Pinball Quest
System: NES
Release Date: June 1990
Developer: TOSE
Publisher: Jaleco
Genre: Pinball
There’s a princess that needs rescuing in Pinball Quest! Either choose from three pinball tables for a relatively normal experience, or try RPG mode for a series of tables with enemies you need to destroy.
Controls are what I’d expect, the left and right bumpers are activated by pressing left and the A Button respectively. Nudging the table is accomplished by pressing right or the B Button. There didn’t seem to be a tilt penalty for using the nudge, so feel free to go nuts. The physics, on the other hand, were totally garbage. The ball moves too slow most of the time and the flippers didn’t hit the ball where I expected it to. The normal tables were really frustrating to play. The flippers felt too small and it was infuriating trying to control the ball. The golf table features gophers that just throw you right down the middle to your death with no recourse. The circus table has a slot machine that can give you some bonuses if you’re lucky.
The RPG mode has you work through six levels. You have to defeat an enemy to move on to the next level. If you drain down, you are pushed back to the previous level. There are at least two positions for the flippers to be in, which you alternate among by pressing up and down. If you’re having too much trouble, you can buy stopper or flipper upgrades in the ship between levels. I ended up buying the permanent stopper and center stoppers to help me on the final board. There you save the princess, destroy a giant sentient magnet, and get your credits.
Graphics: 2.0
Graphics are par at best. There’s a lot of flickering that is quite unsightly.
Sound: 1.5
Music is alright, but doesn’t sound good. It’s got a low quality to the instrumentation.
Gameplay: 1.0
I think the physics are awful, the speed is off, and the overall table layouts are boring.
Difficulty: 1.5
You can earn some powerups through play. Getting sent back levels in the RPG mode is frustrating.
Fun Factor: 0.5
This is the least fun pinball game I’ve played on the consoles.
Overall Grade: 1.3
Pinball Quest earns a D+. I do not recommend this game even to the most staunch pinball fan.