Kirby's Pinball Land (Game Boy) review "Revenge of the 'Guin"

King Dedede and his goons have once again run amok, and in his bid to cause more turmoil, the menacing penguin has resorted to his most diabolical plan: pinball! With 1993's Kirby's Pinball Land being the first spin-off title from the more action-oriented mainline series, the pinball theme might seem like an odd initial choice for HAL Laboratory. However, the devs have history making pinball titles and Pinball Land can be considered a spiritual successor to one of their earlier works on the Game Boy, 1989's Revenge of the 'Gator; the influences are strong, as the latter game heavily borrows the former's design structure and flow, along with building on its foundations.

When Kirby enters the Wispy-themed table, he gets dropped off in the middle portion. What does that even mean? The objective, carried over from 'Gator, is to fling the ball-shaped Kirby up the table composed of portions. Also like 'Gator, each portion has their own set of flippers and a unique "mini-game" objective that must be completed in order to, under normal circumstances, reach the next portion above. For example, the section you first get plopped into has a slot machine gimmick; to gain access to the next plane of existence, you must keep hitting your ball against the fake (?) Kirby stationed above until the three slots all display Kirby icons. Though, depending on the portion you're in and their structure, you can make it to the next upper location with a very lucky flipper hit.

From here, Pinball Land begins breaking away from the similarities. Unlike 'Gator's lone table, there are three tables to choose from here; unsurprisingly, each one is themed from elements of the Kirby games that came before which, at this point in time, happens to only be Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby's Adventure. Though, it's a testament to the whimsical and imaginative tone of those two titles that Pinball Land has no difficulties coming up with material for not only the table themes, but for each portion within.

For instance, the Kracko table has a section where you take on Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright, a boss duo originating from Kirby's Adventure, in order to reach the final segment above. Here you must first hit Mr. Bright three times, who is casually moving between a few clouds, before encountering the latter character. Mr. Shine becomes a bigger obstacle to tackle, however, due to the abundance of stars that clutter the upper-layer of the area; you literally have to dig towards the cowardly Mr. Shine hiding in a corner. As you can tell, there's no issues with variety, as HAL ensured you'll have to switch up pinball tactics with every new portion encountered.

Thankfully, due to HAL's prior experience making pinball video games, Pinball Land also feels good to play. While it's not exactly replicating the physics of real pinball, the ball travels in a way that makes sense when colliding with and bouncing off certain objects; there's rarely a moment where it seems like you got cheated due to bad hit detection. Also, HAL made some impactful adjustments to certain areas when compared to 'Gator. The biggest improvement goes to the fact that you can now shake the table, thus allowing you to shift the ball away from the drain and stay within a portion much longer. Speaking of second chances, if you fall down the lowest drain, there's an opportunity for a rebound. Just like the bonus rounds in Kirby's Adventure, you will be greeted by a springboard which can launch you back into the table if the button press is timed correctly.



Also, unlike some pinball games where you play purely for a high score, Pinball Land has an "end goal." Granted, the game loops once you beat it, but it's there. At the top layer of each table awaits a boss battle, and once they're all defeated, King Dedede is next. Given the gameplay explanation so far, this might sound like a simple walkthrough, but not exactly. If you're not a patient person, this experience might frustrate due to the oldschool method that it inflicts punishment: limited lives and zero continues. Imagine reaching King Dedede with one life remaining and then fumbling right before the finish line; you'll have to replay all the tables again. There's a save function, but it's designed in a way that will kick you out of the game after saving, so you can't abuse that. Another interesting tidbit is the fact that the "puzzles" completely reset whenever you navigate to and from portions.

HAL really wants you to work for a victory here.

Kirby's Pinball Land is catered to two very specific audiences. If you want something that feels like you're plowing through an obstacle course, this will certainly give you a workout in that regard, even with all the "safeguards" put in place. If you just want to play some pinball and grab a high score, it also delivers in that respect. You can literally play the game for a solid amount of time, not even get close to reaching King Dedede, and manage a hefty score in the process. Essentially, HAL has succeeded in delivering an entertaining little product that functions just as much like a video game as it does a pinball game.

Community review by dementedhut (July 09, 2023) Now if only I had the foresight to submit this OutRun review a day earlier...