Zen’s Epic Quest

It is the sworn duty of every knight to seek out evil, defeat it, and take its stuff. One such knight is Max, whose enthusiasm for combat is surpassed only by his love of rare and valuable loot. Join Max as he battles hordes of evil (or just evil-looking) monsters, rescues a wealthy princess, and accumulates the loot and XP that make good deeds worth doing. If Max suffers a defeat, never fear! He will return in the next game with all of his hard-won loot and experience levels intact.

As you complete missions and table objectives, Max earns loot, which is essential for defeating monsters and impressing n00bs. Put together a set of “epic” gear and become the envy of all your frenemies! Supposedly, it helps you fight better, too. And if a game ends, experience and loot carry over to the next game. Yes, you read that correctly, your experience and loot carry over from game to game, just like an RPG!

Writing a deeper story that continues to play out as you spend time with the table was essential in the creation of this table. It really makes the game more enjoyable and increases the incentive to continue playing. We also wrote a lot of Monty Python-type humor into the story, so expect some laughs!

Max the Knight & Loot

Players will be required to defeat a monster during the Encounter mode in Epic Quest. When the player defeats this formidable foe, they will receive loot in the form of weapons or armor. Swords, axes, shields, spells and more will be won in order to help Max develop into a true (not to mention well-dressed) champion. As loot is won, Max will actually use items and they will be visibly applied to his image. Loot is classified into three categories:

• Yellow – common items
• Blue – better items
• Purple – epic items (!)

The possibility of finding an Epic item increases with each level of Max the Knight, so the higher level you are the more likely you are to find more valuable loot. Because you get to keep loot game after game, Max will appear in the same gear he ended with when a new game starts.

From Lesser Knight to Epic Hero

It took some time to perfect the XP formula for Epic Quest, but the result for the player is a new set of challenges and rewards outside of just keeping the ball in play. You will earn XP for completing missions and hitting specific shots on the table. XP is represented on a large red bar below the flippers at the front of the table. After filling the XP bar, Max will level up!

Max begins as a Minor Knight with hopes and dreams of someday becoming an Epic Hero. As Max levels up, he becomes more and more powerful…er, capable! As a more “capable” knight, Max will be able to inflict more damage on monsters and enemies, which means he will be able to discover more valuable loot including epic items, and multi ball jackpot values will increase. Whether he reaches is goal of being an Epic Hero or not is up to you!

Epic Quest will release next Tuesday on PSN as DLC for Zen Pinball, and we hope you enjoy the table and the new direction we have taken. As always, THANKS SO MUCH for your support, and we appreciate your feedback and encourage you to send us questions or comments on the Zen Facebook, Twitter or forums. Oh, and do not forget to pick up Twisted Metal!!! This is one of my all-time favorite games and you can be sure I will be playing it day one!

Set in an ancient Citadel that is controlled by an evil Sorcerer, you play as a brother and sister pair who find themselves caught in the Sorcerer’s spells and traps. It is up to you and your ghost sidekick, Whisper, to take down skeletons, spiders and ghosts as you try to defeat the Sorcerer and restore peace to the Citadel. This fantasy themed table is full of hidden modes and secret unlocks, so it will take some time to really discover the intricacies of Sorcerer’s Lair.

As you have come to expect from every ZEN Pinball table, there is no shortage of interactive 3D objects, multiple modes of play, secret unlocks, online multiplayer competition – and three new trophies!

It is hard to believe that this is our SEVENTH expansion for ZEN Pinball! We really need to thank the PlayStation community for embracing our game on this level, and allowing us to continue work on a game we love so much.

Paranormal is creepy and freakish, full of weird creatures and Twilight Zone-type weird events. Also note we’ve gone flipper ballistic, and built 10 flippers in the table. Yes, Paranormal features 10 flipping flippers, the most ever in a pinball game! You must be asking yourself what 10 flippers looks like on a pinball table? Check out the trailer above to get a firsthand look.

In the spirit of Halloween, we are inviting you to trick-or-treat early on our Facebook Page. Simply post your favorite scary movie title of all time to our wall, and we will select ten winners on Thursday, October 21. We know it’s a hard choice, so we’re giving you a full day to mull it over. By the way, my favorite scary flick of all time is The Ring, I don’t know what could top it.

Let us know if you have any questions and as always, thanks for your support!

This is only a small taste of what the new MARS table will deliver. Get ready to for a wild ride through space with this frenetic and exciting new table. Following in the footsteps of the Street Fighter and Earth Defense tables, this is a must-have for your ZEN Pinball library, so be sure to head over to the PlayStation Store next week and pick it up!

For more information on ZEN Pinball, you can always check out previous posts on this blog or visit the official ZEN Pinball website at www.zenpinball.com.

ZEN Studios has locked down this Thursday, April 15, 2010 as the official release date for Excalibur, the latest expansion table for ZEN Pinball! Fans can pick up the awesome new table on the PlayStation Store for $2.49. Check out the exclusive sneak peek of the new Excalibur table with the trailer below!

This trailer is only a taste of what the Excalibur table will deliver. Earn your seat as a respected knight of the Round Table of Camelot as you duel the other knights in effort to retain the “King Champion” title. Hit swinging targets, utilize Merlin’s tips and suggestions to start up the Magical Multiball, and participate in jousting tournaments to earn extra points! Check out the exciting new Excalibur table tomorrow, and for more information, you can always check out previous ZEN pinball posts on this blog or visit the official ZEN Pinball website at www.zenpinball.com.

ZEN Studios has locked down this Thursday, March 25 as the official release date for Earth Defense, the latest expansion table for ZEN Pinball! You can pick up the fun new table on the PlayStation Store for $2.49 – check out an exclusive sneak peak of the new Earth Defense table with the trailer below!

And that’s just a small taste of what the Earth Defense table will deliver. Prepare yourself to save the world! The fate of the world is in your hands and it is your mission to overcome the panic and rid Pinball City of the alien invaders. Check out the exciting new Earth Defense table tomorrow! For more information, you can always check out previous posts on the Blog or visit the official ZEN Pinball website at www.ZenPinball.com.

That’s just a small taste of what the Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 table is like, but it should give you a good idea of what you can expect come next Thursday. If you need more information you can always check out previous posts on this blog or you can visit the official ZEN Pinball website at www.ZenPinball.com. Until next time, keep those flippers loose.

To further whet your appetite as we gear up for launch, the Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 table boasts a record five multiball game modes, a massive amount of killer action-packed missions where players can unleash a ridiculous amount of punishment with lightning-fast weapon combos, ball slicing effects, electricity charged ramps and much more!

Currently, we have a tentative release date scheduled for October 2009, so mark your calendars and plan to spend some quality time slashing your way through the Sky City Tokyo-themed table come this fall. As always, stay tuned to this blog or check out the official ZEN Pinball site for the most up-to-date information.

Until next time, keep those flipper fingers loose!

And for everyone looking for a great value… well you can be the judge and jury! In the US you can grab the Street Fighter inspired table for only $2.49, and a mere 1.99 EURO in Europe. Not bad, right? For more information, be sure to check out the official site for ZEN Pinball at: www.zenpinball.com.

To give you a little idea of what makes this table so unique, we’ve loaded it with all the iconic Street Fighter II characters that revolutionized the fighting genre, from Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Guile to Sagat, Evil Ryu, Vega, Balrog and even M. Bison! The locations, missions, and even the tempo of the game capture the feel and look of the Street Fighter brand, so if you’re a fan of the franchise you’ll need to check this table out.

Right now we have a tentative release date scheduled for sometime in August 2009, so stay tuned to this blog, or check out the official ZEN Pinball site for more details.