| | If you asked me what type of license I would be least interested in playing as a game in any form, hunting would be pretty high on that negative list, and so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this table, at least in comparison to other Stern tables from these same past few years.
This came as all the greater surprise considering that first play impressions, where the game quickly sent two balls straight down the middle from one very steep ramp and one dead-end chute directly over the middle of the top playfield, were not at all friendly. But the look and sound of the table, which mostly eschews large gaudy plastic trinkets in favor of smaller, mildly forest-colored trappings, is soothing to the senses (moral opinions of hunting aside, perhaps), multi-ball is *very* frequent, and the central gimmick works well.
Namely, the table seems a little bland--until a pretty large rubbery plastic deer/elk/whatever it is trucks out across the central field. It sounds dumb, and I suppose it *is* dumb, but it was effective, and I guess really did kick in some mild, pinball-accessible version of the instinctive hunting urge: I suddenly really, REALLY wanted to cream that beast with the ball. A lot. And I did. And it was satisfying; there wasn't any particularly spectacular feedback on a solid hit--just a bit of a shake and mild blinking light somewhere, mostly--but darned if it didn't make me say yes, YES, trot across MY field will you, elk??!? I'll show you! Stand still...
It's also nice because, in its moving back and forth, this disturbingly compelling target will frequently cover the center of the table, blocking dead drops down the middle. Thank you, Mr. Elk. :) Now take that!!!
While I don't think this would be a classic I'd want to play over and over if better offerings were on hand, I can't deny that there is something to it on a primal level. |
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