Pinball Hall of Fame - The Williams Collection

But what do all these words mean? What specifically gave this series – and now its sequel, The Williams Collection – an insurmountable edge?

Start With The Best

Pinball games are only as good as the pinball tables held within them. In theme, Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection is the same as its predecessor. It combines 10 classic pinball machines (Black Knight, Firepower, Funhouse, Gorgar, Pinbot, Space Shuttle, Taxi, Whirlwind, Jive Time and Sorcerer) in one Nintendo Wii package. Each table is selectable from the fantasy arcade – a lively place where classic pinball and arcade machines still hold monetary value. Neon signs with flippers and balls enhance the modern vibe of this retro land, even though the visuals are only a temporary distraction from the actual tables.

Just three game modes are included with The Williams Collection: Williams Challenge, Practice Arcade, and Tournaments. The former is a tough competition that requires you to achieve a certain score on each table before moving on. Every ball counts in this mode as only a few continues are provided. Practice Arcade is just what it sounds like, but games aren’t free: credits are needed for each game. You’ll get a few to start and can earn more by completing any of the tables’ many challenges (surpass a high score, increase the multiplier, unlock a specific area on the table, etc.). Tournaments mode is your expected turn-based multiplayer competition.

These offerings aren’t much, but they’re not the reason you play pinball. There’s a certain experience you’re seeking – the quickness of the flippers, the specific weight of every ball, and the way each ball seamlessly bounces off the plastic and rubberized environment. It’s magic, and it’s the feeling this game had to capture to become a classic.

Essence Incarcerated

The first Pinball Hall of Fame incorporated machines from Gottlieb; this one is entirely from Williams. In both cases I was only familiar with some of the tables, making it difficult to measure their true-to-life conversion. The other factors, however, were easy to rate. You wouldn’t expect a Wii remote and nunchuck to work well as substitutes for the big plastic buttons found on the sides of every pinball table. But the Z and B buttons are very clickable. They’re also big and have plenty of resistance for frequent and frenzied clicking.

Mechanically, The Williams Collection is perfect. When you pull back on the thumbstick and release the ball, there’s a noticeable difference between this and the real thing. But everything after that – from the moment the ball is released to the moment it falls through your flippers – transports you to the world of pinball. Each table has a series of distinct challenges, and each feels like it came from a different era. Some are your classic, let’s-cram-too-much-into-one-game experience. Others create that open-ended, “What would happen if we made it harder?” effect, having fewer walls to catch your balls but no shortage of places to fall through.

Several camera angles are offered for each table. Most are of the isometric/top-down fare, but there are also views that track and follow your ball’s action as it moves around the table, and then reverts back to a more steady view when the ball approaches your flipper. Tilting is still considered taboo, but you can risk it and sway the ball in your favor by shaking either the Wii remote (tilt right) or nunchuck (left).

It Even Looks Like Pinball

Pinball Hall of Fame might be a console generation or two away from photo-realism, but the game still looks great. You’ll spot reflections bouncing off balls as they bounce across each table. Wood, plastic, metal, and other surfaces are represented with an amazing level of realism. It’s nothing you haven’t seen in the first game, but two years later the effects are still impressive.

Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore

It wasn’t long ago that The Gottlieb Collection was released. That was the video game – the first video game – that captured every nuance of real pinball machines. The Williams Collection does the same and, thanks to a few unbeatable tables, is even more fun to play.