I, for one, am glad that Pinball M exists. There are certain tables that you simply wouldn’t be able to do justice to on the lower rated Pinball FX games. And creating a table based on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the best examples of why Pinball M is a thing. Featuring disembodied heads, clips from the latest 2022 version, blood almost every time the ball hits something and some of the most disturbing sound effects ever committed to a pinball table, this one is not for the faint of heart.
It may seem like an odd choice to limit the table to just the 2022 version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but from a franchise point of view, it makes sense. Don’t forget that Leatherface has branched out into Dead by Daylight already, and more recently their own asymmetric multiplayer game, ironically called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Plus, the 2022 version does give fans one of the best scenes in the entire franchise that is present on the table too. Keep an eye out in the bottom left of the table for a bus…
Loading the bus up starts the multiball portion of the table and it’s where big points can be scored. It is also where you can hear some truly guttural screams – again presumably from the film – as you go to town hitting ramps and scoring big.
In fact, special shout out needs to be made to the sound design of this table. As mentioned there are the screams, and the squishy, fleshy noises when you hit switches and other items are certainly something.
Of course, no table based on this franchise would be complete without a chainsaw, and it takes pride of place covering a huge portion of it. It should also be your focal point during the early portion of your plays: hitting the ramp it is on will begin to rev it up. Hit it three times and it would start revving for a few seconds. During that time, a score multiplier is in effect across the entire table. Keeping it revved up can also increase the multiplier.
If you can hit a Super Skill Shot from launching the ball though, the chainsaw will begin straight away.
This should all give some indication that in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Pinball table you are playing as Leatherface himself. Not like the Dead by Daylight table as part of the Death Save Bundle for Pinball M where you have the choice of playing as either a survivor or a killer. No, here, you are just Leatherface, going about and spilling as much blood as possible. And doing a pretty good job of it too.
Your main missions on the table are simply to kill the same characters in the film, by hitting ramps in order. There is no set path for you to take, you are free to choose who to kill in any order.
That said, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a tricky table. It is tight and compact, with very little room for error when hitting the ramps. The bumpers towards the back alongside the chainsaw itself take up a huge portion of the table, resulting in a very small main area.
There is also a head in a bag that hangs down from a rail and can be moved about. No matter where it is though, it almost always seems to be in the way. Hitting it when it has moved from its standard position can result in big points.
As always with Pinball M releases, there are missions, challenges and more to undertake. Completing missions unlock items with which to decorate your corner surrounding your cabinet. For Texas Chainsaw Massacre, there are sunflowers – in keeping with the theme of the 2022 film – various other items to strew across the floor and of course, a life-size Leatherface. This is locked behind a one-ball challenge, requiring you to hit a certain score with just one-ball. This isn’t an easy challenge, based on the difficulty of the table and the large score required. However, I was determined to get a score to unlock Leatherface for the purpose of the review, but now that I have him looming over the table, I am not sure I want him there anymore…
The Pinball M Texas Chainsaw Massacre Pinball table is the embodiment of a mature rated pinball table. As such, it is the perfect fit for Pinball M; a game that continues to delve into horror-themed tables with aplomb. The titular chainsaw rightly takes pride of place on the table, whilst also playing a major part in it. Everything else is as well designed, right down to the squishy, bloody noises made when hitting targets.
A tricky table but also a fun and well thought out one, Texas Chainsaw Massacre Pinball is perfectly on brand for Pinball M.
