As a kid growing up in the early 90s, pinball and I had a strange relationship. There were always pinball machines in the arcades I frequented, and though video games were flashier, there was something appealing about the tactility of the pinball machine – the way the game revolved around the movements of a very real physical object. Trouble was, most everyone else had moved on to video games (and I was too shy to ask), so I could never observe an experienced player, and therefore never quite understood what was going on. I knew enough to bounce the ball around as long as possible, but I had no idea what all the lights, levers, spinners, bouncers, and traps did, and no clue as to why I sometimes scored high and other times incredibly low.

Eventually the machines disappeared, and I never did have the opportunity to master them. Sure, occasionally there would be a pinball video game released, but the transition lost what I considered an essential element: the physical element. Now that I’ve tried Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection, I’ve found the next best thing to stepping back into those decades-gone arcades.

Pinball Hall of Fame simulates standing in an arcade in front of these classic tables.

At its core, this is a virtual recreation of 13 classic pinball machines manufactured by Williams between 1970 and 1997. Previously, the Williams Collection was available for PS2, Wii, and PSP, though these versions contained only 10 tables – added just for this new edition are Arabian Nights, Medieval Madness, and No Good Gofers. Other additions over the previous release include high-definition upgrades to the visuals, online leaderboards, and a 4-player Tournament Mode. This is clearly the game’s definitive version.

Each table is recreated in lovingly exact detail, from its plunger and coin returns to the digital scoreboard. Moving elements operate just as on the real machine, and every bumper and bonus dishes out the same number of points. The most important part of a pinball simulation, the physics, is also replicated precisely, so bouncing the ball around the virtual cabinet feels just like it should.

Some stand-outs on the disc include Gorgar, a fun machine that was the first ever to include digital voice samples (to very creepy effect), Pin-Bot, which some might recall from the original Nintendo system, Funhouse, which features a very creepy animated dummy head that alternately insults and encourages the player, and the aforementioned Medieval Madness, which is one of the most complex, intricate tables ever made. Its release in the late 90s gave its designers access to much more powerful technology, to create a table that feels almost like a quest-style adventure game at times.

The head’s eyes shift back and forth, and his mouth even animates when he mocks you.

One of the best inclusions on the disc is each table’s Instructions, which is a guided tour of that table’s ins and outs. Every interactable element on the table is detailed, including its score value. On the tables with more complex multipliers and bonuses, each is explained plainly, so for the first time a pinball newcomer like me can learn how to achieve the really high scores. Loading screens even impart special tricks and moves that will help you nail the really tricky shots, although the game loads so quick that it’s sometimes hard to read the whole thing (I’m certainly not complaining about the fast loads, though).

There are a few minor concerns here. Sometimes an especially powerful shot will rocket the ball faster than the game camera can follow, which is no big deal until this keeps you from being able to see the ball hit the paddles, and as a result you lose the ball. Also, the in-game music leaves quite a bit to be desired; most tracks are generic rock/metal, though there is one that’s a pretty blatant rip-off of The Who’s “Pinball Wizard”. Luckily the game gives you full control over which songs, if any, play between tables.

Thirteen flawlessly recreated testaments to pinball’s greatness is a whole lot of gaming value to cram on to one disc, especially when you factor the title’s value price of $39.99 into the equation. Simply put, this is an amazingly complete collection of classic arcade gaming and an impressively fun collection, even compared to new games coming out today.

Gameplay: 8.7
You know those online games, the ones that have simple rules but endless replayability thanks to their realistic physics? Pinball started all that. This collection plays as well as the real thing, thanks to superb physics simulation and some of the most cleverly designed tables of all time.

Graphics: 8.0
The visuals can’t stand up against the 360’s graphic heavy hitters, but every table has been replicated so precisely that it’s hard to tell you’re not looking at an actual machine.

Sound: 7.5
The audio elements of each table are as impeccably re-created as the visuals, so each machine sounds just like it should. The game’s soundtrack is pretty awful, but fortunately it can be disabled.

Difficulty: Medium
Anyone can step up to one of these machines and have fun playing through a few tokens (which are thankfully easy to earn), but anyone attempting to go for the high score or solve each table’s goals has quite a challenge ahead of them.

Concept: 8.0
The modern console generation is perfectly suited for this kind of thing – as pinball machines disappear in real life, an accurate simulation helps preserve the memory, challenge, and fun of those long-gone games for future generations.

Multiplayer: 6.5
While you can’t exactly go head-to-head, neither could you in these game’s original forms. You can set up tournaments, which can be fun, and online leaderboards let you put your initials up for the whole world to try and challenge.

Overall: 8.7
The Williams Collection works as a digital museum to preserve these games for future generations, but also reminds today’s gamers of just how much fun it can be to bounce a metal ball around inside a flashing, chiming cabinet. It’s an excellent collection of some amazing games from an era of electronic entertainment long since past.