10 Best Pinball Video Games, Ranked

Video games originated in the immediate post-World War II era, with some early prototypes created as an experiment from surplus military equipment. Later, video games made their way to arcades, where they surpassed mechanical arcade games like pinball. Pinball machines are even simpler in their technology than the earliest video games.

While pinball machines were simple, they’re still fondly remembered by many, perhaps due to their straightforward nature. Many video games, like Sonic Spinball and The Pinball Arcade, have sought to replicate the mechanics of classic pinball machines and bring that arcade experience to consoles.

10

Video Pinball Set a Standard for Future Pinball Video Games

Release Date – Circa 1980

Atari has long-standing affinity for pinball-style video games and ball-based games in general. This trend dates back to Atari’s earliest days with Pong, which was essentially a simulation of table tennis. In the late 1970s, Atari also released a line of dedicated pinball game consoles. Given Atari’s history with pinball, it’s no surprise that Video Pinball was released for the Atari 2600.

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Video Pinball is effectively a spiritual successor to Atari’s dedicated pinball consoles and offers slightly more advanced features than its predecessors. The game is simplistic, with wildly inaccurate pinball mechanics and a flat virtual pinball table. While it might not rank among the Atari 2600’s greatest video games, Video Pinball served its purpose as a template for future pinball video games.

9

Pinball Is an Early Mario Pinball Game

Release Date – Feb. 2, 1984

• Platform(s): Nintendo Entertainment System

Pinball is an early NES title released in 1984 for Japan’s Nintendo Family Computer. It is also an early Mario title, featuring the plumber in a Breakout-style mode. In this mode, the player must rescue Pauline, Mario’s love interest in earlier titles like Donkey Kong, by destroying blocks with a pinball and hitting a bonus space.

Outside the Breakout mode, Pinball is a fairly standard game in its genre, but it’s a significant improvement over earlier titles like Video Pinball. The game features more fluid pinball physics, and the standard pinball table is straightforward and easy to navigate. As a Mario title, it stands out as one of the better offerings on the NES, and as a pinball game, it effectively gets the job done.

8

Microsoft Pinball Arcade Is a Neat Collection of Old Pinball Games

Release Date – Dec. 15, 1998

• Platform(s): Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Game Boy Color

Microsoft Pinball Arcade is a collection of pinball games from the 1930s through the 1990s. Included in Microsoft Pinball Arcade is Baffle Ball, the first commercially successful pinball game; Humpty Dumpty, the first pinball game with flippers; Knock Out, Slick Chick, Spirit of 76, Haunted House and Cue Ball Wizard. The Game Boy Color version of Microsoft Pinball Arcade does not include Humpty Dumpty and Cue Ball Wizard.

The selection of games in Microsoft Pinball Arcade showcases the evolution of pinball technology and shows players what these early games could achieve. From older titles like Baffle Ball to the more advanced Cue Ball Wizard, the collection captures the history and advancement of pinball in an accessible format. Even on the Game Boy Color, Microsoft Pinball Arcade is a fitting choice for dedicated pinball enthusiasts.

7

Kirby’s Pinball Land Has Kirby Transformed Into a Pinball

Release Date – Nov. 27, 1993

• Platform(s): Nintendo Game Boy

Kirby’s Pinball Land is an interesting pinball title with a concept that fits perfectly with Kirby’s ability to transform into anything, including a ball. This Kirby-themed pinball game features three tables inspired by Kirby’s previous adventures in Kirby’s Dream Land and Kirby’s Adventure.

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Although the game’s pinball mechanics aren’t the most accurate, Kirby’s Pinball Land faithfully adapts the Kirby games into the pinball format. The little pink hero looks like he was meant to be a pinball all along. Like many titles in the Kirby franchise, the game’s music is superb.

6

Mario Pinball Land Is the Definitive Mario Pinball Video Game

Release Date – Aug. 26, 2004

• Platform(s): Nintendo Game Boy Advance

Mario Pinball Land is set in the Mario universe and takes place at an amusement park with a machine that temporarily transforms users into pinballs. King Bowser misuses this machine to kidnap Princess Peach once again. Mario, transformed into a pinball, sets off on a journey through various colorful tables to rescue her.

It may not be the one of the best games in the Mario franchise, but Mario Pinball Land is a fun pinball game that makes good use of the series’ lore. The tables are aesthetically pleasing, well-designed, and engaging enough to keep players entertained for hours. While the game leans toward the more difficult side, Mario Pinball Land is still a solid addition to the GBA Mario lineup.

Mario Pinball Land

Platform(s)

Nintendo Game Boy Advance
, Nintendo Wii U

Released

August 26, 2004

5

Sonic Spinball Has a Ball With Its Spin on Sonic

Release Date – Nov. 23, 1993

• Platform(s): Sega Game Gear, Genesis, Master System

Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball isn’t just a pinball game; it’s also an interesting hybrid with the platforming genre. The game follows Sonic and Tails as they infiltrate Dr. Robotnik’s latest laboratory to stop his plans and free the captured animals. Much of the gameplay involves Sonic and Tails transforming into pinballs to navigate the lab’s challenges.

While pinball and platforming mechanics might not seem like a good fit, Sonic Spinball does a great job of combining these two distinct genres. There are sections where the game briefly switches to more standard platforming mechanics, which allows Sonic to move around more freely. Interestingly, Sonic Spinball was made American staff of Sega Technical Institute while Sega’s Japanese staff was working on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles.

Sonic Spinball

Platform(s)

PC
, Nintendo Game Boy Advance

Released

November 23, 1993

Developer(s)

Sega
, Sega Interactive

Publisher(s)

Sega

Multiplayer

Local Co-Op
, Local Multiplayer

ESRB

E for Everyone

How Long To Beat

2½ Hours

PC Release Date

February 1, 1999

How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)

3 Hours

Expand

4

3-D Ultra Pinball: Creep Night Is a Horrific Thrill

Release Date – Circa 1996

• Platforms: Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows

3-D Ultra Pinball: Creep Night is the second entry in the 3-D Ultra Pinball series, which was developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra. The game features three virtual pinball tables, all themed around the horror genre. The tables include the Castle, which serves as the main attraction, along with the Tower and the Dungeon.

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Not only is 3-D Ultra Pinball: Creep Night an incredibly entertaining pinball game, but it makes perfect use of its horror theme. It helps that the layouts of the virtual pinball tables are fun, creative, and easy to navigate. The game’s engaging art style, impressive sound effects, and enjoyable music make it an even better experience. Creep Night is easily the best entry in a great series of pinball games.

3

Full Tilt! Pinball Is a Pinball Video Game for Space Cadets

Release Date – Nov. 16, 1995

• Platform(s): Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows

Full Tilt! Pinball, also known as Pinball 95 outside the United States, is a pinball vcollection in the vein of earlier titles like Pinball Dreams. Each table in Full Tilt! Pinball has its own distinct theme: Space Cadet is space-themed, Skulduggery is adventure-themed, and Dragon’s Keep is fantasy-themed.

The game is iconic among pinball video games thanks to the ingenious designs of its virtual pinball tables, particularly Space Cadet. The table’s intuitive layout makes it easy to pick up and play. Its popularity led to certain versions of Microsoft Windows bundling Space Cadet as 3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet.

2

Pinball Fantasies Are Pinball Dreams Come True

Release Date – Circa Oct. 1992

• Platform(s): Amiga (among others)

Pinball Fantasies is the sequel to DICE’s Pinball Dreams, which they developed before hitting it big with Battlefield. Like its predecessor, Pinball Fantasies features a set of themed tables, each with its own objectives: Party Land, Speed Devils, Billion Dollar Gameshow, and Stones N’ Bones. These tables are as imaginative as those in Pinball Dreams and provide hours of fun.

There’s something special about how Pinball Fantasies attempts to replicate the feel of real-world pinball machines. All of DICE’s pinball games aim to deliver a semi-realistic pinball experience, unlike earlier video pinball titles such as Pinball on the NES or Video Pinball on the Atari 2600.

1

The Pinball Arcade Is the Ultimate Pinball Video Game

Release Date – Feb. 9, 2012

• Platform(s): Xbox 360 (among others)

The Pinball Arcade, developed and published by FarSight Studios, is perhaps the ultimate pinball video game ever made. Simply put, The Pinball Arcade is a massive collection of real-world pinball machines that have been recreated for the player’s pleasure. Said pinball machines date between the late 1960s to the late 2010s, meaning that fifty years of pinball machines have been recreated for the player’s modern-day observation.

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The Pinball Arcade is easily the best pinball video game, thanks to the wide variety of virtual pinball machines available. This does not begin to mention the realism in the pinball mechanics in each of the virtual tables, a testament to how far video game technology has come in general. In all, The Pinball Machine will perhaps be the only pinball video game one will ever need, barring anything else.