WildSnake Pinball: Christmas Tree

The physics are as authentic as the graphics in this pinball game. WildSnake Pinball: Christmas Tree applies a Christmas-themed board and soundtrack to standard pinball gameplay. The options let you change the control keys, adjust the volume on the music and sound effects, and set resolution and color depth. The left and right Shift keys are the flippers, while z, space bar, and / nudge the ball left, right, or up. Similar to real-life play, overusing nudge will cause the game to tilt. The plunger chute is graduated like a measuring cup, letting you consistently place the ball according to how long you hold the Enter key.

Our main complaint about the gameplay is once the plunger reaches the bottom, it releases the ball automatically. Also, the "Jingle Bells" soundtrack, though well done, gets repetitive. We wish you could play in windowed mode and change your viewing angle. Nag screens pop up about every 10 minutes, sometimes interrupting play. The trial version limits you to single-player mode and one hour of play, but that should be enough to judge whether you want it. WildSnake Pinball: Christmas Tree could make a good Christmas present for pinball fans.