Reviews TSS REVIEW: Sonic Pinball Party

[Dreadknux]

Who doesn't like pinball? Along with arcades, pinball has become a classic pastime that is slowly fading out. Just the other weekend the only pinball machine that took my interest was a bizzare Simpsons one, and that was the only one in the arcade too. Ah, the thrill of slamming those flippers to whip that metal ball into that bonus target. I tell you, it's timeless, but forgotten in this day and age.

Sonic Spinball, released back in 1993, when pinball'ing was still rife, caught a lot of interest. If not because it was the first Sonic console game to truly break from the blue blur's platforming roots. Although the majority of Spinball was... well... cack, you can't beat a bit of Toxic Caves (nor can anything else in Sonic history challenge the difficulty of the final stage, Showdown). As inventive a game as it was, many fans didn't - and still don't - take to Sonic Spinball very well, unfortunately. Which is a shame.

But also kind of a relief, because this year Sonic Team decided to have a pop at the old Sonic pinball thing themselves (Spinball was developed by SEGA Technical Institute). Although this time around the studio decided not to call this 'Sonic Spinball 2' (perhaps after seeing the fan response to the 1993 title - and its strong ties to the Archie universe).

And instead of using Sonic as the ball - flipping him through a brain-numbingly elaborate maze of pinball machines - Sonic Pinball Party keeps things simple by using the straightforward, classic style of pinball as its development inspiration. There are three different tables to choose from - there's your Sonic table, a NiGHTS table and a Samba de Amigo table. Each one has their own unique little extras, point-scoring tidbits and quirky gimmicks to them. It'll be the Sonic table you'll be playing on most, if the Story Mode is anything to go by.

And the Story Mode is hilarious. Playing the stages solo is great, but the cutscenes rival that to 'Agadoo' to total cheesiness. In it, Sonic is challenged to take part in a Pinball Tournament. Along the way, enemies and rivals give him vague challenges to accomplish before the next stage. Tails, Amy and Sonic's other friends threaten him with red eyes, but it later appears that they were "brainwashed" after an 'intense battle' with Eggman. Except for Knuckles. He didn't need brainwashing. Obviously. An example of a conversation:

Quote

Eggman: So, you've finally found me, Sonic.

Sonic: I knew. You were behind... This, Eggman. I won't let you get away with this!

Eggman: Well, yes, whoever gets the most point in the time limit wins...

Sonic: I won't let you get away with this!

Eggman: Shut up! I said whoever gets the most point in the...

Sonic: I won't let you get away with this!

Eggman: Silence! I'm telling you your challenge!

Sonic: I won't let you get away with this!

Eggman: ... Anyone for a brew?

The challenges feel varied enough, but usually involve getting high points in different ways. In Story Mode, you'll pretty much be playing Sonic's table and not much else. Being the easiest of tables, the aim is to flip your ball through the 'EGG' ramp three times to call up Eggman. Then you have to slam the ball in the hole below Eggman's fat rump to beat him and win the table. Sometimes when you complete the table you're on, you complete the stage. Other times you move on to a similar board, with a slightly different layout. These layouts follow themese from the Sonic Advance series: Neo Green Hill Zone, Secret Base, Angel Island, that kind of thing.

Sadly, Story Mode is very limited in scope - before you know it, you've completed it. It's a blast trying to beat Eggman at the end, but you can't help feeling that there could have been more to it here. There could have been additional stories for the NiGHTS and Samba tables. Or there could have been a new table and had you play as Tails or something. Either way, the Story Mode is flawed in its longevity, and Pinball Party shouldn't be bought for a lasting 1 Player challenge. However, what you will find coming back to the most is the Arcade mode, where you can freely play on the NiGHTS, Sonic or Samba tables.

The NiGHTS tables are for the more experienced players - in Arcade mode you have to head into the Ideya Palace three times to Dualise yourself. Once done, you hit the Ideya Capture to the side of the table to earn one Ideya. Repeat to collect all Ideyas, then challenge the Nightmaren of the stage.

It's a good time to point out now the excellence of the game's sounds and music. While the Sonic tables are a little uninspiring - just the same old Sonic Advance music, which you'd expect - the NiGHTS music has been Game Boy'ed supremely well indeed, with Dreams Dreams, Splash Garden and the rest faithfully recreated for the handheld. When getting a multi-ball, the Sonic R theme 'Super Sonic Racing' pops up, and the Samba music is perhaps the best I've heard on the GBA yet. Sadly the Samba table is just a one-stage affair, but there's a section where you have to literally play Samba de Amigo in a break off moment from the table. Great fun.

As far as the extras go, they're quite extensive. There are options, the Tiny Chao Garden that just won't bugger off, a variety of innovative multiplayer options and Casinopolis. Casinopolis is a way to earn more rings for Tiny Chao Garden, but this option has been, quite frankly, a little crappily done. Whichever option you play in this mode, there will be two targets at the top left and right of the screen - both are immense buggers to hit, and in the times you do get them on target, when the ball shoots out it goes right down the pan, losing you rings. Shite.

Overall, Sonic Pinball Party is a game that revives the pinball genre and actually makes pinball video games fun again. Although it does have some fierce competition on the Game Boy Advance with Pokemon Pinball... I'm not sure how popular SEGA thinks Sonic is with Nintendo fans yet to put him up against such a colossal mega-franchise. But we're sure glad it exists anyway.

This game is worthy of a few bob or two, especially if you like pinball - unlike Sonic Spinball, this is a faithful pinball-sim-a-like, with a heap of Sonic smashed in. Great fun, but a little short-lived on the one player side.

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NOTE: This was given a score of 8/10 at time of original publication. We have converted its score to the below 5-star rating based on this score, and adjusted to best represent the original intent and sentiment of the overall article. This is not a re-scoring of this review.

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