User:Arkwan/sandbox

Pinball
Developer(s)	Nintendo R&D1
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Arcade, NES, e-Reader, Nintendo GameCube (Animal Crossing game), Virtual Console
Release	Arcade version 1983 NES version JP: February 2, 1984 NA: October 18, 1985 EU: January 9, 1986 Famicom Disk System JP: May 30, 1989 Virtual Console NA: November 19, 2006 JP: December 2, 2006 EU: December 15, 2006 AU: December 15, 2006
Genre(s)	Pinball
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer

Pinball (ピンボール) is a 1983 arcade game created by Nintendo. The game is designed to simulate a game of pinball. It was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System later that year. In 1985 it reached North America as one of 18 launch titles. The Nintendo Entertainment System version added an alternating two-player mode. It was later re-released as an e-reader Card game, and is also playable as an unlockable mini-game in Doubutsu no Mori for the Nintendo 64 and Animal Crossing on the Nintendo GameCube. It is available on the Wii's Virtual Console.

Gameplay

Pinball is a game where the player controls the paddles of a virtual pinball machine. The game has two screens to represent the traditional pinball table and one for a bonus mode. Play begins when the player launches a ball with the plunger from the first screen—the bottom of the pinball table—through the top of the screen to the second screen. Play will move to the first screen if the ball falls through the bottom of the top screen and will return to the top screen if the ball is hit back through the space at the top of the first screen. The player controls the flippers on either screen to deflect the ball to keep it from falling off the bottom of the lower screen.

Pinball also had a secondary Breakout-like mode, which the player reaches by hitting the ball into a bonus hole that takes the player to a bonus stage where they control Mario carrying a platform. The object of this mode is to rescue Pauline (previously seen in Donkey Kong). The player achieves this by bouncing the ball off Mario's platform and hitting various targets, the destruction of which also earns them points. When the blocks under her are all gone, she will drop. Catching her on Mario's platform earns the player bonus points, but allowing her to hit the ground causes the player to lose.

Pinball, being a Nintendo Vs. game, also had a multiplayer mode in which two players competed to get the highest score. Players would play until they lost a life, turning play over to the other player.

Scoring

There were a variety of ways to get points in Pinball. On the top screen, there were bumpers that would give 100 points upon being hit. There also existed many chutes and targets for the player to enter and hit. For example, the upper-left lane of the top screen contained eight lights that, once turned off, gave 2000 bonus points. Other elements of the top screen include a target in the upper-left corner of the top screen, that, when shot, would award the points displayed, ranging from 100 to 1000 points. There were also four targets on the left side of the top screen that would give 100 points each. The most important part of the top screen would be the slot machine that was activated by sending the ball through the green alley on the right side. Subsequent runs through the green alley would stop the numbers until all three were revealed. There were only three results: all threes, which would result in 3300 points and a stopper appearing between the flippers for 6 seconds; all sevens, which would result in 7700 points and a stopper appearing between the flippers for 14 seconds; and all penguins, which would result in your score being doubled and a stopper appearing in between the flippers for an unlimited amount of time. On the bottom screen, there were five face-down playing cards that, when flipped over, revealed a Royal Flush. This Royal Flush would change the color of the board from blue to yellow. High scores would affect the game, as extra balls were given for 50,000 points and the flippers would disappear after 100,000 points and return after 150,000 points.

Reception

Reception

Review scores

Publication	Score
Nintendo Life	6/10
Power Play (DE)
The Video Game Critic	C+
Tilt	15/20

Pinball received mixed to positive reviews. The Video Game Critic gave it a C+, stating that though the game was well-balanced and the physics were realistic, the lack of variety and graphics leave it simplistic and bare. German magazine Power Play said that although the game was fun, it was not worth its price at the time, and thought it should be cheaper. French publication Tilt praised the speed of the game, but noted the games drawbacks in having limited multiplayer support and the odd physics glitch. Corbie Dillard from Nintendo Life reviewed it in 2006, stating that for 500 Wii Points, "you'd be hard-pressed to find a better game for those times when you just need a quick and simple pinball fix without a lot of bells & whistles".

See also

• List of Nintendo Entertainment System games
• Rollerball (1984)
• Rock 'n Ball (1989)
• Pinball Quest (1989)
• Pin*Bot (1990)
• High Speed (1991)

External links

• StrategyWiki:Pinball
• Pinball at NinDB
• Vs. Pinball at the Killer List of Videogames

Category:1984 video games Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games Category:Famicom Disk System games Category:Arcade games Category:Nintendo games Category:Nintendo e-Reader games Category:Nintendo Vs. Series games Category:Pinball video games Category:Virtual Console games Category:Mario Universe games