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.

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.

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.