Pinball [Model HVC-PN]

42 Years old Nintendo Famicom cart. Nintendo Co., Ltd. [Japan]

Pinball © 1984 Nintendo co ltd.

Hit various targets and rack up points in this classic pinball game. Featuring a bonus mode starring Nintendo's legendary character, Mario, you control the hero as he holds a platform used to keep the ball in the air. You also have to save Pauline. If she falls and hits the ground, you lose a ball, but if you save her and lead her to the exit, you'll get a nice surprise! Fun and easy to learn, it includes bonus balls for high scorers. On top of that, it features a two-player alternating mode.

4,500 JPY

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TECHNICAL

GAME ID: HVC-PN

Players: up to 2 (alternate)
Controls: B or A (right flipper and plunge the ball; not used in Bonus stage), d-pad any direction (left flipper).
Bonus stage uses d-pad left and right to control paddle.

TRIVIA

Despite copyright year 1983 from title screen, Pinball was released on February 2, 1984 (Thursday) in Japan at a retail price of 4,500 JPY.

It was then re-released as a Famicom Disk version in 1989.

The cards show royal flush when they're rolled over.
The top half of the table has 3 reels (inspired by slot machines) with 3 symbols: penguin, digit 3 and digit 7.

SCORING

Top lanes	500 points (left and right) or 1000 (middle lane);
Slingshots	10 points;
Lane initiating slot spin	500 points;
Bead	100 points;
Pop bumpers	100 points;
Bank target	100; every 100 up to 1 000 points;
Drop targets (both halves)	100 points;
Moving decoration (above slot reels)	100 points;
Card lane	500 points (both when the card is covered and revealed);
Buttons 1; 2 and 3 (bonus stage)	10 points;
Pauline saved (bonus stage)	10 000 points;
Outlanes	1000 points;
Inlanes	0 points.

TIPS AND TRICKS

* You'll get a temporary center post between top flippers (and the walls will turn pink for the same period of time) when you get either 333 or 777 from the quasi slot machine located on the top half of the table. Try to get 3 penguins: the effect will last until you drop the ball onto the bottom half; when the ball returns to the top or after commencement of another reel spin, the center post disappears.

* Discover all 5 cards revealing royal flush to raise the center post between bottom flippers. This will also change the walls' color to yellow. Unlike the 333; 777 or 3-penguin result from the top half, this bonus lasts until you lose a ball (it's still possible to lose the ball when the center post is raised, not only through outlanes though).

* Don't let Pauline fall onto the ground. Every fall is like a ball loss. And when you have no balls left, the game is over.

* When the exit gate is open, but the ball rolls over either of 2 inlanes, you'll need to drop targets 1~7 again.

* Watch out after you reach 100 000 points: the flippers disappear (but still function) until you score 150 000 points.

* Collection of all 8 beads will initiate a short seal show, but will reset the bank target to 100 points.

STAFF

👥

Executive Producer: Hiroshi Yamauchi
Producer: Masayuki Uemura
Director: Kenji Miki
Design: Tadashi Sugiyama
Program: Satoru Iwata, Satoshi Matsuoka
Sound: Yukio Kaneoka

SOURCES

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ROM dump (MAME).