Pinball machines have been entertaining people since the 1930s. It was inevitable that game developers would eventually try to emulate these experiences in the home. However, the pinball video game has evolved from simply being a virtual reproduction of the arcade pinball experience.
For the last three decades, Pinball video games have been pushing the boundaries of what a pinball game can be. Some of them introduce new elements that would be impossible to implement on a real table, other games are combining pinball with other genres in order to build entirely new experiences. One thing has become very clear, freed from the physical confines of a traditional pinball machine, pinball has taken a new form on game consoles.
10 Akira Psycho Ball - Tetsuo
At first glance, Akira Psycho Ball looks to be a pretty standard virtual pinball game. However, the deeper you delve into this gem the more you see that it has quite a few tricks up its sleeve. The pinball tables here are all based off of the Akira film. Thus, your targets will see you recreating some of the most notable scenes from Akira by way of pinball.
There is also a stellar push-and-pull style competitive mode. Two players battle head to head, sending their balls to the other player’s side of the table. Things can get overwhelming pretty quickly if you allow too many balls to populate your end, meaning you constantly have to push back. Akira Psycho Ball comes highly recommended for fans of pinball, Akira, or great multiplayer experiences.
9 Pokemon Pinball - Gotta Smack ‘Em All
Pokemon Pinball differentiates itself by having a Pokemon catching element, which is a fun interpretation of the classic formula. The Pokemon catching (and evolving) mechanic is so in depth that you can actually fill out an entire Pokedex!
Pokemon Pinball also includes a number of boss encounters. These occur on separate playfields and feature some of the most iconic Pokemon from the series (such as Meowth and Mewtwo). Pokemon Pinball does a great job of translating the RPG to the pinball format, and it has some nice flourishes in the boss battles. It's definitely worth giving this one a go and trying to catch ‘em all.
8 Alien Crush - Crushing The Game Since 1988
The Turbografx-16’s Alien Crush feels a lot like a classic pinball game with an H.R. Giger aesthetic, but it also spreads its wings and explores the increased boundaries of what a pinball game can be on a game console.
Featuring enemies who wander the game board freely, hidden bonus areas, and boss fights, Alien Crush is so much more than a standard pinball game. The Crush series would continue to set the standard for what a pinball video game can be on consoles with a variety of other releases, but Alien Crush was the game to get the ball rolling.
7 Kirby’s Pinball Land - Puffball
One of the many games in which Kirby plays the role of a ball, Kirby’s Pinball Land is a delightful Kirby themed pinball game. This one also features enemies to combat as you play through each of the three pinball stages. There are boss battles here as well (pulling from the classic lineup of adorable Kirby enemies).
Kirby’s Pinball Land is a fantastic pinball game to play on the go. It also has a more relaxed pace and makes for a good introduction to the world of pinball video games. Consider this another excellent game in a long line of fantastic Kirby spin-offs.
6 Odama - Roll Out The Troops
Odama is a pinball game that features warring factions on the table duking it out. The name of the game here is to take out your opponents while avoiding your own units. You are equipped with a microphone which you will use to order your troops.
The concept is relatively simple, but one careless flip can send the ball cascading into a cluster of allies. In this way, Odama may be the only pinball game capable of articulating the dangers of friendly fire on the battlefield.
5 Sonic Spinball - The Pinball Platformer Progenitor
Sonic 3’s iconic pinball stage was such a hit that Sega decided they needed to build an entire game around it. Sonic Spinball can be a little clunky, and it is definitely a difficult game, but it is a fantastically ambitious pinball experience. In the process of collecting gems (and there are way more than seven here) you are going to be exploring expansive pinball arenas.
Sonic acts as the ball here and, as such, you can manipulate his trajectory while he is in motion. Sonic will need to traverse the different game boards by flipping switches and opening pathways. In some ways it feels like Sonic Spinball may be the progenitor of the pinball-hybrid game. At the very least, it is an early title that decided to utilize the pinball format for something a little more ambitious.
4 Creature In The Well - When Hack And Slash Meets Tilt And Bump
Creature In The Well is a top-down dungeon exploration game, mixed with a bullet hell shooter, and featuring an emphasis on puzzle solving: one where you ricochet balls of light off of different surfaces. Many of these surfaces look suspiciously like pinball bumpers. You probably see where this is going.
Creature in The Well does an excellent job of recontextualizing elements of a pinball game in an adventure title. Even players who are not traditionally fans of pinball may find that this game provides a pretty enjoyable experience.
3 Demon’s Tilt - The Culmination Of Crush
Demon’s Tilt is the modern carrier of the Crush series’ torch, featuring all the flourishes of those games, such as the boss battles and bonus stages. One unique element is the introduction of bullet hell mechanics. Enemies will litter the screen with projectiles which will slow, or alter the path of, your ball.
Devil’s Tilt does something else that few games in the genre have ever done, it has a slew of customizable options. Visibility trails on the ball, scanline effects, camera zoom on multiball, camera follow speed, these are just a few of the options you can adjust. Demon’s Tilt even allows you to utilize “tate mode” (where you rotate your TV ninety degrees, allowing more of the playfield to be displayed). Devil’s Tilt, and its evolving playfield, is among one of the best experiences available for fans of pinball video games.
2 Yoku’s Island Express- The First Pinballvania
Yoku’s Island Express is a side-scrolling adventure game which also makes use of Pinball mechanics. While you can move freely in Yoku’s Island, you cannot jump. In order to reach platforms you will need to find a nearby paddle to flick your ball (which you are tethered to). It all works extremely well.
As you progress you will find items that unlock new pathways. Which means that Yoku’s Island Express is, in fact, a pinball metroidvania. Explore the expansive map, obtain new abilities to unlock new areas, and hum along to the joyous soundtrack while you are at it. What a time to be alive for metroidvania and pinball fans.
1 Rollers Of The Realm - A True Roll Playing Game
Rollers Of The Realm is an RPG. Rollers of the Realm is a pinball game. Both of these statements are true. You will acquire party members (who will take the form of different sized balls). You will level up. You will gain spells and special abilities. When you take damage your flippers will decrease in size (until you swap party members or heal).
Each game board serves to progress the game’s story and there is a fully featured adventure story here (with character development and everything). So you will be rolling around in taverns picking pockets, fighting soldiers on a battlefield, and escaping a castle. All by way of pinball. Rollers of the Realm is massively ambitious and was unfairly overlooked. It quite simply does things that no other game has ever done.