Mile High Pinball Reviewed
Pocket Gamer have chimed in with their review of Mile High Pinball for the N-Gage platform. They give a good overview of the different play modes and the power-ups. Here’s a snip:
“Power-ups are plentiful and varied. Some simply boost your points, cash or the damage caused by your ball, while others trigger slow-motion, turn your ball into a rocket that shoots up, block the bottom of the screen to stop your ball falling down, make a shop appear on demand, and a host of other effects.”
Go ahead and read the rest. Did you agree or disagree with the review? Let us know what you think of the game.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I think Pocket Gamer’s review totally misses the point of MHP when it says “Through clever purchasing of power-ups you can make it a bit easier, but that’s not an excuse. Why not make the core game easier?”
The clever use of power-ups IS the core game, just like it is in something like Super Mario Kart or Worms World Party or Lemmings. You have to experiment with the bonuses different abilities in order to appreciate how much depth the game has. MHP not just a game of skill, it’s a game of strategy.
May 18th, 2008 at 2:20 am
hey ikona there is a problem
i haven’t still got the activation key of Mile High Pinball.
(by filling the survey form.)
please help..
mail>>money.august@gmail.com
May 18th, 2008 at 3:47 am
@anubhav the codes haven’t be sent yet, we’ll have to wait for the next week.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:41 am
Hey Krisse,
I wrote the review for Pocket Gamer, so I thought I’d chime in on why I don’t think it missed the point ;o)
Which is… you’re (judging by the link) someone who reviews games, as am I. But N-Gage is supposed to be targeting a much wider base - of people who would see Mile High Pinball and expect a fun, accessible pinball game without necessarily getting into the nitty gritty of purchasing the right power-ups for use at the right time to progress.
Having thrust my phone into the hands of a couple of friends while reviewing MHP, they both got frustrated with the level design quite quickly. And I was frequently enraged by some levels myself.
And I think this ties into a wider issue, that MHP, System Rush and Space Impact are all too hard, and too frustrating for the casual gamers that N-Gage Mk. II needs to attract (and that Nokia says it wants to attract).
It should be possible to make a game that’s fun to play through for casual gamers, yet provides lasting challenge for keener gamers chasing the biggest score, fastest time, unlocking all the secret bits or whatever. Super Mario Kart does that really well, but I don’t think Mile High Pinball nails it.
7 is still a good score, recognising the challenge and depth the game provides for more experienced gamers. But Nokia and reviewers alike should be looking beyond that core audience, surely?
May 20th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Yo opino,que es un gran juego,en la primera N.gage disfrute como un niño,ahora con este seguro que tambien.
si los juegos de ngage son duros pues mejor,yo pago por ellos para que duren mas de 2 dias.si son faciles o sencillos ngage no tendria valor!!
Dicen “jugador ocasional” pero saben(nokia) que el jugador ocasional NO es quien paga 10 euros por un juego;yo NO me considero ocasional,pienso que nGage a de ser mi consola de juegos…si tengo n95 ngage sera n95,si tengo n96,ngage sera n96….es perfecto!!
no me gusta PSP(para tenerla no la usaria)no me gustan las consolas de sobremesa.
el juego es gratis rellenando una encuesta?soy español y el idioma me hace perderme ofertas!!!pago todo!!!buaaaaaaa….
May 21st, 2008 at 3:49 am
Stu,
I totally agree about aiming for a wider base, I’ve been calling for it for many years now. It’s not just important in phone games but console games too, look at the overwhelming success of the Wii and DS compared to their more hardcore rivals. Who would have believed that a puppy simulator would be one of the best-selling console games ever?
I’m also one of the few people to actually applaud Gameloft for including stuff like Brain Challenge and Block Breaker on the N-Gage platform, because they’re extremely easy to get started with, they require no previous knowledge at all. I could imagine practically anyone playing these two games, because they have very general appeal.
However, I do still think you’re missing the point of MHP.
Something like Lemmings is undoubtely a mainstream game with mass appeal, but you wouldn’t dream of playing it without paying very close attention to the bonuses. If you did play Lemmings without the bonuses, you would also get frustrated with the level design because the lemmings would keep dying or get stuck.
MHP follows a Lemmings-like gameplay principle, you use the bonuses to get past sections where the ball just can’t cope on its own, and ration the bonuses carefully so you don’t waste them where they aren’t needed.
I think the problem is that people see MHP in action and think “MHP = Pinball” so they try and play it like a conventional pinball table, which is totally the wrong approach. One thing that is definitely a valid criticism is that the game doesn’t explain itself in this regard.
What’s probably needed in MHP is a better introductory level so that you get the concept of using the bonuses. It should force you to use the bonuses, just like Lemmings does: the first Lemmings screen forces you to use diggers, the second forces you to use steps etc. Once you’ve got the different skills mastered, then you could move onto the proper game.
If Lemmings had dumped you straight into the complicated levels, it probably wouldn’t have been such a hit among mainstream gamers, and that’s perhaps MHP’s mistake.