Long before there was the first outbreak of Pac-Man fever and even before anyone ever pinged their first Pong, people were getting their gaming thrills by bouncing a metal ball around a slanted table in a little game called "pinball". As time has passed, though, and gamers have moved more and more into the digital age, the classic pinball experience has found itself on the endangered species list. Now, thanks to a partnership between Zen Studios and Marvel Comics, pinball is back in full tilt with the release of Marvel Pinball on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

For all intents and purposes, Marvel Pinball is essentially an expansion to Zen Studios' popular Pinball FX 2 game. In fact, if you've already downloaded Pinball FX 2 on the Xbox 360, the Marvel Pinball content shows up as additional tables in the Pinball FX 2 collection. On the other hand, PS3 owners will experience Marvel Pinball as a standalone download. Either way, what you get in Marvel Pinball is a collection of four of the most addictive pinball games you'll ever find in the virtual world.

As you can probably guess from the name, each of Marvel Pinball's four tables takes its theme from one of the stable of franchises from the mighty Marvel Universe: Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, and ... Blade? That's right, I said "Blade". And I don't mean the Wesley Snipes "worse things out than vampires" Blade. I mean the old school Tomb of Dracula, "Buffy who?", vampire slayer from the comic books. While the Daywalker might seem a little out of place in this collection (even if he DID have his own movie trilogy), but it helps to complete the range of genres represented. You've got your tough guy in Wolverine, hi-tech hijinks with Iron Man, the supernatural with Blade, and finally ... well, the smart alec in spandex with Spider-Man.

Putting aside the comic book fanboy in me for a minute, I've got to say that Zen Studios has really nailed the authentic pinball feel for the home console. Sure, I've never popped a quarter into a machine that had whirling vortices or animatronic supervillains jumping around the table, but that doesn't mean Marvel Pinball is lacking in the realism department. Utilizing the framework of the Pinball FX 2 series, Marvel Pinball's physics play about as realistic as any number of pinball machines you'd find in any arcade. Look past the smoke and mirrors of the effects, and you'll see how the ball, the flippers, the bumpers, and every other part of the table acts and reacts exactly like it would in real life. Never once does the gameplay feel less than authentic. Of course the downside to that level of realism is that when you miss a shot and the ball goes careening into that dark abyss, you've got no one to blame but yourself.

As authentic as Marvel Pinball feels, it's all those bells and whistles that tug at the heartstrings of my inner comic geek. If you've ever picked up a Marvel comic, you can't help but feel that extra rush of excitement when Mysterio vanishes in a puff of smoke and warps your control of the flippers, or when Sabretooth leaps across the table to go mano a mano with Wolverine. Admittedly, the voice acting isn't the greatest, and you might get a little tired of hearing the same lines over and over again (No Tony, just because it's nearly noon, it does NOT mean it's time for another great invention), but it still doesn't detract from those awesome comic book moments.

Of course, when you've got a game that's this much fun to play, you don't necessarily want to keep it all to yourself. That's why Marvel Pinball has no shortage of ways to play with your friends. The game supports split-screen play for two players, and Hotseat action (players switching off turns) for up to four players. And if you don't have any friends nearby but still ache for that arcade experience, you can even play online against up to three other pinball wizards.

Whether you're a comic book fan or not, Marvel Pinball serves up all kinds of excitement and entertainment. With loads of fun for yourself and friends, it's hard not to recommend that gamers save up their quarters and pick up this must have title.

Final Score: A+