As consoles grow ever more powerful they make elements in games such as pinball look increasingly ancient. Fortunately, the pinball aficionados at Cunning Developments continue to capture not only the play but also the perfect feel of the game in their near–flawless Pro Pinball series. Big Race USA is another excellent addition to the series, a great example of pure pinball simulation, however even Big Race USA won’t win over fans who don’t care about pinball, and some newcomers may be disappointed by a game with only a single table. But for those of us who will never own a brand spankin’ new, gleaming, chrome and glass pinball table, Big Race USA will at least turn our PlayStations into a temporary pinball machine.
Pro Pinball: Big Race USA was originally for the PC back in late 1998. Although not the instant classic, BR:USA quickly gathered a significant following in the pinball community. The basic theme of the table is an enormous countrywide race, from New York to San Francisco. Players use all the conventions of a modern table, like loops, scoops, orbits and U–turns, to advance the race across the country. Along the way there are a variety of subraces and challenges for earning big points.
The table is designed brilliantly, with enough room for four flippers — two standard flippers at the bottom, one medium size flipper on the left and a small one in the upper right. With all those flippers, it’s not surprising that the flow of the board is incredibly fast, and while there are no bumpers to shake things up, and the kickbacks at the bottom don’t have too much punch, players will have to keep a ready finger on the nudge buttons if they want to keep the ball alive.
The controls are the most significant difference between BR:USA on the PC and on the PlayStation. Instead of the shift keys on the keyboard, players have to use the left digital pad arrow and the circle button. The X button is for the launch, L2 and R2 are left and right nudge respectively, and either L1 or R1 can be used for a bump up. Thankfully, Cunning Developments includes analog support for an even more precise feel, however at first, I found the analog sticks awkward and too far away to reach at a moment’s notice. Being used to the same amount of force from a nudge made me lazy, thanks to the predictability. But with the subtle gradations of movement with the analog sticks, the board could really be juggled for some excellent saves. The use of the analog sticks is by far the best feature of the PlayStation version of BR:USA.
Naturally, the console can’t compete with the PC in terms of resolution, and results in some rather limited fields of view. Like all the other boards in the Pro Pinball series, there are only three views of the Big Race table: short, medium and overhead perspectives. Unfortunately, with the limited resolution of the software and a television, the upper left flipper is largely obscured, and reading some of the text on the transparent matrix can be difficult. Also, some of the details found in the PC version, such as spinning reflections in the ball, are lost as well.
Cunning Developments has done a fantastic job with the physics of the table — the balls always bounce and ricochet realistically, and the interaction with the flippers is excellent. As usual, it takes a little while to master a catch to a flipper pass, but after a few tries everything feels natural. Because the Pro Pinball series has always been about simulating a single board as closely as possible, the usual adjustments to the "physical" state of the table are possible. Players can adjust the angle of the board, the strength of the flippers and kickbacks, and even the wear and tear on the table. That faithful commitment to simulating the pinball experience is also found in the myriad of table options. Players can adjust everything, from the number of balls per game, the number of buy–ins to the number of loops needed for an extra ball quickshot.
There is even a wealth of bookkeeping stats, so gamers can review how many hours of their lives have been frittered away, and how many times the ball has gone down the left drain during that time. Pro Pinball Big Race USA really is about as close as it gets to owning a real pinball table. This is an excellent pinball simulation that makes up for its lack in variety with tons of depth and an unbeatable $10 price point.
"Pinball has always been a favorite of mine as well as tons of other gamers — here’s a most decent digital offering within this game genre."
