BATTLE
aka COMBAT

Presumably this table was renamed “Battle” because many Atari 2600 games, including Combat, are on some AtGames platforms. No matter what you call it, the template for Battle makes for a fun game that runs out of scoring options quickly. You can essentially get unlimited extra balls, but they don’t stack. This works towards creating tension until you’ve got the extra ball, but once that happens (and you light the 10x bonus multiplier) it feels like you’re treading water until the next ball. With more dynamic scoring, this could have been an undisputed all-timer. With its open lanes that sometimes even include an extra ball, Battle makes for an excellent defense trainer for newcomers playing their Legends unit that has just enough offensive punch to not bore. It’s also worth noting that this table holds a special place in Angela’s heart. Years ago, a then 10 year old Angela set the world record for “3 Ball Simulation” which is basically the mode you need to win to prove you’re the best in the world at the table. It was the Steam version too, the most competitive of Zaccaria’s releases. She was only recently dethroned (and remains #2 as of this writing), but she spent a few years as the champion of champions for this table. Right before we published this review, she put up a new high score on the Legends Pinball leaderboards, and her score on the Legends table is higher than her previous world record, too. Now, on Legends Pinball, there’s only one mode per table that’s always three balls. That’s lame, and I’m not sure why they don’t offer more options, but she’s top five either way. If you don’t think having a platform dedicated entirely to pinball makes that much of a difference, well, Angela is our best player by a mile and that’s all the proof you need. She fully admits that she originally overrated Battle/Combat as a MASTERPIECE partially because it’s the Zaccaria table she played the most. But, she also insists everyone else except Dave underrated it. The rest of us don’t agree. Games of Battle/Combat go slllllowly and all the fun targets in the world aren’t helped by a table with a tempo that’s generously described as “snail-like.”
Set: Zaccaria Pinball Pack 6
Type: Electro-Mechanical – Real Table
Based on “Combat“ by Zaccaria (1977)
Part of Zaccaria Pinball (Consoles/PC)
Vice Family High: Angela “ADV” 5,433,980 (#4 All Time)
Cathy: GOOD (3 out of 5)
Sasha: GOOD
Angela: GREAT (4 out of 5)
Oscar: GOOD
Jordi: GOOD*
Dave: GREAT*
Scoring Average: 3.33 – Awarded a CLEAN SCORECARD
*Played on Zaccaria Pinball for Consoles/PC