Shout Out / Pinball FX

Zen Studios loves pinball, and it shows in their borrowing of physical objects present in notable pinball machines. Some are so similar in structure that they might as well be Spiritual Successors.

Pinball FX

• The split-level design with a series of parallel rollovers just above the path sending the ball down in Xtreme is a shared design element with Black Knight and Black Knight 2000, if not a mirrored version of the latter.
• Speed Machine is a direct mirror to White Water.
• Agents is a direct mirror to Star Trek: The Next Generation.
• Buccaneer is a direct playfield copy of The Addams Family.
• Rocky & Bullwinkle is a direct mirror to Sorcerer.
• Street Fighter 2 is a direct mirror to the playfield of Medieval Madness.
• Nightmare Mansion copies the main playfield from High Speed. Its lower playfield is similar to Black Hole.

Current Zen Originals

• El Dorado:
  • The upper playfield that the player controls greatly resembles Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure.
• Tesla:
  • The plunger lane in is identical in structure to that of Tales of the Arabian Nights.
  • It also has a mini-playfield with magnetic flippers much like the Powerfield in Twilight Zone.
  • The overall playfield layout is mirrored from The Shadow.
  • One multiball mode is called Steam Frenzy, which oddly exists in another digital pinball game.
  • The first portion of the Chain Reaction mode is the Mist magnetic ball from Bram Stoker's Dracula.
• V12:
  • The playfield layout pays tribute to Road Show.
• Shaman:
  • The three spinners are located around the center of the playfield, similarly to Whirlwind.
  • The moving ramp functions exactly like No Good Gofers.
  • The upper playfield layout is similar to World Poker Tour.
• Paranormal:
  • The main playfield is mirrored from The Machine: Bride of Pin*Bot, rotating block included.
  • The vertical playfield where the backglass would normally be comes from Banzai Run.
  • The Chupacabra captive ball functions very similarly to the Map Room in Indiana Jones (Stern).
  • The area beneath the main flippers with a spinner shot comes from Blackwater 100.
  • The levitating ball is likely based off the levitating ball in Pinball Magic.
• Earth Defense:
  • The playfield is identical to that of Judge Dredd, complete with orbiting ramp.
• Sorcerer's Lair:
  • The outlane gates function just like the right outlane gate in Space Shuttle.
• Secrets of the Deep:
  • The upper playfield features a ball tied to on a lowering arm, like JunkYard.
  • The split playfield style is a homage to Grand Lizard.
  • The bowl above the right inlane is a reference to Creature from the Black Lagoon.
• Pasha:
  • The theme is a direct reference to Tales of the Arabian Nights.
  • The playfield layout is a direct mirror from Twilight Zone.
• Adventure Land:
  • The layout, overall, pays tribute to Star Trek: The Next Generation.
  • The ramp extensions function like The Flintstones.

Marvel

• Wolverine:
  • The weapons bay works just like the heart ramp in The Machine: Bride of Pin*Bot.
  • The overall shot layout functions similarly to Attack from Mars.
  • The Claw Save functions exactly like A Nightmare on Elm Street.
• Spider-Man (Zen Studios):
  • A tribute to Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Shooting the Doc Ock hole during the Doc Ock fight gives this quote on the DMD:
  Doc Ock: "GET OUT"
• Blade:
  • When you finish the Wizard Mode and defeat Dracula, Blade says "What a horrible night to have a curse".
  • Hannibal directly mentions Payback Time in a mode that requires timing the ball launch from the gun at a specific target.
  • The music and video used in the night-time / battle sequences also pays homage to the "vampire club" scene at the beginning of the original film.
• Iron Man:
  • SHIELD Multiball functions very similarly, if not exactly the same way, as Attack from Mars's multiball mode.
• Ghost Rider:
  • The skill shot is a direct reference to Pin*Bot.
  • The jump ramp & loop is also a feature in No Fear.
  • The reverse mini-playfield is taken from Bugs Bunny's Birthday Ball.
  • The shotgun feature functions similarly to the cannon from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
• Moon Knight:
  • The playfield layout closely resembles Riverboat Gambler.
  • The looping habitrail around the bottom is similar to Batman Forever, though there are other pinball games like Hurricane that utilize this style as well.
  • The upper flipper shot to the Moon is taken directly from Transporter The Rescue.
• X-Men:
  • The targets located just beneath Magneto largely resemble those from Attack from Mars.
  • The flipper layout near the top of the game, with an upper left flipper and additional top right flipper, resembles the one from Judge Dredd.
  • The skill shot and bumper area appear to be reminiscent of Road Show.
• Infinity Gauntlet:
  • The layout is similar to that of Frank Thomas' Big Hurt.
  • The Soul World playfield is taken directly from Twilight Zone, with drop targets on the sides and Kray-Tor defending the exit.
  • A second plunger can be accessed on the left side, which is also a special feature of FunHouse (1990) and Road Show.
  • Shots to the Gauntlet have 5 exits that divert the ball to different areas of the playfield, a feature previously seen with the Cryo-Claw in Demolition Man.
  • The dual Wizard Mode system, in which there is a mini-wizard mode for failing at least one mission and a true wizard mode for beating every mission, may remind players of Monster Bash.
• Fear Itself:
  • The outermost playfield area functions like NASCAR. The drain beneath the flippers functions this way as well.
  • The Neutral Ball functions like the Powerball in Twilight Zone, unaffected by magnets.
• Fantastic Four:
  • The sign on the upper-left of the playfield is built similarly and in a similar location to the rotating jungle in Gilligan's Island.
  • The Invisible Flip mechanic is a reference to the Phantom Flip mechanic in Monster Bash, although it does not exactly behave the same way.
• Captain America:
  • The semicircular captive ball lane in may have been based on the identical one in Baby Pac-Man, as it's also in the same location on the playfield.
  • The Howlers' sinkhole, with its accompanying standup target, shares its structure and location with a scoop on The Lord of the Rings (which is in turn based on the Catapult up-kicker in Medieval Madness).
  • The right ramp functions similarly to Rescue 911.
• Venom:
  • The layout is a combination of both Blackwater 100 and Centaur.
  • Its Carnage mini-playfield is inspired by the main playfield of Varkon.
• Deadpool:
  • The criss-crossing ramp design that's a signature of Mark Ritchie, particularly the kind used in Fish Tales, though it functions differently.
  • The Blind Al Mode can turn off the lights and provides you with a glowing ball, much like how Viper Night Drivin' works.
  • Ball locks are placed to the middle-left and middle-right out in the open, like with Star Wars Episode I.
• Guardians of the Galaxy:
  • The ball lock on the lower-right of the playfield is based on the TARDIS in Doctor Who.
  • The skill shot involves pressing the launch button when a moving target passes by a stationary reticule, which was previously used in some of Data East's games, including Star Trek.
  • The left Guardians ramp is inspired by Guns N' Roses (Data East).
• Ant-Man:
  • The playfield of is a mirrored version of Theatre of Magic.
  • Ant-Man's helmet follows the ball like Homer's head in The Simpsons Pinball Party.
  • The Pym capsule acts similarly to the Menagerie ball in Cirqus Voltaire.
  • During single-ball play and Pym Multiball, the Pym ball acts similar to the Powerball in Twilight Zone.
  • The spinner rules, where the value can be increased by making enough shots to the right orbit before making the left orbit, resemble the ones from Nine Ball.
• Avengers: Age of Ultron:
  • The playfield is mirrored from The Party Zone.
• Marvel's Women of Power - Champions:
  • When the "Bombshell" mode is activated, a magnet activates at the center of the playfield. Feel the Power!
  • The video mode also bears some resemblance to that of Johnny Mnemonic.
  • The detail on the spinner is the wheel from Wheel of Fortune.
• Marvel's Women of Power - A-Force:
  • The playfield greatly resembles Radical.

Star Wars

• The Empire Strikes Back:
  • The central area with the spinners, loop, and flipper layout resembles F-14 Tomcat.
• Boba Fett:
  • The playfield strongly resembles Medieval Madness.
  • The dual plunger lane feature is a nod to Twilight Zone.
  • Two ramps raise and lower where the orbits are located. This is similarly featured in The Champion Pub.
  • A second plunger can be accessed on the left side, which is also a special feature of FunHouse (1990) and Road Show.
• Return of the Jedi:
  • The lower left area is similar to that of the The Wizard of Oz's State Fair bumper with five targets, as well as the left upper playfield loop.
• Darth Vader:
  • The playfield is mirrored directly from RollerCoaster Tycoon.
• Starfighter Assault:
  • Ramps to an upper playfield with three bumpers with a return to an inlane is a direct inspiration from Full Tilt! Pinball.
• Han Solo:
  • The crane is based off of the Glove toy in Johnny Mnemonic.
  • The lower playfield area has a familiar inlane/outlane setup, as with Cirqus Voltaire. Even the pop bumper raises and lowers here.
• Masters of the Force:
  • Both holocrons borrow from the Trunk on Theatre of Magic and the slam ramp from No Good Gofers.
  • The layout is similar to that of Pinball/Stargate, including a very similar Skill Shot.
• The Force Awakens:
  • The left ramp normally leads to a section that diverts the ball to one of three exits, a feature similarly seen in Star Trek (Data East).
• Might of the First Order
  • The name of the wizard mode is none other than "Rule the Universe", a tribute to Attack From Mars.
• The Last Jedi:
  • The upper playfield lock area pays homage to Breakshot (1996).
• Solo: A Star Wars Story:
  • The crossing ramps and center captive ball area bear great resemblance to Fish Tales.
  • The skill shot used is a cross-playfield jump into one of two circular areas, a feature similarly seen in Comet.

Other licenses

• Portal:
  • The plunger lane is identical in structure to that of Tales of the Arabian Nights, but with a twist: the Skill Shot target now cycles between slots.
• Super League Football:
  • It is admitted on the blog that Super League Football is a Whole-Plot Reference of World Cup Soccer.
• Plants vs. Zombies Pinball:
  • Chomper, when not used as a kickback, acts similarly to the cannon in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and AC/DC.
• The Walking Dead:
  • The Everett mini-playfield has a layout very similar to the attic in Haunted House, including a pair of flippers that point away from each other.
  • "A New Day" is a mode centered around the bumpers that asks you to earn a certain score within a time limit with scoring greatly increased, traits it shares in common with Monster Bash's "Mummy Mayhem."
• South Park - Super Sweet Pinball:
  • The playfield is mirrored directly from The Simpsons Pinball Party.
• Archer:
  • The playfield mirrors Swords Of Fury.
• Family Guy:
  • The Chris side ramp shot functions very similarly to the Warp ramp from Star Trek (Stern).
• Aliens:
  • The upper playfield layout is similar to The Wizard of Oz.
• Jurassic Park:
  • The left ramp has gates that open and close, and pays homage to the first Jurassic Park (Data East) machine that had this detail.