Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes takes the simple mechanics of pinball, mixes in tower defense, and a dash of roguelike elements. The result is an enjoyable casual game with a ton of replayability. It’s available on Switch, PC, and Apple Arcade.
PLOT:
Zombie Rollerz has an intentionally simple, trope-filled plot much like Plants Vs. Zombies. A zombie plague is spreading across the land and a growing party of adventurers set out to stop it. The characters all fall into RPG tropes and lean heavily into the sillier elements of those tropes. My personal favorite example of this is the initial hero, the flame knight, who begins the game with amnesia and is then constantly stricken with new bouts of the ailment throughout the game – a fun jab at the classic JRPG trope of the amnesiac protagonist. It’s a silly but thin story that’s more concerned with 4th wall breaking jokes and puns than telling a compelling narrative.
GAMEPLAY:
At its core, Zombie Rollerz is a pinball game, with left and right flippers used to hit the ball and multiple targets around the board that have different effects. However, rather than accumulating points, the goal is to kill all of the zombie enemies in a given level by hitting them with the pinball. There are a variety of both basic enemy types and a multitude of bosses with unique mechanics. Each level is also a unique pinball board with different environmental hazards and effects to play around with.
The other gameplay wrinkle is the inclusion of roguelike elements. There are multiple skills you can learn from the classic multiball to summoning a meteor shower. Additionally, there are unlockable items that provide passive bonuses and curses which give out penalties. Many of these effects come from a unique pool for whichever hero you’re playing as and are dolled out as loot as you progress through your run. Between rounds players navigate a hex-grid world, looking for empowering treasure and choosing which paths to take while trying to stay ahead of the ever-advancing zombie plague. After each run, you’ll unlock more potential modifiers and new heroes based on how far into the game you made it.
PROS:
Zombie Rollerz is quite simply, a fun game. It has easy but satisfying pinball gameplay, buoyed by its tower defense and roguelike elements. Even in its tutorial levels, the simple satisfaction of whacking zombies with a well-placed pinball is the kind of simple, arcadey, mechanic that it’s hard not to enjoy. Add to that a surprising amount of depth in both its RPG character-building elements and world exploration and you have a great arcade game.
The game is also immensely replayable. The boards, bosses, abilities, and world are all randomized, meaning every run is distinct from the last. On top of that, there are several unlockable characters with different stats and unique ability pools, which creates a ton of unique character-building opportunities even outside of randomized elements. It combines the casual fun of a mobile arcade game and the addictive “one more run” nature of a good roguelike.
CONS:
While the Zombie Rollerz has a lot of replay value due to its combination of genres, it has a bit of a jack-of-all-trades problem. There’s only so much one can do with a pinball-based game, resulting in techniques and abilities that play out the exact same way. The pinball component also lacks the challenge of a proper pinball table, opting for a multitude of simplified tables instead. As a whole, the game works, but there are moments (such as the pure pinball bonus levels) where the weaknesses of the individual systems become apparent.
VERDICT:
Zombie Rollerz is an interesting combination of genres, creating a unique, if somewhat shallow, experience. It combines these genre elements in surprisingly naturalistic ways. If you’re a fan of rogue-likes, pinball, and tower defense games this game is custom designed for you. If not, it may be a good entry point for those genres. It is available for $14.99 on mobile, PC, and Switch.
