Whether XS Games is trying to carve a niche for itself as an "alternative" game publisher or is merely taking shots in the dark, Pure Pinball for Xbox is like nothing yet released for the console more known for its deep and immersive games of Armageddon live or racing for bragging rights.

It's pinball, obviously, and it's surprisingly solid. It harnesses the Xbox's superb graphics capabilities to display four gorgeous and cleverly designed body tables from a variety of angles. More important than the photo-realism of it all, Pure Pinball manages to simulate the physics of a big ol' ball bearing bouncing around in those decidedly bouncy environments like the real deal (though there's no analog control of the plunger, which is lame).

It also emulates all the ambient noise, bell binging, whistle whooping and teeth-gnashing addictiveness of actual pinball, right down to a deft trap and soft touch shot on target that most virtual flippers on your cell phone or portable game device can't seem to manage, quite.

Oddly, it's single-player (only) pinball on your TV, and that can be kind of dizzying and/or dull after a short while, which is probably why no one else has bothered making such a thing for Xbox.

Still, a cool idea for a shot in the dark niche. Cheap, too.