Microsoft Pinball Arcade GBC

Microsoft Pinball Arcade lets you relive pinball history. Begin with that classic table of the '30s, Baffle Ball, and continue on through the '80s with Haunted House.

This is a port of the PC version of Pinball Arcade for the Game Boy Color, but for some reason only features 5 of the 7 tables from the original game. Baffle Ball ('30s), Knock Out ('50s), Slick Chick ('60s), Spirit of '76 and Haunted House ('80s). The news releases previously stated that 7 of the tables would be featured, so I'm assuming it was a later decision to drop the 2 tables.

Baffle Ball is similar to those tilt the ball into the hole games that are popular birthday party favors. The basic premise is to shoot the ball and watch it drop, not much fun. Knock Out is more close to today's modern pinball machines, featuring flippers at the bottom. These flippers are very far apart, though, which makes it hard to play when the metal bar blocking the hole is removed during the progress of the game. As the decades advance, so do the games, culminating in Haunted House which offers the most gameplay. There is also a pinball trivia section included.

The older tables are interesting from a historical viewpoint, but aren't much fun to play. The only tables that are worthwhile are Slick Chick, Spirit of '76 and Haunted House. I liked Spirit of '76 the best because it resembles the tables I'm used to from the late '70's, while my nephew enjoyed Haunted House better with the added mini-pinball table inside the table. The realism and graphics are fairly well-done on the Game Boy system, and the gameplay is involving and gratifying on the more recent tables with fast ball action. If you're a pinball fan, this may be the game for you.