Zen Pinball 3D for the Nintendo 3DS features four familiar tables: Earth Defense, Shaman, Excalibur and Eldorado. This is the first time I've played Shaman and Eldorado, which are released for the first time outside of PlayStation Network.

The 3D effect is really nice, making it look like you're actually playing a real pinball machine.

Due to the nature of the small screen size, the game feels cramped if you use the view of the whole table. It's hard to see details on each table, so I had to use a closer view, unlike how I play on Xbox Live Arcade.

Last I checked, I was No. 1 in the Excalibur and Eldorado tables in the U.S. ("casinoman" nickname is me). But I know that'll quickly change once the game releases to the public Jan. 12.

Check out my full review soon on theoaklandpress.com.

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