Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
Encyclopedia
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is a pinball game developed by Jupiter
and published by Nintendo
for the Game Boy Advance
handheld game console. It was first revealed at E3 in 2003, and was released in the same year – on August 1, August 25, and November 14 in Japan, North America, and PAL regions respectively. The North American release was done to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the North American release of Pokémon Red and Blue
. It is based on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
, and is a sequel to Pokémon Pinball
for the Game Boy Color
. In some ways, it plays like a traditional pinball game, where the objective is to get a high score by keeping the ball in play as long as possible and hitting bumpers. In keeping with the theme of Pokémon, it features Pokémon collection, where while the players play pinball, they must also capture Pokémon.
Ruby & Sapphire has received generally positive reception. It was well-received when it was revealed at E3 by publications such as IGN
and GameSpy
. Its release was similarly well-received, with Metacritic
and Game Rankings
giving it aggregate scores of 82 and 80.83% respectively. It has sold 1 million copies worldwide, and has received significant praise from review outlets such as Nintendo Power
, GamePro
, and IGN, the latter awarding it the Game Boy Advance Game of the Month award for August 2003. In spite of the positive reception, some reviewers found it to be an inferior pinball experience, such as TechTV
, The Guardian
, and Cheat Code Central
, though all three felt that Pokémon fans would enjoy it.
. It features two boards, each themed on either Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire
. They have similar layouts, though they feature some differences, the Sapphire table being noted as slightly more annoying due to its setup. The player launches a ball onto the board, at which point it descends towards the bottom of said board. The objective is to ensure that the ball does not reach the pit at the bottom. Players must utilize a pair of flippers located right above the bottom to hit the ball upward, keeping it from falling for as long as possible. There are two spots located on either end of the board where the ball may fall, rendering players helpless. A Pikachu
sits at either side of the board, and if players have filled its meter, it will be able to shoot the ball out of this spot. Under certain conditions, a Pichu
will appear, allowing both spots to be blocked.
As players hit various objects around the field, their score goes up. At certain scores, players gain a new ball. If the ball falls to the bottom, that round is over, and the players' scores are tallied, given bonuses for their achievements. In order to prevent players from losing a ball, the game features a Ball Saver, which allows the ball to fall without being lost. This eventually goes away, however. The game has a shop system that can provide boosts for players, such one that adds a Ball Saver. Coins are collected through various means, and are used to purchase items from this shop. If all balls are lost, the game is over. The other objective of the game is to complete the Pokédex, similar to other Pokémon
titles. Occasionally, a hole will open in the field, where players can either gain bonuses, such as an added Ball Saver or a score increase, or allow them to go to a special mode. There are four primary modes - Catch 'Em Mode, Egg Mode, Evolution Mode, and Travel Mode. These modes are typically activated by going through a certain path on the board three times, and then entering an area on the board, such as the Sharpedo, which will activate Catch 'Em Mode.
In the Catch 'Em Mode, players must reveal a silhouette of a Pokémon by hitting bumpers. Once it is revealed, players must hit the Pokémon that appears three times with the ball as it sits in one spot before the time runs out. Egg Mode is a similar concept, though the baby Pokémon roams around the board as opposed to standard Pokémon, which stand still. As opposed to being timed, players must capture it before it returns from where it came. Evolution Mode is also similar, requiring players to hit all of the evolution item markers in order to evolve their Pokémon that they have caught or hatched. These include several traditional means of evolution in the Pokémon series, such as stones and experience points. Lastly, Travel Mode allows players to leave the current location on their pinball board, allowing them to capture more kinds of Pokémon not found in the current area. Ruby & Sapphire featured additional bonus modes that often diverge from the standard gameplay. These modes sometimes feature rare Pokémon such as Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza
, and take place on separate fields. Outside of the gameplay, players may also view the Pokémon they have caught, listen to sound effects and music from the game, and view their high scores for each board.
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire was first revealed at E3 2003 for the Game Boy Advance
. It was also shown at the 2003 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, as well as at the European Computer Trade Show in London, England. It was developed by Jupiter
and published by Nintendo
. It is based on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
, and features Pokémon available in those games. It was first released in Japan on August 1, 2003, and in North America on August 25 of the same year. The North American date coincided with the five year anniversary of Pokémon Red and Blue
's North American release. It was released in PAL region
s several months later on November 14.
, he felt that fans of the series would enjoy it. He also praised the visuals, calling them "bright, colorful, and happy". However, he bemoaned the lack of e-Reader support, a feature common in Game Boy Advance
games at the time. Craig Harris, also from IGN, found it to be a fun game, anticipating its release. IGN also included it in a list of the 10 big Game Boy Advance games of 2003. GameSpy
described it as "much more than a pinball game", describing its gameplay mechanics as "unique".
and 80.83% from Game Rankings
. Ruby & Sapphire has been met with great consumer success. It ranked number one on Amazon.com
's top 10 list for the week ending October 8, 2003. In the week ending September 4 in Japan, Ruby & Sapphire sold 19,400 copies, ranking sixth, with sales at that time at 170,247 copies total. The next week, it ranked 10th. It has sold more than one million copies worldwide. The News Tribunes Bill Hutchens called it "addictive", while GamesRadar
's Carolyn Gudmundson called it an "awesome game". Nintendo Power
praised it as being more than "just a GBA
makeover" of Pokémon Pinball
, calling it an evolution and gameplay and describing the Pokémon and areas as more lively. However, GameSpot
's Jeff Gerstmann found that while the game was entertaining, it was "practically identical" to the first game, and easier too. Cheat Code Central
felt that the gameplay was too repetitive, feeling that only the most "ardent of Pokémon fans" will want to complete it. Denver Posts David Thomas called it "one of the most enjoyable pinball experiences", citing the Pokémon brand for why the game is so popular. Electronic Gaming Monthly
praised the pinball table designs for their incorporation of Pokémon themes, noting that everything, save for the flippers, has a Pokémon theme.
GMR Magazine praised the combination of the Pokémon franchise with pinball gameplay, saying that the combination leads to "good times". While IGN
's Craig Harris praised Ruby & Sapphire as the greatest pinball game for the Game Boy Advance
, he noted that the Sapphire-themed board was slightly more annoying than the Ruby-themed one. He awarded it an "Editors Choice" award. Lucas M. Thomas, a fellow member of IGN, agreed with Harris, going further in calling it one of the greatest portable pinball games ever. He added that it had more fun and playability than most Game Boy Advance titles. It was ultimately awarded Game of the Month from IGN in August 2003, winning over Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition. IGN praised Ruby & Sapphire as being one of the best pinball games on the Game Boy Advance, hoping that Nintendo makes a sequel to this.
Edge
commented that while this is not a conventional pinball game, citing a lack of "well-designed skillshots and a challenging layout", the Pokémon series was never noted for its conventionality. 1UP.com
praised Ruby & Sapphire, noting that while they were not as interested in the Pokémon series, Ruby & Sapphire was one of their most anticipated games of the summer. They add that Ruby & Sapphire improves on the original in "just about every way". GameNOW
compared Ruby & Sapphire to the WarioWare, Inc. series, praising it as a "perfect handheld game" and "instantly playable". The Guardian
s Rhianna Pratchett praised Ruby & Sapphire for being good for pinball novices and Pokémon players, but criticized its lack of deeper pinball mechanics such as multi-balls and skill shots. She also criticized the lack of variety in pinball boards, commenting that the two boards were very similar.
TechTV
criticized it as being less "addictive or diverse as the great pinball videogames", though noted it to be fun for those looking for a Pokémon title. Game Informer
praised its ball physics and controls, calling them "dead on". GameSpy
's Darryl Vassar gave similar praise, describing the game as a "blast". He added that it had surprising depth. GamePro
s "Dan Elektro" commented that Ruby & Sapphire would not interest those who do not have interest in the series, but fans of the series would enjoy its "unusually satisfying" gameplay. Games(TM) praised it for combining pinball and Pokémon, adding that the pinball gameplay would be more likely to draw those who are not fans of the series into playing Pokémon more so than the adventure games. Eurogamer
's Martin Taylor commented that only the "most demanding of pinball wizards would be right to turn their nose up at Pokemon Pinball's charming slant on the genre." Computer and Video Games
praised it for its broad appeal, commenting that it is "fast and fluid for the casual player, yet has collecting and evolving for the obsessive." Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire has been compared to other pinball video games, including Mario Pinball Land
, which GameAxis Unwired treats as an inferior to Ruby & Sapphire. Eurogamer described Ruby & Sapphire as a spiritual predecessor to Metroid Prime Pinball
.
Jupiter (company)
Jupiter Corporation is a Japanese video game and hardware development studio that focuses on handheld consoles. It is based in Kyoto, though they have a secondary branch in Tokyo...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
handheld game console. It was first revealed at E3 in 2003, and was released in the same year – on August 1, August 25, and November 14 in Japan, North America, and PAL regions respectively. The North American release was done to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the North American release of Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
. It is based on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
are the third installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing games, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and later released to the rest of the world in 2003 . Pokémon Emerald, a special edition version,...
, and is a sequel to Pokémon Pinball
Pokémon Pinball
is a pinball-based Pokémon spin-off video game for the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on April 14, 1999, and in North America on June 28, 1999. In it, the ball is a Poké Ball, and most of the objects on the table are Pokémon-related....
for the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
. In some ways, it plays like a traditional pinball game, where the objective is to get a high score by keeping the ball in play as long as possible and hitting bumpers. In keeping with the theme of Pokémon, it features Pokémon collection, where while the players play pinball, they must also capture Pokémon.
Ruby & Sapphire has received generally positive reception. It was well-received when it was revealed at E3 by publications such as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
. Its release was similarly well-received, with Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
giving it aggregate scores of 82 and 80.83% respectively. It has sold 1 million copies worldwide, and has received significant praise from review outlets such as Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
, GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
, and IGN, the latter awarding it the Game Boy Advance Game of the Month award for August 2003. In spite of the positive reception, some reviewers found it to be an inferior pinball experience, such as TechTV
TechTV
TechTV was a 24-hour cable and satellite channel based in San Francisco featuring news and shows about computers, technology, and the Internet. In 2004, it merged with the G4 gaming channel which ultimately dissolved TechTV programming...
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, and Cheat Code Central
Cheat Code Central
Cheat Code Central is a video game website primarily known for its extensive list of cheat codes. Cheat Code Central, also known as CCC and CheatCC, offers previews, reviews, news, and various articles on the gaming industry...
, though all three felt that Pokémon fans would enjoy it.
Overview
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire plays similarly to traditional pinball games, using a similar engine to its predecessor, Pokémon PinballPokémon Pinball
is a pinball-based Pokémon spin-off video game for the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on April 14, 1999, and in North America on June 28, 1999. In it, the ball is a Poké Ball, and most of the objects on the table are Pokémon-related....
. It features two boards, each themed on either Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
are the third installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing games, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and later released to the rest of the world in 2003 . Pokémon Emerald, a special edition version,...
. They have similar layouts, though they feature some differences, the Sapphire table being noted as slightly more annoying due to its setup. The player launches a ball onto the board, at which point it descends towards the bottom of said board. The objective is to ensure that the ball does not reach the pit at the bottom. Players must utilize a pair of flippers located right above the bottom to hit the ball upward, keeping it from falling for as long as possible. There are two spots located on either end of the board where the ball may fall, rendering players helpless. A Pikachu
Pikachu
is one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
sits at either side of the board, and if players have filled its meter, it will be able to shoot the ball out of this spot. Under certain conditions, a Pichu
Pichu
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Pichu first appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. There...
will appear, allowing both spots to be blocked.
As players hit various objects around the field, their score goes up. At certain scores, players gain a new ball. If the ball falls to the bottom, that round is over, and the players' scores are tallied, given bonuses for their achievements. In order to prevent players from losing a ball, the game features a Ball Saver, which allows the ball to fall without being lost. This eventually goes away, however. The game has a shop system that can provide boosts for players, such one that adds a Ball Saver. Coins are collected through various means, and are used to purchase items from this shop. If all balls are lost, the game is over. The other objective of the game is to complete the Pokédex, similar to other Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
titles. Occasionally, a hole will open in the field, where players can either gain bonuses, such as an added Ball Saver or a score increase, or allow them to go to a special mode. There are four primary modes - Catch 'Em Mode, Egg Mode, Evolution Mode, and Travel Mode. These modes are typically activated by going through a certain path on the board three times, and then entering an area on the board, such as the Sharpedo, which will activate Catch 'Em Mode.
In the Catch 'Em Mode, players must reveal a silhouette of a Pokémon by hitting bumpers. Once it is revealed, players must hit the Pokémon that appears three times with the ball as it sits in one spot before the time runs out. Egg Mode is a similar concept, though the baby Pokémon roams around the board as opposed to standard Pokémon, which stand still. As opposed to being timed, players must capture it before it returns from where it came. Evolution Mode is also similar, requiring players to hit all of the evolution item markers in order to evolve their Pokémon that they have caught or hatched. These include several traditional means of evolution in the Pokémon series, such as stones and experience points. Lastly, Travel Mode allows players to leave the current location on their pinball board, allowing them to capture more kinds of Pokémon not found in the current area. Ruby & Sapphire featured additional bonus modes that often diverge from the standard gameplay. These modes sometimes feature rare Pokémon such as Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza
Rayquaza
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Rayquaza first appeared in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated, printed, and film adaptations of the franchise. Rayquaza also appears on the cover...
, and take place on separate fields. Outside of the gameplay, players may also view the Pokémon they have caught, listen to sound effects and music from the game, and view their high scores for each board.
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire was first revealed at E3 2003 for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. It was also shown at the 2003 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, as well as at the European Computer Trade Show in London, England. It was developed by Jupiter
Jupiter (company)
Jupiter Corporation is a Japanese video game and hardware development studio that focuses on handheld consoles. It is based in Kyoto, though they have a secondary branch in Tokyo...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. It is based on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
are the third installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing games, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and later released to the rest of the world in 2003 . Pokémon Emerald, a special edition version,...
, and features Pokémon available in those games. It was first released in Japan on August 1, 2003, and in North America on August 25 of the same year. The North American date coincided with the five year anniversary of Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
's North American release. It was released in PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s several months later on November 14.
Pre-release reception
Before its release, Pokémon Pinball Ruby & Sapphire received generally positive impressions from critics. After a play test by Anoop Gantayat of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, he felt that fans of the series would enjoy it. He also praised the visuals, calling them "bright, colorful, and happy". However, he bemoaned the lack of e-Reader support, a feature common in Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
games at the time. Craig Harris, also from IGN, found it to be a fun game, anticipating its release. IGN also included it in a list of the 10 big Game Boy Advance games of 2003. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
described it as "much more than a pinball game", describing its gameplay mechanics as "unique".
Critical and consumer reception
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire has been met with generally positive reception. It holds an aggregate score of 82 from MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and 80.83% from Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
. Ruby & Sapphire has been met with great consumer success. It ranked number one on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's top 10 list for the week ending October 8, 2003. In the week ending September 4 in Japan, Ruby & Sapphire sold 19,400 copies, ranking sixth, with sales at that time at 170,247 copies total. The next week, it ranked 10th. It has sold more than one million copies worldwide. The News Tribunes Bill Hutchens called it "addictive", while GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
's Carolyn Gudmundson called it an "awesome game". Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
praised it as being more than "just a GBA
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
makeover" of Pokémon Pinball
Pokémon Pinball
is a pinball-based Pokémon spin-off video game for the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on April 14, 1999, and in North America on June 28, 1999. In it, the ball is a Poké Ball, and most of the objects on the table are Pokémon-related....
, calling it an evolution and gameplay and describing the Pokémon and areas as more lively. However, GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Jeff Gerstmann found that while the game was entertaining, it was "practically identical" to the first game, and easier too. Cheat Code Central
Cheat Code Central
Cheat Code Central is a video game website primarily known for its extensive list of cheat codes. Cheat Code Central, also known as CCC and CheatCC, offers previews, reviews, news, and various articles on the gaming industry...
felt that the gameplay was too repetitive, feeling that only the most "ardent of Pokémon fans" will want to complete it. Denver Posts David Thomas called it "one of the most enjoyable pinball experiences", citing the Pokémon brand for why the game is so popular. Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
praised the pinball table designs for their incorporation of Pokémon themes, noting that everything, save for the flippers, has a Pokémon theme.
GMR Magazine praised the combination of the Pokémon franchise with pinball gameplay, saying that the combination leads to "good times". While IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Craig Harris praised Ruby & Sapphire as the greatest pinball game for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, he noted that the Sapphire-themed board was slightly more annoying than the Ruby-themed one. He awarded it an "Editors Choice" award. Lucas M. Thomas, a fellow member of IGN, agreed with Harris, going further in calling it one of the greatest portable pinball games ever. He added that it had more fun and playability than most Game Boy Advance titles. It was ultimately awarded Game of the Month from IGN in August 2003, winning over Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition. IGN praised Ruby & Sapphire as being one of the best pinball games on the Game Boy Advance, hoping that Nintendo makes a sequel to this.
Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
commented that while this is not a conventional pinball game, citing a lack of "well-designed skillshots and a challenging layout", the Pokémon series was never noted for its conventionality. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
praised Ruby & Sapphire, noting that while they were not as interested in the Pokémon series, Ruby & Sapphire was one of their most anticipated games of the summer. They add that Ruby & Sapphire improves on the original in "just about every way". GameNOW
GameNOW
GameNOW was a United States-based video game magazine that was published by Ziff-Davis from November 2001 to January 2004. There are 27 issues of GameNOW in total. In addition to video game consoles like PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and Game Boy Advance, GameNOW also covered games for...
compared Ruby & Sapphire to the WarioWare, Inc. series, praising it as a "perfect handheld game" and "instantly playable". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s Rhianna Pratchett praised Ruby & Sapphire for being good for pinball novices and Pokémon players, but criticized its lack of deeper pinball mechanics such as multi-balls and skill shots. She also criticized the lack of variety in pinball boards, commenting that the two boards were very similar.
TechTV
TechTV
TechTV was a 24-hour cable and satellite channel based in San Francisco featuring news and shows about computers, technology, and the Internet. In 2004, it merged with the G4 gaming channel which ultimately dissolved TechTV programming...
criticized it as being less "addictive or diverse as the great pinball videogames", though noted it to be fun for those looking for a Pokémon title. Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
praised its ball physics and controls, calling them "dead on". GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
's Darryl Vassar gave similar praise, describing the game as a "blast". He added that it had surprising depth. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
s "Dan Elektro" commented that Ruby & Sapphire would not interest those who do not have interest in the series, but fans of the series would enjoy its "unusually satisfying" gameplay. Games(TM) praised it for combining pinball and Pokémon, adding that the pinball gameplay would be more likely to draw those who are not fans of the series into playing Pokémon more so than the adventure games. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
's Martin Taylor commented that only the "most demanding of pinball wizards would be right to turn their nose up at Pokemon Pinball's charming slant on the genre." Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
praised it for its broad appeal, commenting that it is "fast and fluid for the casual player, yet has collecting and evolving for the obsessive." Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire has been compared to other pinball video games, including Mario Pinball Land
Mario Pinball Land
, released as Mario Pinball Land in North America, is a pinball video game that was developed by Fuse Games and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and released in 2004. It is a spin-off of the Mario series that began on the Nintendo Entertainment System...
, which GameAxis Unwired treats as an inferior to Ruby & Sapphire. Eurogamer described Ruby & Sapphire as a spiritual predecessor to Metroid Prime Pinball
Metroid Prime Pinball
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,...
.