Pinball

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"Here's another game that I looked forward to for a long time ever since I first saw it in all the Mattel catalogs. Like most of the other games with fake screenshots in the catalogs, the actual game far surpassed what was advertised. Instead of trying to imitate an actual pinball machine on a video game console (as it was advertised), this title stands out as a revolutionary pinball game for its time by adding multiple levels, moving targets, and an assortment of bells and whistles that cannot be achieved on an actual pinball machine (like the Uranium bumper -- I still get a kick out of watching it flash to this day).
"One thing that concerned me about video pinball in the early days was the fact that the physics would be less than perfect, and as a result it wouldn't achieve the same look-and-feel. That is not the case here. The physics are superb, unlike the pitiful attempts at pinball games on rival systems (Atari's Video Pinball and GCE's Spinball for example. Even pinball games on later systems, like Gametek's Pinball Dreams and Atari's Pinball Jam (Lynx) suffer from terrible physics.), and there is never a shortage of targets to shoot at. Most of the other features of real pinball, such as bonus points, lane guards, and english/tilting are also implemented here as well.
"Each level presents its own challenge. Even veteran players have a hard time keeping the ball active on the elite Blue Level, much less earning the extra ball. Of course, with the emulator, I was finally able to achieve what will probably never happen without it.
"I only wish the game weren't so quiet. There is usually no background noise, so there are times when it seems to get silent, especially when the player is aiming the ball at a particular target. Besides that, this game has no shortcomings. Nobody should pass this game up." Rating: 5/5 -- Mike Hayes

• Emulator save state