While the initial release of Pinball FX, operating as a successor to Pinball FX3, wasn’t all that great on the Switch, to their credit Zen Studios have managed to turn things around. Before, it felt like despite the visual upgrades that were possible with the new engine, that the smoother performance and established library in FX3 made it the one worth sticking with. But now, a number of years later, and with Pinball M now in place as well as a home for more gritty and Mature-rated tables, it feels like they’re firing on all cylinders. The revitalized and gussied up look and performance of this Bethesda table collection are a great example of that.

Starting with the Fallout table, there’s a ton of theming that ties well to the franchise, but overall I’d still consider it to be the weakest of the bunch. You can choose to create your character at the beginning, setting individual stats, but in the end you’ll likely learn to just take a random roll instead since in a typical game these don’t play an enormous role in things. Of slightly more importance is which character you get as your helper, since this will have a variety of bonuses that could potentially make a difference. Overall, the table layout is pretty open and there are a few pretty accessible ramps for you to hit. The top flipper placement is a bit odd and tough to use, but overall things feel right. Just in the end, even though you can get into vaults and collect bobbleheads, the action feels a bit slow to develop and in a typical game things like the shop and elements like your character stats really have a limited opportunity to make a big difference.

Somewhat at the other end of the spectrum is the Skyrim table, with a character building system that’s similar to Epic Quest, though the table isn’t quite as fun. The concept of slowly leveling up and improving the same character from game to game is a great one, just in this case it’s on the slow side, and you’re inundated with things that feel like choices but that also don’t always seem like they carry enough consequence. The result is you really need to grind a bit, sticking with your character and trying to improve them, to finally feel like you’re rolling. As a longer-term commitment this is interesting, and it adds to replay value, but on a quick play and enjoyment basis it detracts a bit as well. Still, I love seeing the Epic Quest concepts getting applied to new tables as it is a great, and unique, idea. 

Saving the best for last, DOOM is teetering on the edge of being my favorite Zen Studios original table, neck and neck with the likes of Back to the Future for both nailing the property completely and making a table that’s full of excitement and thrills. Right from the start your ball launching while you’re wielding the chainsaw is a really good sign, and though you being able to work the table effectively plays into things, as it should, compared to the other tables in the pack there tend to be far fewer moments where you’re just knocking the ball around without a whole lot happening. The special modes and sequences in this table are pretty varied and make terrific use of everything the engine is capable of, emphasizing both regular table play, as well as things no physical table could do. The result is thrilling, visceral, and challenging. In a great touch you even get to choose your difficulty level, with the aptly-named Nightmare difficulty removing the provisions for Ball Saves from the moment you start, but with a great score multiplier to make it potentially worth your while. 

Overall I’d consider this pack among the best available when excluding real-world tables. In terms of overall theming, it may actually be the strongest out there, with each of the Bethesda franchises well represented in terms of visuals, sounds, and trying to tie in as many elements of the games as possible. While the runaway top table is easily DOOM, Skyrim may be a big winner if you’re willing to invest some time in getting your character to be more viable.