Pinball Joins Hamster's Arcade Archives Series This Week

Fairly standard NES pinball game with the only thing interesting to note is that it's Pauline's first appearance where she is a brunette.

This really should have just been an NES Switch Online offering with how basic it is.

Oddly jazzed about this. Whenever Hamster releases a Nintendo arcade title I’m tempted to get it, if nothing else but to compare it to the NES equivalents I know so well.

Still waiting for Yie Ar Kung Fu and Track & Field (these are shown on Wiki P as confirmed future releases)

How many times do I have to say that we don't care

@Gerald I am still waiting for VS. Balloon Fight.

@Tandy255 : It's unlikely to happen, but I really want VS Duck Hunt.

Jeez Hamster I hope the pond isn’t drying out so soon! And this should be 4 to 5 bucks tops no contest.

Differences from the NES version, anyone?

why???????????????? These arcade archives are literally just the cheapest licenses they can grab.

Remember when NES games were overpriced at 500 Wii Points as SNES games were 800 and N64 games were 1000?

If it's "arcade" why is it the NES version?

@spirit_flame Cus Nintendo released arcade versions of their NES games which often have changes making them different from the console versions, Super Mario Bros was changed into Vs Super Mario Bros with new level layouts, some from Lost World, a high score table, VS Wrecking Crew was a Co-op using two screens, VS Golf had actual music and a female version, Vs Duck Hunt had more graphics and a bonus round where you could shoot the dog tho for this one and a few others I think it's mostly the same as the NES version, just with arcade settings, needs coins/high score table

@Silly_G Same here, that had a extra bonus stage that wasn't in the Nes version

need some light gun games on the Switch too.

Kinda forgot about these, they should of came out like earlier this year

@YANDMAN I think we have to assume Hamster buys these licences in job lots. For the deal they cut with Nintendo for their arcade games, they've done quite well out of the handful of 'big name' games they've release (e.g. Donkey Kong, Punch Out and VS. Super Mario Bros).. but technically they've still paid for all the others on the list. Also, once they have the basics of the emulation for a certain cabinet / system in place, its trivial to create other apps based around it... now they have a load of vs titles that hey can release with minimal cost and effort to milk the licence.

Personally, I've found Hamster release a fairly big name or classic game that I have some nostalgic attachment to once every month or so and fill the weeks in between with the also ran titles they have collecting dust on the shelf.

I'm so tired of reading comments like "it's the same that the NES version". Really.

I'm interested, it's really basic, I know, but the online leaderboards are actually one of the most interesting features in Hamster releases, more than the Caravan and Hi-Score modes imho.

But among the announced releases of this line, it's the least appealing to me, so I guess I'll buy others first.

By the way, I hope it has tate mode. UNLIKE Road Fighter, that should, but doesn't.

@spirit_flame @gaga64 Other than the HAMSTER standard 5-minute Caravan mode and Online Leaderboards, this version has a BGM track (the NES version was basically silent except for the SFX). Something Hideki Kamiya was quick to point out on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/pg_kamiya/status/1167369857802747905?s=21

(PSA: if you have to reply, only reply to him in Japanese or else you get blocked)

@masterLEON cool, thanks.

I’ll stick with the NES version on my Wii, though I can see why other people would see value in the online leaderboards for a score-driven game like this.

I've always had a soft spot for NES pinball. I'll definitely be picking this one up. I fire up the NES version frequently on my AVS.

$8.00 is a bit much for a game that should be NES Online filler material.

Who would have played this in the arcades instead of a real pinball machine?!?

Man, $8 is a lot considering you can get much better games for Pinball FX3 or even The Pinball Arcade for less per game (PFX3 packs cost $10, but you get 3 games, making each $3.33!). NES Pinball is a neat little game to try out every now and then, but it's a bit too simplistic to hold anyone's attention for long.

I have not been able to play this game ever since my Mom had passed away. Maybe it's time to come back to this gem, but I wish she was here to play.

@gaga64, some differences I know of is that it has ambient music and Bubbles from Clu Clu Land makes a cameo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNTAys_AVT4

@masterLEON Thank you.

@ClassSonicSatAm Thank you.

Cool, I know how these aren't for everyone but I love collecting these retro releases.

@masterLEON Thanks for the video! I need to get this!

@nicols Its possible. If you enjoy the games all power to you, whether some of the prior releases may of been heavy hitters as far as Nintendo is concerned to me is irrelevant. In the grand scheme of arcade games and what is available to licence they are all very average choices. But then again of course the masses won't have a huge knowledge of a lot of the other arcade games so to licence Donkey kong etc it makes sense from a business perspective. I whoever do have a lot of knowledge of arcade titles and find these as i said very average. I don't think all the licences are 'V.s' cabinet versions are they??

@YANDMAN Not saying I like the fact that Hamster are porting a lot of vs cabinets, just rationalising WHY they are doing it, and yeah, whatever the merits of DK and Mario Bros as games by todays standards (or even compared to the best arcade cabinets at the time), it does make perfect business sense to release those on a Nintendo Platform.

My personal interest in these Arcade Archives series is mainly limited to games I actually played in the arcades (or experienced via home ports) - so mainly 1978-1985 or so. So far, a few favourites have trickled through (Bombjack, Elevator Action, Moon Cresta, Terra Cresta, Pooyan) but looking at their list of licencees so far, they have ported some early Taito and Konami games but the games that really push my nostalgia itch are either off doing their own thing (Namco, Sega) or currently absent from the retro release scene altogether (Williams, Universal, mid-80s Atari Games).

Remember it not just the fact that big name arcade IP is expensive, its also whether they are already tied up in deals with other companies or in some cases the rights can be disputed or difficult to track down as the vast majority of these companies have been bought out, sold on or folded

@nicols Music is usually the real stumbling block as most compositions were now owned outright by the publisher of the game.