Bounce arcade game review – Welcome to the Machine

Bounce Arcade Games Review

I’m from an age when there were still real pinball machines trying to pull out my teenage fistful of quarters. Since then, I’ve mostly flipped bumpers and tilted tables in the back rooms of pizzerias. Although I’m a video game addict to the core, the tactile feel of a pinball machine is especially satisfying. But what if, instead of hovering over the table, you could play from inside? Well, Bounce Arcade has an answer of sorts.

Pinball Master

Bounce Arcade is virtual reality pinball, but the game can be played from inside the table. This is a fantastic concept. You throw the ball and then act as a sort of mobile bumper, redirecting the ball back to the table. Unlike a fixed-position bumper, you can move to catch the ball magnetically and guide it towards an important target. While I imagine there might be a way to make this concept work like a traditional video game, it seems tailor-made for virtual reality. You keep going until you run out of balls. This can take a very long time if you are experienced and coordinated. We’re talking about 20 or 30 minutes, and the points are in the millions.

The game is quite simple. There is a compact tutorial that will show you the basics. Your hands are racquets that can hit the ball or use a magnet to catch it and bounce it back. There are a few minor variations and some aiming aids, but you get the idea. The tutorial foreshadows that there will be mini-games in the future, and there are.

Feeling all the bumpers

After the tutorial, you are offered a choice of four themed tables: Pirate Ship, Space Station, Haunted Mansion, and Western Town. They are all colorful, noisy and visually interesting and reminded me of carnival funhouses. There are plenty of places to aim and redirect the ball, and from time to time there will be a timed sequence of mini-games to hit for extra points. The game’s excellent lighting and flashing effects definitely help sell the concept. The sound design is very good when it comes to table noise, but the game’s music is worse.

Beyond the basics – simple controls and four tables – there aren’t many other mechanics or complexities. There is no progression system that unlocks new tables or higher level moves, or additional features such as extra balls per run. There’s a leaderboard if that motivates you. The basic tables are done very well, but this game requires a constant stream of DLC, licensing tables, or some kind of additional gaming incentive beyond leaderboard bragging rights.

Digit counters are falling

Real pinball tables rely heavily on physics – and luck – and serious players really enjoy the way the tables are set up and adjusted. Bounce Arcade focuses on the physics of the ball and the ability to predict its speed and trajectory. Overall it’s pretty good, although sometimes the ball moves a lot slower than you’d expect. For me, the learning curve has been focused on trying to reach balls that are too far from my head and remembering that I am not a stationary bumper. I had to move.

VR is obviously at its best when it creates an experience that is unique to the medium. By that definition, Bounce Arcade is an undeniable success. It has an original concept that is well executed and a lot of fun. Often in virtual reality, novelty is the only advantage of the game. I don’t think that’s true of Bounce Arcade and hope the game continues to be supported with new tables and additional modes or incentives to keep playing.

***The game code is provided for review by the publisher. Review of Meta Quest 3***