66 replies to this topic

[Cysma]

I've been playing this for a while, and I can say it's probably the best $20 I ever spent! It has simulations of real-life tables, and unlike Visual Pinball, they are fully 3D recreations. They all look true to life and have all the original sounds, programming, and backboard displays. It is available on the PS2, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360. Depending on the version you get, you have a different number of tables available.

All versions have these tables in common:
Gorgar
Firepower
Black Knight
Space Shuttle
Pin*Bot
Taxi
Whirlwind
Funhouse

The Wii, PS3, and 360 versions also have:
Jive Time
Sorcerer

And the best tables were saved for the PS3 and 360 versions:
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Medieval Madness
No Good Gofers

I've really been having a blast with this game (I have the 360 version). What do you all think?

[smakx]

Yes, I agree that this is an excellent title. It is the most played disk on my 360. Here is a link to a thread of a previous discussion on this site about this title if you want more people's opinions and insights:

http://www.vpforums....iams collection

Edited by smakx, 05 February 2010 - 09:24 PM.

[faralos]

xbox live arcade also has some good pins there too you have to buy them but most of them are worth it and they have rocky and bullwinkle!

[xman00073]

[b][size="5"]I Also Love The PSP Version Of The Pins. Now I Have Pinball Games To Go...

Attached Files

•  Pinball_Hall_of_Fame_The_Williams_Collection.jpg   26.07KB   35 downloads

[KloggMonkey]

I have the Wii version, been playing it off and on since Christmas. I probably could write a full review about it by now, but in general its okay.

VP's physics and gameplay are much better and at least from a Wii point of view and have much better graphics and sound.
I'm sure the 360 version has nicer graphics and the best tables as well(TOTAN, and MM) however still second to VP.

My biggest gripe is how easy most of the tables are which makes the replay value of the game go down. The wizard goals help replay but you can't complete the regular goals and wizard goals on the same game. For example on Pinbot if your first game goes to the Sun you only get the regular goal of making it to Jupiter since the wizard goal of making it to the Sun was not unlocked yet.
Another problem is that some challenges are way too hard or just pure luck, like the 20k bonus wizard goal in Jive Time.

Personally I don't like the Wii motion control for nudge it just has an awkward feel to me (shaking your fists instead of moving the front of a cab plus I can never seem to make it do what I want), and there is no option to change it to a button nudge.

I also wish the camera angles where a little better, the 'smart' cam makes you mess up and loose your ball from time to time, and the fixed cams make everything too small.
I also would have liked to have seen the high-score and match functions kept as they are in the actual pins, PBHoF's match game is too easy, and the bland high score entry looses some of the charm and coolness of entering it on the pinballs display.

Another bad idea was that the cabinet settings cannot be changed to make the game harder, easier, or what have you. Unlocking the settings on each pin once the wizard goals are completed would have been a much better unlock than crazy pinball designs(like I really want to play with a smile face as a pinball) and unlimited nudge(whats the point of playing then).

All that said I do think it is a fun game, a great value at around $20, and a great way to introduce people to pinball especially beginners who may need the practice on forgiving tables.

[Cysma]

Might as well post my high scores and goals completed. Would these be eligible for the high scores forum or is that Visual Pinball only?

Jive Time: 117,180 (Basic goals completed)
Gorgar: 825,910 (Basic goals completed)
Firepower: 1,191,170 (Wizard goals completed)
Sorcerer: 3,931,180 (Basic goals completed)
Pin*Bot: 3,673,380 (Basic goals completed)
Black Knight: 8,466,410 (Wizard goals completed)
Taxi: 7,135,560 (Basic goals completed)
Space Shuttle: 6,508,420 (Wizard goals completed)
Whirlwind: 25,129,500 (Basic goals completed)
Funhouse: 21,319,170
Tales of the Arabian Nights: 36,577,330
No Good Gofers: 44,047,520 (Basic goals completed)
Medieval Madness: 108,350,410 (Basic goals completed)

[ruby651]

I have the Wii version, been playing it off and on since Christmas. I probably could write a full review about it by now, but in general its okay.

VP's physics and gameplay are much better and at least from a Wii point of view and have much better graphics and sound.
I'm sure the 360 version has nicer graphics and the best tables as well(TOTAN, and MM) however still second to VP.

Couldn't agree more! It's a nice try at bringing pinball to the console masses, and the graphics are pretty great for the high-end consoles, but, overall, VP still rules. Much like FP, there's a lack of a really good viewing angle like the best VP tables (like JP's). It's hard to really enjoy the graphics when sitting across the room instead of playing VP right in front of the monitor. If VP had never existed, this would be one of the best ports of pinball to video game. Fortunately, we don't live in a world without VP!

Edited by ruby651, 06 February 2010 - 04:55 AM.

[KloggMonkey]

I'll have to look up my scores and post them up, but no way they can go in the high score forum for a few reasons.

1. Its not VP, and the tables play totally different... tables may play different between 360 and Wii versions even.
2. There is no way to confirm scores

However it will still be fun to post score here just for fun and track each others progress on the table goals.

Maybe someday a frontend for VP, FP, and MAME will come along with table goals and a limited number of credits like in this game. It would be like an arcade rpg of sorts.

[Shooby Doo]

Yeah, my scores on the 360 blow away what I can do in VP. My MM score is around 325 million, where in VP it's about 115 million. Every table is like this. They're loads of fun, but easy.

[Malenko]

I got it for 360, but I admit I suck at pinball in general but the games are fun. I even picked up the gottlieb collection for Wii

[Cysma]

I would like to say that The Williams Collection has a number of advantages over Virtual Pinball. The tables are fully 3D, and you can control the intensity of table nudges.

I would like to say that I beat my old high scores for Sorcerer and TOTAN by a HUGE margin! I even rescued the princess in TOTAN! This is my greatest pinball accomplishment yet!

[Shooby Doo]

In Pinbot I can't advance planets well at all. On the PS2 version you could hit it with the left flipper, but on the 360 it's by chance from the left slingshot. That's the only goal I have left.

[rudy111]

Have Played Funhouse in Mirror Mode on the Wii Version, its absoluty FAN-TAS-TIC


btw farlos you said you can get pins offa Xbox LIVE

How does it work, is it like VP?

[diskoboy]

Have Played Funhouse in Mirror Mode on the Wii Version, its absoluty FAN-TAS-TIC


btw farlos you said you can get pins offa Xbox LIVE

How does it work, is it like VP?

He's referring to the XBLA game Pinball FX.

It's a decent game, but no tables that were released in arcades, and the physics feel a bit too 'light' for my tastes. There's one table that is a virtual knockoff of Black Knight. And the Rocky & Bullwinkle table is NOT the Data East table.

[ruckage]

I really wanted the williams collection for 360 but as of yet no UK release date.

[gaminglord]

In Pinbot I can't advance planets well at all. On the PS2 version you could hit it with the left flipper, but on the 360 it's by chance from the left slingshot. That's the only goal I have left.

I have the PS2 version, and I have yet to figure out the correct angle to hit that danged advance planet spot consistantly. How do you make this shot?

[Malenko]

I got Pinball FX the other day on live, it comes with 3 tables and has a 4th for a free download, I also bought the Street Fighter II table thinking it was the same table as the pinball I played a few years ago, but its TOTALLY different and not that good at all.

[Pinbotic]

I got Pinball FX the other day on live, it comes with 3 tables and has a 4th for a free download, I also bought the Street Fighter II table thinking it was the same table as the pinball I played a few years ago, but its TOTALLY different and not that good at all.

I also looked into purchasing Pinball FX, but luckily I downloaded the demo first. I could tell from the start that the game was just not for me, especially with the wacky gameplay and over digitalization feel. Luckily, I read that The Williams Collection was coming to the 360 only a few days later. I then knew that I would never download Pinball FX. It looks like it had possibilities, but it never delivered.

[Malenko]

yeah I got the demo first too, and I bought it knowing it wasnt as good as the williams collection, but I really wanted to play the street fighter table so Im only out like $12.00 but my nephews will play it when they come over , so its not a total loss. Just one more reason to get my VirtuPin together

[ruby651]

PS3 owners have a much better option with Zen Pinball, available for download. All original tables. I've only played the demo table, but it was pretty decent. The full purchase includes 4 tables and customizable options for table slope, etc. Much better than Pinball FX.