darth vader

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Playing “Star Wars Pinball” on my Nintendo Switch will never be as entertaining and fun as actually playing a standing pinball machine in an arcade or restaurant, but it comes pretty close.

When I purchased “Star Wars Pinball” before Christmas, I had no idea how much I would end up playing it in my spare time. I really enjoy playing pinball in my living room; I never thought it would be possible. Sometimes, I play it on my Switch when I’m in the backyard or I’ll play a quick game in the car when I’m waiting for someone. When I start playing “Star Wars Pinball” it’s hard to put my controller or Switch down. It took me a few days to explore every table option. My highest score is on the “Return of the Jedi” table with somewhere around 16 million.

I play “Star Wars Pinball” the way I watch the films; I usually stick to the original trilogy, and by “original” I mean the “A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” and “Return of the Jedi.” However, the “Rogue One” table is a blast to play. Gareth Edwards’ “Rogue One” is my favorite Star Wars film behind “Empire.” Orson Krennic is prominently featured on the “Rogue One” pinball table. Ben Mendelsohn, who played Krennic, is underrated in the 2016 film. Krennic is sort of a tragic character; he’s the villain who’s killed by what he created and believed in.

The voices sound nothing like the original Star Wars actors, like James Earl Jones and Mark Hamill. Han Solo sounds like a voice actor attempting to do a poor, Harrison Ford impression.

My favorite pinball option is the Boba Fett table. Jabba the Hutt makes a cameo, and you can hit the ball into the Sarlacc that’s at the top of the table. Some of my highest scores are playing the Fett and the “Return of the Jedi” tables. The “Jedi” table has so many lights and colorful features that it’s difficult to see the ball at times. I like it when you’re playing the Fett table and the play stops as Darth Vader comes out, and tells Boba Fett, forcefully, “No disintegrations.” You get an appearance from Vader and Jabba the Hutt; probably my two favorite characters in the Star Wars universe.

The Boba Fett themed table is a pinball machine that you’d find in Jabba’s Palace, if it wasn’t fictional. It feels authentic to the Tatooine location that George Lucas created. Although, I don’t understand why they have Han Solo frozen in carbonite, hanging over the Sarlacc.

“Star Wars Pinball” has quickly become one of my favorite Switch games. Yet, “FIFA ’23” is still my go-to game.

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