Kirby's Pinball Land | |
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Developer(s) | HAL Laboratory |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Composer(s) | Tadashi Ikegami |
Series | Kirby |
Platform(s) | Game Boy |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Pinball |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Kirby's Pinball Land [lower-alpha 1] is a 1993 pinball video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It was HAL Laboratory's third pinball video game after the MSX and NES title Rollerball and the Game Boy title Revenge of the 'Gator . It was also the first spin-off and second Game Boy title in the Kirby series, as well as the second pinball video game Nintendo published after the NES title Pinball . The game was rereleased on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console service in July 2012.
The game stars Kirby as the ball, while it features three pinball tables, each owned by a classic boss of the Kirby series: Whispy Woods, Kracko, and Poppy Bros.
The game is played much like that of pinball, with two flippers used to help keep Kirby in play as he bounces off walls, bumpers and enemies, scoring points by doing so. Defeating certain enemies earns bonus points and multipliers, which combine to provide a bonus at the end of each life. Players can also earn Maxim Tomatoes which help block the drain for a short period. The game is made up of three tables; Whispy Woods, Kracko and Poppy Bros, each made up of three floors. The aim of the game to help Kirby make his way up to the top floor in order to access each table's boss.
Each floor has various gimmicks that either help Kirby to reach the next floor, such as characters which throw Kirby upwards, or bring in a Warp Star that Kirby can hop onto. Warp Stars on the bottom floor take Kirby to the table selection screen, Warp Stars on the middle floor takes Kirby to a minigame, where he can earn extra points and multipliers, and Warp Stars on the top floor take Kirby to that table's boss fight. Each boss fight requires the player to deal a certain number of hits to the boss without hitting the Warp Star at the bottom and returning to the top screen. After defeating all three bosses, players then fight against King Dedede. After defeating Dedede, the player can play the three tables again to aim for a higher score.
If Kirby falls down the drain on the bottom floor of each table, he will land on a springboard. By timing the A button at the moment where the springboard is at its lowest, Kirby can spring back up to the table, with well timed presses returning him to the top floor. However, the springboard becomes smaller with each use, making it more difficult to successfully spring back up. If Kirby fails to jump back into the table, the player will lose a life, with the game ending once the player has run out of lives. Extra lives can be earned by spelling out the word 'Extra' with letters that appear on the table selection screen after bosses have been defeated.
Publication | Score |
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Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.25/10 [1] |
In the United Kingdom, it was the top-selling Game Boy game for two months in 1994, from March to April. [2] [3]
Kirby's Pinball Land was met mostly positive reception. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it a 7.25 out of 10. They criticized that the blurring of the Game Boy screen makes it difficult to see what's going on, but nonetheless deemed it "one of the better pinball games for any system" due to the ability to recover lost balls, the multi-table gameplay, and the large number of hidden things to find. [1] Nintendo Power ranked Kirby’s Pinball Land the fifth best Game Boy game of 1993. [4]
Aggregator | Score |
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GameRankings | 70% [5] |
Publication | Score |
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IGN | 8/10 [6] |
Nintendo Life | [7] |
Retrospectively, it holds an average score of 70% at GameRankings. [5] In a retrospective review, IGN praised it as a quality Game Boy pinball game, describing it as being both involving and fun. [6] Kirby's Pinball Land was one of the nominees for IGN's "Game Boy Action Game of the Century" Reader's Choice award. [8] 1UP.com commented that "Spin-offs are a groan-inducing inevitability for popular series, but Kirby's Pinball Land is one of those ideas that just make good sense." [9] The engine used in Kirby's Pinball Land would later be used in another Nintendo game, Pokémon Pinball . [10] Super Gamer Magazine gave the Game an overall review score of 85% writing: "Highly playable pinball game with loads of levels and bonuses. Screen blurs slightly, but this doesn’t make it any less fun." [11] Philip J. Reed of Nintendo Life was more negative, criticizing the repetitive gameplay and poor implementation of Kirby series elements, as well as its frequent disruption of gameplay. [12]
Super Mario Land is a 1989 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. Released as a launch title for the system, it is the first Mario platform game to have been released for a handheld console. In gameplay similar to that of the 1985 Super Mario Bros., but resized for the smaller device's screen, the player advances Mario to the end of 12 levels by moving to the right and jumping across platforms to avoid enemies and pitfalls. Unlike the other Mario games, Super Mario Land is set in Sarasaland, a new environment depicted in line art, and Mario attempts to save Princess Daisy in her debut appearance in the series. The game has two Gradius-style shooter levels.
Kirby is the titular character and protagonist of the Kirby series of video games developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. He first appeared in Kirby's Dream Land (1992), a platform game for the Game Boy. Since then, Kirby has appeared in over 50 games, ranging from action platformers to puzzle, racing, and even pinball, and has been featured as a playable character in every installment of the Super Smash Bros. series (1999–present). He has also starred in his own anime and manga series. Since 1999, he has been voiced by Makiko Ohmoto.
Kirby's Dream Land is a 1992 action-platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It is the first game in the Kirby series and marks the debut of Kirby. It introduced many conventions that would appear in later games in the series. The game follows Kirby as he goes through five levels to retrieve the Sparkling Stars and food of Dream Land from King Dedede.
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror is a 2004 action-platform game developed by HAL Laboratory, Flagship and Dimps and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The seventh mainline Kirby entry, the game is notable for its unique Metroidvania playstyle and being the first in the genre to support cooperative multiplayer, and follows Kirby as he goes on a journey through the Mirror Dimension to reassemble a mirror after Dark Meta Knight traps Meta Knight inside it.
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Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble is an action puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color handheld video game console. It was released in Japan on August 23, 2000, and in North America on April 9, 2001. Due to the cartridge having a built-in accelerometer, it has a unique shape, as well as a unique transparent pink color in reference to Kirby. The game received an official re-release on the Nintendo Switch Online service on June 5, 2023.
Kirby's Dream Land 2 is a 1995 action-platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld video game console. It was released in Japan on March 21, 1995, in North America on May 1, 1995, in Europe on July 31, 1995, and in Australia on November 22, 1995.
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Metroid Prime Pinball is a pinball video game themed after the Metroid series. The game uses the graphical style and various story elements from Metroid Prime. It was developed by Fuse Games and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in North America and Australia in 2005, in Japan in 2006, and in Europe in 2007. Metroid Prime Pinball uses the basic mechanics of pinball, along with typical pinball items. New mechanics are introduced, such as wall jumping and the ability to fire weapons. The Nintendo DS's touchscreen can be nudged with a finger to alter the pinball's trajectory while in motion.
Kirby's Dream Land 3 is a 1997 action-platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Starring Kirby, it is the fifth installment in the Kirby series and the third game under the Kirby's Dream Land name. Although the first game was largely unrelated, Dream Land 3 features many similar characters to Dream Land 2. Dream Land 3 was followed by Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards in 2000.
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is a 2000 action-platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 (N64). It is the first Kirby game to feature 3D computer graphics and follows Kirby as he attempts to reassemble a sacred crystal shattered by Dark Matter. Gameplay is viewed from a 2.5D perspective and is similar to previous Kirby titles; the player traverses levels and obtains powers by eating enemies. Kirby 64 introduces Power Combos, the ability to mix powers to create more powerful ones. In a multiplayer mode, up to four players can compete in three minigames.
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The Pinball of the Dead is a pinball video game developed by Sega's Wow Entertainment division and published by Sega in Japan and THQ in North America. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2002 and 2003. Based on Sega's The House of the Dead series of light gun games, particularly The House of the Dead and The House of the Dead 2, the game contains three tables and includes a "Challenge" mode. Full-motion video sequences and audio samples from previous games were also added. The game was first announced during the 2001 Nintendo Space World. Composer Hitoshi Sakimoto was involved with making the game's music.
This is a list of characters from the Kirby franchise, who are featured in video games and other media across the franchise.
Kirby is an action-platform video game series developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. The series centers around the adventures of Kirby as he fights to protect and save his home on the distant Planet Popstar from a variety of threats. The majority of the games in the series are side-scrolling platformers with puzzle-solving and beat 'em up elements. Kirby has the ability to inhale enemies and objects into his mouth, spitting them out as a projectile or eating them. If he inhales certain enemies, he can gain the powers or properties of that enemy manifesting as a new weapon or power-up called a Copy Ability. The series is intended to be easy to pick up and play even for people unfamiliar with action games, while at the same time offering additional challenge and depth for more experienced players to come back to.
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