Zen Pinball 2 1.41

Play pinball on your Mac. Take advantage of the detailed physics model and manage individual balls according to your tactics. Complete multiple levels and increase your score to unlock more contact and progress to more complex sessions with new mechanics.

Zen Pinball 2 is a freemium pinball game with realistic-looking hardware and novel gameplay features. The initial download includes one fully playable table, "Sorcerer's Lair", and makes 17 more available for purchase. Each board features several mini-games that take place outside the table, in addition to the small tasks and quests that comprise larger pinball gameplay.

For instance, when the ball enters a certain area in Sorcerer's Lair, a totally different, smaller table appears with spiders that the player must hit with the ball. Under a different circumstance, the ball enters a platforming-type arena with rotating gears and wobbly platforms. These and more on top of the task of aiming at specific holes and enemies on the regular board - add them up and there's a significant amount of depth for what appears at first to be a simple arcade machine simulation.

Most of the tables available for purchase are $2.99 each, but there are some that are $1.99. A small price to pay for the pinnacle of virtual pinball - if virtual pinball is your cup of tea, that is.

Sam's Protip: Use the operator menu to adjust the difficulty level. I recommend setting it to the easiest possible and ramping it up once you figure out what's going on.