PS3 or XBOX360 for video pinball

[M33]

Hi,
I don't have a console yet. I really only want one to play video pinball.
I had a very old pinball called Marry Widow in the garage.
Does one console have better graphics or speed?
Does one console have more tables then the other?
Additionally, I'm confused about Zen Pinball vs. Marvel Pinball vs. FX2
I will get either a PS3 or XBOX360 as soon as I decide which is best for me.
Thanks in advance!

[shogun00]

This is all going to boil down to what you are looking in a console.

The PS3 and Xbox 360 both have their pluses and minuses.

Does one console have better graphics or speed?

The game looks and plays the same on both consoles.

The Xbox 360 has a slight edge, because Pinball FX2 is a newer game compared to Zen Pinball on the PS3.

Does one console have more tables then the other?

At the moment the Xbox 360 has more tables, but that may change when Zen Pinball 2 releases out on the PS3 in May/June.

Additionally, I'm confused about Zen Pinball vs. Marvel Pinball vs. FX2.

All three games are made by the same company. They are just different names.

Pinball FX 2 is for the Xbox 360, which is a platform.

Zen Pinball (original tables) and Marvel Pinball (Marvel tables) are for the PS3. In May/June the two games will be combined into one (as a platform) and will be called Zen Pinball 2.

There are other factors that you should be thinking about, while deciding which console to get.

Are you willing to pay a yearly fee (about $60) to play online multiplayer? The Xbox 360's online service contains an annual fee, while the PS3's online service is free.

Do you have a Blu-ray player? If no, then the PS3 can double as a one.

Are you interested in other pinball games besides Zen's? The PS3 has a few of them, such as Pinballisk (another fun one), Pinball Dreams (a classic) and Pinball Fantasies (a classic).

I personally went with a PS3, because of game selection (I like the niche ones) and free online. However, others prefer the Xbox 360 which has a much larger game library and a more refined online service.

[MrDaaark]

The game runs really well on my Android tablet. It might be more convenient for you that way? No matter where I am, I can suddenly be playing Pinball. And the tall screen view fits the machine perfectly.

As for consoles, I own both and it's a toss up. Graphically, the 360 beats the PS3 hands down, especially at higher resolutions. But for some reason, I spend more time with my PS3. Mostly because PSN is free. The price of XBL for a year (which is worth what you pay for it) comes out to about the same as a new release game. Each console has it's big exclusive titles, but otherwise all the big games come to both.

The 360 controller has weight to it, and the thumbsticks have a better, tighter, feel to them. But it takes batteries.

The PS3 controller is lighter, has trigger buttons which are way too sensitive, and the thumbsticks are loose. But it has a built in battery and comes with a a cord that you can plug it into the PS3 to charge it with.

Zen looks VERY good on a giant HDTV. Both consoles look best when connected to a big HDTV with a proper HDMI connection. That makes more of a difference than console choice.

[M33]

Thank you both so much. Both of your posts were very helpful to me.
I am getting a PS3, an HDMI 1.4 cable, aftermarket wireless controllers, and the full Zen catalog
I decided on PS3 because online is free, and PS3 has user upgradeable hard drive
Plus, I also like niche titles like Heave Rain, and Valkyria Chronicles.
If PS3 will catch up to XBOX360 in titles this year, that would be a plus too.

[Sub_Man]

PS3 Experience

M33 - Did you purchase a PS3 and if so what has been your experience with it? Any users of XBOX care to share their experiences with that system.

Thanks!

[zohaa3492]

I had got one of the missions on the Spiderman table up to stage 370 something and if you know the table well you can score quite big with that. My one shot was probably around 340 million. I've been trying to get that one shot up on the Fantastic Four table up to 400 million. It's doable but not easy. Has anyone done that here by chance?

Anyways, what's your once shot high score?

[viberunner]

I decided on PS3 because ... the PS3 has user upgradeable hard drive

Just as an aside, the Xbox 360 has an upgradable HDD too. I know, I upgraded mine from 60gb to 250gb. The rest of your points were accurate.

Any users of XBOX care to share their experiences with that system? Thanks!

I love my Xbox and couldn't be without it. I think the two biggest differences are system exclusives and controller comfort. The Xbox has the best shooting and racing exclusives (GOW, Halo, GTR, Forza) whereas the PS3 has (unsurprisingly) a lot of Japanese exclusives. Some people greatly prefer the Sony controller and the + pad is a work of art, I much prefer the larger Xbox controller and I couldn't live without the triggers (they make racing games so much better).

FX2 runs super-smooth on it, but you'd expect that.