Some things in life naturally go together. You know, peanut butter and jelly … milk and cookies … but if you told me Sega’s House of the Dead franchise and pinball, I would have probably called you crazy. Of course, I thought typing words and the House of the Dead franchise was crazy as well, but it actually turned out to be a creative and fun game title when Typing of the Dead came out for the Dreamcast a couple of years ago. Well, this title from Sega and THQ is no exception, and I was really impressed with this simple but fun new game to grace the GameBoy Advance.

Pinball of the Dead offers, of course, a pinball game which is like no other out for consoles. While the opening shows some nicely translated cut scenes from the House of the Dead video game, it dosen’t go through and offer a new plot or plot twist to the original classic title. Everything that revolves around pinball, like the multiball bonuses and skill shots for point multipliers are there and present on each of the three playable tables. The controls for the game are simple and easy to manage. The L and R buttons are used to operate the flippers and the control pad can be used to nudge the table to help avoid a lost ball or to help set more or less power into a particular shot … just like the real thing.

OK, so far it’s pinball, but here’s where the creativity starts coming into making this a little different from other titles. First off, the ball is fired onto the table not by a normal plunger pull, but instead after you have the opportunity to kill an enemy. Basically, a scene appears where a zombie or bad guy will move around pursued by a floating crosshair. Pull the trigger at the right time and you are awarded a “Mystery bonus” such as 10 million points, a kickback bonus to avoid losing a ball when it goes to the outside of the flippers, or a 45 second shield to avoid losing any balls at all for the time frame. If you miss the target, the ball still makes it’s way onto the table but no bonuses are awarded.

Now, where would any good House of the Dead title be without zombies? Each of the three tables have hordes of them which pour out from various parts of the table and wander around causing havoc with the ball, but are also used to help you advance. Each table has bosses from the House of the Dead title which need to be destroyed, but certain conditions must be met before you can enter to face them, mostly revolving around how many zombies you kill with the ball. Also, there were some nice cut scenes thrown in as soon as you enter the bosses lair which were taken directly from the Dreamcast hit. Some zombies are also there for helpful reasons, like one named “Steve” who will provide a kickback save if he is splattered.

One last gameplay element which really stands out are the extra events which take place here and there. For example, the first table has a skill shot area in which the word “CHAOS” has to be spelled out. Once you complete the task, a civilian will run out onto the table. You of course have to save the innocent bystander by destroying the zombies which are bent on killing them, and it adds a fun little skill challenge here and there to break up the normal pinball aspect of the game. There are also things such as a laboratory which needs to be entered and cleaned out of the dead things roaming around it and huge zombie heads which pop out of sewer grates or seem to rip the fabric of the table open.

Graphically, this game really has had a nice translation from the CD format over to a GBA cart. The tables are somewhat dark in House of the Dead fashion, like they should be, but well populated with lights and bunkers. Each table has it’s own distinct feel and look to it, and each has it’s own distinct decorations which set it apart like giant clock faces, a laboratory, or giant zombie heads surrounded by various ramps or skill shots. Everything is very detailed and stands out well. The third table, known as “Cemetery”, seems a little open and is the most sparsely populated out of all three. Even with this, it still has enough to do to keep you busy. Soundwise, everything is clean and voices, screams, and moaning of zombies were taken from the old title, and are used in areas which make them work well. For example, when the ball shoots out of an area at a high rate of speed, you will here a voice yell “RUN!” like you are in danger.

Overall, this was a very fun and challenging game which provided a very entertaining twist to the game of pinball. Although the initial reaction may be the same as some people had to “Typing of the Dead” when it came out, to pass this one off as just another pinball game or silly translation of the House of the Dead game line would be a mistake. I highly recommend giving this one a shot. While it’s not the deepest game out or the most involved plot line around since at it’s core it is still pinball, it is still a whole lot of fun and will provide many hours of entertainment. 

Gameplay: 8.5
While there may not be more than three tables to play on, there is still enough to do on each of the tables to keep you busy for a while. The fast paced game play, extra challenges, and pretty accurate ball physics provide a fun gaming experience.
 

Graphics: 9.0
Each table has it’s own unique personality which makes it stand out from the other two, and each table is brightly lit, dark while colorful, and populated with various objects and items specific for each different scenario.

Sound: 8.9
Being a House of the Dead title, it is full of zombie moans, screams, and the voice of the original hero from the shooter series. The background music is composed of heavier guitar riff style tunes which help set the atmosphere, but there’s only one for each table and for each boss.

Difficulty: Easy
With simple controls (Hey, it’s pinball!) and a nifty tutorial mode to show you what each table does, it is definitely easy to get into. In addition, the ball speed can be changed from fast to slow to help make it a little less difficult if you have some issues with the speed.  

Concept: 9.1
Although the core element of the game is something we’ve all done and played before, the unique backgrounds, boss battles, and extra challenges which can be obtained make it stand out on it’s own as a different and unique title.

Multiplayer: N/A
 

Overall: 9.0
Although House of the Dead has been done before, and Pinball has been done before, SEGA and THQ did a great job of mixing the two together and making a fun and unique title with plenty of challenge and replayability. Since it is pinball, the ultimate goal remains to just see how many challenges can be done or points can be scored. Still, it will provide long hours of amusement for just about anyone. Maybe the next title we can look forward to will be “Golf of the Dead”, or “Stock Car racing of the Dead”. Who knows?