Pinball Quest

Pinball Quest

Odyssey 2 - USA - 1st edition.

Developer Tose Publisher Jaleco Published 1989-12-15 Platforms NES Genres Action, Pinball Themes Adventure, Cartoon, Fantasy Multiplayer Alternating versus Distribution Commercial

Pinball Quest is a video pinball game developed by Tose and published by Jaleco on the NES on 1989-12-15. The game simulates three more traditional pinball tables including "Pop! Pop!" which has a 50's rock 'n' roll theme, "Viva! Golf" with a golf theme, and "Circus" featuring a circus theme. These tables take advantage of the video game element and have features that would be impossible on a traditional pinball machine. However, the real thrust of the game is "RPG Mode" which is a pinball action adventure game with RPG elements where you play a ball that must rescue a kidnapped princess.

Personal

Own?	No.
Won?	Yes.
Finished	2000s.

I first played this game after my cousin had borrowed it from a neighbor in the late 1980s. Having never been a big pinball fan, I wasn't really interested in the traditional three tables, but I was really interested in the RPG mode. We did pretty well and made it to the fourth section. Years later, using an emulator, I was able to beat the game.

Review

5	4	5	5	6

Best Version: NES

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

• Making a pinball game into an adventure RPG may have sounded ridiculous in 1989, but it really worked, and I admire the risk Tose took.
• They designers did a good job of incorporating the traditional fantasy RPG elements into a pinball game while still keeping it clearly a pinball game.
• The three traditional tables, while not necessary, are a pleasant addition to the game.
• Like any good adventure game, death doesn't mean starting over entirely from the beginning, so, even if your ball goes in the gutter, you just go back a screen and have to work your way forward again.
• The addition of a store where you can purchase better flippers and stoppers, and even try to rob the place, was a nice addition.

Bad

• For an adventure game, it's pretty short with only six tables.
• Some of the bosses are pretty tedious and you end up going in the gutter far too often.
• As far as adventure games go, this one has little replay value for me.
• The three traditional tables have very little going for them. I would have preferred they sunk the resources into making the RPG game more complicated.

Ugly

• Nothing.

Media

Box Art

• 

  The Japanese art clearly makes this game out to be a traditional slay the bad guy to rescue the princess game, but the shiny ball looks more like a strange robot rather than convey this as a pinball game.

• 

  The North American art has the opposite problem. With the pinball machine table, this is clearly a pinball game, but the only indication this is an adventure game is the skull in the ball's reflection.

Documentation

• 

  Manual - Japan.

• 

  Manual - USA.

Font

The game's font is in the video game font collection.

Videos

Longplay.

Play Online

Famicom, NES

Representation

Strong female character?	Fail	Pop! Pop! has a lady dancer, Viva! Golf has a lady golfer, and Circus has a lady lion tamer (they're all just for appearances). The RPG mode has Princess Bali (the damsel in distress), Ziffroo the witch, and the "harpe." None are strong.
Bechdel test?	Fail	No women speak.
Strong person of color character?	Fail	There are no humans.
Queer character?	Fail	There are no queer characters.

Credits

Role	Staff
Planner	Katsuhiko Gen (Katsupro)
Programmer	Ishizu, K.K, Hitoshi Banba (H.B)
Designer	Art 13, Katsuhiko Gen (Katsupro)
Music and Sound Effects	Akihito Hayashi (Hayashi)
Advisor	Satoshi Matsushita (S.M)

Titles

Language	Native	Transliteration	Translation
English	Pinball Quest
Japanese	ピンボールクエスト	Pinboru Kuesuto	Pinball Quest

Links