The high score video at the bottom is what I filmed of Pokémon Pinball from Stern Media Day. By the time you see this post, most likely you would have already viewed the trailer, promo videos, and some pictures of us having a time at Stern with the game. I wanted to live more “in the moment” this time. Besides, if you know me, you know I am more focused on the gameplay and how the game delivers that enjoyment to you. That score should prove that I did indeed play the game.
For scale, that Grand Champion Score was accomplished in about 20 or so minutes of gameplay, extra balls on, ball saves on but short at the start of the ball, tilt moderate – one double-danger emergency save was allowed. I’d say about 500 Million would feel like you had “a good game”. I am about an average to above average Player in my ACE pinball ability levels. Those being: Accuracy, Consistency, Efficiency. Although I just published that acronym now, I’ve been thinking about it presenting it as a candidate for the New Pinball Dictionary. It would attempt to define (with details) the differences between great Players such as myself and excellent, World Champion caliber Players who you constantly see in Grand Finals.
That tangent aside, after we had our debriefing in a conference room that covered subjects like the significance of this release, promo materials, and some future plans for this game, some of us went on the tour of the factory. Others like myself, who had recently taken the tour at the Star Wars FOTE release, went straight for the introductory presentation showing the featured games.
Game One – Open Play: I take the first game I play on a newly released pinball machine very seriously. In fact, I will try to avoid tutorials and other published information until I have at least played the game once. I want to see how the game teaches The Player using the art, the playfield lights and colors, the sounds, the music and the display, without looking at the instruction card, and with as little external information as possible. I only get one chance to experience my first game. I am pleased to say that I enjoyed that first game very much. I appreciated the things that felt like correct decisions by the design team. The game taught me how to start a mode (Squirtle Squad!), get multiball ready, stack the mode with multiball, get jackpots and supers, and get the add-a-ball using colors and indicators that made sense. However, perhaps most importantly, I had found a Pokémon and scanned it with the Pokédex (captive ball) to start a capture attempt within the first couple of minutes of game time. Because I had one captured, I was able to go into a multi stage Pokémon Battle right after the multiball was over. I realize some of this gameplay may change as the team attempts to add more complexity to the game. A full training and travel system was not in the game as of yet. I hope they are able to keep the level of comprehension high as they do that.
Solo Play: In addition to the open play period where we socialized among each other as we tried out the Pro, Premium and LE models, each of us who are invited to Stern Media Day gets approximately 20 minutes of time with the game in an isolated room, so we can experience it fully without distractions. I really appreciated this. While the open play period with other Players goes toward showing what the game would be like in an arcade setting, the solo play time models what it would feel like at home and gives a chance to see truly what the game had to offer at this point. This is when I got the score you see in the video. Thanks to the people who had the room next, because they saw I had an extra ball when they were about to set up their camera. Since I had a 2-Ball multiball ready, they decided to just film me playing it before they set up for their session. That gave me an extra few minutes with the game which was nice of them.
“Johnny EightYearOld”: Pokémon by Stern Pinball is what it needs to be. It’s an approachable game that can be played by as many people as possible. I realize that the word “approachable” can be code for “simple” which can be looked at poorly for those who want War and Peace in their pinball games. But, I didn’t see it that way. I’m thinking of the potential new pinball player, “Johnny EightYearOld” from Omaha, Nebraska, who is visiting his local Family Entertainment Center (FEC) for some fun distractions on a Saturday. He sees Pokémon Pinball among all the other redemption games. This FEC normally doesn’t operate pinball games because they have proven to be relatively high maintenance, but they took a chance on this one. It’s easily recognizable and fits in well with the other games. Perhaps it’s next to a Pokémon coin pusher, spitting out those tickets that “Johnny” loves to collect.
Anyway, “Johnny” sees the game and asks for a few dollars from his parent. He knows Pokémon, and he’s gotta’ catch ’em all! Here is where the approachability comes in. To earn “Johnny’s” attention and retention, this game needs to give him the realistic opportunity to catch a Pokémon within his first game or two. Luckily for him, this game is “approachable” enough that there is a high chance he does catch one in his first or second game. Getting to a battle may be a stretch, but it is within the realm of possibility. Even if he doesn’t, he will have interacted with a number of recognizable voices and characters from the show. it’s here where there is bit of a gap in the process. Since this pinball game isn’t giving tickets to “Johnny” to trade for prizes like he’s accustomed to winning, we need something to hook him to come back for more. We need to get that Pokémon he’s collected onto a Stern Insider Connected account on his iDevice, or whatever touchscreen he uses every day, to start his new collection. Hopefully, marketing can help make that connection. Once “Johnny” is able to get his new virtual Pokémon collection started, we may just have a new pinball Player in training, adding Pokémon to his IC account to show some friends his achievements. After he spends more money here collecting Pokémon, he might even look for other pinball games to play in the near future.
“Pandora’s Box”: It’s here when I’ll open Pandora’s Box by relating this game to some others in pinball history. Hopefully you’ll see I’m doing this in good faith to help people visualize the game, and not in the derisive way I usually see this happen. Pokémon Pinball has the two ramps, the two orbits (the left one being an orbit/ramp) such that three shots return to a flipper. Short shots on the left orbit fall into the bumper area. Overall, it’s easier than the big four shots on Attack from Mars or, more to the point, Monster Bash. This means combos aplenty, which can be cashed in with the captive ball for big points and Pokéballs (possible game currency). This is similar to the way Kong Kombos now work with the power-up target on Stern’s King Kong, but you can do it anytime for big points and Pokéballs. The left ramp has a one way gate such that short shots still count, and backhands are possible, similar to the left ramp on Transformers Premium/LE. The upper left bumper area also has an air of Transformers to it, but balls don’t stay in there as long, since there are only two in there instead of three. The middle area with the six targets and Meowth balloon is like if Hot Tip had a meeting with Junk Yard, but the Premium and LE editions have a magnet there. It adds some danger that sometimes will help you. The lower bowl on the Premium / LE may remind you of Creature from the Black Lagoon or Mustang. However, it feels different and harder to cheat with nudges due to the extra surface textures it has. With that said, I will close “Pandora’s Box” until another day.
Tournament Mode?: The game as it is now would be WAY too easy for tournament play. I can imagine a game pitting Jason Zahler, Zach McCarthy, Daniele Celestino Acciari and Paul Englert against each other would be so long that it would be a “Last Man Standing” match. By the way, I could have picked any of the IFPA Top-25 players. These were just the first four that came to my mind as I was typing this. After increasing the pitch and taking out every possible defensive rubber, a Tournament Director might have to resort to also removing more rubbers from other games if they hope to decrease game times overall. But, we’ll cross the bridge when we come to it. I was too busy having fun to worry about that right now.
It is valid to say the game is relatively simple upon release, but if you are complaining about simplicity, you are missing the point. It’s also clear to see where there is room for expansion in software. The team made it clear that they will be taking advantage of that potential for expansion, with the licensor’s guidance of course. More Pokémon will be added as code gets updated, the training, travel and battle systems will include strength, weakness and environment type effects, and more wizard modes are already indicated in the playfield art. I believe this is an occasion where we do need to “let them cook” and “trust the process”. The chefs at Stern have promised to work on the game consistently. They will be able to use this game in ways that will promote pinball in general, which of course will help Stern sell more Pokémon games. To use a #SPORTS! analogy, Stern Pinball has secured possession of a valuable, volatile football known as the Pokémon license. They certainly have not fumbled it. I am looking forward to see how this develops as they are steadily “matriculating the ball down the field”.
