09 August, 2012

The demise of Empire

The best moment of 2000 was when I visited the Apple expo in Paris. Entering the hall I saw, the fourth Empire Pro Pinball, Fantastic Journey, running on a G4 machine. I looked for telltale signs of VirtualPC emulation but there was none: the game had been ported to the Mac. More than a year after the game became available for Wintel machines FJ was finally there! 



Fantastic Journey is the usual Empire product: superb simulation and excellent graphics. The table is rather dark but this is probably related to the fact that the setting is a 19th century one. However I must say that the game is somewhat less interesting than the previous ones. (So after all my prophecy that Empire would have trouble improving over BRUSA did, unfortunately, come true). And I am (still) furious at whoever designed the video game: the crystals and asteroids look so alike that you are bound to make some blunder and botch your game.

Alas, Fantastic Journey was meant to be the last blaze of glory of Empire.

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