TimeShock! is the second game in Empire Interactive's Pro-Pinball series. Like its predecessor, the Web, TimeShock! is a pinball simulator. Empire Interactive created TimeShock! much like a real pinball machine. All the operator settings are there and can be changed. You can execute light, sound, and bumper tests just like it was a real machine. The trouble is, if we really wanted a pinball game this accurate to the real thing, wouldn't we just go out to an arcade and play the real thing?
The TimeShock! table is a good one. It has things like magnetic ball saving, lots of different modes, multiball, and everything else you'd expect from a modern pinball machine. With the controller you can nudge the table, activate the ball saver, and, of course, control the flippers. It responds just as you would expect it to respond and puts on a pretty good act. But it is an act. A PlayStation controller simply can't replace an actual machine. At times, you'll almost feel like you're playing a real pinball machine... except most real machines don't have loading times.
The game's graphics are decent, although everything has a very fuzzy look to it. The dot-matrix back-glass display looks reasonably cool, as well. The game's sound (flipper noises, the sound of a ball heading up a ramp) is incredibly close to the real thing. The game's music, however, is just plain bad.
If this game had more than one table, it would come across a whole lot better. Also, if it did some things that a real pinball machine couldn't do, it would make sense. As it is, you just can't justify this as being a worthwhile purchase. Yes, the TimeShock! table is good, but Empire should really just start making real pinball machines instead of wasting its design talents on simulations. If you're a monster pinball fan, then you'll get some play out of TimeShock!, but wrapping your hands around a PlayStation controller simply can't stand up to wrapping them around the real thing.
