With this being the holiday season, I’m always happy when I get to open a present early, and as an old-school pinball fan that’s precisely what I got with this newest Williams pack for Pinball FX. Having played each of these pins, the majority of them quite extensively even, I was eager to see how they’d translate into video game form. Thankfully, for the most part, I wasn’t left disappointed.

Starting with the iconic Earthshaker, a table I have fond memories of playing on quite a lot at my local arcade back in the day, this pack got off to a pretty strong start. The layout and flow of this table always felt quite distinctive to me, and there’s no question that the sound and voice for it were always top notch. Overall, the play here feels good, though perhaps just a little sluggish at times. While I normally don’t mind the table enhancements, in this case I found I was more likely to turn them off as they didn’t feel like they were adding to my enjoyment, and if anything they felt like they could needlessly be bogging everything down. A classic table absolutely given its due.

Moving on to Banzai Run, a table I’d always heard about and seen, but only got to play a bit of recently, there’s no question it is 100% a unique experience to play. The main playfield is generally quite ordinary and very open, consistent with older tables. What sets it apart is nothing like you’ve ever likely played before though. Once you’re able to make the proper shot your ball will be lifted to the game’s second upper mostly vertical table, where you’ll really find yourself fighting against gravity to keep your fast-moving ball alive. For the most part the very hectic ball movement and play feel authentic, though it’s easy to be taken by surprise at how quickly it will move and fall down on you, requiring a recalibration of your expectations in how to make your shots. I’d consider it the weakest table of this batch, but I would never question the fact that it has one of the most novel designs I’ve ever seen.

Wrapping up with my personal favorite of the bunch, we have Black Knight 2000, a table that can be tough to love since its tendency isn’t to love you back. Let’s be clear, this has always tended to be a streaky table for me as its design has always felt unforgiving, between its general layout and how the central loop loves to whip your ball right back at you. The thing is, if you’re able to work the upper playfield and get your 3 locked balls its multiplayer is always quite satisfying. What has always stood out for me is the table’s outstanding soundtrack and voice work, which were always able to amp up my excitement to play, even if the majority of the time the table would steal my quarters with little to show. I’ll note that this is a table where I really liked the enhancement of the Black Knight who’ll throw lightning onto the table at times, making for a great effect and absolutely adding some flavor to what’s already a solid bit of fun.

As a whole, I’d consider this another set of winners for classic pinball fans, as each of these tables are unique and offer up plenty of fun. As much as I’m a fan of the audio for these classic pins, I will note that the quality of the samples in that area tends to be a little disappointing, and a little crackly somehow. Throw in the fact that for 2 out of 3 tables the enhanced versions didn’t feel like they had much overall value to offer, and some of the other Williams packs have felt better executed. That said, this is still a great set of tables to enjoy for pinball fans.