AtGamesIf you had told me in 2021 that I would be reviewing not one, but two virtual pinball games for my home, I would have nodded. Replica arcade experiences seem like a great way to calm nerds who are going crazy in a pandemic. Virtual pinball, on the other hand, is a different story.Playing classics like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong on a console feels almost the same as holding up a pair of joysticks. Your mileage may differ, but there are plenty of options. Pinball's form factor, orientation, and tactile nature make it difficult to simulate on an Xbox. Although I don't have enough space or money to buy a lot of pinball machines, I do like the idea that one system can emulate dozens of them while keeping the physicality of the game's elements like flipper buttons and nudge options.This led me to try the Arcade1Up Williams Pinball Table last month. I was pleasantly surprised, if you will, but also amused. Its solid construction and great selection of virtual tables made it difficult to sell to non-family members. It was still a versatile machine that I could modify to add virtual tables, or use the $600 base to create a dreamy, homemade system.Soon after, AtGames sent me a friendly email pointing out its virtual pinball product. After a short testing period, I was happy they reached out.Do you want expansion? You desire more options in default. AtGames Legends pinball delivers. Although I recommend AtGames Legends Pinball to savvier players, there are a few important asterisks. Also, it is possible that Arcade1Up may be more appealing for less picky players, especially families.Five key differentiatorsSam MachkovechThe Legends Pinball setup process is similar to Arcade1Up's. The largest piece of this set arrives pre-constructed. It weighs in at just over 100 lbs and is large enough for two people to carry through a doorway. To support the main body, the aluminum legs must be screwed into the box. An additional box has a "backglass" attachment which fits into the top of the body. This allows the set to look more like a real pinball machine.AdvertisementPlug it in and it will light up to show virtual pinball tables. To navigate through the menu, tap the buttons. Once you have selected a game, use the physical plunger to launch it. The side-of-cabinet buttons can be used to operate the flippers. You're now playing virtual pinball.This basic description is applicable to both cabinets that we tested recently, but AtGames doesn't waste time distinguishing itself from its competitors. Its playfield screen is 33% larger than Arcade1Up's at 24 inches. The screen renders natively at 1080p, as opposed to Arcade1Up’s 720p. It also has better color calibration. This screen is fully covered in glass. It looks better than Arcade1Up’s plexiglass topper. Fourth, the flipper buttons don't stop there. There is also a "nudge” button next to each one. This allows you to virtually bank your table and direct a pinball to where you want it to go, rather than relying on an inaccurate accelerometer. These nifty buttons are not included in Arcade1Up's product.AtGames' backglass also includes a second LCD monitor that changes its art depending on the game you are playing. Arcade1Up's backglass prints a single static image. Surprisingly, AtGames' superior construction was launched earlier this year for the same $600 as Arcade1Up tables. However, AtGames decided to lower the price once sets started selling out. AtGames has updated the price of the kit by $150. This is the same price you would have paid for Arcade1Up's largest downloadable table pack. It is now included in AtGames' $750 SKU.You can add games in a variety of ways.AtGames wants you to add more content to the thing. Paid DLC packs offer the best path to expansion. Each pack contains approximately 11 virtual tables. They are currently limited to Zaccaria tables, an Italian manufacturer who made many tables in the '70s, '80s. These aren't Williams classics but the digital versions of them are good enough.To purchase these packs, you must first visit AtGames' site. After that, you can claim a DLC code by tapping on their d-pad. Then, select from an on-screen keyboard to choose the code and then type it out on your table. It is certainly a tedious solution.AtGames offers three ports on the top unit for DLC expansion. Two for USB and one for HDMI.AdvertisementSam MachkovechYou will need a USB flash drive to store official Legends Pinball DLC. You will only need 3GB to download the DLC packs, but you might have enough space for more files with a standard USB stick. Splitting the stick into smaller FAT32 and larger ExFat partitions makes it a great place to store any games you want to copy.AtGames has a tab that allows you to bring your own game (BYOG) content. However, the instruction manual does not explain how it works. You'll need to go online to find out. Wagner's TechTalk provided a detailed, daunting guide that clarified that the Legends Pinball machine supports Retroarch emulation cores. To play any classic game, you will need to create "package files" and then place them in your ExFat partition on your USB stick.Once you're done, you can sync your Bluetooth gamepad and have a 32-inch vertical screen for classic games. Because they are cropped to landscape orientation, most classic console games will look ridiculous on this screen. MAME games running in portrait mode (sometimes called TATE games in the arcade community) look fantastic on this set. This includes megaton "shmups", and classics such as Ms. Pac-Man. The SoC is not perfect due to some sound-emulation quirks and a lack of pure integer scale, but it is powerful enough to run the MAME games that I tried. Also, the default calibration for color is good.Overall, I don't think Legends Pinball is worth the money to play Donkey Kong in its original aspect ratio. It's an added bonus.
