Pokémon Pinball is a pinball game that is based on Pokémon. It was released in Japan on April 14, 1999, and in North America on June 29, 1999. In the game, the pinball ball is shaped like a Poké Ball, and many of the objects on the pinball table are related to Pokémon.

The main goal of the game, like other pinball games, is to earn points by using different game modes to score more points quickly. The game also has an additional goal: to collect all 151 Pokémon to complete your Pokédex. The Pokédex saves your progress between games, so you can collect Pokémon over time as you play.

Gameplay

There are two tables in the game: Red and Blue. Each table has its own unique places and rules for playing.

Each table has different playable "locations," which decide which Pokémon can be caught. At the start of the game, some of these locations are shown in a way similar to a slot machine. Pressing the A button chooses a starting location and sends the first ball into play. After that, each table has its own way to move to the next location, including those not shown at the beginning.

When "Catch Mode" is activated, players have 2 minutes to try to catch a Pokémon. To begin, the player must hit the pop bumpers 6 times. Each hit reveals one part of a picture showing the Pokémon available for capture. Once the picture is complete, the Pokémon appears on the table. To catch it, the player must hit it 4 times with the ball.

When "Evolution Mode" is activated, players have 2 minutes to choose a captured Pokémon (from the current game only) and try to evolve it into a new form. This is the only way to add an evolved Pokémon to the player's Pokédex. After selecting a Pokémon, the player must hit targets on the playfield. The Red table has up to 7 targets, and the Blue table has 6. Only 3 of these targets contain items needed to evolve a Pokémon, while the others cause delays before the player can hit targets again. If the player hits a target with an item, the item appears on the playfield and must be collected with the ball. Once 3 items are collected, the center hole on the board opens. Sinking the ball into the hole successfully evolves the Pokémon.

Release

Pokémon Pinball was announced in the March 1999 issue of The 64Dream. It was first made available in Japan on April 14, 1999.

Reception

Pokémon Pinball received mostly positive reviews, with an average score of 81.73% on GameRankings. GameSpot gave it a score of 8.7, praising its use of the Game Boy Color's display and visual style. However, they also pointed out that the game lacked other pinball-related features and had poor physics. They criticized the built-in rumble feature, calling it "a waste […] of an AAA battery" and a "nice novelty." The San Jose Mercury News praised the rumble feature, saying it "won them over." The Los Angeles Times editor Aaron Curtiss called it a "great game." CNET said it was "more than a shameless cash-in on the Pokémon phenomenon," calling it one of the best pinball games for the Game Boy Color. However, they noted that too many Pikachu appearances and incorrect physics slightly reduced the pinball experience. The New York Times editor Joe Hutsko called the rumble mechanic innovative, saying it might encourage other developers to use similar features. GamesRadar listed Pokémon Pinball as one of the titles they wanted on the 3DS Virtual Console.

In Japan, Famitsu magazine gave the game a score of 32 out of 40.

Pokémon Pinball sold 262,000 units in its first 20 days, making it the fastest-selling Game Boy title at the time. According to the NPD Group, it was the fourth best-selling video game of 1999 in the United States, behind Pokémon Blue, Red, and Yellow. The game earned a "Gold" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), showing it sold at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is a pinball game based on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. It is the sequel to Pokémon Pinball for the third generation of Pokémon games. Jupiter developed it, and Nintendo published it for the Game Boy Advance handheld console. It was first announced at E3 in 2003 and released the same year on August 1 in Japan, August 25 in North America, and November 14 in PAL regions. The North American release coincided with the fifth anniversary of the release of Pokémon Red and Blue in that region. The game plays like a traditional pinball game, where players aim to get a high score by keeping the ball in play as long as possible and completing objectives. It also includes a Pokémon collection feature, where players must capture Pokémon while playing pinball.