Pinball Dreams now available on iPhone and iPod Touch

[Vesuri]

The classic Amiga title Pinball Dreams has been ported to the iPhone and the iPod Touch by Cowboy Rodeo and is now available from the iTunes App Store as Pinball Dreaming: Pinball Dreams!




The port features all the original tables, graphics, music and gameplay. It also features remastered graphics (optional) and playing in both landscape and portrait. There's a review with a video at Touch Arcade.

Pinball Dreams
Cowboy Rodeo
Pinball Dreaming: Pinball Dreams

[orb85750]

So is this the regular version or the AGA version that was ported?  (or am I confusing with Pinball Fantasy/sies?)

[warpdesign]

You're confusing: there's no AGA version of this game. This is based on the original (OCS) version: the author used the ASM sources and all graphics, but graphics have been enhanced to make use of the updated color palette of the iPhone. You can switch to original 32 colour graphics though...

[alexatkin]

This would be excellent if it wasn't on iPhone.  I just can't imagine pinball with a touch screen as input.  

I have tried many games on touch screen phones and they never work IMO.  You need tactile feedback for most games, especially pinball.  Even though the iPhone has the best touch screen of any phone, its still not going to feel right as you cant rest your fingers on the screen ready for quick reactions, like you can on buttons.

The only thing stopping me buying the iPhone is the lack of buttons.  I am a HUGE fan of touch screens, but not as the only input method.

Why oh why couldn't they port this to ANYTHING but iPhone.  I would buy it on Xbox 360, I would buy it on PS3, I would buy it on Windows Mobile, I may even buy it on PSP.  

I did buy it on GBA however but they screwed it up by missing a save game chip so hiscores did not save making it pointless.

[motorollin]

@alexatkin
I have played lots of games on the iPhone and I find the touch screen works really well. In particular, Cubes, Galcon, Rolando, Scramboni, Topple and WordPop. I don't see the lack of tactile feedback as a problem as long as there is audible feedback. Playing a game like Rolando is a bit weird without any sound. With the sound on, you can get really good, fine control over the characters on screen and I find the touch interface a pleasure to use.

However, I see your point about pinball games, where you want your fingers resting on the keys to allow lightning fast reactions. You could hover your thumbs just above the screen, but this could become tiresome.

I might download Pinball Dreams and give it a go. Hopefully they will also port Pinball Fantasies!

--
moto

[motorollin]

Well I have just downloaded this and given it a try.

Pros:
- Music and sounds are perfect - exactly like the original.
- Graphics are lovely - better than the original.
- Tables are just like the original
- You tilt by shaking the iPhone :-)
- Hi-scores are saved
- Controls are actually really nice. You can tap anywhere on the left side of the screen to trigger the left flipper and likewise for the right. It's not hard to jab the screen to get a fast response. Playing in landscape makes the controls even better as there are black bars down the sides (so you're not tapping on the table itself)

Cons:
- The first time I loaded it, it was lagging a bit. I restarted my iPhone and it's ok now. Time will tell whether this is a long-term problem, though if it is it's a problem with the port (or the performance of the phone) rather than the control system.

Overall I think this is a really nice

[beller]

Good review, Moto.  I agree with your points.  I purchased the game yesterday and ran the battery to the red zone playing.  Great great port!

I didn't run into the lag problem, but then I'm running it on an iPod Touch first gen.

Bob

[x303]

Looks good. Shame that it on an iPhone. The images are just too small. :headwall:

[motorollin]

x303 wrote:
Looks good. Shame that it on an iPhone. The images are just too small

I'm not sure why you think that. The iPhone screen is one of the largest of all mobile gaming devices and has one of the highest resolutions. The game looks great on the iPhone screen!

iPhone:         3.5", 480x320
Nintendo DS:      3.0", 256x192
Sony PSP:      4.3", 480x272
GP2X:         3.5", 320x240
HTC Dream/G1:   3.2", 480x320
Nokia N91:      3.5", 640x360

[Hammer]

HTC Touch HD
480 x 800 WVGA resolution

[blakespot]

HTC Touch HD
480 x 800 WVGA resolution

Yea.  And look at the accessibility of both the iPhone's store and dev kit vs. that of Windows mobile devices...

No comparison.

[motorollin]

Hammer wrote:
HTC Touch HD
480 x 800 WVGA resolution

Well, I said *one of* the largest and highest-resolution screens, not *the* largest and highest resolution. Sure there are devices with better screens and physical buttons, but I do wonder how many of the people who are criticising the graphics and control method have actually played the game :roll:

--
moto

[zombi]

It looks great! I should give it a try.