August 2^nd, 2005 (12:59pm) - Zen Studios (formerly Rubik Interactive) has announced that they are in development with a new 3D Pinball game for the Nintendo DS named Flipper Critters. The entire game is set in a rich and engaging fantasy world, complete with strange characters, perilous quests and a host of challenging arcade mini-games. The game makes use of both screens on the Nintendo DS to show off every angle and aspect of the vibrant, cartoon world of Flipper Critters.

Instead of confining the action to a standard pinball table, all of the fast-flipping action in Flipper Critters takes place in a huge range of landscapes, locations and areas, from town squares and mountain valleys through to towering castles and even the surface of the moon. All of the most famous and favorite pinball features are still there, including ramps, sinkholes, bumpers, jackpots, gates and goals, though not as you know them. The ball physics in Flipper Critters is state-of-the-art, giving a fast, responsive and fun feel to the game.

But that’s not all, Flipper Critters also features a wide range of mini-games which challenge players to master a variety of new skills and make use of all aspects of the Nintendo DS, including the control pad, the touch screen and even the microphone. Players can access different mini games and travel to different areas of the map from the pinball tables within the game. The mini games and areas can be accessed in any order, making the game different for each player and each gameplay session.

Throughout the game, players will encounter and receive help from some of Flipper Critters’ peculiar inhabitants. Characters can offer help, cast spells or offer the player quests and challenges to undertake to help them reach new areas of the map.

"We’re delighted with the way Flipper Critters is progressing," says Zsolt Kigyossy, the managing director of Zen Studios. "It’s simple, fast, easy to pick up and a whole lot of fun. The blend of pinball with the arcade style mini-games and the non-linear nature of the quests and missions gives the game a lot of depth and replay value. What we’ve done is take a step back and look at everything the Nintendo DS can do, the touch screen, the microphone and the control system and then design around those, so they’re an integral part of the game and it’s as easy and engaging as possible. The development is coming along very well and we’re looking forward to having the game completed."

Zen Studios and their exclusive business agent Flashman Studios are currently looking for a publisher to work with them to release Flipper Critters in the next several months.