Legends Pinball Micro

LOVE this pinball table! I'm a 63-year-old pinball fanatic, and I got this as a late Christmas gift for myself. I decided to wait a week to write a review. Well, after a week, I can say that this is exactly what I wanted, and I'm kind of addicted to the thing. Okay, very addicted. First off, maybe they upgraded the D-pad, but mine is very solid -- not mushy at all, and easy to navigate with. No problems with any of the other buttons either (part of the reason I waited a week to write this was to see if anything broke -- nothing has yet). Controls feel solid, and are easy to navigate once you get used to the machine. The speakers sound amazing for their size (although, see my complaints below) and have nicer bass than you'd expect. Sound is a big part of the pinball experience, and this machine delivers. No lag or latency on either the screen or flippers, which would of course be dealbreakers for something as timing-sensitive and precise as pinball. 1080p is fine for the small screen, and it looks sharp with easy-to-read text. The 60hz refresh rate is also fine for the purposes of the Micro. Really, both the screen and backglass are vibrant, and even though it's small and, as others have mentioned, kind of too high to easily track modes and bonuses (including video modes), I keep the backglass set to "best fit," because I hate stretched screens, and it's not too small to look really good even with the smaller screens of e.g. the Gottlieb tables. The plunger button doesn't bother me at all, since I'm more used to that type than to a real plunger from all the virtual pinball I play these days -- especially Pinball FX VR. And while I also love Pinball FX VR, this thing has kept me off it for a week now. There's just something about the feel of having a real table, even if it's tiny and playing virtual pinball, that is hard to beat. The 50 included tables range from fantastic to meh. Standouts include Space Invaders, Devil Riders 2019, and most of the Zaccaria Deluxe tables. Plenty to keep you happily occupied until when and if you buy more tables. I've also bought several of the gamepacks -- luckily for me I already have Zaccaria Pinball and all of Pinball Arcade's Gottlieb tables on Steam, so I could decide which ones I wanted to buy for the ALP Micro by playing them there first. I consider all of the Gottlieb packs to be must-haves, since they each include at least a couple of top-notch tables based on real machines. Also, many of the Gottlieb tables will show the top players' scores and initials on the backglass between games, which adds to the fun for me. You can also see your local high scores and national ranking in the table menus for all machines, but it's just not the same. For added fun, I set up CoinopsX (the ALP Micro is on firmware version 5.70 -- the last one to support CoinopsX) with vertical WOPR using the guide over at Wagner's Tech Talk, and now have access to hundreds of retro arcade games -- and since they're all vertical, they fit the ALP Micro's screen perfectly. I'm currently trying to figure out how to set up a USB controller as controller 1, because the Micro's controls are... sub optimal for playing games other than pinball, but that's a me problem. Just a VERY nice bonus I think is worth mentioning. Now let's get my few complaints out of the way [Note: these are not MAJOR problems, they are quibbles, and should not make you reconsider buying one of these EXCELLENT machines}: Yes, there is a low buzzing from the speakers when a game is loaded. Not there in the menus, only in-game. It's not noticeable between games with music, or while playing a game. It's also pretty subtle, but shouldn't be there at all. I also get a loud POP sound occasionally when going from a loaded game to playing it. Not loud enough to worry about blowing the speakers, but annoying when it happens. However, none of this is a problem when actually playing a table. The 16GB of built in storage is nice to have, but is a bit skimpy considering the number of pinball packs available for purchase. I could add a USB stick instead, but one USB port is occupied with my WOPR build and I need the other one for a controller -- so this may be a total non-issue for others. When you purchase a gamepack, and install it from your digital locker, there is often an "SSL handshake failed" error when trying to install a table. I'm not sure if it fixes itself with more tries or with more time, but it does fix itself and install the games eventually -- so even though I panicked when it first happened, I'm used to it now. But it is still a problem worth noting. That's all I can think of for... for... what's that? I... must... finish review... must not succumb... to playing with my AtGames Legends Pinball Micro... must resis... SEEYA!

I have two main gripes about the ALP Micro. My biggest issue is the screen brightness. If they ever make a second version they really need to choose a screen that can pump out some actual brightness and offer better viewing angles. The second problem is the UI. If they updated this machine to run on the same interface as the 4KP models it would be almost perfect. That being said this is the best and cheapest way for someone who isn't tech savvy to get into virtual pinball in a proper pinball shaped package. You get a lot of value for 300 bucks. Keep in mind that is the sale price and it is on sale all the time. I do not recommend buying this at full price because the sale price is where the value is actually at. It comes with Zaccaria tables which are very underrated. If you give them a chance you will find they have some of the best flow out there. A big bonus is that you get many tables from before Zaccaria moved to an AI looking art style. Here you get the old school hand drawn tables as they were originally made. These might look like dollar store generic pinball at first glance but the layouts are great and they are quite addictive. I recommend checking out Tropical 2019 and Zankor 2017. The Tropical EM plus and Ninja Turtles tables are also a blast for an extra six dollars each. Sadly there are no Zen tables on here. The machine does feel a little underpowered. I would like to see faster load times and a more consistent frame rate. It runs fine for the price but you might notice some frame rate dips if you try to play a table immediately after booting up or if you play a very complex table with multiple playfields. Clarity is fine but as I mentioned a brighter screen would help. I like to play sitting down since it is a tabletop machine but it seems like it was intended to be positioned much lower than you which can be frustrating. You can play on your PC through the HDMI and USB ports. You will need to buy and install a 100 dollar chip to get both screens working and you have to be willing to tinker. Installing the chip was a breeze but setting up VPX and Pinball FX to run correctly on the table is a bit more involved. I should also note that AtGames is not known for great customer support. Their system is ticket based and very slow. They can take two weeks to answer and then make you wait another week after you send them what they asked for. These machines also tend to log you out constantly. It has gotten better lately but it is still frustrating. If you are looking to buy one I suggest getting it on Amazon. You can handle returns or swaps through them if you have issues and save yourself the headache of dealing with AtGames support.

I read the reviews before buying. I took a chance. I got a great virtual pinball machine that set up easily. My only complaint in assemble was that the video cable was a bit snug, but it plugged in with a little gentle coaxing. My 8 yr old daughter and I have played it heavily for 2 days. No issues. Sound is great. Display is great. Haptic feedback makes it feel way to real. Only complaint is the D pad for navigating menus. Go gentle and you will get the feel for it. My future expectations. This is a pretty sophisticated piece of technology. I expect with play im going to have to solder some connections. I'm probably going to have to replace some flipper buttons at some point. It's a pinball machine. They require maintenance. I would hazard a guess that lots of the negative reviews are due to rough handling during shipping. It is a piece of precision equipment. It performs like it. Lots of fun. Very realistic My suggestions. Get legs for it. If you buy standard pinball machine legs you will require washers because the head of the bolt is to small. At games has them available as well. Second, understand that this machine will probably require a little love to keep it in tip top condition. Conclusion. I'm saving up for a full size legends pinball machine. Amazing product great price.

I am blown away at how awesome this pinball machine and games work! The gameplay and 50 included games are great - and I've added more games which are even better! Setup was easy! and the size is just right for our family. Family members from 20 to 65 love playing it.

Nice bit of kit not to big not to small