I’ve always been a big pinball fan. I wasted so much time when I was supposed to be doing homework on my parents’ computer with the 3D pinball game included with Windows. Something about the bumpers, the pixelated display screens, and high scores just gets to me. It’s addictive. Admittedly, the last time I actually played on a real table was far too long ago. Luckily, there are titles like Pinball FX and other arcade options that allow for quick bites of frantic pinball action even where pinball shouldn’t logically be played: a console. Several tables are available for purchase for Pinball FX and its sequel Pinball FX 2. Most recently, Twisted Pixel’s explosive darling Ms. ‘Splosion Man has burst onto the scene with one of the best tables yet. Cotton candy panda!

It’s easy to become blinded by pink and bright pastels when booting up this deliciously girly table. Ms. ‘Splosion Man gets her groove on at the bottom right corner of the table, right next to the plunger, spouting some of the same one-liners you might have heard in the original game. Sometimes you might catch her doing the Macarena, and sometimes she ‘splodes. Hey, that’s what she’s famous for!

Amidst some familiar Ms. ‘Splosion Man setpieces are plenty of enticing bumpers, a flipper to the top right, and several ramps that can be accessed easily with just the right amount of finesse (waiting until the ball rests on the edge of the flipper). Some equally interesting scenery dots the sides and the congested middle of the table. There are plenty of sights to see dotted amongst the sugary pink landscape, ‘Splosion Man included, and…hey, is that Mr. Destructoid?

Scoring modes quickly progress higher and higher, eventually culminating in “boss fights” with the familiar Mighty Eternal. It’s exhilarating hitting ramp after ramp and racking up as many points as possible. Shooting for the quickfire launcher, ball locks, and activating multiball were some of the high points as well. While the bubblegum pop “la la las” warble on in the background and you’re wrangling two or more balls, things can get pretty hectic. And I was loving it. As a new adopter of Pinball FX 2 and after muddling through the Street Fighter II downloadable table and the originals included with the purchase of the game, I found myself coming back to this table time and time again. I’m not even a big Ms. ‘Splosion Man fan.

But I do know fun when I see it, and this downloadable add-on brings it in droves. It’s fast, fun, and suitably girly for that explosive femme fatale. Check it out if you’re hankering for some more pinball action.