Overview – developed by Sinomod studios and published by Eastasiasoft, Roxy Raccoon’s Pinball Panic is an arcade style pinball adventure retelling the story of Roxy Raccoon platform game. Take on the pinball challenge across a range of tables, with challenging layouts and unlock cosmetics that can be used to customize the furry hero. This title is available on all console platforms, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Roxy Raccoon’s Pinball Panic used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting off with the story. Please not that I will be referring to the game as Roxy Pinball for the sake of brevity.
Story – when a power hungry witch spreads dark magic across the peaceful land, Roxy Raccoon sets out with her friends to stop the darkness. This adventurous young Raccoon cub uses her special powers to roll across the different lands, challenging the witch in a battle of wits and pinball prowess. While travelling the land, help friends and save those in need, while battling the witch and her malevolent bunnies as you seek to foil her wicked schemes.
Gameplay – Roxy Pinball is an arcade style pinball adventure, offering several gameplay modes for players to challenge. The main game mode is the Story mode, where players challenge nine unique tables, each with their own unique features and style of play. In each of the story mode stages, the player must complete the various table challenges to score points racking up the highest score possible. To clear the stage, the player must meet a target score.
When starting a run on a table, the player is given 3 Lives (balls) to reach their target score. In order to achieve this goal, the player will need to complete the table challenges to get the big point bonuses. These features range from hitting destructible targets, hitting spinners and bumpers a set number of times, alongside mini tables that can activate special features. The best way to hit the target scores are the multipliers, starting at 2X and going up to 10X.
As well as the multipliers, the player can activate table features like multi-ball, extra lives and ball saver, which will help prolong the action for the player. The features will vary with the different tables, some will have multi-ball, others will have extra lives and some even have both. Most tables will have some form of ball saver, which can be recharged on some tables saving the player when lit. The target score for each of the tables varies, with some as high as 1.7 million points.
On the story mode tables there are gems that can be picked up, with a secret gem being uncovered when all of them have been picked up. When this has been picked up, the player will unlock a new cosmetic for Roxy, including fur trails, hats and more. Last we have the Roxy Assist controls, which allow the player to adjust the movement of the Roxy Ball, steering them to the left and right. This feature can also be used in a secondary game mode (discussed below).
Alongside the story mode, there are additional gameplay modes that the player will be able to enjoy, offering a range of challenges for players to enjoy. Here is a breakdown of the extra game modes that players can enjoy;
- Classic Pinball – get 3 balls to earn the highest score you can on any of the tables that have been unlocked, with new tables that can be opened by beating score challenges.
- Roxy Assist – go for the high score like in Classic mode, but with the ability to steer Roxy the Raccoon. Perfect for those who need a little help with their pinballing.
- Score Attack – earn as many points as possible in 90 seconds with unlimited lives, once the timer expires its game over.
- Time Attack – with unlimited balls, try to hit the target score for the table in the fastest time possible, the faster the better.
- Survival – you have 1 life and a multi-ball, get as many points as you can without going in the gutter, Extra life and Ball saver is disabled in this mode.
- Rapid Ryan’s Arcade – play a selection of arcade games, including Pachinko and Skee-Ball style games, along with some action mini-games. Go for the high score in these fun bonuses.
The final part of the gameplay of Roxy Pinball to discuss is the overall game feel, as that is the most important part of a pinball game. The ball physics work well for the most part, with the ball being reactive as it bounces off the bumpers and table elements. However, there are times where the momentum system can work against the player. This can cause the ball to go down the centre of the table or go wide into gutters, this can be frustrating during play.
Then we have the tables, which can be fairly traditional with two flippers and side gutters, which is what is what people usually expect. But with this release, there are some very unique tables which will have multiple lanes, flippers and additional gutters that will throw players for a loop. These tables can be very challenging as they are very different from the norm, giving players a vastly different experience from what they may otherwise expect.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other elements of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – the control system for this release is easy to pick up, with the flippers set to the front shoulder buttons and the plunger on the X button. The other face buttons are for the nudge mechanic, but don’t nudge too much or you tilt. Then there is the camera button and the Roxy Assist on the left thumbstick. These inputs feel reactive for the majority of play, but occasionally the flippers can feel a little delayed in high packed moments.
Difficulty – the difficulty of this title is related to the general skill level of the player, but it can feel unfair for even the most hardcore pinball fans. Some of the table score challenges can feel a little impossible, but all of the score targets are attainable, it may just take a few attempts to learn the best way to get points. The biggest aspect of the challenge comes with the unique tables, which can throw players off their game, with some having flippers in the unconventional positions.
Presentation – visually, the game does have a low poly look to it, but I feel that adds to the experience as an arcade style pinball game. The designs of the tables have an old school look to them, with the different elements and effects that they have. There are no issues with performance which is needed for a game like this. The sound for this game is pleasant, with a good variety to the music and there is a voiced announcer on the tables, which can be changed in some modes.
Final Thoughts – I do enjoy a good pinball game, so this title was very attractive to me, having fond memories of games like Digital Pinball – Last Gladiator and Devil Crash MD. When this was available to review, I jumped on the opportunity to cover it. That being said, my experience did have some highs and lows, with the minor issues with momentum and the high scores needed for clearing stages caused some frustration. But I did enjoy my time with the game.
There are some flaws with the ball physics, leading to the ball going straight down the table or over the edge of bumpers. This can be frustrating for players and feel unfair, but that is how it can be when it comes to pinball games. I can easily recommend this game to fans of pinball games, as there is a lot of content on offer in this release, as there is a good variety of tables. There are also plenty of bonus games and extra challenges for players to enjoy.
In the end, I give Roxy Raccoon’s Pinball Panic a final score of 3.5/5. This is a fun and challenging arcade style pinball game, with a good variety of tables ranging from the mundane to the fantastical. There is plenty of content to enjoy, a lot of bonus tables and all for a very agreeable price. If you want to check it out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
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