It’s hard to believe that a pinball video-game series could be considered a masterpiece. But all it took was one round of Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection to understand how it happened. That game wasn’t merely an adaptation of pinball – it was pinball.

The sequel to that cherished classic, Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection, hit stores last year. But it only came to PS2, PSP and Wii. That decision, no matter how crazy, forced the developers to think big when it came time to bring the game to PS3 and Xbox 360.

How big, exactly? High-def visuals and online leaderboards are two of the promoted features, but the most notable – and most memorable – is the inclusion of three new pinball tables: Medieval Madness, No Good Gofers and Tales of the Arabian Nights.

With its launch button and numerous moving parts, it is instantly apparent that Medieval Madness was not born in the ‘70s or ’80s. This is a much more recent table, one that incorporates several forms of interactivity. The castle, located on the opposite side of the table’s two flippers, has a drawbridge door that can be lowered, allowing your ball to cross over. But not before the gate is raised – to open it, you’ll have to whack it a few times. Then, after both barriers have finally been removed, your ball is free to roll right into the castle and smash it to pieces. The effect is shown with super-pixilated, monochrome-style screen animations (the kind used in a pinball machine’s scoreboard) and rocking movements of the castle itself. Players are heavily rewarded for this deed, earning two million for the first time they accomplish this task, four million for the second time, six million for the third, and so on.

Below the bridge you’ll find two ramps (one on the left and one on the right) and one trapdoor. Each ramp leads to a different half-pipe trail, and both will send the ball back down to your flippers. The trapdoor, as luck would have it, is a pathway to Medieval Madness’ crazy wizard, a man with mythical powers who randomly hands out additional points or gives you the opportunity to earn them. The latter is a much better reward since, if you’re successful in hitting the square goblin heads that rise up from the ground (one of the possible events the wizard will offer), you can hit them for a much bigger prize.

Just above the ramp is a dragon, and it too will have a point-raising animation effect whenever the ball travels all the way across the ramp and its connecting path. Behind the ramp you’ll notice a few ricochet pillars; when hit, two armored knights appear on the pixilated screen, ready to joust. Strike the pillars several times (the exact number is shown on screen) and you’ll earn another massive point reward.

Tales of the Arabian Nights is another recent table (recent in that it came from the ‘90s; most pinball machines are much older). Although it drops the ball-launching button for the traditional pull-back lever, there are no shortages of advanced pinball techniques.

There is not one but two main attractions: a lamp and a genie. The lamp is suspended by two rubberized pillars and is noticeably weighted. Unlike the ricochet pillars, which bounce the ball all over the place, the lamp is somewhat resistant (which is surely caused by the weight). It is beneficial though, as making it spin will earn you tons of points.

Unlike most pinball tricks, you won’t hit the genie to score points, or magically end up in some trapdoor. Instead, the ball gets stuck (temporarily) in a magnetic circle that sits just in front of the genie. Of course, if you hit the magnet enough times it will drop down, revealing what you expected to be there in the first place: a trapdoor.

The ramp in Arabian Nights – there’s only one – leads to an awesome but difficult spiral of point-boosting goodness. Two additional balls are locked in right below the ramp’s entry point, and right across from that you’ll find a trapdoor.

Pinball Hall of Fame’s newest table is No Good Gofers, a smaller but highly eventful machine. This one has three ramps, gofer pop-ups to whack, three ricochet pillars, and light-up floor panels that multiply your point earnings. Near the bottom where the flippers are located, there are two bouncy walls that immediately push the ball away when contact is made. Near the top (on the far right) you’ll notice that there’s a third flipper – a key tool that is all but essential in getting the ball to travel up each ramp.

The amazing thing about all of these pinball tables and their features is that they are 100% real. They are not enhanced or modified for video-game purposes. Everything you see, hear and experience – from the impeccable ball physics to the way the table reacts to your interactions – comes directly from real pinball machines.

Gameplay: 8.8
Thirteen different pinball machines, all of which are a must-play, and most of which make this game a must-own.

Graphics: 8.5
The Williams Collection isn't a game that uses a great deal of the PS3's power. But it is the most realistic-looking and most realistic-playing pinball game on the planet.

Sound: 7.9
It's hard to be a fan of the music after hearing the same repetitive tunes a zillion times. The sound effects, however, are just as realistic (and nostalgic) as ever.

Difficulty: Medium
Still a very challenging game.

Concept: 7.0
Same concept, better game.

Multiplayer: 5.0
Taking turns isn't multiplayer.

Overall: 8.7
Last year's iteration was great, but the three new tables give the PS3 and Xbox 360 version the edge. If you don't already own Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection for another console, don't hesitate to buy it now.