As a die-hard pinball fan, I've got to give this game the big thumbs-up.
Not since Last Gladiators on the Saturn have I seen such a great pinball sim
on a console.

The graphics are top-notch, though as is often the case in pinball sims, a
lot has to be packed into the screen, so it can seem a little small.  This is
mostly because Pro Pinball: The Web uses a 3D viewpoint so that the table
looks like it would if you were actually playing a pinball game.  The sound
is great... the mechanical noises actually sound like they should.  Also, the
dot matrix animation is very well-done.  Though the DMD does get in the way 
at the top of the screen, it does not affect game play appreciably

The game really shines with ball physics, though.  Having both a 
physics degree and a pinball machine, I'm pretty sensitive to how that little
ball should work, and it feels right.  The mechanics of the ball(s) in this 
game are much better than in Last Gladiators.  The ball actually does some
random-type things that you'd expect from a real pinball table.  A major 
problem with a lot of pin sims is that balls tend to get stuck in little 
loops that always result in a drain.  (See the "Final Judgment" table in 
Last Gladiators (the blue table) for the biggest example of this, where
balls continously get served and drain down the left outlane).  I have yet 
to see this kind of crap in Pro Pinball.

The sound is also excellent.  I love the "thwack" when you get a replay.
Only pinball can offer that kind of a thrill.  Of course, it's not quite
as loud as in real life and you can't feel it in your hands, but it 
gets you in the mood.

Now the bad stuff:  The graphics can get some pretty noticeable scan lines 
that look really bad at first.  Play the game for a while, though.  You will
not notice the scanning glitches after a few games.  Another potential error
for pin sim fans is that the game contains only one table.  While I do not 
consider this a fault (since they put more effort into this one table than
most pin sims put into all four-six of theirs), some narrow-minded folk will
no-doubt feel they got ripped off when they see other pin sims with 4 tables.
I haven't played any other than Last Gladiators (an excellent game, by the 
way), but I can assure you that the effort put into the Pro Pinball table 
makes up for the lack of extra tables.  After all, you would not fault Namco
if they came out with Tekken 3 and it only had one fighting game.  To me, 
pinball tables are as unique as different arcade games and i don't mind one
excellent table.

One other (very) minor gripe:  The table design, though excellent in a
gameplay sense, leaves something to be desired aesthetically.  When I play
pinball, I like to feel like I'm involved in a "unified" game, where 
everything fits nicely into one overall theme.  The game i own: FunHouse, is
one of the best for this.  The Addams Family is another great.  "The Web" 
Pro Pinball's table) just seems to be a jumble of several futuristic themes
that have no strong link to each other.  Of course, since this is the biggest
gripe I can come up with, pinball fans should rejoice that this game is out
for the Playstation.

(Incidentally, Pro Pinball: The Web is unanimously
hailed as the best pinball sim ever on rec.games.pinball.  That's the PC
version, which requires a $1500 system to run respectably.)
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Zach Smolinski
Student at the University of Illinois College of Law
These opinions don't reflect the U of I College of Law's
opinions, though they usually don't spout off about 
video games anyway.
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