Parents' Guide to Bethesda Pinball

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Free to try , Paid Arcade Games
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Common Sense Media Review

Paul Semel By Paul Semel , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Enjoyable, inventive spin on pinball based on popular games.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Bethesda Pinball: screenshot #1: Doom
  • Bethesda Pinball: screenshot #2: Fallout
  • Bethesda Pinball: screenshot #3: The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

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Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Unclear whether personal information are shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.
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What's It About?

BETHESDA PINBALL is a stand-alone collection of three virtual pinball tables that are inspired by the sci-fi shooter Doom, the fantasy adventure game The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, and the postapocalyptic adventure games in the Fallout series. While they don't have stories of their own, being pinball machines, they do incorporate narrative elements -- as well as visual elements, sound design elements, and gameplay elements -- from their respective games.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

With realistic but creative tables inspired by popular titles, this arcade simulation is as fun for pinball fans as it is for lovers of the original games. Made by the people behind Zen Pinball (for which you can also buy these tables), Bethesda Pinball is a stand-alone app that presents a trio of virtual pinball tables that pair realistic physics and sound effects with unrealistic mechanics. So while the ball rolls around like it would on a real table, and sounds like it as well, the tables have physically impossible mechanics. For instance, the Skyrim table has a dragon flying over it, and he occasionally sets the table on fire. All three also have plenty of fan service that goes beyond the visuals and sound effects, such as how Fallout and Skyrim have you create a character whose attributes slightly affect the gameplay. As for how they compare, the best of the bunch is Doom, which is the most elaborate and challenging. But while the other two are less complex, they're still engaging, as them being relatively unencumbered means the balls move quickly around the table. All of which is why, like this app's counterparts on console and PC, the tables in Bethesda Pinball will be hard to walk away from.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about budgeting your money. This game gives you the option to buy all three tables or to spend money to play them a couple times, but what are the advantages and disadvantages to both, and which do you think works best for you?

  • Talk about the history of video games. How do you think pinball games led us to arcade games?

  • Discuss physics. How does pinball use physics? What can it teach us about physics?

App Details

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