|
Kirby's Pinball Land(JP) is a pinball video game for the Game Boy that stars Kirby as the ball. It was developed by HAL and published by Nintendo. Kirby's Pinball Land is the first spin-off game in the Kirby series and the third pinball video game by HAL Laboratory, after Rollerball and Revenge of the 'Gator.
Plot[]
Gameplay[]
There are three pinball game boards, each one that features one of three popular Kirby bosses. The game plays exactly like a standard pinball game would, just with a Kirby theme. At the end of each level, you must defeat a boss.
Bosses[]
There are four bosses in all. You are able to access the last one after you defeat all of the three pinball boards.
The Whispy Woods[]
This boss game plays like the arcade game Breakout. However, instead of a paddle at the bottom, you use the flippers to launch Kirby up at the blocks. There are two Kirbys on the board for you to keep from falling in the hole below. On the second stage of the boss battle, you must hit the slot machine to either get a push to the top, a tomato that closes the gap, or a warpstar to the bonus round. The final round is where the warpstar is. The boss fight apparently has major lag problems.
The actual boss fight pits you against the large Whispy Woods. He will spit at your flippers to stun them, and toss apples at you.
The Poppy Bros.[]
This boss fight is a soccer type of game where you try to kick the soccer ball past the goalie to score some points. Like the previous fight, this game also has lag problems.
Kracko[]
In this game, a single Kirby is walking above some clouds. You must use the Kirby ball to hit different types of items for the Kirby up top to eat.
Development[]
Kirby’s Pinball Land was developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo, releasing in 1993 for the Game Boy. The game marked one of Kirby's earliest spin-off appearances, created during a time when HAL was experimenting with extending the character’s popularity beyond traditional platformers. The development was led by Masahiro Sakurai, Kirby’s creator, and supported by Satoru Iwata, who later became Nintendo’s president. The concept was to blend the approachable charm of Kirby with classic pinball mechanics, making a game that was simple to pick up yet full of personality. The team used a modified version of the pinball engine originally built for Revenge of the 'Gator (another HAL-developed Game Boy title), refining it with more dynamic boards and interactive elements based on Kirby's world. Despite the Game Boy’s hardware limitations, the developers crafted smooth physics, catchy music, and stylized visuals that made the game feel playful and responsive. Kirby’s Pinball Land was well-received for its fun, arcade-like gameplay and helped set the tone for many of Kirby's future spin-offs.
Reception[]
In the Super Power Club bonus supplement in Nintendo Power V56, the game was ranked #5 in the Top 5 Game Boy Games of 1993.
External links[]
- Kirby's Pinball Land at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Kirby's Pinball Land at GameFAQs
- Kirby's Pinball Land at MobyGames