Champion Pub, released by Bally in 1998, is a very enjoyable pinball for the person who enjoys playing several games every once in a while, but is a far cry from a worthwhile long-time investment.

According to the storyline, you are a youthful boxer nicknamed "Da Kid" who is trying to reach the top of the boxing circuit to become the Pub Champion. You accomplish this through training and winning fights against higher-ranking opponents. The opponents range from a cultured Englishman to a vengeful Spaniard to a gay American (yes, you heard me), and have more than 300 professionally scripted lines.

The playfield resembles a 1920s barroom, with a number of ramps and loops. Most of the game, however, revolves a large target in the center with two sides. One side is a large punching bag, used for training and general play. During a fight, it rotates to reveal a moustached boxer. The boxer has targets in his head and gut, and has two arms capable of throwing punches.

The fighting system is very well designed. You have a lifebar, and the opponent has a lifebar, and you are both working to deplete the other's life. You accomplish this through accurate shots to the boxer target, while taking too long results in loss of your lifebar. Also, if you're accurate enough, you can win in only a few shots by making ramp shots and attempting to knock out the opponent.

Although the fighting area takes up most of the board, there are also many other ingenious features in the game. In one corner is a rotating bar that serves as a jumprope, and the goal is to jump the ball over the bar multiple times in succession. In the other back corner is a mini-board with two "fists" serving as flippers attempting to hit a small target with the ball. There are also two video modes, including one game where you attempt to catch spit in a spittoon, and a working version of Video Poker.

However, this otherwise excellent game has several glaring flaws in it. A later mode in the game, Cash Fights, allows you to bet a portion of your score on the next fight. Once you have a high enough score, the value that can be won or lost grows as high as 240 million. And with replay values remaining around 100 million, plus an unlimited number of cash fights permitted, scores are broken by this feature. (To put it in contrast, a Jackpot Deluxe, the highest jackpot in any multiball, is only 1.5 million.)

Also, early versions of this game have a bug where, if you reach the wizard mode of the game, can screw up the game and make all modes cease to function. It was corrected in later versions, but it is annoying to not be able to do much of anything while playing, and to have the same thing happen to people who play after you.

And, worst of all, this game is an utter pain to own. Since the game is so mechanically intensive, any part that doesn't work can make the game near impossible to win. For example, many copies of this game cannot move the arms of the boxer target. If the ball lands upon one of the arms (not an uncommon occurrence), the ball can get stuck easily.

Graphics:
Playfield: 7
The playfield has a very vintage look, but there isn't much to look at.
Dot Matrix: 8
Other than pictures of fighters that slowly look more and more beaten up, this has some nice ball lock and extra ball animations.

Sound:
Music: 7
The soundtrack is mostly ragtime, which can get repetitive to the ear.
Sounds: 5
Lots of barroom sounds, shouts of "Beer!", burps, etc.
Voices: 9
Each of the 10 boxers has his own distinct voice and manner, which gives them personality. Their lines, although remniscent of Attack From Mars or Medieval Madness, are clever in their own right.

Gameplay: 7
The shots take skill without being too difficult, and some of the modes require expert timing.

Replay Value: 3
Once you've become Pub Champion and played the wizard mode, there is NOTHING left to do except play Cash Fights. And once you've played several Cash Fights, the game quickly loses interest.

Overall Score: 6
If you like to play pinball every once in a while, and enjoy listening to the game while you play, this game should be a very enjoyable experience. However, if you're looking for a game to buy for your house, look elsewhere.

Reviewer's Score: 6 / 10