Three years after Pokémon Pinball on the Game Boy Color, Jupiter is back on the Game Boy Advance. Released in Europe on 14 November 2003, Pokémon Pinball Ruby & Sapphire offers two fields inspired by Hoenn and more than two hundred Pokémon to catch with your ball. In 2014, our review gave it 15 out of 20 for newcomers and 12 for anyone who already knew the first game. Looking back, it is one of the best pinball games on the Game Boy Advance.
Two very different fields
The Ruby Field and the Sapphire Field each have their own Pokémon, areas, bonuses and traps. On Ruby, Sharpedo starts Catch ‘Em Mode and Cyndaquil hatches the Eggs; on Sapphire, it is Wailmer and a dedicated lane. Each field has its own bonus stages, Kecleon and Groudon on one side, Dusclops and Kyogre on the other, with Rayquaza at the end of the road.
Catch, evolve, hatch
The heart of the game is still catching: light up the arrows, start Catch ‘Em Mode, reveal the Pokémon, then hit it three times. There is also an Evolution Mode, where you have to collect three items in two minutes, and an Hatch Mode to get baby Pokémon. A shop lets you spend the coins you have collected on bonuses, and a Slot Mode adds some luck. Completing the Pokédex takes dozens of hours.
Polished presentation
The graphics are colourful and nicely animated, and the music is among the best on the console. The game even uses the GameCube controller’s rumble when played on the Game Boy Player, in place of the rumble pak built into the first game’s cartridge.
The limits
Outside the pinball itself, the content is thin: a Pokédex, records and options. There is no multiplayer mode, only an exchange of records and Pokédex data. The difficulty is high, and some features, such as the shop on Ruby or the Eggs on Sapphire, take a long time to unlock.
Is it worth playing today?
Yes, if you like pinball. The Wii U Virtual Console version, released in December 2014 at €6.99 in France, has not been on sale since the eShop closed in 2023, so you will need the Game Boy Advance cartridge.
Our verdict
An excellent pinball game, richer and better looking than the first, that takes patience to complete your Pokédex.
What we like
- Two rich, very different fields
- More than two hundred Pokémon to catch
- Great bonus stages, all the way to Rayquaza
- An excellent soundtrack
What we like less
- Little content outside the pinball
- No multiplayer
- High difficulty
Our original review is still online.
