Pinball Advance Review

Introduction

Pinball Advance is a pinball simulator only released in Europe for the Game Boy Advance handheld system. Developed by Rebellion (creators of Rogue Warrior for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC) in 2002, Pinball Advance proves to be one of the most realistic pinball games of it’s time.

Gameplay (7/10)

As for many pinball video games, Pinball Advance has simplistic yet effective gameplay. This title has only three stages, however, which somewhat limits the boundaries of the pinball experience. There are also three difficulty levels which can give each stage a slightly different essence of challenge.

The goal of Pinball Advance, much like other pinball games, is to simply accumulate as many points as possible without allowing the ball to drop below the flippers and outscore your friends in a Game Boy passing frenzy!

The player has the ability to manipulate the flippers to move the ball around in traditional arcade-style form. Also, one may “bump” the board to cause a slight manipulation of the pinball.

Where other pinball video games are structured to have advanced events and minigames, Pinball Advanced sticks to a traditional and very realistic structure that arcade pinball players can appreciate.

Graphics (7/10)

While the graphics of Pinball Advance are nothing awe-inspiring, the sense of realism is reflected well in them. In 2002, the Game Boy Advance was beginning to gain ground in the gaming world as the best handheld system of it’s time. Pinball Advance is one example of a decent presentation of the Game Boy Advance’s graphical capabilities which is one reason why so many people bought the system. While Pinball Advance doesn’t have the best graphics the Game Boy Advance can offer, they are still decent for it’s time.

Sound (3/10)

The sound of Pinball Advance is one of the downfalls of this title. There are very few sound effects to offer. The music, though upbeat, can eventually become a stale nuisance if listened to continuously.

Replayability (6/10)

Considering the lack of content Pinball Advance has to offer, hardcore gamers may not play this game over and over again. However, if you are the type who enjoys repeatedly crushing your friends’ high scores then you’ll keep Pinball Advance in your arsenal for quite some time.

Challenge (7/10)

With each difficulty level, Pinball Advance offers a bit more of a challenge. It seems that even on easy, I had trouble keeping the ball in play. Perhaps this is one pinball game that requires a bit of strategy to keep the ball in the air to continuously crank up the score.

Value (6/10)

As an born-and-bred American, I can’t speak much for European gamers as it pertains to Pinball Advance and it’s value. Based on my personal experience, I can say that I somewhat enjoy playing this game, but I doubt I’d keep it in my collection of games that I feel would become a future collectible. As of the time of this review, Pinball Advanced sells on Play.com (UK) for £3.80. However, unless you live in Europe, you’re going to have a tough time finding this game for purchase.

Overall (6/10)

While a considerably fun title, there is a sense of mediocrity for Pinball Advance. The gamer may appreciate the traditional aspect of the game. Some, however, may want to play something a bit more “featuresque.” The lack of content also makes the game somewhat distasteful for the hardcore gamer as well. All of these aspects lead to a final score of 6 out of 10.

Conclusion

Concluding, Rebellion developed a fairly fun Pinball simulation. I believed there are some features that could have easily been improved upon. The finished product is one that may only be appreciated by fans of the genre.