Star Wars Rebels – Pinball FX2 Review

Zen Studios are no strangers to making pinball tables inspired by the Star Wars franchise and, given all their experience, that’s why this latest one should be great. It’s not based on the films we all know and love, or the ones we wish to forget, but instead it’s inspired by the newest animated television show on Disney XD, Star Wars Rebels. Will the force be strong in this one or will it be forever known as the Jar Jar Binks of pinball?

Star Wars Rebels is set in the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, where the Empire is growing stronger every day. The television version, and indeed this table, focuses on a real misfit bunch of rebels whom have gotten together on a starship, the Ghost, to work towards their common goal of being a thorn in the Empire’s side. The entire main cast feature in the canvas of the table, with Ezra and Kanan being just a couple of the main characters getting a 3D model too. It’s safe to say the show is well represented here.

It plays rather well, or should I say easy for the most part which is ideal considering the target audience Star Wars Rebels is aimed at. I think we can all agree that the most enjoyable parts of pinball other than racking up huge scores are the features. They are remarkably simple to activate, meaning even the amateur level of players will be able to experience them. With seven main rebel missions in total to trigger, it’s got plenty to do.

Arguably the best of these sees the poor man’s R2D2, Chopper, go into its own smaller playing field to act as a sideways moving baton. Here you have to keep hitting the ball into flashing areas around the edge to perform maintenance on the Ghost. Other than that, it has the standard mission types that involve knocking down targets and hitting balls towards a 3D character (The Inquisitor) in order to make him flee.

The table layout for the most part is great due to it having a bit of everything. Having an extra flipper helps reach those tricky areas, there’s a few ramps to hit, a rather easy to access multi-ball features and it’s all nicely spread out. My only negative throughout was the amount of times the ball was lost to the drain via the outlanes, even though Zen have attempted to counteract that with chances to nudge save balls. I have never got the hang of nudging but with practice on this table it’ll be a great way for the youngsters to learn the power of a well timed nudge when going for high scores.

Having seen the Star Wars Rebels animated show, this pinball version is a fantastic representation of it in the way that it’s fun, exciting and engaging. The voiceovers seem to be taken directly from the television show, hence they are of a high quality… even if a little repetitive. When you add in the easier nature of proceedings it’s not only ideal for the youth who are yet to be pinball legends but also the adults who have a tough time on most other tables.

Almost perfect for fans of the show and a great way to get into the Star Wars Rebels idea for those who want to know what it is all about. This is Star Wars Rebels Pinball and there’s no doubt, the force is very strong in this one!