Metroid Prime Pinball | |
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North American, Australian, and European box art
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Developer(s) | Fuse Games |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Producer(s) | Kensuke Tanabe |
Composer(s) |
Kenji Yamamoto Masaru Tajima |
Series | Metroid |
Platform(s) | Nintendo DS |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Pinball |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Aggregate score | |
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Aggregator | Score |
Metacritic | 79/100 (51 reviews) |
Review scores | |
Publication | Score |
1UP.com | A− |
EGM | 7.5 of 10 |
Eurogamer | 4 of 10 |
Famitsu | 33/40 |
Game Informer | 8 of 10 |
GamePro | 3.5 of 5 |
Game Revolution | B− |
GamesMaster | 74 of 100 |
GameSpot | 8.2 of 10 |
GameSpy | 4 of 5 |
GameZone | 8.5 of 10 |
IGN | 8.0 of 10 |
Nintendo Power | 9.5 of 10 |
Nintendo World Report | 8.5 of 10 |
ONM | 80 of 100 |
Play | 9 of 10 |
X-Play | 4 of 5 |
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 for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, and released by Nintendo 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.
The initial idea for a video game that presented the Metroid series in a pinball setting came to Kensuke Tanabe after he learned that Fuse Games had previously worked on Mario Pinball Land, another pinball video game. Recalling that the series' protagonist, Samus, can morph into a ball, Tanabe was convinced that the Metroid universe could be adapted to a pinball setting. The game was sold with a Rumble Pak accessory for the Nintendo DS, marking the first time the accessory was available for the Nintendo DS.
Metroid Prime Pinball received generally positive reviews. Critics praised the game's transposition of the Metroid series into a pinball video game, but criticized its lack of variety. Metroid Prime Pinball sold 6,228 copies during its debut month of October 2005 in the United States, and over 15,000 units in Japan as of May 2008.
Metroid Prime Pinball uses the basic mechanics of pinball, complete with an assortment of typical pinball items including flippers, spinners, bumpers, and ramps. In addition, new mechanics are introduced, such as enemies that wander around the table, wall jumping, and the ability to fire weapons. The Nintendo DS's touchscreen can be used to nudge the pinball table and alter the ball's trajectory. The game consists of six pinball tables, each inspired by a different area of Metroid Prime. Each table is shown across both screens of the Nintendo DS. Only two tables are initially available for play: Pirate Frigate and Tallon Overworld. After playing either of the first two tables, the player unlocks two more tables: Phendrana Drifts and Phazon Mines. In either table, the player must battle a boss to complete it.