Combat Retro (Zaccaria Pinball Table Review)

COMBAT RETRO

Matt on Combat Retro: The flipper gap is still just a bit too wide, even with a helpful center post, making play for the targets and saucer too dangerous. Escaping to the safety of the bumper area makes building a good score a bit of a luck box. It might make more sense to be sinking ships like in battleship, so what about some drop targets in the lower playfield, and the saucer can increase the value of each hit?

Well, at least Combat Retro has one thing going for it: it joins tables such as Theatre of Magic and Zen Studios’ Knight Rider table in that a friendly debate in the Vice Household on its merits and flaws turned into a shouting match. This is one of the other retro tables we already have a review up for, though it’s called “Battle Retro” on AtGames. Our thoughts haven’t really changed all that much. As noted above, this table triggered a fairly heated argument between Angela and Oscar, specifically related to the spot targets. First off, don’t listen to the table art itself. The spot targets say, quote with uppercase/lowercase, “10 points OR 100 points when all red lamp lit.” Well, it’s just a lie. They don’t all have to be lit. You get 100 points for converting any shot on a spot target when the lamp is lit, period, and the rule sheet provided in the game’s menu gets it correct. It’s actually hilarious that they updated the artwork but left the incorrect word bubble on the playfield. As for the argument, Angela says that two bumps of the top bumper gives you the same amount as a spot target, which takes two shots: one to light it, and one to hit it, which also turns off the light. There’s no bonus for lighting all four. Oscar insists he’s not overrating this and that the spot targets work because you can aim at them and don’t have to rely on chaos to score points. Sasha The Kid chimed in that it was still chaos due to the slingshots guarding the flippers, which are VERY bouncy and very dangerous due to a wide flipper gap with a fairly unreliable post. Oscar again said that you can use nudging to prevent the slings from firing. Cathy and Jordi thought there were too many satisfying angles to go BAD while Dave, Angela, Matt and Sasha think Combat Retro’s gap is too big and too bouncy for its own good. Once upon a time, this was the second best table in the Retro Pack by scoring average. Times have changed, but at least Combat Retro remains interesting enough to trigger a shouting match.
Set: Zaccaria – 40 Retro Tables
Table Type: Woodrail
Model: Zaccaria EM
Reworking of World Champ (1957 Gottlieb)
Cathy: GOOD (3 out of 5)
Sasha The Kid: BAD (2 out of 5)
Angela: BAD+
Oscar: GREAT (4 out of 5)
Jordi: GOOD+
Dave: GOOD
Matt: BAD+
Dash: BAD
Scoring Average: 2.75
Final Average: 2.66 – OKAY
A Pinball Chick Team 🥶Polarizing Table🥶
🏆Cathy ranks #3 in Time Loop Mode
🏆Jordi ranks #6 in Time Loop Mode

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Author: Indie Gamer Chick

Indie game reviews and editorials.

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