Ya know, X-box Live Arcade, has to be one of the best additions to the Live service. Seriously, between giving up and coming developers the chance to showcase their talents, simple social games (like Uno), and old-school classic arcade games, XLA is great.

Speaking of old-school arcade games, nothing fits that bill like pinball. The flashing lights, little silver ball…ah, yes. Leave it to XLA to bring back my golden days. Pinball Fx was released via Live earlier this week, for 800 points, and I’ve gotta say, they got it right.

Obviously, the graphics are well done. Each of the three tables that come with the game, look exactly how I’d expect a real-world table to look. There is a nice amount of detail given, from the reflection of the ball, to the external elements of the tables. The gear-shift actually moves when you get into a good groove on the racing-themed table. Yes, its minor, but a nice touch.

The gameplay is everything it should be: equal parts skill and luck. Honestly, if you’re familiar with pinball, the game-play won’t be a big shock to anyone. At least this way, you don’t have to worry about the cheap-skate arcade owner not tightening up the bumpers and flippers.

I only have two complaints with this title. The first is the lack of a top-down camera. I appreciate the multiple views that they offer, but I prefer something a little bit more like the old 8-bit NES Pinball view.

The second is that for 800 points, they only give you three tables. Sure, more are promised through the marketplace, but a game of this nature is about variety, as much as anything. Hopefully they won’t take the Lumines route, and charge for multiple downloads, in order to get the whole game.

Overall, I’d have to say that this game is well worth the price, and time to download. If you’re a pinball fan, you owe it to yourself to give it a go.

Pinball FX for the Xbox 360: B