Up until this point Zen Studios has chosen the more well known, and older selection of MARVEL superheroes, and superhero tales to make as their focal point in pinball table design. They've chosen pivotal moments from past MARVEL histories, and timelines including that of the Hulk's exile to space, and even the 'Fear Itself' table which was about as "Metal" as I've seen a MARVEL product get. They even used single characters as the spotlight interest from time to time, and built said table around said character. Most former MARVEL fans can appreciate the attention to detail put in these older tables as they are more relative to those of us who have been with MARVEL in the past, but who have currently abandoned them for their awkward direction in both storytelling, and art. Myself included in that statement.
That having been said the "Women of Power" two table set isn't all that bad. I was intrigued by the "A-Force" table which included Black Widow, and Madame Masque as it's flagship characters. It looked, and seemed similar to a lot of the more male inclusive story spin-offs I've read through in the past. On the flip side of the same set though the "Champions" table completely lost me outside the fact that it's the one table out of the set with the easiest high scoring mechanics included. In fact today I landed a score of 143+ million in a 20+ minute playthrough. The inclusion of Ms.Marvel, Lockjaw, and the other female casting kind of turned me away from liking it regardless of this plus side. As I mentioned in my preview stream the characters, and the table felt too slapstick, or rather too comical to be considered what I think of as MARVEL. In a Scooby-Doo sort of way.
That aside both tables in their entirety look superb, and for the most part play excellently under the guide of skilled, and even amateurish control. Everything from the soundtrack to the voice-overs, and even the visual effects come together in a manner befitting of Zen Studio's advancing, and ever improving quality. For that very reason I find myself on the fence about either loving, or not liking what path Zen Studios has currently taken with their trek into MARVEL comics coverage. There's definitely an air of PC (Political Correctness) influence, and aspirations with the theme. I'm not saying it's bad to cover only super heroine inclusive MARVEL plots, but like the latest MARVEL films this too seems to be introduced for propaganda purposes by outside sources with their own agendas. God knows I favor the female characters over a lot of the male characters, because they've always looked cooler to me, but this gender divide and singular focus has got to stop in the entertainment industry. Seriously.
