I could write an essay, a long one, on the genius of this game's concept and the intricacy of its execution, but it's Friday afternoon, and I like think I have better things to do. (I like to lie to myself, in other words.) For now, suffice it to say that the Hard puzzles are among the best I've played in any game, and that while a few Round 2 QOL enhancements would've been welcome here (especially the bomb and reworked "completed line" indicator), the lack of a hint system improves this one to such a startling degree that I'm tempted to do a full "hintless" replay of the sequel. Oh, and I guess I do wish the really incredible stuff was unlocked from the start, but the easier puzzles have a zen charm of their own. HAL should have made 10 of these.

I’ll always be a sucker for some pinball in virtually any context, but this has absolutely nothing new to offer after unlocking everything—which only takes a couple hours, especially if you invest in certain OP skills early. A key element of roguelikes as a genre (and pinball, for that matter) is that they need to have enough mechanical variety to keep repeat runs from feeling like replays of the same game, and The Pinball Wizard…doesn’t. And like fellow Apple Arcade killer app Grindstone, it’s streamlined in all the wrong areas. For example, after a Daily Dungeon, why does it take a minimum of twenty seconds to tally up loot and experience, add them up to your total score, display the leaderboard, and let you back in for another try? I’ve had runs that didn’t even last that long!

Have you ever stopped to consider how much your power has grown?
Now, you could fell enemies in Onett and Twoson with one blow.

Loses half a star for the inane, 2010-vintage internet humor throughout (you can turn the news ticker off, but not the achievements), and another for a curiously underwhelming final stretch. (Not going to spoil the details, but I'm referring to everything from Singularities onward.) Talking about the design of Antimatter Dimensions can sound like you're describing a game from…well, another universe, and I encourage anyone reading this to give it a shot if that description interests you whatsoever. Don't worry if you tap out after a while; that's canon!