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Capcom comes with its vision of how virtual pinball should be. As much as the game includes, it's what it doesn't have that stands out.

There are four different levels, each are themed according to their names. Capcom has definitely taken the wondrous, fantasy route by giving all the levels a sort of magical charm. There's not too much to the boards and their activity. In fact, nothing really cool ever happens in the levels. They make look amazing, but they come up short as far as the unlocking hidden routes or stunning visual surprises. Capcom was definitely going for the visual "wow" factor, but they seemed to have forgotten that the substances of the levels play a large part. The gameplay comes down to hitting the flippers, raising bumpers, and shaking the table (watch out, too much shaking will result in a TILT). You can even make the ball jump on certain rails to get coins for bonus points.

The visuals within a virtual pinball game must be the biggest draw point. How the game looks or where it takes you is what separates virtual pinball from the real thing. The virtual world lets the scenery change and the right effects, can dazzle the gamer's eye. Flipnic is odd because the first two levels are gorgeous, and afterwards the last two levels don't measure up. Biology is the first level and it is centered on a jungle environment full of trees and waterfalls. As the ball goes from one area to another, the gorgeousness of the level is astounding. You'll catch the little kid in yourself letting out a low "ooh" as you encounter lively butterflies and flamingos. The second level is called Metallurgy and as the name hints, the level is shiny and filled with metallic structures. The last two, Optics and Geometry, don't have the same dazzling visuals; it's hard to keep your attention span stimulated. After about five minutes of good ball juggling, the levels turn into a bland, sour taste in your mouth. It's almost excruciating playing through the Geometry level. What do you expect from a level themed after Pong? Optics has a modern look, but it too lacks the same huzzah that Biology and Metallurgy put forth.

The sound is basic and features nice endless, flowing background music that blends with the sharp sounds of the bumpers hitting the ball. The game sounds like an actual pinball game. If there's something to complain about, it's apparent that Capcom did not focus on the audio as much as the visuals. It's disappointing because with the amazing environments used, the effects could have been done much better.

The two-player action can be more frustrating than it is fun. Just as the single player mode, the two-player mode runs dry quickly. Paralleling the single player, the two-player has four different modes of play, each found in the different themed environments. There is a foosball game and skeeball/basketball game that have great merit for their ideas, but the fun factor is absent. The foosball game is more of a solitary battle. You control the raising/lowering of your bumpers on the table. As you lower some, others will rise. You'll end up knocking the ball into your own goal more than you will score. It's this type of frustration that plagues the other modes as well.

All in all, Flipnic was fun for about an hour, maybe even less. Some pinball fans might find this title fun and interesting, but most will find it boring. The game definitely has unique and stunning visuals, but it only lasts half the time. Even with an MSRP of $19.99, it's still hard to find value.

Graphics: C

Sound: F

First Play: D+

Last Play: F

Gameplay: D-

Overall: 59% F