On December 4, 2014 an old evil villain was re-awoken in Tokyo when the Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (NGS2) table was released for Pinball FX2 on the Xbox One. You play as Ryu and team up with three other teammates to confront this evil and attempt to “jump” your way to defeat it. Not having played the actual NGS2 game (a PlayStation 3 exclusive title), I at first felt a disconnection with this table. I was “going though the motions” while beginning to play it, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still make for one exciting table. The last couple tables that have released for Pinball FX2 (South Park and The Walking Dead) have had intricate, detailed missions to attempt with multiple ramps to try and consistently hit.
In contrast to those examples, the NGS2 table, originally made for Zen Pinball on the PlayStation 3, and it shows. There is a large open middle section in the table where the ball will pick up a lot of speed. With only three short ramps to hit, a much quicker response or more precise timing is required on the flippers to hit them. The NGS2 table also brings a new platform jumping mechanic that is unique to this table and a fresh new aspect and challenge to a game that I have been playing for many, many years.
Here’s what I liked:
Wide-open table — The NGS2 table is one of the most wide-open tables in Pinball FX2. With only three ramps, the fewest of any Pinball FX2 DLC, the whole middle section is open, and that makes tracking the ball a lot easier on this table. The speed the ball can pick up in the open middle section is also unlike other tables that are currently available and makes for a huge challenge.
New “jumping” feature — The new “jumping” element that the NGS2 table presents is both refreshing and challenging. Pinball FX2 has been out for over four years and to see new gameplay features still being added is great. Multiple platforms can be activated and raised and if done correctly will have the ball jumping up and down.
Multiple multi-ball modes — There are five different multi-ball modes that can be activated. This almost guarantees having multiple balls on the table all the time. These multi-ball modes combine the speed of a wide-open table with the platform jumps to make for a very excited table overall.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
Content — In a world where “content is king” it all comes down to the theme of the table. As mentioned I never played the full Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 game, that was an issue in the early going. Giving enough plays on the table, though, it was possible to look past this point.
Kicker claws — It’s a small cosmetic issue, but having the razor claws on the kickers also caused some visibility issues and are very distracting while trying to play this table. Making the claws smaller and not shake as much when hit would help make this table more playable. This issue can, however, be easily overlooked thanks to the table’s many strengths.
No demo table on Xbox One — All Pinball FX2 tables on the Xbox 360 have the ability to be downloaded and demoed before a purchase has to be made. Pinball FX2 on the Xbox One does not have this feature for any of the tables and this table is not currently available on the Xbox 360. This limits Xbox One owners to having make a purchase in order to even play this table.
Wrap-Up:
It all comes down to the theme of a table and whether you relate to it or not when it comes to making purchases within Pinball FX2. I am slightly biased when it comes to this game, as it is my favorite game on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, and I will purchase any and all tables (on multiple platforms) when they are released.
Score: Skip It
Pinball FX2 was developed by Zen Studios and published on the Xbox One by Microsoft Game Studios. Pinball FX2 is a free download with individual tables priced from $2.99 and under and collections of tables priced at $9.99. A retail copy was purchased by XBLA Fans for review purposes.
