Product: SlamTilt Resurrection
Developer: Ganymede Technologies
Publisher: 21st Century Entertainment
Estimated Release Date: 4th Quarter 1999
Misc Facts: 2 tables, 3 table views (3D Full Screen, 2D Scrolling, 3D Scrolling), Lots of screen resolutions (640x480 and up)

I received my preview copy of SlamTilt Resurrection (STR) yesterday and have been playing it quite a bit since then!! STR comes on two cds, one for each table, each table works as a separate installation. A full installation of each table is on 580mb (a normal installation is on 80mb). It seems a full installation doesn't require the installation cd to be in the drive any more afterwards (don't know if it will be like this in the final version). Once I'd installed STR I ofcourse started it, the ball momvement were mildly put jerky, turning off the ball lighting effects etc seemed to cure most of the problem though. The minimum requirements for STR is a p200 with 32mb ram, I have a p133 with 64mb ram... Anyway without all the ball effects the pinball floated quite good in single and multiball, though I do notice my old p133 needs to be upgraded. ;)

Physics

The physics of the pinball is actually quite good, the feeling isn't perfect or "super realistic" though. Some shots were hard to make and simple hold passes or death/live catches were very very hard to pull of. I could do something similar to a hold pass with a little practise but it didn't go all to smooth. Some shots were as I mentioned hard to pull off, I don't mean there are any shots that are impossible to make because the flipper simply wont shoot a ball in that direction, I think it was more a combination of the acting of the flippers and me ;). I also found it hard to make any small ball manouvers, like "tap" the flipper and thus flip the ball away lightly. I got more or less used to the flippers and the ball though and found I could play the table and feel I had some control over the balls movements etc. There were no extremely weird unnatural ball accelerations or strange ball movements that I got annoyed at, overall I was quite happy with the physics and feld I had a certain control over the ball when playing. Still the physics can be worked on a lot more, they're not exactly in the leauge of i.e timeshock! which I still hold as my favourite pinball but STR is still a very decent simulation. Take notice that it is possible to select different types of flippers (hard, fast, smooth, the flipper performs differently depending on which type you select, I played with the default selected flipper), you can also change lots of things for the ball (how it will act when hitting different materials etc).

Demon & Pirate

The tables then, there is as I've mentioned two tables included with STR, Demon and Pirate. Demon is in my opinion by far the better of the two. I'll start with the Demon table.

The Demon Table

   The demon table theme is build up on demons and the evil forces in the universe. The table features modes where you kill vampires, werewolf, bats etc. In order to reach the table wizmode you must complete some different modes. There is two groups of modes, Wolf and Spirit modes. The wolf modes are three different modes. In one you must shoot a bat which is done by shooting the ball up a lit ramp, then there is the Run! mode (which I belive was much funnier named, "Escape the mega mutant meatball" in the original Slamtilt Demon table), in Run! you shoot ramps to increase your speed and run away from something... The Spirit Modes are 4 different modes you need to explore, having started all the Wolf and Spirit modes you can now enter the table wizmode. Apart from the main modes there is a couple of multiballs and lots of random awards and two video modes. The table isn't all that complex and you quite fast get into it and start heading for the wizmode, it isn't all to "difficult" to reach the wizmode (you do need to learn how to master the table before you can get there though), but it still fun trying to get there.

The Pirate Table

   First off I must start with saying I can't stand the main table theme music for this table, popeye looped over and over again with intervalls of vikings cheering (sounds like "heya-honda-heya-ho" then popeye... loop). I think I've managed to screen out the music quite well though. Anyway, the table is as you've probably already guessed based on pirates, and where there is pirates there's a sunken treasure and to find a treasure you need a map. In order to reach the wizmode you try to complete some different Adventures and find pieces of a map. The table has a rather interesting layout with lots of wireramps all over the table and a toy canon which shoots out balls. I didn't really feel like I loved this table but I found it fun trying to head for the wizmode, which as I said includes completeing differents adventures and etc. The table is theme and rulewise about as complex as the Demon table, I liked the Demon table more because of its dark theme and better music. The pirate table had some fun video modes though, in one you play "Knife", you know, where you spread out your fingers on a table and go over them with a knife faster and faster trying to not hit the fingers...

Both Tables

   Both tables are quite fun to play even though they rulewise are quite simple, it takes a while to reach the wizmode and there's a certain challenge to it. The tables can most certainly be enjoyed by those new to pinball, someone longing for complex and though tables might not be all to satisfied even though the tables will still have their entertaining value. I at least enjoyed playing the Demon table, finding out the how to start the modes (you shoot the right ramp and lock the ball in the right lock) and trying to get to the wiz mode. Though as I said the tables aren't that complex rulewise with no real plot twists, you try to start all the modes needed to be started (in pirates there's some parts of a map you most locate too) and just advance towards the final wizmode. Once you've reached the wizmode... well, if you really liked the table you might try to aim for higher scores. There's an official hiscorelist for the pinball with contests and such which can be fun to try to top or win.

the Music

The quality of the music and sfx in the pinball is varying, the demon table has some very moody and cool background music with mixed in sublime messages ("the evil" - "an evil that can rule the universe" and so on). The voice effects were quite good and with some more work on timing in mode music themes and adding some effects it should be just fine.

Facts

STR features besides the 3D View of the table (which I used) a 2d scrolling view and a 3d scrolling view. The 3d scrolling view somehow gives you a more realistic view (perspective) of the table but the scrolling is there and I prefere to play with a table which is - so to speak - standing still. STR supports a number of screen resolutions (640x800 to 1600x1200). There is a lot of options for customizing the tables, first one can change general table settings (number of balls, flipper style, led size etc) then there is settings that can be changed for each table separately (ball logic, flipper logic, tilt logic, table slope, material resiliance and so on). You can also run solenoid tests etc, pretty much everything you can find in a real pinballs operators menu I would guess.

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