One of the better pinball simulations on the Xbox 360 (and one of the best LIVE Arcade games in general) now has a sequel. Pinball FX 2 features four brand new tables, backwards compatibility with your old FX tables, new modes, and ways to track your score online.

The four new tables are Secrets of the Deep, a submarine themed board, the B-movie monster making Biolab, an Arabian Knights based one called Pasha, and Rome (self-explanatory). Each of the new tables has online and local multiplayer modes with split-screen action. All the tables, old and new, have realistic graphics and dot matrix screens like modern pinball.

You can download Pinball FX 2 for free, and demo each new table before buying them (which reminds me, I need to download Excalibur). Best of all, any table you downloaded on the original game can be imported into Pinball FX 2 for FREE! Each of the old tables comes with new achievements to earn in the sequel.

FX 2 has other small enhancements as well. Track your high scores in various leaderboards, and compete in periodic tournaments. The game also supports live chat with the Xbox 360 camera and it also uses your avatar in-game, too. Tweak aspects of each table like how a real life pinball machine owner would, too.

The only problem I have with Pinball FX 2 is the instructions on the table rules. Don’t get me wrong, the text instructions are very detailed and informative. It’s just that I’ve seen better explanations in other pinball simulators, such as the Pinball Hall of Fame Collections. But that’s really only a minor quibble. Fans of pinball simulations will definitely want to check out this sequel.

Kid Factor:

Pinball FX 2 is rated E for Everyone with an ESRB descriptor of Comic Mischief. It’s pinball: harmless, non-violent, and no reading skill is needed. Everyone can play and understand, and some of the tables seem tailor made for kids, like the Rocky & Bullwinkle one (my personal favorite). Highly recommended and perfect for family gaming. Parents may want to supervise online gaming a bit, though.

Tags: Game Reviews