While you wait for "Star Wars: Episode VII" to arrive, you can empower The Force in a 10-pack of new "Star Wars"-themed virtual pinball games for consoles and mobile devices.
Today, Zen Studios, developer of such popular pinball simulations as "Marvel Pinball" and the "Plants vs. Zombies" table, announced a partnership with Lucasfilm to create 10 new virtual tables featuring the popular sci-fi franchise.
The first three tables for the package are set to arrive this month on the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita (as part of the "Zen Pinball 2" collection). They will eventually come to the Apple App Store and Google Play and the "Pinball FX 2" package on Xbox 360. (Support for the Wii U hasn't been announced.)
Zen Studios has proved its pinball worth before, taking characters from the Marvel universe, including Wolverine and Iron Man, and putting them in unique, iconic virtual tables. These resembled their characters quite faithfully, complete with voice samples and hero/villain animations. "Star Wars" will likely boast just as careful a design, featuring such fan favorites as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and, of course, Darth Vader.
The first pack (again, no release date) will include three tables, showing the diversity of Zen Studios' design. There will be a table based on one of the more dramatic entries in the series, "The Empire Strikes Back"; a second table will be devoted to intergalactic bounty hunter Boba Fett, and a third will feature events and characters from the Cartoon Network animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." [See also: Stern's Pinball Machine for Your Living Room ]
The game makers will unveil the other seven tables in the weeks ahead, leading into such big game events as the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East and the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The games will come with competitive online leaderboards, authentic sound effects and the kind of old-school pinball feeling that Zen Studios has provided in other games.
"Star Wars" fever has once again reached a peak at the moment, with Rovio's hit mobile game " Angry Birds Star Wars " and J.J. Abrams announcement, just days ago, for the forthcoming 2015 sequel. And you can bet the enthusiasm will continue with this pinball compilation.