Most immersive gameplay

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Hello all,

Which games would you rate as providing the most immersive gameplay
experience? I'd be really interested in opinions on this.

By immersive, I mean which games best utilize playfield layout,
creativity of shots, challenge etc. combined with sound, artwork,
lighting, theme, ruleset depth. In other words, the TOTAL PACKAGE that
transports the player to a heightened level of
concentration/fun/challenge/zen while playing the game.

I'm thinking a game like the highly rated MM might rank with players
because of the variety of shots, integration of the theme, etc.

But I think SOUND AND LIGHTING should not be overlooked when evaluating
the immersive quality of a game. CV comes to mind here.

Backglass and playfied artwork must factor heavily as well. For
example, FATHOM looks like an incredibly beautiful game in this regard
and might make the list.

I wonder if LOTR might rank #1 with many players? I hope any responses
might guide me in my next pin purchase. I want a really deep immersive
game. Thanks all.

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Hello,

My top two would be STTNG and Cactus Canyon.

STTNG:
IMHO Nice artwork, deep ruleset, good sound, satisfying shots with good
flow and the best integration of the display with gameplay.

With most DMD games the only way you can see what's going on with the
display is if someone else is playing, but with STTNG your eyes are
drawn to the top of the playfield during mission starts and on most
major shots. There usually seems to be just enough time to catch what
the display is doing before the ball is returned to the flipper after
hitting a ramp or outhole. This really adds to the total immersion
experience for me.

The missions are challenging and multi-layered. For big points it's
worthwhile completing the missions instead of just letting them time
out to get to the wizard mode. For example in "Search The Galaxy" an
award is collected by hitting all three ramps, but an additional award
can be collected by hitting them in order (alpha, then beta, then
delta). Each award adds to the jackpot value when and if you get to the
Final Frontier wizard mode, and every four awards collected adds a
billion point bonus.

The large number of voice quotes from the original actors also adds a
lot.

Cactus Canyon:

Good Artwork, decent ruleset, great sound and very funny. Good
combination of flowing shots and short target shots - during gunfight
and showdown drop targets pop up in the middle of the playfield, very
fun and very chalenging.

DMD is also well integrated and shot selection is satisfying. I really
enjoy some modes (like saving Poly before the train reaches the end of
the track to light the extra ball), on others modes it's not as clear
what needs to be done to complete them, though perhaps I'm just not
familiar enough.

Like Medievel Madness, Attack from Mars and Scared Stiff, I think the
humor really adds to the overall experience.

LOTR:

I've played LOTR a bit and enjoy the game. From afar it looks great but
up close some of the artwork reminds me of poorly dithered or perhaps
just low resolution printouts (am I the only one who is put off by
this? It also doesn't feel as sturdy as the Williams/Bally pins. I've
only been able to play a fully funtioning LOTR a few times so I'm not
really familiar enough to comment on the total immersion experience.

TSPP:

Great Artwork, very deep ruleset, good multiball lock, fun modes. The
only problem I have with the Simpsons is that the sound is like a
collection of sound bites. With all the mode stacking there is so much
going on at one time that for me the overall experience seems like a
jumble of shots rather than a cohesive immersion experience.

Regards,

Jim

lock_is_lit@yahoo.ca wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Which games would you rate as providing the most immersive gameplay
> experience? I'd be really interested in opinions on this.
>
> By immersive, I mean which games best utilize playfield layout,
> creativity of shots, challenge etc. combined with sound, artwork,
> lighting, theme, ruleset depth. In other words, the TOTAL PACKAGE that
> transports the player to a heightened level of
> concentration/fun/challenge/zen while playing the game.
>
> I'm thinking a game like the highly rated MM might rank with players
> because of the variety of shots, integration of the theme, etc.
>
> But I think SOUND AND LIGHTING should not be overlooked when evaluating
> the immersive quality of a game. CV comes to mind here.
>
> Backglass and playfied artwork must factor heavily as well. For
> example, FATHOM looks like an incredibly beautiful game in this regard
> and might make the list.
>
> I wonder if LOTR might rank #1 with many players? I hope any responses
> might guide me in my next pin purchase. I want a really deep immersive
> game. Thanks all.

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Good call on Centaur. My current lineup consists of CV, FH, F-14,
Centaur, and Firepower and the Centaur has been my favorite in the
lineup for some time now. I never thought I'd love a machine more than
CV, but Centaur just edges it out. The black and white, the killer
artwork, the depth of possibilities, and the sound... definitely the
sound. That reverb board mixed with that voice was a stroke of pure
genious.

MitchelWB

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Have to put my 2 cents in for IJ. It has been said before, but bears
repeating, the best intergration of a movie theme in to a pinball ever.
Sometimes it seems as if you are playing the movies, making the story
progress, reaching different levels and modes that are instantly
recognizable. Add to that a very difficult to reach and complete
wizard mode, and you have the complete package.

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

For those who want immersive classics, I gotta say Black Hole and
Firepower. When you are just about to get multiball on BH, you forget
where you are in the world. When you get it, you dont care where you
are. No other game from its era competes with it to me. I also have a
near mint Firepower. If you arent really really "on your game", it will
eat your lunch every time. It has turned into an evil entity in the
gameroom. I love it.

Del

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

lock_is_lit@yahoo.ca wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Which games would you rate as providing the most immersive gameplay
> experience? I'd be really interested in opinions on this.
>
> By immersive, I mean which games best utilize playfield layout,
> creativity of shots, challenge etc. combined with sound, artwork,
> lighting, theme, ruleset depth. In other words, the TOTAL PACKAGE that
> transports the player to a heightened level of
> concentration/fun/challenge/zen while playing the game.
>


Answer is...

Cirqus Voltaire. Just try not getting involved. With the latest
ROM, that game is awesome! Combination of things you need to do
together with John's lightening fast layout, great sound, lots of sound
clips... altoghether as tight a delivery as MM.

Scott.

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

lock_is_lit@yahoo.ca wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Which games would you rate as providing the most immersive gameplay
> experience? I'd be really interested in opinions on this.


CV

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

<<<For those who want immersive classics, I gotta say Black Hole and
Firepower. When you are just about to get multiball on BH, you forget
where you are in the world. When you get it, you dont care where you
are. >>>

And after you are in multiball and manage (or are doomed?) to have two
balls in the now-lit-up, backwards-slanted lower playfield while
another ball flies 8 inches above them on another plane on the
normal-slanted upper playfield? Forget it, you are in another galaxy!
One of those truly unique experiences in pinball. When it happens for
the first time you will never forget it, and every time after that you
know you will never get used to it. I can't imagine even the greatest
pinball wizard that ever lived not feeling their brain jumping the
tracks at that point. Backwards vs. forwards, top vs. bottom, two here
and one there...Frenchy

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

<< I don't necessarily agree with that assessment. I have found that
many
of the modes are simply not worth the risk to play out>>>

STTNG (owned one for 5 years) would qualify as super-immersive for me
but I have the same nitpick with it as I did for Shadow. Namely that
once you enter a mode, you can just sit there and hold the ball if you
want and you will be awarded the mode. The resulting play is still
great, but something about the modes just being awarded like that
whether you do anything or not rubs me the wrong way. Not much, but a
little. I know it's a common thing to do this in 'mode' games. Maybe
it's from playing a lot of EMs where you usually must explicitly earn
everything you get...Frenchy

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

CAH wtote:

>Sure you will, learning to gauge risk-reward factor of shots is a very
>valuable skill. I won't let the game goad me into going Steve Ritchie
>California Style.


I hope that we play STTNG next week in league, 'cause I will go over
the top of your neutral-zone-strategy score with some Picard Maneuvers
and some California Style thrown in for good measure (in honor of SR).


Chris