Jinni Zeala
Reviewed by Dean Browell

ESRB Rating: Everyone!

System Requirements: PowerMac (G3 or later recommended); MacOS X 10.1, MacOS 8.6+; 32MB free RAM; 50MB hard disk space; 800x600 video resolution or higher;32,000+ colors

Reviewed On: A very plucky Lime 400MHz iMac 640MB of RAM & an almost as plucky Graphite 376MHz iBook S.E. 320MB of RAM

MacPlay/Little Wing's Jinni Zeala Page
for info on downloads, ordering, trial and more...

     Jinni Zeala is one of the coolest, cutest games I have played in a long time. Like any good classic pinball game, it plays as good as it looks, only this one doesn't eat your quarters. Orginally that was one of the most attractive things about the home videogame industry: at your PC or console at home you could play the same great games that you'd find in an arcade... But now that arcades are frequented less, and the videogame industry has such a vibrant life of its own, it'd be easy for a well-designed pinball simulator to go unnoticed in the flurry. Hopefully, this won't be the verdict for Jinni Zeala, a very competent, slick game that can play on most Macs and can really hold your attention like a real stand-up pinball game.

     The game is engrossing, to say the least, to any fan of pinball or even quick pick-up games. Like a good racer on a console, I find myself leaning right or left as if I could control the pinball trajectory with my body... This game is sweet, and you know what? It isn't a gun-laden 3rd person shooter, or even a multi-player RPG adventure; How could that be? Can a game still be entertaining and not be one of those? You bet, and this game is the best example I've seen in awhile.

     Little Wing has been making quality pinball games for personal computers for years, always leaning more toward the replica notion instead of pure-wow factor. This means while it may not innovate on the concept of pinball, it will dazzle as an incredible replica. Jinni Zeala is a pinball game set in the desert of classic Sultan-esque lore and features bonuses generated by visiting caves, pink neon camels, palaces and more. As far as gameplay, the full pinball experience is included: multiball, deep bonus ladders, plungers and even jostling the machine (from 3 sides!) are all included. As you progress in score, full animations and specially triggered bonuses are brought to life on the right side of the screen, with your score tallying in the other.

     The game's small footprint and low requirements means it's perfect for most machines, and indeed on my older iBook (376MHz, 320MB RAM) it sings and sails just fine. In fact, the repetitive (but appropriate) music is the only irritant I can see when playing your portable in any scenario (so just hit the sound controls in-game or that mute button).

     Like other great looking, fun games, maybe Apple will snap this up and give it away in the software bundle on new machines. One good sign so far is that Jinni Zeala will be available from Apple's iDisk soon...

     The bottom line? Jinni Zeala is a fun, easy to pick up game for all ages that truly deserves more attention than its likely to get. This is exactly the sort of games that reviewers and critics should be letting the public know about. Give it a shot (via the free trial) and start that word of mouth!

*Updated Summer 2002: MacPlay has picked this title up and added it to its Value line of games at $20!

First Impressions:
• Great graphics, and great gameplay
• Realistic lighting and sound
• Easily has more references to Harems than most available game titles
• Boy do I stink at pinball
• Only $20! (Now a part of MacPlay's Value Series!)

Lasting Impressions:
• I'm just as confused during virtual multiball as I am real multiball!
• Available on the PC too...
• No matter how much I stink, you can't beat playing pinball when it doesn't require you to blow your real quarters
• 5 Bonus Stages!
• Tons of replay value!

FINAL VERDICT:
10 (Out of 10) Must have!
This game is fabulous, affordable, accessible and worth the look and buy...

REVIEWED BY:
Dean Browell

MORE INFO & ORDERING:
Little Wing's Jinni Zeala Available At MacPlay

MORE REVIEWS:
Ghostmac.com (Skewed Perspective Mac Reviews)
Skewed Perspective.com General Reviews