Pokémon Pinball^[a] is a pinball-based Pokémon spin-off video game for the Game Boy. It was released in Japan on April 14, 1999, and in North America on June 29, 1999. In it, the ball is a Poké Ball, and most of the objects on the table are Pokémon-related.

Like any pinball game, the main objective is to get points, using the different modes of advances to score them at a higher rate. Pokémon Pinball has a secondary objective hinted at by the tagline “Gotta Catch ’em All,” which is to collect all 151 Pokémon to fill your Pokédex. The Pokédex is saved between individual games, so it can be built up over time.

Gameplay – Pokemon Pinball

There are two tables in the game: Red and Blue. Each table has its own details and gameplay elements.

Each table has different playable “locations”, which determine which Pokémon are available for capture. A subset of available locations are displayed slot-machine style in the beginning of a game, and pressing A will select a starting location and launch the first ball into play. After that, each table has its own mechanism for advancing to the next location, including the locations not available at the start of the game.

“Catch Mode,” when activated, starts a 2-minute window of opportunity where the player can attempt to capture a Pokémon. Once you activate “catch mode,” the player must hit the pop bumpers 6 times. Each hit unlocks 1/6 of an image of the Pokémon currently available for capture. Once the image is complete, the Pokémon appears on the table, where it must be hit 4 times with the ball to be captured.