The Curse of the Mummy table is coming to Pinball FX in 2022!

Published: October 22, 2021

With the last rays of the setting sun beating your back, you suddenly notice a solitary figure standing before the last of the lost Pyramids. It is a strange place. Nothing moves, not even the wind stirs as she stands, sunken ankle-deep into the sands of the arid desert around her. Looking up at the half-buried, crumbling entrance of the ancient structure invisible even from an airplane, a fascinated smile plays on her face. At last… It took years to follow up all the false trials, but now she was here. It still seemed so surreal.

The hidden oasis, the cascading waterfalls, the weather-worn Sphinx hidden among the palm trees, this whole sanctuary right in the heart of ancient Egypt. Poring over the faint tracks of the grave robbers she nods in satisfaction. There are plenty of tracks leading in, but none heading out. She even seems oblivious to the strange noises emanating from the strange depths as she approaches the entrance. Stepping in, she looks back one last time. Then with the last flash of her flickering torch, she suddenly disappears into the darkness. Do you have the courage to follow her?

Now you know how the journey starts on the Curse of the Mummy table, but it is up to you how it will end! This brand new table, along with Pinball Noir and Sky Pirates – Treasures of the Clouds, represent a new wave of Zen Originals coming to Pinball FX in 2022. These will also start a new chapter in digital pinball here at Zen, as we will implement and make use of all the possibilities and resources Unreal Engine can provide us. The graphics and the lightning on the table are truly remarkable. The waterfall of the Nile in the middle of the playfield, oases on the mini playfields, pyramids, and all the other elements truly represent the time of ancient Egypt. 

This new Zen Original actually has 2 designers. Originally, it was started by Peter “Deep” Grafl, creator of beloved tables like Fantastic Four, Son of Zeus, and the Pro Physics simulation. Around the Alpha stage of development, the project was handed over to Anna Lengyel to finalize. She tells us that it is always challenging to finish a design that you weren’t involved in from the start, but she was able to understand the main concept and atmosphere along the way.  She hopes that this table will bring the Zen Originals family to a new chapter.

Besides the unique theme and enhanced graphics, there will be other surprises! Since we started making pinball tables – almost 15 years ago – we have been using the trusty dot-matrix display. However, the new generation of HD displays create more dynamic gameplay and help to connect the player to the story of the machines more. To make use of these features, we will also implement this technology in our new tables from now on. According to Deep, the new HD display opens a new world in digital pinball development. Using HD videos and pictures instead of 128×32 pixels means that we will be able to represent gameplay elements on a higher level and make our tables even more exciting. 

We can’t wait to show you all these new tables and features. Keep following us as we will have plenty of new updates along the way to our brand new platform, Pinball FX. Coming in 2022!