However, my second match went far better. I hit several buttons, including jostling the analog stick, and my match came to an end. In fact my first match ended with a title because I was unsure what was going on when I was firing off some electronic pulses (you will see this in the video at the bottom). While I enjoy the video game elements in the Zen Pinball tables, they can be jarring at first, and that was the case here as well. Once you put a bit of time in, you start to understand where the points come from, and you can plan your shots accordingly. The first round or two with a table is all about learning what shots work and which ones will cost you a ball. Things start off quickly, almost a little overwhelmingly in truth. It fuses graphics with realistic pinball physics to create an addicting experience for pinball fans such as myself. You simply cannot do everything on some of these tables with a real life pinball table. Zen Pinball is a wonderful hybrid of physical tables and the video game platform. What is better is the detail that goes into the table itself. Less repetitive voice acting than some of the prior tables, pleasant music and visually colorful, entertaining graphics make the presentation around Ant Man a solid one. I was quite happy with the overall result. So I was excited to give the pinball table a shot.

Ant Man does not quite live up to those three in my mind, but with its focus on technology, smaller (pun intended) stakes and so much focus on a suit – it really reminded me of Iron Man for several reasons. Say what you will about some of the pacing in the stretch run, but it reminded me of the original Iron Man, which is arguably my favorite of the Marvel movies (with the two Captain America titles hanging right there with it). In Zen Pinball’s take, the chaotic nature of pinball replaces that precision with somewhat generic table design and a Portal paint job.I enjoyed the Ant Man movie. Portal is about exploration and experimentation, and the predictability of the portal gun is at the core of the gameplay. The biggest problem with the Portal pinball table is that even though it grasps the tone and atmosphere of the originals well, it can’t capture what makes them so fun. Inset tables are often my favorite part of any digital pinball game, but it’s this tiny flaw that makes the exciting reveal of the floor opening up to show off a new playfield that much less thrilling. When the floor opens up to reveal the Ratman’s den, the ball seems to suddenly become lead.

The ball’s movement is just as solid as in any other table by Zen Pinball, except for during the inlaid table section. It’s nice to get to skip out on the more generic ones, but their inclusion will leave you wondering why they were even there. Sadly, the interesting missions are undercut with generic ramp-hitting exercises. Upon completing every mission, you’ll get into a pretty challenging fight with GlaDOS herself. After your ball is locked into an elevator, you can select one of several different missions, and before long you’ll figure out the few that are your favorites. Redirecting lasers through portals by adjusting Discouragement Redirection Cubes with bumpers is inventive. Several of the game’s different missions are genuinely unique.

ATLAS and P-Body help you unlock multiballs, Stephen Merchant and Ellen McLain reprise their roles as Wheatley and Glados with a load of totally new dialogue, and Chell makes her way around the table as you complete goals. The source material has been combed through and all the best bits are present. That said, I never got the feeling that the game was a cash-in. While it would be a tall order to ask a pinball game to expand the universe put forward by Valve’s hit series, I was hoping that the Zen Pinball team would explore it in more depth. The table plays more like a Portal homage and less like a piece of the intricate story already laid out by its predecessor. You won’t be thinking with portals as much as you’ll be hitting ramps, elevators, and occasionally hopping through a pre-placed portal. When I heard that the team behind some of the best licensed digital pinball tables in history would be collaborating with Valve to make a Portal table, I was thrilled - and though Zen Pinball 2: Portal doesn’t try to change the game as much as I’d hoped a table based on a franchise that literally exploded my brain would, it delivers plenty of fanservice along with some inspired digital pinball bits for the wizards out there. I couldn’t comprehend anything that was happening in the video, I just knew that I needed to get my hands on it. When I saw the first trailer for Portal, my mind broke.

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