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Tilt!
a.k.a Hyper 3D Pinball
Developer: NMS
Publisher: Virgin
grade

Reviewed: 1997 

- The pinball

Well, I finally bought this pinball. It was a little better than I had thought (had only played the demo and a little of the full version before). At first when playing everything felt wrong, but I soon learned to control the ball which acts a little strange. I found the pinball to miss lots of things but also that it had some good sides.

The pinball features three table views, 2DS (Scrolling 2D table), 3DS (Scrolling 3D table!!) and 3DN (3d normal, full screen). You can also choose between a number of screen resolutions, 320x200, 640x480, 600x800.


- The Tables

- Funfair

I guess this is one of those tables that are supposed to be easy, that bring you closer to the pinball, teach you how to control the ball, lets you score much and so on. It is actually rather ok. The table is build up so that you have a small round are near the top of the table. It surrounded by walls and around the area goes some ramps. The area is supposed to be some kind of circus, the funfair. It is locked and you have to unlock it to enter. The ramp that surrounds the funfair is a loop and it is very easy to do lots of loops after each other. This is also the key to start different modes. There is not so many modes you can start using the ramp. You can also shoot the ball into the ghost house or whatever it is at the bottom left of the table and be awarded a random award (extraball, multiball, millions). You can also start a 3 ball multiball by locking the balls in the merry-go-round (think that is what they are called in english) at the very top of the table, it is rather simple to start the lock procedure and the multiball you get isn't that fun.

The table hasn't got any big challenge or wizmode to play for, you just shoot around and score. I can't say I like the music, sounds or the table layout that much. Well the layout is constructed so that it works well when you play in 3d full screen (which I play all tables in, the other views were rather lousy).

The absolute worst thing is that there is only one music theme that plays all the time, when you start a mode or a multiball or whatever the music doesn't change. This might seem like a small thing to complain about but it really is a big thing, when a special mode is started I want the music to change to sort of tell me, this is something fanzy you have started. Ofcourse you look at the dmd and know something has started but it isn't the same. This goes for all the tables. You also notice that some of the sound effects are used over and over again in all the tables.

The dmd is rather good. It keeps you informed on what is going on but it doesn't do it all that good. Sometimes the text just flashes and is gone, ofcourse you learn what you have to do during the mode, but when you see a animation on the dmd instead of scoring information for the mode, you get frustrated.

This is a partyland clone if you hadn't guessed it, and surprisingly enough it isn't as good as partyland (irony). The table is ok and it is a little challenging and is fun sometimes. But it has nothing in it that makes you want to get back to it, it is a bit too simple.

- The Monster

Rather enjoyable music that you hear in the background. Well the table then. you find guillotines, graves, death sculls and coffins. Neat things. It looks somehow like a real table with all the big things on the tables. There is also a number of ramps and some kind of laboratory like place in the top right corner of the table. The table has lots of free space to the left as ramps and lock points are placed mostly to the right. To the left of the table is a coffin which is a important target to start things. The table is rather simple, you shoot the guillotine and get a random guillotine award (much like the random ghost award in funfair, you will find this feature on all tables). If you shoot the coffin you can start some funnier modes specific for this table.

The table isn't all that easy to score on. I can't say I really liked this table. It felt so stupidly constructed and well the modes weren't that challenging in the long while either.

- The Gangster

My favorite table of them six. The music is really neat, some kind of blues, it really blends in with the table. I can't say the table is that hard or has that much in it, but it feels right when you play it, I like it.

The table then, well the layout is rather simple but it works. There is a number of ramps on the table, in the middle you find the "Beercats Club" (you can lock the ball here), if you lock the ball there you will be awarded a random award. This feature is found on most of the tables in Tilt! and the awards are very much the same, multiball, extraball, millions, lock ball and then you can also start the modes special for this table here. You can start some modes by shooting some targets, but this is basically the main point in the table.

Even though I like this table there isn't really that much to do. You play it for a while and you learn the table pretty easily. The challenge isn't that big, but is nice to play. In all this table is among the better in the pack but still lacks to much to be called good in any bigger ways. I wish they had worked more on the modes and maybe added a good wiz mode.

- Star Quest

Actually a pretty good table. Lots of modes and this time it feels like you accomplish something when you start them since completing all will award you a neat space multiball something.

After launching the ball it is directly locked in a space port and shot out. 4 locks will award you a quick multiball (2 balls) during which you have to hit certain ramps and things. It is really simple to start this since you can easily let the ball drain after the first lock (it is always shot out the same way from the space port, you just have to hold the left or right flipper up and it will drain while the "shoot again" lamp is still lit) and get to launch the ball again (giving you a free second space port lock).

To the right on the table you will find the docking bay and the mother ship. Shooting the docking bay will among other things award the usual random awards but also light modes. Sometimes you start the mode by shooting the mother ship sometimes the modes start directly (depends on the mode). On the center of the table is all modes listed, each time you have played one it will become lit and when all are lit you will get a space multiball something. It is at least something to play for and rather enjoyable.

You have a third flipper at the top of the table, it isn't to much use except for doing a wild shot into the space port. You can also lock it in some kind of thing by flipping the ball left. It is a rather strange placement of things, hard to judge the shot and to get the ball in front of the flipper isn't the easiest thing sometimes.

The bumpers are to the bottom left on the table. The whole left side of the table is enclosed in by a wall. A ramp leads in there and the bumpers will always catch the ball for a while if you get the ball inside the walls.

A rather good table. It is easy to get extraballs in it and you can keep a game up for a while if you get into it. Not an all to bad table. Still I find things are missing from it.

- Myst&Majik

Gee, somewhat weird (more irritating) ramp placements and bumper placements. A castles walls are placed at the top of the table and surround the front of the bumpers. There are no back walls for the castle so it can be enter from there and also from the front gate. You can hardly make out what happens back there but nothing important happens there. The table has the same stuff as the rest, a random award point and some table specific modes. Dragons and knights. You can also lock the ball in a dragon head and then get to shoot it out from it, pretty pointless since you never know why and where you should shoot it.

A rather ok but still boring table. The music is thematic but gets boring. The ramps are placed and goes strange somehow. This table just didn't appeal to me.

- Roadking

As a bright person might guess when they hear the tables name Roadking (road, ramp, lots of ramps, never mind :)) it consist of lots of ramps. There is lots of free space and so the tables modes are mainly based on doing different ramp combinations. The first mode you will probably start is Subway. After seeing a unnecessary in-game animation where the ball travels under the table and up trough a hole 3 ramps are highlighted and you begin to shoot them for score. As I understood it the main object of the game is to travel trough USA. In the middle of the table you will see a number of green circles highlighted as you travel on. This might sound good but in reality the table is rather repeatable, still it is one of the better ones in this pinball.


- summarize

three tables in this pinball has something in it, Gangster, Space Quest and Roadking. Of them only Gangster has the real atmosphere of pinball. It is fun and the layout is good. But it is a bit simple. Space Quest is rather challenging and has a good layout. Roadking has speed and ramps, is based much on ramps, it is hard to score in and is challenging. Probably one you will return too. The rest are not so much to talk about.

What mainly pulls down the playability of each table is the ball handling, the feeling (see below) and the sometimes stupid placements of flippers and targets. If you do a pinball with a 3D full screen view you have to really work on the layout so that things don't become too! (invisible flippers are not good) hidden. I didn't like the 3D scrolling mode and hope I never see it again, it was weird and somewhat playable but it didn't feel like pinball I'm used to. The 2D scrolling was I guess ok but it didn't bring out what Tilt! is (and it was rather unplayable due to the fast moving balls). 3D Full screen brings the pinball to its full potential.

A last thing I forgot to write closer about is the in-game animations. Usually when locking a ball or when you are about to start something really special you will see a in-game animation. For example in the Funfair table when you lock a ball a animation is showed. You will see the ball go up a ramp and roll to the merry-go-round, the merry thing will pick up the ball and rotate a step. The animations appear in a small rectangular window in the middle of the screen. I really disliked them, ok they look nice but after a while it is just irritating when they appear, luckily you can press a key and they will disappear. Wish they had made it so you saw the ball roll to the merry in normal playing mode and you also saw it rotate.


- The Feeling

The feeling is rather good. It is strange that I can say it is rather good as it fails to be good in most cases. The ball accelerates way to much and thereby moves to fast. Sometimes aiming wont work, mostly because of the somewhat overtilted and twisted views. In normal 3D mode the aiming works pretty good but it is hard. If you catch the ball, hold it steady with the flipper raised and the release the flipper the ball will accelerate down like hell. That results in you not being able to make the shot you was thinking about.

If you shoot the ball up a ramp it moves very strange, it sort of slides upwards and can suddenly decide to change direction even though it until then looked like it would get over. Err, it just acts strange.

But even though this said the tables are playable, the ball might move strange but you adapt to it. You might not like it but you get used to it and play after it. This will ofcourse not raise the grade or help it in any way, I never really like when you have to learn to play "faulty". Strange word, but it describes the situation good.


- The Whole

There are moments when playing some of the tables in the pinball I can't help thinking it could have been a top scoring one. There are these neat features like ramps that go up and down, small things on the tables that look neat are fun to interact with, things that you find in real tables. Some of these fit in to it all, but usually I think that they were just placed there for the sake of them being there (look we have these neat things on the table, don't you think this table is realistic).

I also found that the tables are very repeatable in one way or another and some are even bad (misses in layout and theme). But some of the tables are rather good and fun to play, they feel as a little more work were put on them. As only one good table is required for a pinball to get a high grade that is what counts. But sadly enough these tables aren't that good for this pinball to reach higher. One table I liked was "The Gangster", the overall atmosphere when playing was rather good but the table had some irritating moments and most of all it lacked good modes and a real wizmode or something to play for.

What all the tables in this pinball need is more work, more troughthougth themes that give you something to play for. Sometimes it feels as they just put something together for the sake of it and other times it feels like they really tried to accomplish something. I think they should have concentrated on making just a few good tables instead of zillion ones that is half playable.

Then there is the table views you can choose, the 3D scrolling (hmm, new one 3DS) one is something I hope I never have to see again (it was terrible), the 2DS gave you good view of hidden objects but the ball moves lousy in it and it just didn't feel right to play in it. The 3DN (normal 3d mode, full screen 3d table) view was nice and is the one I enjoyed most, but personally I think the table was tilted way to much, once again it felt right but also wrong.

Last and almost most important, the feeling. The ball moves to fast and usually unrealistic in one way or another. More work is needed here too.

Overall I feel I can't give it a better grade. I would like to as I notice this pinball tries to be a little different (wasn't really that many 3D pinballs when this one came 1996), but the fact that I almost always feel something is missing in feeling, table layout and usually in table themes I can't grade it higher.


system requirements

Platform: PC
Operating System: Dos
Memory: 8MB RAM (recommended: 16 MB RAM)
CD-ROM: 2x or better

Also available for: -


Screenshots:
  • Funfair
  • The Monster
  • The Gangster
  • Star Quest
  • Myst&Majik
  • Roadking
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