Biolab
First Released October 27, 2010
Main Platform: Pinball FX
Switch Platform: Pinball FX 3
Designed by Imre “Emeric” Szigeti
Set: Zen Originals Collection 1 ($15.99)
Strategy Guide – Pinball FX Wiki
Do you know what Biolab’s #1 problem is? It’s too visually loud, to the point that, if you’re not playing with true table dimensions in vertical mode, it’s too hard to see what shots are lit and which aren’t. Shame, because Biolab feels like a child-friendly training wheels-type table, but I couldn’t possibly recommend it to newcomers. It’s just too confusing. The central feature, a big tube with roto-targets, is one of Zen’s most smackable drivers. That shot would be their Attack From Mars saucer, or Medieval Madness castle, if they had painted this more elegantly. This is one of those rare pins where the art is so gaudy that it’s hard to figure out what exactly you’re shooting, because NOTHING stands out. If you rely on light-chasing, this might be one of the toughest pins to figure out, even with a guide. Of all the Zen Originals, this is the one that took me the longest to figure out. Then came the vertical camera angles, and suddenly Biolab was a highly playable table that went from “difficult to follow” to “difficult to shoot.” I actually mean that to be a good thing, by the way.
I think a bigger problem is that the modes aren’t all equally difficult. “Brains” is a rotating maze video mode that’s basically a lay-up. “Wisdom” requires you to make three skillshots (use the nudge), but it’s easy to clock the plunger since there’s a power meter (more of that please, Zen). Muscles and Reflexes are the only two shooting modes, and they’re pretty tough, actually. Muscles requires you to hit enough targets before your stamina falls to 0, while reflexes is a two-ball multiball on a table that really isn’t made for multiball. Then you get to the final wizard mode, which features what I believe is Zen’s first magnetic playfield element. Hoo boy, yea.. I totally get why even the most staunch Zen fans were a little nervous about their adaptation of Addams Family’s magnetic playfield. The magnets are too chaotic and unfair, giving you a wizard mode that really comes down to dumb luck. Even worse: if you ball out during it, you have to keep playing until you win. It came THIS CLOSE to dropping Biolab into the BAD column for me. I like the table’s shot selection enough to keep its head barely above water.
Cathy: GOOD
Angela: GREAT
Oscar: GOOD
Jordi: GOOD
Dash: GREAT
Sasha: GOOD
Overall Scoring Average: 3.3 🧹CLEAN SCORECARD🧹
Some review copies were provided in this review, others were paid for.
The Pinball Chick 