NES Week: Day #1

So to start off the NES week I started to look for the perfect game to start it off with. And what better game to kick it off with then in my opinion, one of the most underrated games from the nes. What is this game? Why its pinball!

Now I know what you’re thinking: “how could you possibly like the really dull and simple nes pinball???” Well I like it for many reasons personally:

1. I can spend hours on it. When it comes to pinball games and pinball in general I can spend absolutely hours on it, and I’m so happy this translates well to this game because oh man could I spend hours on it.
2. Its simplicity almost makes it more fun? I know that’s an odd thing to say but it’s almost true. The simplicity makes it really fun for me and I really don’t know why. Maybe it’s just like how normal pinball is but I just have a really big soft spot for this one…
3. I like the donkey Kong reference : )

Very simple, could play for hours, I murdered the chickens…

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.

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.

"When I look at the box, this isn't pinball? But then I play the game, and this IS pinball! You SNAKES!"

...

Also this game is insane for making the flippers invisible after 100,000.

played on NSO NES

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.

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.