Next up on Toon Week here at GamerDad, we’re going to look at some more adult oriented cartoons. Animated shows with adult humor and themes are just as popular as the kids’ stuff.  And Zen Studios knows this, so their latest batch of pinball tables for Pinball FX2 and Zen Pinball 2 feature FOX cartoons like Family Guy, American Dad, Bob’s Burgers, and Archer! (reviewed on 360 here)

You know what’s funny is that personally, while I do enjoy adult cartoons like The Simpsons, Futurama, King of the Hill, and Gravity Falls (yes I consider that an adult cartoon), I never really could get into Family Guy, American Dad, and the others featured in this pinball pack. I know that when I was a teen and in college, I did enjoy adult cartoons like Ren and Stimpy and Beavis and Butt-Head, and I can’t stand those shows now, so I guess sometimes as we get older, our tastes in humor change.  But my brother Jeff, who is in college now, enjoys those cartoons, so I’ll be referencing a lot of what he said about the tables when he watched me play them for this review.

You can download and play the Balls of Glory tables on consoles that support Zen Studios’ pinball platforms. When you download Pinball FX 2 or Zen Pinball 2 (depending on which game console you own), you’re just downloading the hub.  It’s free, and then you purchase separate tables for play in the game.  Here’s a rundown on the four tables featured in this pack:

American Dad Pinball

Jeff says this is one of the better games in this set, as they crammed so many episode references in the table! To start missions, just hit the fishbowl a few times.  Only problem is you can’t choose which mission you start, they are randomly selected.  Each mission is based on an episode of the show.  I did a mission where Stan and Fran are ice skating, and the table turns to ice and you must avoid them in the middle of the rink as you shoot up ramps.  There is also one that brings up a shooting gallery mini-game.

Bob’s Burgers Pinball

My brother Jeff also appreciated this table because it was more simplistic. You start missions by merely shooting up ramps.  But the neat thing on this table is that if you hold down the launch button for three seconds, day turns into night and the burger shop closes, allowing a whole new set of night missions on the table!  There is even a maze mini-game based on an episode where the kids explore a run-down taffy factory looking for treasure!

Archer Pinball

Believe it or not, I had never even heard of Archer until now, which surprised Jeff because he says it’s currently on the fifth season. But hey, what can I say, I just don’t watch these kinds of shows very much anymore.  After talking with Jeff and a few of my co-workers, I learned that Archer is more ‘adult’ than the other cartoons on this list, which explains why it’s on a cable channel instead of just regular TV (and also why I never watched it).  Anyway, Archer is a secret agent so this table has a spy theme.  Jeff liked this table because he said it looked cool.  Spell out words to start missions by shooting up ramps and hitting targets like Archer’s car.  Just watch out for alligators!

Family Guy Pinball

And finally our least favorite table was from Family Guy. Each family member has a ramp that you start missions by spelling out their name when you shoot up their ramp.  Needless to say, the “Meg” missions were easiest to start.  You can even do duo missions with two family members at the same time.  My favorite part was getting skill shots by smacking Peter with the ball after hitting the plunger button.  Take that, you dirty little man!

Kid Factor:

Despite being based on adult cartoons, the tables in the Balls of Glory pack are surprisingly clean. I didn’t hear any cursing, and you’ll only get the adult humor if you understand the references from the shows.  So the tables still keep the E rating with an ESRB descriptor of Comic Mischief.  Even so, I’d still only let teens and older gamers play these particular pinball games, as they are still based on TV shows I wouldn’t ever let little kids watch.

Tags: Game Reviews, Television