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!

Let’s take a brief look at each of the tables in the Vengeance and Virtue pack so you can understand how we’ve captured these dynamic concepts and the personalities of each character.

The Ghost Rider table captures the atmosphere and apocalyptic visuals from the comics of the past few years, inspired largely by his 2006 series as well as Jason Aaron’s 2009 “Heaven’s on Fire” storyline. The table is set up like a stunt show set from Hell, with Johnny Blaze front and center on his custom chopper and the Hellfire shotgun at his disposal. Lucifer is constantly taunting Ghost Rider, and he holds the key to several missions and modes within the table. Johnny Blaze must also fend off the Orb’s laser blasts, defeat swarms of crows sent by Scarecrow, defeat the fallen angel Zadkiel, and even make deals with the classic villain Mephisto. Needless to say, there is plenty of devilish action in this hellish carnival playfield!

Let’s be honest, you are all sitting here asking yourself, “why Moon Knight”? Let me tell you why! The integral aspects of Moon Knights story – villains, weapons and the powers of the Egyptian Moon god Khonshu – translate into an amazing pinball experience. As Moon Knight, Marc Spector wields the power of Khonshu and operates as the Egyptian god’s vengeful avatar on Earth, fighting crime on the streets of New York City. One of the coolest things this one brings to the, uh, table is the addition of actual boss fights, complete with health bars. Moon Knight faces off against some of his most classic villains, including Bushman, Midnight, the Black Spectre and Morpheus. He even pilots the Moon Copter, and Marvel allowed us to create a brand new weapon for his arsenal – the Moon Crossbow, used in a special minigame.

Now that we’ve seen what the “Vengeance” half of this collection has to offer, let’s delve into its “Virtue”-themed characters…

Thor is all about the glory of victory, and this table has no shortage of electrifying battles against some of Thor’s biggest enemies. Trigger these boss fights by activating the Gate of Asgard and then hitting the ball across the Rainbow Bridge. You can then select which boss fight to engage: Loki, Destroyer, Ymir or Surtur. The God of Thunder will unleash strikes of brilliant lighting and the powerful hammer Mjolnir as he defends Asgard and the Nine Realms. The table comes replete with nice added touches, including a ramp that circles Asgard and exits the ball through the mouth of the Midgard Serpent.

The X-Men table embodies the classic conflict between Professor Charles Xavier’s band of Super Hero mutants against Magneto and his Brotherhood. Players must deploy the powers of Iceman, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Colossus, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Psylocke and Storm as they take on such classic villains as Mystique, Juggernaut and the Blob, as well as mutant-hunting Sentinels. The table features missions inspired by actual comic events, such as Magneto’s destruction of the Brooklyn Bridge (NEW X-MEN #147) and a pinball version of the Dark Phoenix Saga that uses actual dialogue from classic issues of THE UNCANNY X-MEN (#135 and #136). There is even a confrontation with the Juggernaut in which Cyclops, Iceman, Colossus and Psylocke exemplify good teamwork as they attempt to stop the unstoppable.

Each of these tables is designed from scratch around their characters’ personality, traits, weapons and stories in place. We go through a very careful planning process to make sure each table really captures the essence of each character, and it’s great having the support of Marvel all throughout the process.

And now for more on that offer to PlayStation Plus members. Now through January 3, 2012, members can download the original Marvel Pinball pack featuring Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade and Iron Man for FREE! The Captain America and Fantastic Four DLC tables will be 50% off, so you can pick them up for $1.49 each.

If you would like the latest information on Marvel Pinball and any of our other games, be sure to follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook. I will be here answering all of your questions, so fire away.

Oh, and happy holidays!

Did you see what we did there??? “A virtuous announcement coming to New York Comic Con.” Yes, we will be revealing a new table this Saturday @ 1:15 – 2:15 during the Marvel Games panel at NYCC. Any guesses on the reveal?

On to some PS Vita news! Marvel Pinball is looking really sharp on PlayStation’s upcoming handheld. We cannot say enough about how freaking awesome this new device is and how amazing it is to develop on. Marvel Pinball is making full use of PS Vita’s coolest features, including both front- and back-panel touch support, gyro sensor, accelerometer and last but not least, cross-platform functionality with PSN. As we get closer to the release of Marvel Pinball on PS Vita, we will definitely provide more details on all of these features. One more thing: Look for Marvel Pinball to be available for PS Vita starting day one!

As you can see, there is a lot of Marvel Pinball love coming to PlayStation. Stay tuned to NYCC for news on the next table reveal. I will be checking this post throughout the weekend to answer questions. Thanks!

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!

Let’s start with Move – the Planet Minigolf game patch has been released, so break out those shiny new controllers and test out the new gameplay. Don’t have Move yet? Check out the trailer below to get a taste of what to expect.

The patch also includes a bunch of game updates, including new camera controls, a practice mode, 3-player multiplayer mode (both online and local), scoreboard viewing options, improved voice chat quality and more! The demo is also Move updated, so if you want to test it out before buying, download the demo and check that out.

We’ve also just released the first DLC course, Stronghold Island. Set in the Mediterranean Sea, this beautiful island course brings four new trophies, more customization options for building your own courses and some great minigolf challenges. The course is $2.49 and available now.

Now for the really good part, we’re giving away five Planet Minigolf & Stronghold Island code packs. To win, go to the Zen Studios Facebook page, like us, and post the code “PMG WINNER” to our wall. We will randomly select five winners and send you codes for both Planet Minigolf and Stronghold Island.

As always, we truly appreciate your feedback, so feel free to ask questions, leave comments and we will get back to you with answers and thoughts.

So, how does PlayStation Move make Planet Minigolf better? Well, think about how you play mini golf in real life on a course with a putter and you’ll get the idea. Hold the PlayStation Move controller like a putter and putt away. The guys in the studios have worked really hard on the putting gameplay mechanic and we’ve really nailed it. Depending on how hard you swing the club, you expect the ball to go a certain distance, so we took that concept and built around it so the physics of the ball and the force driving the ball are accurate. We can’t really think of a better way to experience the PlayStation Move controller!

If you are familiar with Zen Studios, then you know that we are committed to releasing content and updates even after we ship the initial game. With that said, we invite you to stay tuned for another soon-to-be-made Planet Minigolf announcement…any guesses out there? We will leave you to ponder while you check out the new screens and video.

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 is revealing another trailer for our upcoming arcade golfing multiplayer game, Planet MiniGolf. This time we’re revealing the coolest tips, tricks and power-ups to help you become the best mini-golfer around! This Tips & Tricks trailer will show off all of the things that will help you get a hole in one. Check out an exclusive sneak peek of the Planet MiniGolf Tips & Tricks trailer below!

This is a small taste of what Planet MiniGolf will deliver. ZEN Studios is also offering a contest to all you MiniGolf fans! You only need to follow these two easy steps to win: head over to our Facebook page and “like” us, and then send an email to: planetminigolf@zenstudios.com telling us which power-up allows you to control the ball when you hit it. You will then be entered to win a customized Planet MiniGolf golf kit!

Be sure to check out Planet MiniGolf when it launches on PSN next month for $9.99. For more information you can always check out our previous posts on the PlayStation.Blog or visit the official ZEN Studios website!

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia (“D.C.”) only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not enter this sweepstakes if you are not a legal resident of, and located in the 50 United States or District of Columbia at the time of entry.

PLAYSTATION®NETWORK PLANET MINIGOLF CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES
Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited.

Official Contest Rules

1. DESCRIPTION: The “Planet MiniGolf Giveaway Contest” begins at 12:01 AM [PST] on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 and ends at 11:59 PM [PST] on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. The Sponsor of this Contest is ZEN Studios. The administrator of this is ZEN Studios.

2. ELIGIBILITY: Contest is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and Washington, D.C. who are at least 18 years of age at time of entry and who have internet access as of the Start Date. Any individuals (including but not limited to employees, consultants, independent contractors and interns) who have, within six months prior to the Start Date, held employment with or performed services for Sponsor, Contest Administrator, ZEN Studios, or any organizations affiliated with the sponsorship, fulfillment, administration, prize support, judging, advertisement or promotion of the Contest (collectively, “Contest Entities”) are not eligible to enter or win. Immediate family and household members of such individuals are also not eligible to enter or win. “Immediate Family” shall mean parents, step-parents, legal guardians, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings, or spouses. “Household Members” shall mean those people who share the same residence at least three months a year. Void where prohibited.

3. HOW TO ENTER: Head to ZEN Studios Facebook page at www.facebook.com/zenstudios and “like” ZEN Studios, then send an email to: planetminigolf@zenstudios.com explaining what power-up allows you to control the ball when you hit it, this information can be found in the “Tips and Tricks Trailer.” To be valid, entries must be received no later than June 1, 2010 at 11:59pm PST.

All entries must be received by 11:59 PM [PST] on June 1, 2010. Limited to one entry per person. Entrants must provide all information requested by Sponsors to be eligible to win. Incomplete, unreadable, or unintelligible entries will be disqualified. All information provided by entrants becomes the property of Sponsor and will not be returned or acknowledged. Proof of email does not constitute proof of entry.

4. PRIZES: Each prize winner will receive one ZEN Studios Planet MiniGolf golf kit, including: a customized Planet MiniGolf Golf Towel, a custom three pack of balls, and a custom set of Planet MiniGolf tees.

5. WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION: 25 prize winners will be selected following the Promotion Period. Winners will be determined by a single random drawing of all valid entries received by Sponsor, whose decisions are final. Selection will be held on or about June 3, 2010. Sponsor will send a notification email to each winner’s e-mail address they use to enter the conest. If any winner does not respond to Sponsor’s notification email within 7 days of the date of the notification email, he/she will be disqualified and a new winner will be selected based on the original selection criteria.. Please allow four to six weeks for receipt of prizes.Prize winners cannot assign or transfer the prize to another person. No cash or prize substitution is allowed except at the discretion of Sponsor. Other restrictions may apply.

6. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION/RELEASES: Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these official rules and the decisions of the Judging Panel, Sponsor and the Contest Administrator, which shall be final in all respects. By participating in this Contest and/or by accepting any prize that they may be awarded, entrants agree to release the Sponsor, Judging Panel, and Contest Administrator; their parent, subsidiary and affiliated companies, units and divisions and advertising and promotional agencies and prize suppliers; each of their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives and employees; and each of these companies and individuals’ respective successors, representatives and assigns (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any and all actions, claims, injury, loss or damage arising in any manner, directly or indirectly, from participation in this Contest and/or acceptance or use of the prize. Entrants authorize the Released Parties to use their name, voice, likeness, biographical data, city and state of residence and entry materials in programming or promotional material, worldwide in perpetuity, or on a winner’s list, if applicable, without further compensation unless prohibited by law. Entrants also grant ZEN Studios a perpetual, fully-paid, irrevocable, non-exclusive license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, distribute, display, exhibit, transmit, broadcast, televise, digitize, otherwise use, and permit others to use and perform throughout the world their entry materials in any manner, form, or format now or hereinafter created, including on the internet, and for any purpose, including, but not limited to, advertising or promotion of Sponsor and/or ZEN Studios and their respective services, all without further consent from or payment to you. Neither ZEN Studios nor Sponsor is obligated to use any of the above mentioned information or materials, but may do so and may edit such information or materials, at their sole discretion, without further obligation or compensation. The Released Parties shall not be liable for: (i) late, lost, delayed, stolen, misdirected, incomplete unreadable, inaccurate, garbled or unintelligible entries, communications or affidavits, regardless of the method of transmission; (ii) telephone system, telephone or computer hardware, software or other technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections, disconnections, delays or transmission errors; (iii) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials; (iv) any injuries, losses or damages of any kind caused by the prize or resulting from acceptance, possession or use of a prize, or from participation in the Contest; or (v) any printing, typographical, administrative or technological errors in any materials associated with the Contest. Released Parties shall not have any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participating in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with this Contest, and reserves the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the Contest should a virus, bug, computer problem, unauthorized intervention or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control, corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Contest. Released Parties may prohibit you from participating in the Contest or winning a prize if, in their sole discretion, they determine you are attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or any other unfair playing practices of intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other players or Released Parties’ representatives. This Contest will be governed by the internal laws of the State of California. Any and all legal actions or claims arising in connection with this Contest must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction within the United States. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, RELEASED PARTIES RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEY FEES) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

7. PRIVACY POLICY: Any personal information supplied by you to ZEN Studios will be subject to ZEN Studios privacy policy posted at http://www.zenstudios.com/legal.html. By entering the Contest, you grant ZEN Studios permission to share your email address and any other personally identifiable information with the corresponding Contest Entities, and you are automatically registered as a member of ZEN Studios web site and subject to its privacy policy posted athttp://www.zenstudios.com/legal.html. As a result, you may receive additional email communication or promotions from the Sponsor as any of their members would. ZEN Studios will not sell, rent, transfer or otherwise disclose your personal data to any third party other than the Contest Entities.

8. SPONSOR: “ZEN Studios Planet Minigolf Giveaway” Winner’s List or Rules, 18711 Tiffeni Drive, Suite K, Twain Harte, CA 95383

9. PRIZE WINNER LIST: For the list of prize winners, available after June 5, 2010, or a copy of these official rules, mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: “ZEN Studios Planet Minigolf Giveaway” Winner’s List or Rules, 18711 Tiffeni Drive, Suite K, Twain Harte, CA 95383

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.