Previous Next

Soccer what? Come on now, how can you have a game called Soccer Pinball? The two games have got absolutely nothing in common...

...Or have they? Sit down and play Codemasters' little budget outing for a minute or so and you start to get the idea. It's actually like table football in a way. You use the flippers to try to score a goal (there's a little goalmouth half way up the table), which is a bit like flicking the levers in table football. Sort of. And yes, well, pinball and football do use spherical objects which you're trying to propel in roughly the right direction... OK, we'll admit it, Soccer Pinball does make a funny sort of sense as a game.

In fact, it's really rather fun. It's also a bit difficult. If you want to get to the next round, you have to score three goals - but first you have to knock the defenders out of the way. You've only got three balls to do it with and since the gap between the flippers at the bottom of the table is that fraction too wide, you keep losing the ball!

No, it's not at all frustrating, really it's not.

Get off Level One and you reach Level Two (not too surprising, that). Here it's more of the same, except that there are a few more defenders to get out of the way.

There is a two-player mode, but it's a bog-standard alternating play job - now if it was simultaneous two-player action, that would be interesting.

The graphics are pretty dull but nicely detailed mode 1 stuff, the ball moves nice and smoothly and the pinball effect is very convincing. There are just two basic problems, though. Pinball Soccer is too difficult for a game of chance. Yes, no doubt there are people who think that pinball is a test of skill, but there's not much evidence of it in this [It might just be that you're rubbish, Rod - Adam]

Secondly, it's a bit on the dull side. Well, a lot, really - unless you're mad on pinball in any form.

Graphics 70%
Not exactly riveting to look at, but pretty detailed and everything moves quite smoothly.

Sonics 76%
Jolly bop-a-long title tune and all the usual boppy, twirly, jingly, beepy pinball sounds.

Grab Factor 83%
Soccer Pinball grabs you harder than Vinnie Jones (but doesn't make your eyes water quite so much)

Staying Power 55%
Well, to be honest - to be brutally honest - this is pretty pitiful once the novelty's worn off.

Overall 71%
Soccer Pinball sounds like a barmy idea for a game, but it's actually quite good fun. For a while.