I imagine back in the day this really scratched the pinball itch at home, but growing up with Windows Pinball, I can't help but feel everything I am getting out of this game I can get 100× better and more stimulating elsewhere. Interesting as a piece of history, but that's about it in 2023.
Played on Switch.
Played on Switch.
Pinball for the NES is a simple but delightful treat that stays true to the nature of the game. The board in this is a smooth experience with a few different gimmicks going on, such as a minigame you can reach through a warphole or protectors you can release if you crack a few eggs. The biggest scoring goal is to hit the 5 cards in the center in order to completely block the middle exit, thus allowing your score to skyrocket. There are 2 different modes you can select in both Singleplayer and Multiplayer, but the boards are the same so I'm not sure of what the differences are.
It's a simple game, but most assuredly worth playing if you like Pinball. My highscore is 94,680 on Game 2.
It's a simple game, but most assuredly worth playing if you like Pinball. My highscore is 94,680 on Game 2.
One of the finest arcade-style early NES games. Maybe it's just the nostalgia factor for me, having played it a lot as a kid with my dad, but I find this to be one of the most exciting turn-based 2 player games ever made. Standing tall as Satoru Iwata's very first work, the unconventional black box NES title tries to emulate a traditional pinball machine instead of creating fantasy worlds like other video games. Especially in the fast B-type, it's addicting and feels very similar to a real pinball machine. It has great charm and personality; before creating the DS and the Wii as the most beloved Nintendo CEO in history, a young Iwata created one of the most enjoyable early titles on the NES.
Well, the ball physics are decent (it was developed by HAL, it's one of their specialties)... but with just one rather mundane table and no music, this is an ultimately very shallow experience. The Mario and Pauline bonus stage isn't remotely enough to salvage this. Play any other pinball game instead. Unless, of course, you're just going down random NSO offerings the way I was. In which case, you can play this for 10 minutes and be underwhelmed, too.
Yup, it's pinball. There's only a single board, with 2 screens, and then there's a minigame where you play a Breakout clone, while controlling Mario (or maybe it's Jumpman) while trying to save Lady.
I don't know what the differences between Games A and B are, to be honest.
I do wish this game had more music.
I don't know what the differences between Games A and B are, to be honest.
I do wish this game had more music.
Pretty decent NES pinball game. The most important thing with a game like this - and something I wasn’t sure Nintendo would have gotten right in 1984 - is that the physics of the ball and the bumpers and paddles feel realistic, which they do in this game. Playing this feels like playing a real pinball machine which is definitely to be commended. That said, this is a very simple pinball game. The different bonuses you can earn are pretty blah and don’t really add anything exciting to the game. There’s a pretty boring breakout style bonus game but that’s really it. No interesting graphics when you get a bonus, no second ball, just the bonus game and the potential to earn a stopper by your paddles to prevent you from losing a ball. I played this normally for a while and then used save states until I could see every potential bonus, so I’m fairly certain this is the extent of them.
Also - unsure if this is part of the game or a weird glitch but your paddles turn invisible if you score 100k points. I’m assuming this is intentional but it’s implemented in a way where it’s quite difficult to tell. The paddles don’t flash before disappearing or anything they’re just suddenly gone.
Overall this is a fun little pinball game and definitely one of the better black box NES games I’ve played. It is a very simple pinball game however. I’m not a connoisseur of pinball games but I’m certain there are much better ones out there if you’re into that sort of thing.
Also - unsure if this is part of the game or a weird glitch but your paddles turn invisible if you score 100k points. I’m assuming this is intentional but it’s implemented in a way where it’s quite difficult to tell. The paddles don’t flash before disappearing or anything they’re just suddenly gone.
Overall this is a fun little pinball game and definitely one of the better black box NES games I’ve played. It is a very simple pinball game however. I’m not a connoisseur of pinball games but I’m certain there are much better ones out there if you’re into that sort of thing.
I am a sucker for pinball games, so seeing Pinball on NSO made me happy. I spent a long while just watching the pixelated ball moving around on screen with no music at all. It was just oddly fun to me for some weird bizarre reason that I cannot explain. I loved this despite it being another early Nintendo game.