Adventure Pinball: Forgotten Island

The Good
What a crazy idea to use the Unreal 3D engine to create a pinball game! That gives the tables a true 3D environment. Each "table" has more than a theme, they are regions with a storyline - and you advance from table to table when you complete that region's mission. And if you're tired of the usual tall, narrow table with flippers on the bottom, get ready for some crazy layouts. Regions often link several tables of different shapes and sizes together. They have animals jumping about, pools, pits, dinosaurs, volcanoes, and huts. Accompanying visual and sound effects will keep little ones entertained.

The Bad
The level of difficulty is a bit unbalanced at times - it can be easy to repeat high-scoring shots and hard to get low-scoring ones. For pros, the tables can get really boring, especially after repeating shots over and over for ten, twenty minutes.

The voice-over announcer is a bit annoying - he kind of sounds like Joel Goddard, the announcer on Late Night With Conan O'Brien.

The Bottom Line
This is a great game for kids. Maybe it's not too educational, but it's a great deal of fun and it's no first-person bloodbath either. I'm certainly not a kid anymore, but as a pinball fan, it's a one-of-a-kind eye-candy game and a nice way to make use of your 3D card. It didn't take too long to move to the $10 bargain bins, but it has lasting appeal.