From the beginning of time, pinball games have always been built on a limited format, and most have garnered an appeal that really stuck with me. I'm an old school flipper fan, and I can't even begin to tell you the hours of joy that emerged from many old-school rounds of High Speed and Pinbot on the NES. Add to that I'm probably one of the few gamers out there that appreciate the collection of old Gottlieb favorites in Crave's Pinball Hall of Fame release for what they really are. Pinball isn't entirely my life, for sure, but I find myself stopping in a bowling alley or a local arcade and playing some pinball longer than anticipated. It's the unpredictability that grows on you.
?Capcom's taken this idea of unpredictability and practically turned it on its head. They've licensed out Flipnic: Ultimate Pinball, fresh from Sony's camp in Japan, for a US release, and now it's found its way to stores with a $20 price tag and five different types of levels to choose from. You have to work your way through the beginning level to really unlock the others, although you're provided with a sampling of what lies ahead in a five-minute time interval. It can be a little unfair, but I guess Capcom believes in the idea of progress.

Funny, progression plays its way through Flipnic in more ways than one. The five stages are Biology, Metallurgy, Optics, Geometry, and Theology. It sounds more like a scientology college set-up than a pinball game, but that's what it is. Each of these sub-chapters brings with it an elegant design. Biology breathes to life with lush tropical settings, with animals bathing in the waters and a raging waterfall sitting in the middle of it all. Optics features a funky selection of neon-lit ramps and walls that make it seem like an electrician's dream come true. As for Geometry, it's strictly overhead-view 8-bit pinball, but with the same physics that the newer games are known for. They're ambitious design ideas, and they mostly work.

Furthermore, the game has an odd flavor that comes into play more often than expected...and probably wanted. During the game, FMV sequences will pop into play to give you the idea of what lies ahead. A UFO may invade the playfield and demand so much out of you before it snatches your ball away, resulting in a newspaper clipping explaining your kidnapping as the announcer beckons "OH MY GOD!". You'll land multiball and a soothing woman's voice will assure you to "Have an excellent time". They add style, but also interrupt the flow of play more than I wanted them to. You can't skip these sequences, not even after they've been played twenty or so times. Sigh.

The design of each table is unique, and there's a lot to shoot for, but the game's progressive style works against it like a double-edged sword. See, the way that you have to work your way through a level depends on clearing some obstacles and completing objectives. You don't complete the objectives, you don't move ahead and have to go back to it over and over. It would've been nice for Capcom to open up the whole universe at once instead of trying to lead us on a limited tour of pleasures, as the inventiveness factor would've gone through the roof. Here, younger players will get upset that they can't hit the magic tree five times or can't stop the UFO from snatching them up for the eleventh time in a row.

The controls for a game such as this are done simply, and the physics seem to be right on. However, it can be a pain at times to do precision shooting, when all you want to do is work your way up the waterfall after you've defeated the ice age event that stopped it and keep falling back down to the bottom. Capcom should've done a little tweaking here as well, giving us some forgiving sub-paths or something to allow us to progress. I do like some parts, however, like how your ball glides down a ramp and you can hit the button to make it leap into the air and grab some coins for later use.

Flipnic's sound department doesn't impress too much. Some of the music is alright, but the sound effects get repetitive, as do the voice promptings. I can understand if an announcer's trying to be helpful, but a few times in, WE GET IT. Or maybe they could just give us a visual clue.

Past that, the game still offers some benefits that are unexpected. There are a few two player events that you can join a friend in, and they can be fun for a little while. They're also of a competitive nature, so you can easily turn the tide with a few flips of the ball. The game also clocks in at a bargain price of $20, which isn't too bad for a pinball title. After all, that's what Pinball Hall of Fame usually goes for, depending on the distributor.

I don't hate Flipnic: Ultimate Pinball. I appreciate its ideas, dig its creative designs, and have my moments knocking hippos into oblivion or playing the old-school Geometry tables to death. But it seems like Capcom built the game for college scholars who know how to work ahead, instead of the general audiences that would find a wide-open approach more appealing. It's still worth a rental if only to soak in the awesome approach to the Optics tables, and to check out the game's wacky style. I just wished it followed the old KISS logic- "Keep It SImple, Stupid".