Pokémon Pinball

POKÉMON PINBALL’ SHAKES UP GAME BOY® COLOR A Whole New Way To 'Catch 'Em All'

REDMOND, Wash., June 28, 1999 - Pokémon is shaking its way to a Game Boy screen near you. Pokémon Pinball, the latest addition to the Pokémon phenomenon, is the first Game Pak from Nintendo with a built-in rumble feature that causes the entire Game Boy unit to shake, rattle and tilt. Players have a whole new way to capture all 150 Pokémon - by playing pinball. Pokémon Pinball is available for Game Boy Color , Game Boy and Game Boy pocket for a suggested retail price of $34.95.

Pokémon Pinball's action takes place on either a Blue or Red field that features elements and characters from the Pokémon universe. All of the targets on the table are Pokémon; a Poké Ball is the pinball; and Voltorb and Shellder are the bumpers. Players must hit the targets to catch and evolve Pokémon, but certain monsters appear only on the Blue or Red field -- so you'll have to play them both to catch 'em all!

"Players can capture and develop their Pokémon in a whole new way as they feel the force of Pokémon Pinball's radical new rumble feature," says Peter Main, Nintendo's executive vice president, sales and marketing. "Both die-hard fans and newcomers to the Pokémon experience are discovering the fun of collecting Pokémon in our easy-to-play pinball game."

More and more Pokémon appear as players increase their skills and attain higher scores. Every captured Pokémon is automatically recorded in the Pokédex until all 150 are represented. Players have the potential to rack up higher scores by upgrading the Poké Ball to a Great Ball or Master Ball. Locating hidden bonus stages allows for even better scores that can then be printed out with the Game Boy Printer (sold separately).

The Pokémon phenomenon in America began in September 1998 with the release of the original Blue and Red Game Boy games, which have now sold through more than 2.8 million units in the U.S. alone. Pokémon has entertained millions of fans all over the world with a top rated kids television show, a best-selling toy line, a hugely popular card game and a multitude of licensed products.

Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than one billion video games worldwide, created such industry icons as Mario and Donkey Kong and launched franchises like The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon. Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems, including the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy - the world's best-selling video game system. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in North America.

The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates Pokémon Pinball "E" for "Everyone."

For more information about the ESRB, visit http://www.esrb.org/. For more information about Pokémon Pinball or any other Nintendo product visit the company's web site, www.nintendo.com or the official Pokémon web site, http://www.pokemon.com/

Source:

Press Release

Catch 'em all with a pinball!

Discover a whole new way to collect Pokémon - by playing pinball! Hit the targets with your Poké Ball to catch and evolve Pokémon. The better you do, the more rare Pokémon you'll find! Every Pokémon you catch is automatically recorded in your Pokédex - see if you can catch all 150! Some Pokémon appear only on the Red Field or only on the Blue Field, so you'll have to play them both to catch 'em all!

• The new Rumble feature makes you feel like you're playing a real pinball machine!
• Trade high scores with a friend using the built-in Infrared Communications Port (on Game Boy Color only).
• Print out your high scores with a Game Boy Printer (sold separately).
• Find the bonus stages to rack up a high score.
• Upgrade your Poké Ball to a Great Ball, Ultra Ball or Master Ball and score even higher!
• Game Pak contains built-in Rumble feature! (One AAA battery included.)

Source:

Back of Box - GBC (US)

Can you capture all 150 Pokémon by hitting targets and earning high scores in the first portable game with a built-in Rumble feature?

Rumble while you ramble in an all new scramble to catch 'em all!

Pokémon Pinball challenges Pokémon Trainers with a whole new way to catch all 150 Pokémon. To become the world's greatest Pokémon Trainer, players have to catch and evolve Pokémon by playing pinball.

Portable pinball has never been like this, because Pokémon Pinball is the first Game Pak from Nintendo with a built-in rumble feature. As your Poké Ball bounces around the table you'll be able to feel the impact as the cartridge sends jolts through the Game Boy and into your hands. Want the best Pokémon collection around? You'd better have a tight grip.

All of the pinball action takes place on either a Blue or Red table, where Pokémon are used as obstacles and bumpers. The targets on the tables are straight from the Pokémon universe, and instead of a metal ball you use a Pok Ball to rack up points. You can capture all 151 Pokémon from the Red and Blue versions of the game by hitting targets and earning high scores, but some Pokémon will only appear on a Blue table or a Red table, just like the original Pokémon games.

Each captured Pokémon automatically appears in the Pokédex, and rare Pokémon will begin to appear as you earn higher scores. The Poké Ball can be upgraded to a Great Ball or a Master Ball, which is crucial equipment for Trainers who are serious about catching all 151 Pokémon.

You'll have to find hidden bonus stages to maximize your score, which can be saved and transformed into stickers by using the Game Boy Printer. There's no need to brag when you have your high score printed on stickers-that's undeniable proof of your pinball power.

Pinball is fun no matter how you approach it, but when you put Pokémon and pinball together you've got one of the most addictive Paks around. Pokémon Pinball is currently shaking things up on store shelves, and is backwards compatible with all pre-existing Game Boy units.

Source:

www.nintendo.com

The first of the Pokémon-themed pinball games, Pokémon Pinball took the fun and excitement of Pokémon™ Red Version and Pokémon™ Blue Version into an arcade-style setting. Pokémon Pinball was more innovative than a simple combination of two game genres. It also was one of the first games to use the system's rumble feature. A small, battery-operated rumble device was built into the game cartridge and would let you know when you pulled off big moves and caught Pokémon.

Pokémon and pinball might sound like an odd couple, but they turn out to be a perfect pairing in Pokémon Pinball for the Game Boy Color system. The Poké Ball is the perfect shape for the two tables included in Pokémon Pinball (either the Pokémon Red or Pokémon Blue board), and as your score climbs, you can upgrade to a Great Ball and Master Ball to rack up even more points.

Through special moves and sequences, you can catch all 151 Pokémon that are available in Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue combined. Some of these challenges require long stretches of play, so Pokémon Pinball allows players to pause and save their progress, a novel aspect to pinball games.

Source:

www.pokemon.com