There's nothing quite like playing a real pinball machine, but you have to give a lot of credit to the top-tier digital facsimiles on iPad for replicating the core mechanics without the need for quarters, a physical plunger, and buttons worn smooth by thousands of unseen fingertips.

Duo Pinball aims to bring at least some of that physical sensation back to the lap-based home experience, letting you affix a plastic dock to the back of any iPad — or less ideally, an iPhone or iPod touch — fire up a compatible app, and make use of the built-in plunger and side buttons for a seemingly more authentic feel. Powered by three AAA batteries and a Bluetooth link, the device pairs effortlessly and is easy to use, plus it'll hold your iPad snugly while you mash the deep blue flipper buttons — but the resulting sensation is less enthralling than expected.

Compatible only with Gameprom's Pinball HD Collection and the earlier Pinball HD release, the Duo Pinball is essentially a one-app contraption — and as such, it had better be a spectacular, can't-miss enhancement. It's not. Much as the thick black plastic shell proves sturdy, the side buttons lack the premium feel and responsiveness of their arcade counterparts. But the more nagging element here is the plunger: a loose knob with an off-putting rattle that lingers for seconds after released, and doesn't often sync up properly with the in-game version.

Pinball HD Collection offers a great virtual take on the game, but it's just one of a handful of stellar pinball options out there; other greats include Zen Pinball and Pinball Arcade, but neither of those supports this peripheral. And a past Gameprom release like War Pinball HD doesn't utilize it either, though you can snag those tables from within the collection — no consolation for those who already shelled out for the standalone version.

Ultimately, though, Pinball HD Collection is already a great experience without the Duo Pinball; and what the device adds to the experience is not only negligible, but also potentially distracting. For $60, you should expect not only a truly premium peripheral, but also one built to support more than a single app in a crowded genre. That cash is better spent adding ample tables to your pinball app of choice — or split into rolls of quarters for your next arcade adventure.

The bottom line. Is it really a surprise that a plastic shell doesn't make an iPad feel more like a hulking arcade pinball machine?