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Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection
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Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Great old school pinball for young and old alike.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 10 and Up
The good stuff
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Educational value:
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What Parents Need to Know
This review of Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection was written by Harold Goldberg
Parents need to know that this is a collection of pinball games that's a joy to play. But it can be addicting. What stopped you from playing pinball when you were younger was money. But your children can play forever for $30 cost of this game. Most will play each game a few times for about 15 minutes. But those who want to win everything or want to get high scores may end up playing one, three-ball game for as long as an hour. This is a good game for parents and children to explore together.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about how pinball games used to be very popular in the pinball arcades. For parents, were pinball games the equivalent of video games that are so popular with the current generation? Do you thing the interactivity in pinball games had anything to do with the invention of video games? Which form of entertainment is more enjoyable, pinball or video games? Families can share tips about how to aim and how to get multiball.
More on Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection
What’s the Story?
PINBALL HALL OF FAME: THE WILLIAMS COLLECTION anthologizes some of the best and most challenging pinball games of the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Of the 10 games included, the most delightful includes "Funhouse." with its carnival theme; "Pinbot," with its science-fiction robot theme' and "Whirlwind," with its tornado theme.
Here, the Wiimote and Nunchuk act as your flippers and plunger. Shaking the Wiimote may save your ball from leaving the playfield. But shake too hard and you'll tilt the table. By winning at tables like Funhouse that start unlocked, you'll collect quarters, which will unlock the rest of the tables.
CloseIs It Any Good?
While the game's graphics come close to looking like the real thing and the environment feels like an old school pinball joint, the physics aren't quite as admirable. Sometimes, the ball moves too fast or moves weirdly. But that's a small gripe. Game play makes up for everything. For instance, once you carefully shoot a ball into the talkative dummy Rudy's mouth in Funhouse (to shut him up), you'll forget all about the minor physics issue.
Another plus of playing pinball inside a video game is that you can actually hear the sounds and music in the game, some of which is hummable like a jingle on TV. That is something that frequently goes unnoticed in a loud arcade. While there's no online play, up to four friends can compete during multiplayer at once. Since the game is easy to learn but hard to master, it just might see some of the popularity that Wii Sports has had. Mainly, though, The Williams Collection is a great way for parents and children to bond over playing a video game. The nice price, about $20 less than the average Wii game, is a real bonus.
ClosePublisher’s Details
Released on 02/26/2008, price $15-$30, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E10+ (for Animated Blood, Suggestive Themes)
ESRB rating: E10+ (for Animated Blood, Suggestive Themes)
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
betsabe
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
(PS2 Version) Good Game
This game was given to the boys of our household, so I can't really say much about it. I don't know what it was like to go to an olden day pinball place either. When I did play it though, some of the words were muffled, like on Whirlwind and Fun house. I did enjoy it a little though.
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