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Mario Pinball Land

Pinball-esque titles have never had a huge fanbase in the video game biz, luckily for the pinball fans that do exist Nintendo has managed to please us with a variety of games over the years. Kirby's Pinball Land, Pokémon Pinball and Pokémon Pinball Ruby/Sapphire are still recognized as some of the top flipper floppers of all time. Sadly, the pinball genre is one that is near its deathbed, with new versions coming out so few and far between. So whenever a title makes its way in, whether it be console or handheld, fans of this gameplay style can't help but scream with glee, and even more so when it happens to be made by our dearly beloved Nintendo.

I suppose it was bound to happen, after teeing up a few games of golf, crushing the tennis courts, and partying out the game boards, Mario could only find himself in the pinball world. Over the years Nintendo has not only focused on the actual adventure titles, but a handful of spin-offs as well. What first started as a simple cart racing game for the Super Nintendo has now spawned dozens of other titles, which have ended in what would be funny as Mario's final and certainly most uncomfortable purpose: a pinball. One day at the fair, Mario and Princess Peach take a glance at Toad's new contraption, the Sky Cannon; a machine that can squish anything into a ball and launch it high into the air. After a demonstration, Peach decides to give it a try. Naturally this becomes the perfect opportunity for a few Goomba's to crash the party and redirect Peach's course of direction right into Bowser's lair. He's getting lazy this time, not even bothering to pick her up himself. Without a second to lose, Mario knows his duty and squishes himself into a ball to set out across the Mushroom Kingdom and rescue the Princess.

Although Mario Pinball Land won't be winning any awards for its storyline, anyone who has seen a screenshot or video of the game will know right off the bat that it is a really great, if not the best looking game on the Game Boy Advance. The character models of the opening video alone are almost Dreamcast graphic quality, and the game itself is nothing short of stunning. Mario Pinball Land pushes the GBA hardware to the absolute edge, making full use of the system's limited polygon pushing power, all the while with little to no slow down time. Rarely do you see a 3D game for the GBA run nicely and look great at the same time; this game pulls it off, and that alone is worth a glance.

Yet as past has proved, graphics do not make a game. Like most pinball titles, you must make your way through a series of stages. What sets Mario Pinball Land apart from the rest is that in each stage you are required to fight baddies and solve other simple-minded objectives to collect coins and stars to further advance you on your journey for the Princess. As you gather more and more stars you gain access to new levels, starting off in your generic Grassy Greens, and following into more advanced stages such as Frosty Frontier, Shifting Sands, and the Fiery Stage. The End. Yup, that's right, Mario Pinball comes equipped with a massive four levels, not even higher than most toddlers can count.

Even so, it probably wouldn't be so hard to swallow if these four levels encompassed the absolutely satisfying, quintessential pinball game. Coming into Mario Pinball Land I was hoping for a solid pinball title, but I was only left frustrated. I can't stress enough at how bad the physics of the game is; the ball moves lightning fast and comes out of nowhere, so aiming the ball let alone hitting it is enough to lose your mind. It's a great idea when you think of it: make a pinball game where aiming and precision are key, except make it impossible to aim or be precise. Yet as I kept playing I found that precision was thrown out the window, since the collision detection was beyond horrible. When I actually managed to hit whatever it is I was aiming for, the game occasionally failed to register the hit, and instead just reflected my ball back and I would have to do it all over again. Something that should normally be easy can turn out to be a 15-minute task. Lame-o.

The objectives are repetitive and overall boring. You make your way through various tables to gather stars that unlock Star doors, reminiscent to that of Super Mario 64. The game wouldn't be so bad if the tasks were actually fun and varied, yet all I found myself doing was entering room after room, knocking Mario into a slew of enemies and finally being granted another star. Although I must say I was pleased with the frequent throwback to that of Mario's other adventure titles. By collecting Blue Coins, you can make your way into shops to purchase items or play mini-games, or race against the clock, which adds a bit more variety to the gameplay but most definitely not enough.

On a positive note, it does include a save option, so you won't find yourself leaving the Game Boy Advance on for hours just to make it to the final boss, or writing down pages of passwords. Along with that the sound effects and overall sound presentation is beyond great. You will be treated with a bandstand of different sound effects on the field, even a few we haven't heard since the SNES days. It's sort of weird to see the production value all over the map with Mario Pinball Land. On the downside no multiplayer mode is offered, something that really could have boosted the title's replay value and overall entertainment meter.

This game gets an N-Philes score of D+.

Mario Pinball Land is like that hot popular girl in high school - gorgeous on the outside but no personality on the inside. Mario Pinball Land is just too generic, and though it has the Mushroom Kingdom cast supporting it the gameplay is fully capable of causing splitting headaches. From the technical errors to bland and short play mode, it is not one to be recommended. Its bad game design kills all that is good (and holy too!) and should only be picked up by the die hard Mario or pinball fans.

Posted in: Reviews