Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection

by Crave Entertainment

Product Features

• Multiplayer for up to four players
• Bonus content: unlockable extra game features can be earned throughout the game
• Game Sharing via Ad-Hoc

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000SH3XB8
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: February 26, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,464 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #51 in Video Games > Sony PSP > Action
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: Sony PSP

10 Classic Williams pinball tables from the 70's, 80's and 90's for the Playstation 2. Gorgar, Pinbot, Funhouse, Black Knight, Space Shuttle, Whirlwind, Firepower, Taxi, Jive Time & Sorcerer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost as good as you can get on a PSP but BEWARE, March 20, 2008

By 

Roman Pennington - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection (Video Game)

I have revised my review of this product because the xBox360 version of this title includes more tables including the classic "Medieval Madness" machine, which is one of the most expensive pinball machines ever made. It's really a shame that the producers have chosen to release multiple configurations of a game under the same title, yet have different features and functionality, and for this reason, I would advise against buying this product. Want the new tables including MM? Well you're out of luck on all other platforms except xBox. Booooooo!

This review is for the PSP version.

Being a huge pinball fan and having played all the tables featured in this game in real life, I can attest to how close they've managed to capture the gameplay and the feel. The only thing missing is a change machine that won't take my 1$ bill.

There are a few minor issues I have though... The documentation is kind of minimal. There are many dynamics of the games you simply have to figure out - not all the game logic is outlined and what is, is very shallow. The PSP display is very small and you cannot always make out the minute details of the game board. For example, if extra ball is lit, it may be very difficult to tell where the extra ball target is - you surely can't read a little "extra ball when lit" tag in the playfield. Also some of the physics are predictable. For example, when a ball is kicked out of a hole, there isn't any randomizing of its nature. If you know a ball will kick out of a hole and you can trap it on an up-turned flipper, you will always be able to do that. The velocity or angle of the ball coming out of the drop will always be the same. This would normally be a very bad thing, but since the playfield is so small on the PSP, it probably evens things out and gives you time to make more accurate shots so I don't mind it that much. There's also a bug with the plunger... sometimes if you pull the plunger so that it's not all the way back, it will still rocket forward as if it is pulled all the way back. Another annoyance is if you meet the table goal in the middle of a game, a big message is plastered across the playfield, obscuring your view, which usually results in the ball draining just as you've been told you're doing well. But the worst thing about the game is if you accidentally hit the start button during gameplay, the "do you want to quit this game" menu pops up, but the game is not suspended so if you happen to accidentally hit that button, you've probably lost your ball. It should suspend the game at least.

All in all though, this is a very good game and recommended for pinball fans. The main reason why I'm being critical is because this game does come very close to being the perfect pinball game for the PSP.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible bargain - great recreations of classic tables, March 3, 2008

By 

Downstream "downstream" (Oconomowoc, WI United States) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection (Video Game)

If you enjoy pinball, you really cannot beat this game for value and enjoyment. Some of the best tables of the past 30 years are on here. The sounds, the gameplay. This brought back some powerful memories of arcades during high school and college. Especially rare tables like Whirlwind and Funhouse. It was a treat to play those after not seeing those anywhere in more than 15 years. I hope Crave continues this series. I'll be first in line to buy any other pinball releases they come up with.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Best (and only?) Portable Pinball Sim I'm Aware Of, August 15, 2009

By 

Matthew T. Weflen "Matthew Weflen" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection (Video Game)

I get hooked on pinball every now and again. Lately, I've been playing the very good "Zen Pinball" from the Playstation Network. So I wanted more, and I wanted something I could take on the go with me. After seeing many positive reviews of this title, I took the plunge.

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection, promises realistic simulations of real pinball tables from the past catalog of Williams, probably the leading pinball company in the game's history (and a Chicago company, too).

The menu system of the game is an "arcade," presented in 3-d graphics, in which you can move from one machine to another. You have a set number of "credits," and some tables require a credit to play, some are set up for "free play." You earn additional credits by meeting various goals for each table. Then, you can purchase "free play" on other tables, as well as unlock various options for play (special balls, mirror tables, etc.)

The following ten tables are included:

Jive Time (1970) - A very simple table with few extraneous features. Probably the most "old-timey" of the group. This table is a real "drain monster" though, and has been set to 5-ball mode by default to compensate.

Gorgar (1979) - A relatively simple table with a few extras, such as a magnetic "snake pit." Well balanced and fun, but not overly complex.

Firepower (1980) - a simple but compelling table with a ball lock and a ramp. Well balanced, cool sound effects.

Black Knight (1980) - A fun, 4-flipper multilevel playfield with several ramps and two ball locks for multi-ball. Lots of fun.

Space Shuttle (1984)- A fun table with an adjustable word slot array, two ball catches, two ramps, a space shuttle model, and a bonus readout on the table. Midway between the very complex tables and the more simple ones.

Sorcerer (1985) - some cool ramps and an fun adjustable drop target make this a pretty fun table. The arrangement of targets is quite a bit of fun to hit.

Pin*Bot (1987) - This table is a lot of fun. A Robotic "visor" lifts up during the game, allowing you to lock balls into the eye sockets for later multiball use. Several ramps and a skillshot mechanic off the plunger make this one a keeper.

Taxi (1988)- This talking table strikes a nice balance between simplicity and gimmicks. A skillshot spiral is off the plunger, a two way ramp goes around the top, and two ballcatchers are on the sides. This one is good simple fun.

Funhouse (1990)- a VERY fun table with loads of features. You work to advance a clock on the game field by hitting bumpers. A talking ventriloquist dummy gets whacked by the pinball and complains - if you advance the clock far enough, you can get the ball into his snoring mouth. Lots of ramps and special features, and a third flipper for multi-level play. Probably the best table in the game.

Whirlwind (1990) - Incredibly fun, up there with Funhouse. This talking table gives you warnings of hurricanes/tornadoes. A third flipper makes this a multi-level game. A lot of cool ramps litter this one, and the middle of the playfield features "storm" pinwheels that alter the path of the ball.

Check out the Internet Pinball Database (a great website!) for pictures and specs on each table. For nostalgia fans, the original sales flyer is viewable with each table. This is great - except you can't zoom in on them. Sigh. Good luck squinting to try and read the text.

High scores are kept for each table, but only 5 slots each. I kind of wish the more robust scoring of a PSN-style game were available. But I guess it's authentic.

****

Graphically, this game is a mixed bag. The table playfields look generally nice, though there are some jaggies to content with. The PSP's smaller screen is a bit too small in the normal orientation, but thankfully there is the option to turn the system 90 degrees and play in a better vertical orientation. The "arcade" itself is pretty rudimentary, almost PS1 level graphics.

Load times are very tolerable for a disc-based PSP game.

****

Music and sound effects are great. All the original voices and sound effects from the various tables are well represented. Cheesy metal (an authentic arcade touch) plays in the background of the arcade, but thankfully not during gameplay.

****

Controls are adequate, but not terrific. This is more a fault of the PSP system than the developers. table bumping and plungers are mapped to the analog nub, and it isn't always responsive. In Horizontal gameplay, the bumpers are mapped to the shoulders, pretty standard. In vertical, they are mapped to X and Triangle - which is fine, except that now the analog nub is way on the top of the system. I wish that user-mappable controls had been included so that we could all figure out our own best layout.

****

Overall, I love this game. I wish it had some more tables (something from before 1970 perhaps), and some more customizing options for controls. Due to these factors, I can't give it a perfect score. But you can't beat pinball for just the sort of gameplay that portables are made for - short, addicitive, pick up and play gaming.

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