Kotaku: Zen Studios

A Pinball Role-Playing Game? Be Still My Shiny Spherical Heart

Mike Fahey — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

Coming soon to Pinball FX 2 and Zen Pinball platforms everywhere,. Epic Quest is a pinball table that merges the science of the silver ball with the loot gathering, experience points, and leveling of a role-playing game. How dangerous is that concept? More »

Maybe It Isn't a Sport, But Is Pinball a Sports Video Game?

Owen Good — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

I've tried to be open-minded about what constitutes a sports video game, largely because the genre has so few new titles or competing products in a given year. Pinball FX 2, one of my favorite games of 2011, has struck me as a quasi-sports video game for a while, I just couldn't really articulate why. More »

Zen Pinball Makes Its 3DS Debut Next Week

Mike Fahey — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

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After successful silver ball outings on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and iOS and Android devices, Zen Studios brings their plucky brand of video game pinball to the 3DS next week with the downloadable Zen Pinball 3D, complete with support for downloadable tables. More »

Whosoever Holds This Pinball Table Shall Possess the Power of Thor

Mike Fahey — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:20:00 EST

Should you be worthy or willing to spend 800 Microsoft points / $9.99 next week, this Thor table and more shall be yours when Zen Studio releases the Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue pack on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network. More »

Reminder: Free Pinball FX 2 Table Available Now

Owen Good — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EDT

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If you have Pinball FX 2, a new table is available today through next Wednesday for free. If you don't have Pinball FX 2, the base application is free and, again, so is the table that is free through next Wednesday. Paranormal is its name. More »

Pinball FX2 Gets a Free Table for Halloween

Owen Good — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:00:00 EDT

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Zen Studios, the master maker of pinball tables, will offer a free treat by Halloween for all Pinball FX2 owners. Anyone who picks up the free Pinball FX2 platform on Xbox Live can get the Paranormal table for free from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2. More »

Marvel Pinball Brings the X-Men and Magneto to Its Newest Table

Owen Good — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EDT

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Today Zen Studios revealed that X-Men will be the latest entry in its Vengeance & Virtue series of Marvel-themed tables for Pinball FX2, joining Ghost Rider. More »

Pinball FX2 Gets Another Table: 'Sorcerer's Lair'

Owen Good — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:30:00 EDT

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Diehard pinballers looking for another couple thou or so on their Wizard Score in Pinball FX2 can pick up another table on Oct. 12, developer Zen Studios just announced. "Sorcerer's Lair," an all-original table, will release then, promising "a gothic world of mystery, ghosts and ginormous spiders!" The table offers six missions. More »

Zen Pinball 3D Coming to 3DS via Nintendo eShop This Fall

Owen Good — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:20:00 EDT

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The makers of the popular Zen Pinball series on PlayStation Network and the Pinball FX 2 series on Xbox Live Arcade will bring the silver ball to the 3DS with Zen Pinball 3D, a downloadable title releasing this fall on the Nintendo eShop. More »

Ms. 'Splosion Man Crosses Over With Pinball FX 2 Next Week

Owen Good — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EDT

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Although known primarily for its Marvel Comics tables, the pinball simulator Pinball FX 2 has other crossovers, like Rocky & Bullwinkle and Street Fighter. The game's latest team-up is with Twisted Pixel's Ms. 'Splosion Man, and it is available Aug. 31. More »

Six Shots of Pinball FX 2's Next Table, Ms. 'Splosion Man

Owen Good — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 01:30:00 EDT

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Back in July, FX Pinball 2 creator Zen Studios revealed that Twisted Pixel's Ms. 'Splosion Man would supply the theme for the next table for the pinball simulator. Six fresh screens of that went out today. More »

Marvel Pinball Offers Prizes in Spider-Man Tourney

Owen Good — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EDT

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A while ago, Stephen Totilo introduced me to the concept of a "chaser" - a downloadable title played to take a break after a session on a serious, narrative-based game or in a long stretch of multiplayer. The Marvel Pinball tables in Pinball FX 2have been my chaser of choice for the past few months. They're also a great gaming experience unto themselves. More »

Marvel Pinball Expanding to Other Platforms, but First, a Ghost Rider Table

Owen Good — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:00:23 EDT

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The well received Marvel series of tables for the acclaimed pinball simulator Pinball FX 2 will be getting another set of four tables by winter, and also will expand to other platforms in 2012. More »

Marvel Pinball Celebrates 50 Years of the Fantastic Four

Mike Fahey — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EDT

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The family that stays together for 50 years plays pinball together as well. Zen Studios adds to its highly successful Marvel Pinball series with a Fantastic Four table featuring Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Thing, and...wait, where's Spider-Man? More »

Pinball FX2 Goes To Mars

Mike Fahey — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EDT

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Zen Studios is launching a new table into their Xbox 360 pinball platform on April 20, when Mars comes into orbit around Pinball FX2. More »

Pinball FX2: Marvel Pinball Tingles My Silver Ball Sense

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST

I am not a pinball wizard. I never have been. But here I am, with itchy flipper fingers, rarin' to shoot that silver ball. Pinball FX2: Marvel Pinball is ready to scratch that itch — comic book style. More »

Wolverine Tears Marvel Pinball A Release Date

Mike Fahey — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST

The X-Men's resident badass Wolverine sure plays a mean pinball, and fans can too when Zen Studios unleashes four Marvel-themed pinball tables for Pinball FX next week on Xbox Live Arcade. More »

Marvel Pinball: From Comics Page To Silver Ball

Mike Fahey — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 11:40:00 EST

A red and blue figure twists and spins through the skies of New York. Crimson and gold streaks through the clouds. Primal fury is unleashed. Darkness hunts darkness in the shadowy streets. This is Marvel Pinball. More »

Pinball FX 2's Rome Table Likely Not Built In A Day

Mike Fahey — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EDT

Six stately new screens for Zen Studio's Pinball FX 2 arrived this morning, along with info on how the sequel's scoring system will give players the choice to stand with their friends or against them. More »

Pinball FX 2 Is Xbox Live's Pinball Platform

Mike Fahey — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:40:00 EDT

The video game pinball wizards at Zen Studios are bringing Pinball FX 2 to the Xbox Live Arcade, with free graphical updates and new achievements to every Pinball FX table released so far. More »

Pinball Wizards Take A Shot At Mini-Golf

Mike Fahey — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EDT

The studio behind Zen Pinball and Pinball FX takes the ball out of the table and onto the green with Planet MiniGolf, coming this spring to the PlayStation Network. More »

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Gets Its Own Pinball Table

Mike Fahey — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:20:00 EDT

Juggle balls with Ryu, Ayane and friends with a special Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 table for Zen Pinball, coming to the PlayStation Network later this month. More »

Street Fighter II Coming To Zen Pinball

Mike Fahey — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:20:00 EDT

Zen Pinball creators Zen Studios are ready to start releasing new content for the PlayStation Network pinball game, spin-kicking things off with a Street Fighter II-themed table. More »

The PlayStation Network Gets Punished Next Week

Mike Fahey — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:20:00 EDT

There'll be nowhere to hide for PlayStation 3 owners next week, when Frank Castle bursts onto the PlayStation Network guns blazing in Zen Studios' The Punisher: No Mercy. More »

Zen Pinball Launching With Free PSN Demo

Mike Fahey — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Zen's PlayStation Network pinball title is getting a try before you buy option, with a playable demo of Zen Pinball available alongside the full game this Thursday. More »

Zen Pinball Launches Next Week On PSN

Mike Fahey — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:20:00 EDT

PlayStation 3 didn't have long to wait for their pinball fix, as Zen Studios announces a May 14th launch for Zen Pinball on the PlayStation Network. More »

Zen Pinball Trailer Plays A Mean Pinball

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT

There used to be time when purist pinball snobbery would outright reject any attempt at video game pinball, but thanks to Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection, Zen Pinball looks very purchasable. More »

Zen Plays Pinball On The PlayStation Network

Mike Fahey — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:40:00 EDT

The PlayStation 3 finally gets some downloadable 3D pinball goodness, as Zen Studios readies Zen Pinball for a spring release on the PlayStation Network. More »

Pinball FX Gets Super Street Fighter II Turbo Table

Mike Fahey — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:20:00 EST

A new table for Zen Studios' awesome Xbox Live Arcade title Pinball FX is always a happy occasion, and that happiness is only multiplied when the new table is a Street Fighter table. The Super Street Fighter II Turbo table for Pinball FX not only features the likenesses of your favorite World Warriors, but original music and sound from the game as well. Fight with Chun-Li, Ryu, Ken, and Guile against the evil forces of Sagat, Evil Ryu, Vega, Balrog, and M. Bison. Expect all of the in-game challenges and special events you've come to expect from Pinball FX, with special shots, animated punches, special moves, and kicks...except of course from Balrog, who never learned kicking. More »

Yes, There Is A New Punisher Game Coming

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Marvel weren't screwin' around when they were teasing a new Punisher game the other day. Only a week after dropping the hints, Sony have today announced Punisher: No Mercy, a PSN game in development at little-known Hungarian devs Zen Studios. Little was revealed about the game aside from the fact it's an "arena-based multiplayer" title and that it's going to be powered by the Unreal Engine 3, but Punisher/Marvel fans, don't let that stop you from crafting some unrealistic expectations for yourselves. More »

Free Pinball FX Level on XBLA

Mark Wilson — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:40:20 EDT

For those who haven't tried it, Zen Studios' Pinball FX is a pretty spectacular little pinball game on Xbox Live Arcade. While virtual pinball physics may never be perfect, the graphics are beautiful and you can actually follow the action through a few decent camera angles. The only real issue I have with it is the lack of levels. Starting this Halloween, Pinball FX will be offering a free level on XBLA called Buccaneer. We were excited that it might be a spooky Halloween-themed pack at first, but buccaneers are a close second in our hearts. More »