The game consists of five different boards, each with many levels and ramps running in all directions. Each board also has several design variations with different color combinations and moods, like metallic and futuristic or a retro disco color scheme.

The single player mode centers around a series of stages played in a certain order. Completing each leads to unlocking more. You can also play old fashioned head to head pinball, or variations that pit two players against one another on the same board.

Moving the meter away from traditional pinball are the ramps that lead off the screen altogether and out into the ether. During this time, you'll run across coins floating in the air which you can collect for points. You can even – perish the thought – jump the ball to get coins. That's not pinball, but it's a brief part of the game.

Another strange happening outside the main board are ramps that go up more than they go down. Pinball is about physics – not engines or software depictions of physics – it's a physical game with a ball, some flippers and a bunch of stuff to hit with the ball. That's part of its appeal, assuming it still has any. For the most part, Flipnic replicates that. But sometimes the ball will go rolling on rails that go up and up and up and it's obvious a real ball could never do that. These moments take the player right out of the illusion of playing real pinball. It's a nitpick, of course, but a pinball game would have been better served by consistent physics.

As a total package, Flipnic offers a nice flashback into the world of pinball. The general feeling is there – the reflexes and risk vs. reward dynamic of aiming for particular parts of the board. And the graphics are colorful and clear. For younger players, it's probably just the right amount of eye candy and hand-eye coordination challenge to be interesting. The older players looking for a tie to the past will probably be happier hiding a dusty Black Knight machine in the basement.