AtGames Legends virtual pinball review: The better pre-built choice mostly

I bought the A1up Attack From Mars and the screen was atrocious, the lexan was bad, the flippers buttons inconsistent, etc.. After spending another $2k on a pc, 32" 4k screen, backglass monitor, piece of glass, Virtualpin control kit, Cherry MX buttons and some other stuff, it is much more usable. I think the Atgames is technically better, but the A1up versions have better stock IP, cabinet artwork, plunger and prettier rails and lockdown bars- but they cut too many corners to hit the $600 retail price point. Plus they announced no firmware updates to fix two of the ten tables that weren't playable, so if you aren't going to mod it, this Atgames one is probably the way to go.

I was never a huge pinball enthusiast, but have fond memories of playing them in arcades. I fail to see the appeal of these digital replicas, so here's a "get off my lawn" rant...

The entire experience of a pinball machine was physical/mechanical: you felt the clunk when releasing the plunger, which you'd sometimes have to do more than once to get the momentum just right. You'd hear the rolling of the ball and each time it made contact. Sound didn't just come from stereo speakers, but from many places on the board and was an immersive experience all on its own. Nudging the machine was a pro move, as each machine was different and handled tilt detection differently. There was this raw sensation of interacting with an electromechanical device that I don't see how a table computer with some monitors and speakers would ever be able to replicate. Sure, being able to load different games is nice, but I think it would still feel more like a video game than a pinball machine.

I love MAME, but at the end of the day it's only emulating software. The joy of the arcade was in the variety of physical controls, sitting in that game booth, and every cabinet offering an entirely new experience.

Pinball in VR is surprisingly good. Obvious that these are two different things though.

You can build your own MAME pinball virtual machine for cheaper. https://youtu.be/udVbzeSlAr0

MAME pinball games emulated: http://mamedb.blu-ferret.co.uk/category/Pinball/

But watch this before you buy any Virtual Pinball Machine: https://youtu.be/NhthrogaNxA