Dream Pinball offers players six distinct themed tables to choose from: Knight Tournament, with medieval qualities, Dino Wars, a dinosaur adventure theme, Aquatic for an underwater immersion, Monsters, based in a haunted house/graveyard, Amber Moon which has a futuristic fantasy feel to it, and Spinning Rotors which is unusually specific, and based completely on helicopters. Each table has music, sound effects and graphics directly tied to its theme.

The game is very straight forward. One to four players take turns browbeating a ball with flippers in order to hit as many targets as possible, or send the ball on specific trajectories in order to score points. For each level, repetitive shots at the same area of the table, such as ramps, or small alcoves, activate point multipliers and multiballs.

Where Dream Pinball 3D tries to set itself apart is by having fully three dimensional tables, and giving the player the control to move the camera to view the table at the angle or perspective of their choosing. Some might prefer a birds-eye vantage, looking straight down on the table, or perhaps playing the game from the view point of the ball itself, setting the camera directly behind the projectile.

The controls of the game try their best to lend themselves to the Wii. Players can play with just the Wiimote, utilizing the “old school” NES format, or they can use the Wiimote and nunchuck together. With the latter format, players press the triggers to activate the flippers, simulate the motion of pulling back the hammer to launch the ball, and shake the controllers to rattle the table a little- just be careful not to tilt!

So as the game of pinball has evolved from boardwalk arcade staple to world of console titles, can its latest incarnation show improvements over its predecessors and still retain a nostalgic sense of fun?