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PINBALL HALL OF FAME: THE GOTTLIEB COLLECTION (PS2)
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a.k.a. Gottlieb Pinball Classics
Publisher: System 3. Developer: FarSight Studios. Released: April 2005 (Europe). Genre: Pinball. Other versions: XBOX; GC; PSP. Posted 11th December 2014. By Tom Clare © 2014 |
As a slice of pinball history, The Gottlieb Collection can never be accused of failing to cater to its target audience. But as endearing a trawl down memory lane as it may represent to aficionados, there’s no disguising the fact that it doesn’t make for a very good video game.
The Gottlieb Collection is a no-frills retro package that, at the outset, allows the player to pour over seven authentic Gottlieb pinball machines, their release dates spanning more than half a century. In a game so specialist, fans aren’t interested in bells, whistles and million-dollar special effects. It’s all about two words: ‘faithful recreation’. Sadly, either Gottlieb’s tables (which, let’s not forget, survived and thrived for the better part of sixty-five years) were a bit of a misery to play or, more likely, FarSight’s game does a poor job of simulating them. Here’s the case for the prosecution.
Pinball games are all about feel, accurate physics, and a sense of involvement. Therefore to keep the player happy, they must offer a sprightly tempo, responsive controls that give you the sense that your erm, ‘flippings’ are making a difference, and that skill is rewarded. TGC is too often ponderous, lethargic and weighed down by unconvincing physics, something that is really quite hard to forgive when it’s only the ball that does any travelling. Six camera angles should have increased the immersion, but instead they’re beset by varying degrees of slow-down that range from noticeable to excruciating.
All the details are there, just not as sharp as Pro Pinball
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Pool is a frustrating sport when played on an uneven table
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It’s therefore hard to appreciate the pinball’s journeying when everything is so painfully slow. But that’s not the only painful aspect; there are times when it’s an incredibly punishing experience, with far too many lives being squandered through balls slipping out the sides of the table. There’s no ball-save function, and in some tables it’s quite common to fire a ball up the table and have it drop clean out for a lost life before you’ve had a chance to do anything at all, which can be dispiriting to say the least.
What hurts Gottlieb the most though is the lack of feel. It’s very rickety next to the Pro Pinball games of the mid and late nineties, which are silky-smooth, more consistent and (surprising given their age) sharper looking. Gottlieb’s leaden pace means the balls rarely come on to the flippers with any momentum, and with no easy means of generating pace, control is severely impeded.
In terms of simple, straightforward enjoyment, the tables vary. “Genie” is perhaps the most accessible and enjoyable as, though it too is afflicted by many of the aforementioned ailments, there’s freedom to how you build your multipliers and rack up the big scores. On the rare occasions when the ball does muster some ping, the tables tend to be extremely difficult, like “Central Park”, which has two tiny flippers and a yawning chasm between them to vex your skills and patience. Other promising tables, notably the racing themed “Victory”, rely a little too much on the following of long-winded and inflexible patterns in order to earn big scores. Again, whilst on a real table this makes sense, the precision aiming demanded of the player is absent in The Gottlieb Collection, and consequently the potential fun of high-score chasing can feel like a very remote prospect.
What hurts Gottlieb the most though is the lack of feel. It’s very rickety next to the Pro Pinball games of the mid and late nineties, which are silky-smooth, more consistent and (surprising given their age) sharper looking. Gottlieb’s leaden pace means the balls rarely come on to the flippers with any momentum, and with no easy means of generating pace, control is severely impeded.
In terms of simple, straightforward enjoyment, the tables vary. “Genie” is perhaps the most accessible and enjoyable as, though it too is afflicted by many of the aforementioned ailments, there’s freedom to how you build your multipliers and rack up the big scores. On the rare occasions when the ball does muster some ping, the tables tend to be extremely difficult, like “Central Park”, which has two tiny flippers and a yawning chasm between them to vex your skills and patience. Other promising tables, notably the racing themed “Victory”, rely a little too much on the following of long-winded and inflexible patterns in order to earn big scores. Again, whilst on a real table this makes sense, the precision aiming demanded of the player is absent in The Gottlieb Collection, and consequently the potential fun of high-score chasing can feel like a very remote prospect.
"Genie" is among the highlights, with lots of scoring opportunities
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1993: Tee'd Off. 2014: Utterly Livid.
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The Gottlieb Collection looks so-so, delivering an acceptable if unspectacular level of clarity for a pinball game. It all looks a little muted next to the gorgeous Pro Pinball quartet, though some nice attract screens, flyers and tips lend it a suitably reverential, museum-like tone. Likewise, whilst the music and effects are nothing memorable unto themselves, the tinny, machine-like effect they’ve been afforded is really quite nice.
It’s a shame, because FarSight Studios have focused some effort on ensuring a rich, diverse pinball experience that encapsulates what Gottlieb’s machines were about. Nevertheless, you’ll only play as long as you can stand the hindrances, and it’s impossible to recommend a game where the core gameplay is so unforgiving and short on enjoyment. A noble effort, but there are many pinball titles more worthy of your time.
It’s a shame, because FarSight Studios have focused some effort on ensuring a rich, diverse pinball experience that encapsulates what Gottlieb’s machines were about. Nevertheless, you’ll only play as long as you can stand the hindrances, and it’s impossible to recommend a game where the core gameplay is so unforgiving and short on enjoyment. A noble effort, but there are many pinball titles more worthy of your time.
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VERDICT
Visual: 5/10
Audio: 5/10 Gameplay: 4/10 Longevity: 4/10 OVERALL: 4/10 |