Pokemon Pinball has all the features you'd demand of a pinball game, including bonus tables, lots of bumpers and ways to score massive points. As with your standard videogame pinball game, the left button on the D-pad and the A-button control the flippers with the R/L triggers used to shake the table. The catch here is that everything is themed in Pokemon. Instead of a ball, you make use of a Pokeball. Instead of standard bumpers, you're hitting the Pokeball against other Pokemon, and the ultimate goal is of course to "catch 'em all". The game features 200 Pokemon, two main tables, and link cable support.
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I love Pinball and this is such a fun Pokemon styled Pinball game.
Pokemon translates to a pinball game surprisingly well, making someone who doesn't care about pinball enjoy and want to complete the game. The mechanics were smooth and fun, some great new art and sprites.
I completed the pokedex and will warn there is conflicting documentation online that may cause some issues, however, other than the 1% chance spawns it is an enjoyable play.
I completed the pokedex and will warn there is conflicting documentation online that may cause some issues, however, other than the 1% chance spawns it is an enjoyable play.
A better version of the original Pokémon Pinball. The boards have a lot of new mechanics, the pokéball's physics are much more polished and the new bonus stages are really fun! I couldn't put the original down but now that I've started this one I'm hooked again, my brain just goes brr when I catch a new Pokémon, I can't help it.
Now, I’m no pinball expert or anything, in fact I’m pretty bad at pinball, but Pokemon transfers shockingly well into a pinball game. I kinda see why there’s three Pokemon Pinball games (the Pokemon Mini had a rendition of Pokemon Pinball), the formula genuinely works.
Pokemon Pinball’s mechanics are easy to figure out, so it's easy to get into if you’re not familiar with pinball (I wish mechanics were explained in-game, but that’s a trend I’ve noticed with pinball games anyway). Pokedex completion feels genuinely achievable as well, with the RNG components being a little more controllable by the player (which feels like a godsend after playing Pokemon Shock Tetris). You can control what pool of encounters you can find, you can control if you want to catch, evolve, or hatch a Pokemon, and if you’re struggling to find a certain Pokemon you can trigger the mode to catch/hatch/evolve another Pokemon so long as you can aim your shots. And the sprites in this game are really adorable and dynamic (albeit slightly awkward at times, the immediate examples I think of are Zubat being colored incorrectly and Plusle’s pose just looking off for some reason).
I think the maps are… fine? Again, I’m no pinball expert, and I’m pretty bad at it, but the maps don’t feel incredible or anything. Ruby’s bumper mechanic is so genuinely annoying, and Sapphire’s shop is INCREDIBLY awkward to reach (the shop buttons are so small, it sucks). The Kecleon minigame isn’t really my thing, the Spheal minigame is just annoying with how you can accidentally trigger it and get stuck doing it when you don’t want to, and Dusclops... Dusclops is easy but fine enough. Groudon I also like because it feels like there’s ways to get around its attacks, but Kyogre is annoying, especially due to there not being any counterplay to Sheer Cold (I never got to Rayquaza’s minigame).
I don’t personally think Pokemon Pinball is anything special, but I think it’s fun. It’s worth trying out if you’re a Pokemon fan or a pinball fan.
Pokemon Pinball’s mechanics are easy to figure out, so it's easy to get into if you’re not familiar with pinball (I wish mechanics were explained in-game, but that’s a trend I’ve noticed with pinball games anyway). Pokedex completion feels genuinely achievable as well, with the RNG components being a little more controllable by the player (which feels like a godsend after playing Pokemon Shock Tetris). You can control what pool of encounters you can find, you can control if you want to catch, evolve, or hatch a Pokemon, and if you’re struggling to find a certain Pokemon you can trigger the mode to catch/hatch/evolve another Pokemon so long as you can aim your shots. And the sprites in this game are really adorable and dynamic (albeit slightly awkward at times, the immediate examples I think of are Zubat being colored incorrectly and Plusle’s pose just looking off for some reason).
I think the maps are… fine? Again, I’m no pinball expert, and I’m pretty bad at it, but the maps don’t feel incredible or anything. Ruby’s bumper mechanic is so genuinely annoying, and Sapphire’s shop is INCREDIBLY awkward to reach (the shop buttons are so small, it sucks). The Kecleon minigame isn’t really my thing, the Spheal minigame is just annoying with how you can accidentally trigger it and get stuck doing it when you don’t want to, and Dusclops... Dusclops is easy but fine enough. Groudon I also like because it feels like there’s ways to get around its attacks, but Kyogre is annoying, especially due to there not being any counterplay to Sheer Cold (I never got to Rayquaza’s minigame).
I don’t personally think Pokemon Pinball is anything special, but I think it’s fun. It’s worth trying out if you’re a Pokemon fan or a pinball fan.
CATCH 'EM MODE
Man what a cool idea! I'm not the biggest fan of pinball but smacking a Doduo with a Pokeball via bumper action is a wonderful experience.
Man what a cool idea! I'm not the biggest fan of pinball but smacking a Doduo with a Pokeball via bumper action is a wonderful experience.
It's Pinball, but with Pokémon. What can be more fun than that? Some things, but that's beside the point.
If you like Pinball and Pokemon, you won't miss anything.
If you like Pinball and Pokemon, you won't miss anything.