Wood's Queen EM+ is bringing jungle pinball to AtGames

AtGames is releasing a new jungle-themed virtual pinball table called Wood's Queen EM+ for its Legends Pinball platform on March 5. The digital table uses an electro-mechanical design style and centers around hitting seven specific animal targets. Devil's Crush is one of my all time favorite games. I am always up for some digital pinball.

The layout relies on classic bumper and drop-target mechanics rather than modern ramps or complex video modes. Players need to trigger various bonuses labeled Vine, Root, Leaf, Hidden Path, Roar, and Jungle. The primary goal involves completing seven animal objectives: a parrot, elephant, python, dinosaur, gorilla, crocodile, and a cub.

The electro-mechanical era

The "EM+" designation refers to a specific line of digital tables that simulate electro-mechanical pinball machines from the 1960s and 1970s. These digital tables use the physical limitations of that era as a starting point. They lack the dot-matrix displays and complex voice acting of 1990s solid-state machines. Instead, they rely on simulated physical chimes, simple rollovers, and mechanical score reels.

Many of the digital tables in the AtGames ecosystem come from Magic Pixel, the studio responsible for the extensive Zaccaria Pinball digital library. The EM+ line essentially asks what would happen if designers from the 1960s had access to modern video game logic. It is an interesting design constraint. The flippers still feel heavy and the ball physics mimic older machines, but the game tracks objectives that would have required impossible amounts of physical wiring fifty years ago.

The "plus" in the name indicates that these are not strict historical simulations. The developers add scoring systems, combo multipliers, and rule sets that never existed in physical arcades. The company has previously released other tables in this format, including Tropical EM+, Combat EM+, and Nautilus EM+.

Layout and artwork

The playfield art shows a central character riding a dinosaur. Bright green foliage and traditional scoring reels surround the main play area. The upper playfield includes specific "LEAF" drop targets and floral-themed bumpers. The lower section includes standard slingshots and outlane rollovers. The table has a fairly open middle section, which usually means fast ball speeds and dangerous drains if you miss a shot.

Platform compatibility

AtGames offers multiple versions of its Legends Pinball hardware. The ecosystem includes standard HD models and newer 4K cabinets. Wood's Queen EM+ will be available directly through the AtGames digital storefront on March 5. The company usually sells these original tables in bundles or as standalone purchases for their connected hardware.

The table will be playable on the AtGames Legends Pinball platform, which supports online leaderboards and firmware-level table integration. Players navigate the interface using the cabinet's built-in D-pad before launching into the tables.

The digital pinball market has fragmented recently, with different platforms securing various licenses. AtGames has focused heavily on building out its own library of original tables alongside licensed properties. Original designs like this one bypass licensing costs entirely. They also give the developers complete freedom over the table geometry.

There is a certain charm to faking a 1970s pinball machine inside a modern digital cabinet. It works, which is the nicest thing I can say about the inherent absurdity of virtual retro hardware. You are playing a video game of a mechanical table that never actually existed, complete with simulated wood grain and artificial mechanical hums.