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Creep Night has to rank as my favourite pinball game, even though it isn't as advanced as Sierra's more recent offerings and even though its not as accurate a simulation as Timeshock! Creep Night is just plain fun. The setting is a haunted castle, of the cheap and cheerful graphics variety, well, cheap and gruesome is perhaps more apt in this case, all grey walls and ghosts and bats for effect, plus gargoyles and skulls which form part of the game furniture. The ball play is smooth, not overly convincing but the flipper action is nice and the more awkward shots are easy to master. Points are scored by sending the ball through various gates and turrets, most of which reward you with flames or evil looking glows; gargoyles and demons replace the usual bumpers and ball savers and across the whole table, the standard pinball elements are cleverly disguised and rethought. The resolution makes it clear that this game is several years old, and the emphasis is on "computer game" rather than "pinball game". What sets Creep Night above the others is its sheer style and thematic elements, and most of all the very clever animations. Make a certain shot and you get to play skittles with a horde of skeletons in a field, do some other shot and out come zombies for you to knock down, or better still, little green demons riding bikes! And who can resist a game featuring a semi-clad woman who comes down to the main playing area, picks up the silver bearing and spirits it away? You are told, simply, "The wraith has your ball!" Creep Night has the best combination of animation, pinball and humour I have ever seen, and is so addictive, I keep on coming back to it time and again. It may lack the true simulation and the clever graphics of later games, but its one you really shouldn't miss out on!
Requirements : 486/33, 8Mb RAM, VGA, Win3.1/Win95 Download the demo (3.2Mb from Gamespot) |
