouncing around like crazy I didn’t feel sick even once.
Portal Pinball is a lot of fun, and if you love the Portal series as much as I do, spending a few bucks on this board is a must. Zen Pinball always seems to put out great tables and this one is no exception. If you are looking to have a lot of fun for not a lot on money, the Portal Pinball table is the way to go. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ll be in the test chamber hanging out with my friendly pal GLaDOS.
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