Zen Studios has really made a name for themselves with their popular downloadable video pinball tables like Pinball FX 2 for Xbox 360 and Zen Pinball for PS3. Now you can have flipper fun on the go with Zen Pinball 3D for the 3DS, downloadable from the Nintendo eShop.

Zen Pinball 3D features four tables. My favorite is Excalibur, because it reminds me of a video pinball game I played a lot on my PC in college called Crystal Caliburn. Excalibur has a medieval knights and castles theme, of course, with lots of surprises like a mini-pinball table duel in a castle, and a plunger ramp on the left side for jousting tournaments. I liked this table so much I think I might download it for Pinball FX 2.

Other tables on Zen Pinball 3D include El Dorado, which has a lost temple Indiana Jones vibe to it. Shaman has a jungle witch doctor theme with lots of spinning plates on the table to make your ball go crazy and keep you on your toes. Finally is Earth Defense, which has an alien invasion sci-fi theme with lots of UFOs on the table. One of the coolest aspects about Zen Pinball 3D is the possibility of new downloadable boards in the future, just like the big console games.

Graphically, Zen Pinball 3D is one of the best looking eShop titles out there, and the audio is pretty epic, too. You view the pinball table on the top screen and the bottom is reserved for the dot screen and score info. You can play single player or two player hotseat, and upload your scores to an online leaderboard. You can also adjust factory settings for each table like difficulty level, but the game won’t upload your scores unless you have it at default settings.

The only problem I had with Zen Pinball 3D is that some of the pinball features and ramps are harder to see on the smaller screen, even though you can change your viewpoint. But other than that, this pinball title is great for quick, on the go gaming.

Kid Factor:

It’s pinball, there’s nothing violent or objectionable. Reading skill is helpful for rules and score info, but not necessary as the simple gameplay is easy to figure out just by playing. Zen Pinball 3D is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews