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Marvel's Venom infects Zen Pinball games next month
Zen Studios announced a new table for its pinball games based on the popular villain from Marvel's Spider-Man universe, Venom. The table explores Venom's rivalry with Spider-Man as well as Carnage, the offspring of the dark Symbiote, hosted by the first of Venom's victims from the webbed superhero's comics, Eddie Brock. As with Zen Studios' other tables, the add-on will launch for multiple Zen Pinball and Pinball FX games on December 10 and December 11. It will cost $2.99 (€2.99/£2.49) for Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball FX 2 players on PS4, PS3, Vita, PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Wii U. Those playing Zen Pinball, Zen Pinball HD and Marvel Pinball on iOS and Android will need to pay $1.99 (€1.79/£1.49) to access the Venom table in those games. [Image: Zen Studios]
KickBeat Special Edition now fighting to Xbox One's beat
KickBeat Special Edition is now fighting through waves of enemies to the beat of music on Xbox One for $9.99, following its bouts on PS4 and Wii U earlier this month (and January's Steam Edition). Expanding on Pinball FX 2 developer ZEN Studios' departure from flippers and bumpers, KickBeat's "Special Edition" bit comes from extra stages that weren't in its 2013 launch on PS3 and Vita. No worries if you're not big on KickBeat Special Edition's setlist (also listed after the break) though – there's also a tool to generate levels to your own songs. Senior Reporter Jess Conditt fought off KickBeat's menacing crowds of thugs during Gamescom 2012, describing success against its mounting complexity as "extremely satisfying." If a glimpse of gameplay could give you a better sense of what's in store, a trailer for Special Edition is awaiting you after the break. [Image: ZEN Studios]
CastleStorm: Definitive Edition catapults to Xbox One, PS4 next week
If you missed out on CastleStorm's multiplatform launch last year, you'll have the chance to catch up next week with an expanded edition premiering for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, developer Zen Studios announced today. CastleStorm: Definitive Edition bolsters its physics-driven tower defense gameplay with a visually updated 1080p presentation and a collection of new gameplay modes and features not found in the original release. The package also includes the "From Outcast to Savior" and "Warrior Queen" expansions, both previously released as DLC for the PlayStation 3 and other platforms. CastleStorm: Definitive Edition will be available for $9.99 when it hits the PlayStation 4 on September 23 and the Xbox One on September 24. [Image: Zen Studios]
KickBeat Special Edition hitting PS4, Wii U next week
An upgraded Special Edition of beat-matching rhythm game KickBeat is coming to the PlayStation 4 and Wii U next week, developer Zen Studios announced today. Putting players at the center of a kung-fu brawl, KickBeat's gameplay is driven by the beat of featured tracks like POD's "Boom," Papa Roach's "Last Resort," and Rob Zombie's "Scum of the Earth." The Special Edition release includes additional levels not featured in last year's initial release for the PS3 and PS Vita, along with a music-analyzing feature that generates levels based on user-chosen tracks. KickBeat Special Edition is due to launch for the PlayStation 4 on September 16, while the Wii U version premieres on the 18th. An Xbox One port is also in the works. [Image: Zen Studios]
Zen Studios latest pinball table summons the Walking Dead
The silver ball maestros at Zen Studios have unleashed another meticulously designed table, this time within the horrific universe of Telltale's The Walking Dead adventure game. Despite its non-linear nature - pinball rarely adheres to a structured narrative - the table does a solid job of using skill shots and careful ball management to retell key story moments from the first season of Telltale's beloved The Walking Dead. Zen Studios was even able to get the original voice cast from the game to record new lines for the Walking Dead pinball table. Most crucially, the table is periodically littered with ambulatory corpses that, in proper Walking Dead spirit, must be avoided or, if you've got no other options, destroyed. Like all Zen Studios tables, The Walking Dead is DLC content available on a number of platforms. Today marks the table's debut on the PlayStation 3, PS4 and Vita, while PC, Mac, Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners will have to wait until tomorrow. Those playing Zen Studios' pinball games on Android and iOS will have a chance to relive the adventures of Lee and Clementine on August 28. While you wait, take a look at the trailer past the break. [Image: Zen Studios]
Pinball FX2 launches for Xbox One with table transfer feature
Zen Studios has released an Xbox One version of Pinball FX2, bringing its collection of dozens of previously released tables to Microsoft's latest console. Previously pegged for a July premiere, the Xbox One version of Pinball FX2 was delayed in order to implement a fan-requested table transfer feature, allowing players to import content purchased in the Xbox 360 version of Pinball FX2. Pinball wizards can consult this FAQ for assistance regarding the import process. Pinball FX2 arrives on the Xbox One as a free download, with multiple tables based on Star Wars and the Marvel universe available for purchase separately. [Image: Zen Studios]
Guardians of the Galaxy sets Marvel Pinball free on iOS
To celebrate Zen Studios' new table modeled after Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy, the virtual pinball developer is now offering the iOS version of Marvel Pinball at no charge. Like all of Zen's recent pinball games, Marvel Pinball is less a game itself, and more a shell that DLC tables can be bolted onto via in-app purchases. Those tables are usually priced at $2 each, but the gratis game also includes the Avengers table Zen released in 2012. If you're intrigued by this offer, don't put off downloading Marvel Pinball. This discount is only available for the next week, after which Marvel Pinball will return to its standard $1 price. [Image: Zen Studios]
Pinball FX2 delayed on Xbox One, devs adding table transfers
Pinball FX2 won't be pulling plungers and flipping flippers on July 31 after all, developer Zen Studios announced on its blog. But before you go full tilt on the comments section, know that it's for a good reason: Zen Studios is using the extra development time to implement table transfers so that players who purchased a table for the Xbox 360 version of FX2 will be able to move that table to the Xbox One, free of charge. Zen Studios doesn't expect the implementation of the feature to take long, as the Pinball FX2 release date has only been pushed back to "sometime in August," nebulous though that date may be. "We do apologize for the delay while we create the Pinball FX2 experience that our fans both want and deserve," the Zen Studios blog reads. "We're excited to bring Pinball FX2 to Xbox One owners, to have their previous purchases honored and transferred, and we can't wait to share with you what we've got coming in the future." [Thanks, Kraig!] [Image: Zen Studios]
The Guardians of the Galaxy are pinball wizards in Zen Pinball 2
You're going to see a whole lot more of Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Gamora, Drax and Star-Lord - AKA The Guardians of the Galaxy - very soon. We already knew that the rag-tag group of renegades would bring daring adventures to theaters, Disney Infinity 2.0, and Marvel: Avengers Alliance, but now we can add virtual pinball tables to that list. A Guardians of the Galaxy-themed table will be available for Zen Pinball 2 on PS3, PS4 and Vita starting July 29, and for $2.99 you can bring together all five of the starbound heroes as they battle Ronan the Accuser using the most powerful weapon in the galaxy: friendship a giant laser cannon pinball. [Image: Zen Studios]
Pinball FX2 rolls on Xbox One July 31
Pinball FX2 is ubiquitous across nearly all devices (check your toaster, it's probably on there too!), so consider us flippering surprised when we got an email this morning saying it was coming to Xbox One on July 31. It wasn't there already? Apparently not! As is standard, Pinball FX2 is a free downloadable platform, with various add-on tables available for a few dollars apiece – though the download on Xbox One does include the Sorcerer's Lair table for free. The game will launch with "nearly the entire Pinball FX2 library," according to developer Zen Studios. This includes all Star Wars Pinball table packs, all Marvel Pinball tables, Plants vs. Zombies (super fun!) and original Zen tables.
Deadpool makes splash in Zen Pinball next week
Even the fourth wall isn't safe anymore in Zen Studio's upcoming pinball table featuring Deadpool, Marvel's Merc with a Mouth who was portrayed by Ryan Reynolds in one of his finest superhero roles. In the Zen Pinball 2 table available next week, Deadpool's manic highs and emotion-mining lows will be portrayed by Nolan North, reprising the voice from the video game. What, Ryan Reynolds was too busy? Nobody understands Ryan Reynolds. Deadpool understands Ryan Reynolds. Deadpool is Ryan Reynolds. Yeah, yeah, that's what it is. [Image: Zen Studios]
Zen Studios creating The Walking Dead pinball table
Zen Studios is developing a table inspired by Telltale Games' The Walking Dead series for its pinball games. The table will launch across console, mobile and PC versions of Pinball FX 2 and Zen Pinball 2 this summer. The table will "bring the story and choice-driven gameplay" of the game's first season to the pinball series, complete with original dialogue from The Walking Dead's cast. Zen Studios' undead pinball table will offer locations based on Telltale's first five episodes, including Clementine's treehouse, Everett's pharmacy and "down the tracks to the walker-infested streets of Savannah." As the game rolls on, players will need to choose who lives and who dies during a zombie attack, search for food and supplies and improve their group's morale, not unlike the decisions they were pressed with in The Walking Dead as well. Zen Studios issued a brief teaser trailer that shows series stars Clementine and Lee as well as the table itself. [Image: Zen Studios]
Yoda is in deep Sith in Zen Studios' latest Star Wars Pinball table
While it lacks the upbeat chirping of an ambulatory trashcan, the "Masters of the Force" table is yet another sterling homage to the Star Wars universe from the virtual pinball masters at Zen Studios. [Image: Zen Studios]
Four new tables join Star Wars Pinball on April 29
Zen Studios continues to expand its nigh-ubiquitous virtual pinball offerings with the April 29 debut of four additional tables for Star Wars Pinball. Included in the quartet of tables, collectively dubbed "Heroes Within," are Han Solo, Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope, Star Wars Pinball: Masters of the Force, and, newly-revealed today, Star Wars Pinball: Droids. As its name suggests, that last one is a table focused on the adventures of R2D2 and C3PO. While you'd think an effete stereotype and a beeping trash can would live sedate lives, as the trailer above demonstrates, our plucky metallic duo must contend with Jawas and inexplicably dangerous machinery while attempting to escape the iconic Sandcrawler. Though no price has been assigned to the Heroes Within DLC, Zen Studios notes that these four tables will be available to all Star Wars Pinball platforms on April 29. [Image: Zen Studios]
Star Wars Pinball taps Episode 4 - A New Hope for its latest table
While you'll have to wait a bit for the official debut of Zen Studios' pinball table based on Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope, the developer offers the above primer demonstrating just how faithfully it has captured the beloved film in its trademark world of bumpers, lights and rolling metal balls. [Image: Zen Studios]
Star Wars Pinball shoots first with four new tables
Zen Studios' pinball tables featuring the Star Wars universe aren't done yet. The "Heroes Within" pack includes four new tables featuring Han Solo, Droids!, Episode IV A New Hope and Masters of the Force. The new pack will be available on the free Zen Studios pinball platforms on... um, like, almost everything. Xbox Live Arcade, all current Sony platforms, Steam, iOS, Google Play, Amazon and OSX. The galaxy far, far away is flippin' multiplatform. [Image: Zen Studios]
Zen Studios bringing KickBeat and CastleStorm to next-gen, Pinball FX2 to Xbox One
Zen Studios announced a slate of new releases coming to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this year, showcasing upgraded ports of KickBeat and CastleStorm alongside the Xbox One debut of Pinball FX2. KickBeat, originally released for the PlayStation 3 and Vita last year, features beat-matching rhythm gameplay wrapped in an acrobatic kung-fu aesthetic. The updated KickBeat: Special Edition will feature additional levels and a music-analyzing feature that allows players to create playable levels based on tracks from their own library. CastleStorm: Definitive Edition boasts a similar upgrade, offering new battles, modes, and spells not seen in last year's multiplatform release. Pinball FX2 will hit the Xbox One with a collection of previously-released tables based on the Marvel and Star Wars licenses, along with upcoming machines inspired by "new, unannounced IPs." A compilation of Zen's previous pinball efforts premiered for the PlayStation 4 and Wii U last year in Zen Pinball 2, and new tables will debut across all supported platforms. [Image: Zen Studios]
Wii U sees Star Wars Pinball, CastleStorm expansions this week
Zen Studios will launch two expansions for Wii U on March 13: Balance of the Force for Star Wars Pinball and The Warrior Queen for CastleStorm. Balance of the Force runs $10 in the eShop, and The Warrior Queen doesn't have a set price, but it costs $3 on Steam. Balance of the Force includes three new pinball tables – Return of the Jedi, a Darth Vader table and Starfighter Assault. The Return of the Jedi table pits The Rebellion against the Sith and its Death Star, the Darth Vader table has players embrace the dark side of the Force, and the Starfighter Assault table includes the X-wing, TIE Fighter, Millenium Falcon and Death Star 2. Castlestorm's The Warrior Queen introduces a new Viking Elite troop class, and new weapons including Meteor Showers, Exploding Barrels, Stormbringers, Golem Hostages and Frozen Swordfish. Plus, it throws in 20 more levels and fresh achievements. Both of these bundles launched previously on other consoles and PC. [Image: Zen Studios]
CastleStorm: Free to Siege crashing into mobile this spring
Zen Studios' hybrid tower defense game and physics puzzler CastleStorm is making its iOS and Android debut later this spring as a free-to-play game. Rechristened CastleStorm: Free to Siege, the upcoming mobile port features four playable nations, each of which boasts its own campaign across a total of 150 included levels. Free to Siege includes new spell types not seen in the game's previous console and Steam releases, and offers a redesigned control scheme suited for touch screens. Players looking to join the siege early can sign up for a private beta on Android platforms. [Image: Zen Studios]
Soccer and pinball combine in upcoming Super League Football table
Zen Studios unveiled the latest addition to its lineup of video pinball tables this week, announcing that the soccer-themed Super League Football is coming soon to Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball FX 2. Inspired by Williams' real-world 1994 table World Cup Soccer, Super League Football pairs pinball mechanics with sports-themed challenges and gameplay modes. The table features a lineup of international soccer clubs, and players will compete for rank in global and club-specific leaderboards. Super League Football will premiere soon as a downloadable table for Pinball FX 2 on Xbox Live Arcade, Steam and Windows 8, and will join Zen Pinball 2's playable lineup on the PlayStation 4, PS3, PS Vita, Wii U, and iOS and Android devices. A release date has not been announced.
