Pokémon Pinball, the latest Pokémon game from Nintendo for the Game Boy Color, is a lot of fun. Like the original Pokémon, the object of the game is to catch as many Pokémon as you can. Unlike the original games, however, players must be able to play a mad game of pinball in order to achieve the goal.
The most innovative feature of Pokémon Pinball is the built in rumble feature, which, like the Rumble Pak for the N64, allows the Game Boy Color to shake and jolt as the Poké Ball bounces around the game table. This feature is really cool, and adds quite a bit of excitement to the game.
The pinball action in Pokémon Pinball plays out on either a red or a blue Pokémon-themed table, complete with Pokémon bumpers and obstacles. At certain points in a game, Pokémon will appear on the table, and by hitting them repeatedly with your Poké Ball (which is used in place of the standard metal ball on most pinball tables), you can capture them and add them to your Poké-Dex.
Just like in the original games, some Pokémon can only be caught on the red table, and some can only be caught on the blue table. As the game progresses, and a player's high-score increases, the rare Pokémon will begin to appear. Once a player passes into this territory, their Poké Ball will be able to be upgraded to either a Great Ball or a Master Ball.
Although the game does not allow players to trade Pokémon (a disappointing omission, to say the least), players can trade high scores via the infrared transfer port on the top of the Game Boy Color.
Although Pokémon Pinball is a full-color title, it is also fully compatible with all previous Game Boy systems. Some of the more interesting features, like the high-score transfers, won't work on older systems, however.
Although Pokémon Pinball certainly doesn't provide the in-depth RPG gameplay of the original games, it is still as addictive and fun. This game will not only be a lot of fun for established Pokémon fanatics, but Pokémon Pinball would be a great way to introduce young players to the Pokémon Universe as well.
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