Eight Ball Deluxe

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A Review of Eight Ball Deluxe

Every now and then a game comes along that reminds we computer gamers of a
time not long ago when computers were a dream, and the arcade ruled the
entertainment industry. In this case, pinball. So when Amtex’s Eight Ball
Deluxe arrived, I was overcome by a wave of nostalgia. Unfortunately,
nostalgia doesn’t sell games for long, so let’s get down to the brass tacks,
shall we?

First off, the graphics are wonderful. The playing field itself is
rendered in high resolution graphics, supporting modes from 320 by 200 to
1024 by 768. It’s impressive, to say the least. The only difference
between the graphic modes is the size of the playing field. The sound
effects are perfectly suited for this game, and from what I gather they
were taken from the original pinball machine. The game runs smoothly all of
the time, with no pauses in animation, which can plague games such as
these. This is all great, but how does it play?

Game play is controlled by the keyboard, using the two shift keys as
flipper controls. There are several ways to score big points in the game,
the most notable of which is “sinking the eight ball.” As is the rage these
days, the ball moves according to the exact laws of physics. Game play is
fast, and it’s always a challenge to make it to the top ten board.

A truly nifty quality during play is the ability to “nudge” the playing
field. In other words, when most people play pinball, they have a tendency
to bump the table in certain situations to make the ball go in the right
direction. Amtex has done an outstanding job of recreating this, providing
not only a nudge key, but a nudge right, and a nudge left key. But, nudge
too much, and the infamous “TILT” appears, and the ball in play is lost.

One of the more unique features of the game is the back of the box
adjustments. Here you can change the video resolution, as well as the sound
source. But the most interesting part is the ability to change the voltage
levels, allowing the player to either supercharge or deaden the bumpers,
and the ability to change the pitch of the playing field, making the action
faster or slower. And let me tell you, the action gets fast and furious on
a supercharged game with a steep pitch.

Another unique feature of the game is the magnet ball, which allows the
player to, using his mouse, drag the ball around the playing field, to
experiment with the different scoring methods and to develop strategies.
(Although, just once, I couldn’t resist seeing how high a score I could
rack up.)

Unfortunately, the game has one large drawback. Lack of variety. Today’s
current computer pinball hits, such as Pinball Fantasies or Epic Pinball
include several different pinball games, while Eight Ball Deluxe includes
only one. Face it, you can only take so much of the same pinball game.
Game play tends to get repetitive and monotonous. This is definitely one
you couldn’t play for hours on end.

To it’s credit, however, there is nothing wrong with the game itself.
It’s perfect for those times when you’ve got five minutes to play something.
And it’s fun, in short spurts.

So, Amtex’s Eight Ball Deluxe, although severely hampered by it’s lack of
variety in game play, is still a solid pinball game. Amtex has done a
sensational job of porting this classic pinball game to the computer, and
in the process has renewed interest in a dying field.

Copyright © 1995 Mark W. Frantz for infoMedia. All rights reserved worldwide.