From the Toysit archive
Pokémon Pinball — Original Game Boy Edition
Explore the original Pokémon Pinball’s Red and Blue fields, collecting and rumble history, then invent a two-table habitat album.
The play at a glance
A pinball field full of characters to discover
Pikachu stretches across the yellow box above a tiny pinball field, bringing a familiar face to a game of loops, bumpers and flippers. The original Pokémon Pinball makes its Red and Blue fields places to explore as well as places to score: a well-aimed sequence can lead to a Pokémon encounter and a new entry in the collection.
Two fields, two ways to explore
The Red field uses characters such as Bellsprout and Voltorb in its layout; the Blue field includes Slowpoke and Shellder. Catch ’em Mode and Evolution Mode give the ball different objectives, while the Pokédex records discoveries. The changing destinations make the table feel like a small illustrated world.
Try following one feature with your eyes before starting a turn. Where does a loop bring the ball back? Which bumper sits near a useful route? A spectator can describe a favorite encounter afterward, turning a quick sequence of shots into a little story.
Rumble and a score you could print
The cartridge’s rumble feature uses its own AAA battery, separate from the handheld’s power. Nintendo’s booklet also describes printing high scores with a Game Boy Printer and Game Link cable, each sold separately. Those physical extras are part of the original edition’s character: the bump of an impact and a small paper record of a successful game. Follow the matching instructions for the actual hardware you have.
Try a two-table habitat album
Draw two imaginary pinball gardens, one with a red border and one with a blue border. Invent your own creatures and give each garden three creature-shaped bumpers. This original drawing activity uses a pencil route instead of a moving ball.
- Give each creature a home: a warm rock, a curled leaf or a hollow log. Add one small clue beside its bumper.
- Trace a path through the red garden. For the first creature the path reaches, draw a portrait on a separate album page.
- Write a habitat clue beneath the portrait, such as “It naps where the last sunlight lands.” Let a partner use the clue to find its home.
- Swap to the blue garden and make a second album entry. Then invent a new creature that could visit both gardens.
- Add a connecting gate and trace the visitor’s journey between the two drawings. Explain what it notices in each place.
Fold the portraits into a little album, or leave them beside the gardens as a shared field guide. The discoveries can keep growing as you add new homes, paths and creatures with different preferences.
The historical record
Original Toysit coverage
The complete earlier product account and commentary are preserved below as historical coverage.
The first Game Pak with a rumble feature from Nintendo. Entire Game Boy unit shakes as players knock a Poke Ball around the screen.
The earth-shaking Pokemon phenonmenon has a whole new identity as it couples with classic pinball action. The first Game Pak with a rumble feature from Nintendo. Entire Game Boy unit shakes as players knock a Poke Ball around the screen. Elements that created the Pokemon craze are incorporated into a pinball game; the pinball is a Poke Ball; and Boltorb and Shellder are bumpers. A whole new way to collect Pokemon-playing pinball. Features a Blue field and a Red field; players must play both to collect all 150 Pokemon-just like the Red and Blue Pokemon Game Boy games. Hit targets with the Poke Ball to collect and evolve Pokemon. Shoot the Poke Ball into Bellsprout's mouth to start the Catch 'em Mode. As players become more skilled, rare and hard-to-find Pokemon appear. Every Pokemon is automatically recorded in the Pokedex. Find the bonus stages to rack up a high score and upgrade the Poke Ball to a Great Ball, Ultra Ball or Master Ball to achieve even higher scores. Print out high scores with the Game Boy Printer.
Pinball has a rich history that traces its roots back to the 18th century, starting with tabletop games like "bagatelle," where players used cues to propel balls into scoring areas. The game gradually evolved, incorporating spring-loaded launchers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, it was in the 1930s that pinball machines resembling those we know today came into existence, featuring electric lights and mechanical components. In the 1940s, flippers were introduced, transforming pinball into a game of skill rather than just luck. Throughout the 1950s to 1970s, pinball underwent a cultural shift, facing bans in several cities due to its perception as a game of chance linked to gambling. It was not until skilled players proved it was a game of skill that the bans were lifted. The 1980s and 1990s were the golden age of pinball, with intricate playfields, complex rule sets, and elaborate themes. In recent years, despite competition from video games, pinball has experienced a resurgence, fueled by both nostalgia and new innovations, making it a beloved pastime for people of all ages.
Sources and editorial notes
This profile covers the original Game Boy-era Pokémon Pinball, not Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire. Nintendo’s US booklet scan U/DMG-VPHE-USA was visually reviewed across all 26 PDF pages. Nintendo’s publisher page alternates between 150 and 151; the new profile avoids presenting that inconsistent promotional count as a settled total. The earlier count and wording, including “Boltorb,” remain in historical coverage; the booklet names the bumper Voltorb. Original rumble and printer instructions describe hardware requirements, not the condition of a surviving cartridge or printer. The paper activity is a Toysit invention; no physical testing was performed.
- Original Toysit image — Existing same-site image reviewed and retained unchanged.
- Nintendo: Pokémon Pinball US instruction booklet (PDF scan) — U/DMG-VPHE-USA. Complete 26-page scan reviewed visually, including field diagrams, Catch ’em/Evolution modes, printed page 42 for the Printer and page 45 for the rumble battery. Manufacturer booklet hosted by Pokémon Project.
- Nintendo: original Pokémon Pinball — Publisher account supports Red/Blue tables, collecting, rumble and the separate Printer. Its 150/151 count is internally inconsistent and is qualified above.
- Original Toysit coverage — Complete historical account retained, including its original claims and wording.
Images and descriptions are retained as historical material. How Toysit covers toys.
Created for Toysit by Tabbloza — the artwork in our header.