Tag: Ahch-To Island Pinball

Ahch-To Island (Pinball FX Table Review)

Special Note: Originally all Pinball FX tables were going to be posted to a single review guide, but there would have been loading issues. I’m splitting the guide into individual table posts.

Ahch-To Island
First Released April 17, 2018
Main Platform: Pinball FX
Switch Platform: Star Wars Pinball
Designed by Szucs “ndever” David
Set: Star Wars Pinball Collection 2 ($23.99)
Links: Strategy Guide – Pinball FX Wiki
Kickback – Angela: I won’t argue if you think Ahch-To Island lacks excitement. That’s fair, and if you value edge-of-your-seat action, this might not be the table for you. What draws me to Ahch-To Island is how accessible it is. It’s the only original creation from Zen Studios where modes start automatically in a random order. Instead of girding just to get the game started, you immediately begin light chasing, or collecting lightsaber pieces. That sets it apart from every other pin in the entire Zen Studios library. Not only that, but it feels perfect as a table themed around Luke Skywalker training Rey in the ways of the Force. It might not be “exciting” in the traditional pinball sense, but it’s still exhilarating to shoot combos and hit your targets. The theme and flow give Ahch-To a serene quality that you seldom see in pinball. That’s why Ahch-To Island is my favorite non-Mimban Star Wars pin. In every way that matters, it’s one of a kind, but in a way that succeeds.

Fun fact: we scored over two-hundred pins as a team and this became the first table that was awarded a MASTERPIECE by one of our judges, yet failed to be issued a Certificate of Excellent. That’s on account of Angela losing her freakin’ mind and calling Ahch-To Island a MASTERPIECE while the rest of us have it down as only a standard GOOD table. Ahch-To Island is a genuine throwback to the early DMD-scoring era that lets the tables flow speak for itself. As a tribute to that era, back when you didn’t have to grind to start a mode, it works mostly well. There’s no timer on the main modes, and if you drain, the mode stays active when you start the next ball. No progress lost at all. So, that’s different from what you expect from Zen Studios, and a nice change. But, the rest of us are kind of ho-hum about the table. It’s not bad. It’s just kind of plodding, you know?

Signature Mode – Rey: In the second and third part of Rey’s mode, you have to hit the lane that’s lit. I like that the entire lane is lit-up with magic. That’s quite neat. Iron Man does something like this too. The problem is that it changes too quickly. Two seconds, if that. There’s a LOT of lanes on this table, and while there appears to be some grace period, it’s not enough time. It doesn’t make the table more exciting. It makes the modes a total slog.

It’s bonkers how much the rest of us fundamentally disagree with Angela about the value of the table. Oscar and I disagree about how smoothly it flows. A weirdly placed vari-target along one of the orbits causes the ball to get hung up constantly, as it’s too tight a shot and gives the ball a distinct wobble that kills the flow. Also, we disagree about how tough the outlanes are. The left one especially chews up more balls than a malfunctioning pitching machine, and by the way, a red-faced Angela feels the previous paragraph is not true and she’s threatening to stab me. Meanwhile, Jordi thinks the placement of the spin disk is a waste of space. I’m indifferent to the disk, which closes off during Luke’s mode anyway. The cause of the lower rating I think is all the secondary flippers. They just don’t work for me. They feel inelegant. Mind you, even though we all strongly disagree with Angela’s assessment, we all agree that Ahch-To Island is fine. Angela is right about one thing: it’s a one-off. There’s nothing quite like it, and I think I’m okay with that.
Cathy: GOOD (3 out of 5)
Angela: MASTERPIECE (5 out of 5)
Oscar: GOOD
Jordi: GOOD
Elias: GOOD (Star Wars Pinball on Nintendo Switch)
Sasha: GOOD
Overall Scoring Average: 3.33 * 🧹CLEAN SCORECARD🧹
Primary Scoring Average: 3.4 🧹CLEAN SCORECARD🧹
*Nintendo Switch version is, more or less, identical to all other versions.
Some review copies were provided in this review, others were paid for.