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Another big IP, Alien vs. Predator was an awesome theme for a pinball table. The 2004 AVP movie had a huge hunting ground, a maze-like underground pyramid which made me think just how static ramps, holes and other pinball stuff should be. Turns out most of those things can rotate, move or shift - no matter what others might say at first.
We got to play as a Predator (finally!) who navigates through the pyramid while hunting down lots of Aliens and some humans - the latter is mostly up to the player. All the while the pyramid - the table - is constantly changing with almost each shot.
"They're on the ceiling!" - shouts one of the human survivors as the table turns upside-down. During the main mode Vertigo there's the extra challenge of a different perspective and switched up controls.
I tried making it not overly annoying so I threw in a ball save for this mode - if the ball would drain, you get it back. It lasts almost until the end of the mode. Almost.
After creating some - and seeing many - mini playfields I was in search for something new. What if we don't have flippers this time?
The Capture Device turned out to be a cool toy underneath the table. You must rotate it to align one of the holes with the constantly changing lights, because once a light starts flashing soon a small pinball will burst out of there.
Thermal vision was a must have but I had to make it so that turning it on was actually helpful for the player. The answer was pretty simple but looking back it could have been easily missed turning this mode into a hassle.
All we had to do was make the flippers and the ball stand out. Now it was easier for the player to control the ball, all that was left is to spot those Aliens.
If you'd like to learn more about Alien vs. Predator Pinball, check out the community-made table guide:
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