Monster Pinball is a beautifully done game for the iPhone and iPod touch. This game has a sort of child-like feel to it, but once you start playing, even adults will easily become addicted to its smooth gameplay. From the graphics to the sound effects, this app is unique, entertaining, and polished.

When you start up the game you are presented with three main options - play, help, and scores. Play will obviously start a new game right away. Help is a simple, one page instruction screen. The scores button displays the top ten scores on your device. From this screen you can also view scores online where your rank is displayed compared to the world.

When you start playing, you start with the "Invade" table. I say you start here because a unique feature of this game allows you to shoot the pinball into different tables. Each table has its own special theme with different ways of scoring points. For instance, the "Invade" table includes a spaceship, lasers, and some electric elements. "The Bowl" table incorporates a funnel, or black hole effect, that seems to suck the pinball into the very center of the table. Unique features like this are what really make this game stand out from the others.

The sixty frames per second allow for really smooth gameplay. There are no hiccups or lag at all. The ball flies around the table with ease and actually feels like a real pinball. You can see how the ball accelerates from the top of the table to the bottom, appearing weighted. It is much more realistic than other pinball games in the App Store. Other minor animations throughout the game look great as well. All of these elements combine to show that the developer really took time to make sure every little detail was presented in the best way possible.

The sound effects are just as amazing as the graphics. The paddle sounds are just right, not too clunky and not too loud. The sounds just have to be heard to really do them justice. All I can say is they are unique, creative, and fit well into the multiple table themes.

The flippers are controlled by two buttons on the lower right and left of the screen. They are small enough to maximize the gameplay area, but large enough that you never feel out of control. The initial launch of the pinball is accomplished by sliding your finger down on any part of the screen and releasing. This solution works very well and never feels awkward. There is also a tilt function that utilizes the device's accelerometer. You get five tilt warnings before the screen locks and you lose the game.

I've played several pinball games from the App Store and this one is by far the best. The pinball action itself is what really makes the app feel like a great pinball game. Users want realistic animations and physics and Monster Pinball really succeeds in providing just that. The only thing that I could think of to make it a bit better would be music. But, that's a minor request for such a near perfect application. Even though the monster theme might be a bit too "cutesy" for some people, this is an app that will stay on your device for a long time. It is a truly addicting game. For the quality this app offers, the price tag is right on target. I strongly recommend checking it out.