Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire

More than just a GBA makeover, the new Pokemon Pinball is an evolution in game play, offering livelier Pokemon to catch and Pokemon ecosystems clevery built into table designs. Pokemaniacs will be mesmerized. [Nov 2003, p.150]

Ultimately, if you're not a Pokéfan, this game won't change your mind…but if you don't mind the adorable monsters, there's lots of unusually satisfying gameplay here.

While its flashy new successor doesn’t innovate quite like the original did, it does in fact make leaps and bounds above its predecessor through improved gameplay mechanics, fantastic new features, and a new coat of polish in the audio and visual departments.

It's a shame that one little button location in the Sapphire table makes that layout a little more annoying to play than the Ruby board, but both designs are still well done and some of the best pinball action you'll experience on the GBA system.

Every orifice oozes Pokemon quality - everything but the flippers themselves have some kind of link to the Pokeverse. [Nov 2003, p.202]

The game is a blast, possessing excellent pinball basics, surprising depth, and an addictive collection overgame.

As ball physics and control go, it's dead on. [Oct 2003, p.145]

At its core, it’s fairly shallow, and you really need to come into this game liking Pokemon, or pinball, or preferably both in order to get your money’s worth.

The two styles of play - high scoring or Pokemon catching - allow you to explore the tables twice over with different motives, while the immediate accessibility will suit players who are looking for some purely basic pinball fun. Only the most demanding of pinball wizards would be right to turn their nose up at Pokemon Pinball's charming slant on the genre.

Perhaps one of the most addictive games Gamestyle has ever come across, Pokémon Pinball is a must for pinball and Pokémon fans alike and won't disappoint for a second.

A game that combines the best of both worlds - Pokemon and pinball - while putting aside a lot of the elements that usually put people off. The pinball aspects win out over the extensive wandering, random battling and other RPG bits of the Pokemon series which, if you're not a fan, can only be a good thing. [Nov 2003, p.124]

Keeping in mind that this is the kind of game with value that comes from being a fun game to return to time and again and not as in a huge adventure that should be played straight through.

Fantastic graphics, realistic gameplay and objectives all around make Pokemon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire and worthwhile addition to any GBA fan’s library.

Gameplay is fun and addictive but unfortunately it rarely gets the heart pumping like the real pinball experience can.

While the game is still charming and fun, it's practically identical to the first game, and on top of that, it's even easier than the original, making it more of a time-consumer than an actual challenge.

This is not a conventional pinball game with well-designed skillshots and a challenging layout, but since when was Pokemon ever conventional? [Nov 2003, p.99]

When you marry the spot-on physics of pinball ballistics with the collection-mania of Nintendo's ageless Pokemon franchise, good times are all but guaranteed. [Nov 2003, p.90]

While this is a great pinball game and the Pokemon characters are an interesting bunch, I wish there was a bit more to differentiate this title from its predecessor.

It is a fine pinball game, though the difficulty of it seems to be lacking severely, the “Catch ‘em All” theme is still prevailing. At first, the game does catch your attention and shows its depth, but after a while, repetitiveness does drag down the fun factor a bit.

It isn't as addictive or diverse as the great pinball videogames, but it'll quench your "Pokemon" thirst.