I have always liked Pinball games ever since I was a kid. I have fond memories of playing Terminator 2 and The Addams Family Pinball tables when I was young, and the tables from Williams always stood out as the best. Zen Studios recently added more Williams tables to Pinball FX 3 and it is time to look at them now.
Tales of the Arabian Nights was the first I played from the new set. Designed by John Popadiuk, this is a game designed for beginner and intermediate players. The objectives are easy to understand and accomplish, and there are only two flippers,1 ramp, and a half dozen targets. That said though, there are elements here to give advanced players a bit of a challenge such as the spinning lamp. The game is perfectly recreated in classic single player mode and has, spot-on physics that players will appreciate. The main single player mode does have some of Zen’s usual touches but they are not egregious. This is a fun table, and in either mode, the recreation is handled well.
Tales of the Arabian Nights has some interesting features as a table, including how the shooting star posts work. They will trap your ball above the inlane in order to save them, but this must be activated by hitting a certain target first. The genie objectives are also some of the best and the idea of collecting magic jewels to save a princess, while a bit generic, is easy for players to figure out. If you are doing things right though, you can use a magic wish from a helpful Djinn to collect a jewel and move to the next objective. That said, this is not really necessary due to the fact that most players will be able to get the jewels with just a little but of practice.
Next up we have Cirqus Voltaire, by Cameron Silver and also Popadiuk. This game has a very bold art style and was known for its easy to understand, yet still deep, ruleset. There are eight multiball modes, and you could even stack multiballs, creating a chaotic but fun experience. Cirqus Voltaire is one of the more experimental games made by Bally-Williams and did not have a single design, but rather a large variety of colours and patterns thanks to its neon tubes and menagerie balls.
The objectives are easy to understand, and the recreation of the board is spot on. As you play, the Ringmaster taunts you constantly, and while some may want to remove the character model (which can be done with the press of a button), I personally enjoyed his presence on the table. The action can get very intense here, which is why it is so important that the physics of the table were handled right. I am happy to say that this is the case, and Cirqus Voltaire remains an excellent table recreated by Zen Studios from the Bally-Williams original.
Lastly, we have No Good Gofers, designed by Pat Lawlor in his last ever table designed for Williams. It’s a fairly simplistic one if I am being honest, and lacks the refinement and experimental nature of the other two boards. It’s not bad, but Par Lawlor’s tables tend to have a difficult time living up to his work with The Addams Family and Twilight Zone (though his Family Guy table for Stern in 2007 was well done). No Good Gofers is a golf themed table with a third flipper that leads to a high-scoring jackpot shot, as well as a set of dual inlanes leading to the lower left flipper.
The table also include a soft-plunge skill shot and a whirl-wheel that can alter ball direction. Notably, the game used the famous Second City comedy troupe from Chicago to help with writing and voicing characters on the table. It’s a decent table, but just not on the other tables’ levels. I do like it in its own right, as there are some fun objectives, but otherwise, I would focus on Cirqus Voltaire and Tales of the Arabian Nights.
Overall, this set has some amazing tables, and one that, while not as amazing, is still decent. This is great dlc for Pinball FX3 and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
Images taken from. Pinballfx.com