Pros: Pinball is fun, and this game manages to simulate the experience.
Cons: Initially challenging to understand the many conditionals.
The bottom line: A game that seriously (and pathetically) drives me to distraction and obsession. Wunderbar.
I am six years old.

OK. That's not true. Actually, I'll be 25 in a little more than a month.

And I also admit that I am pathetically addicted to this video game; it's probably the only thing other than Tetris that has interested me in that obsessive "I must conqueor it" sort of way.

Now, I will give you the lowdown, fairly briefly because...well, because I feel compelled to go play it again already. I am being driven mad by the fact that my husband has the current high score on the 2nd board, and...well, you know how that can be.

Let's get started.

The gist. To understand the appeal of the game, you must first know how closely it resembles the logistics of an actual pinball table. The game has 2 tables to choose from -- one themed for The Little Mermaid film and the second presumably relevant to the new Mermaid movie Disney's cranked out dealing with a character named Melody. (Don't get me started on that, please.) It has the usual flippers and tilt functions -- in fact, those who have played Pokemon Pinball will find the general game play pretty darn familiar. Additionally, it has a nice multiball feature and some mini-games which serve as a way to rack up big points and demonstrate ball control.

You have to understand that, while I'd rather not, I am restraining myself from making the jokes about balls/ball control/etc. that are coming to mind. This game is, after all, theoretically for a children's game. And I don't want to cheapen my whole review, you know. But just understand that I am thinking of the jokes, and they are very funny, probably much funnier than the ones your subconscious has cranked out so far. I swear.

Nice Options. The game is a real step up from the earlier Pokemon version of the same essential game...it's got more features, like the ability to play the mini-games alone in order to practice them (and you'll need to, they are confusing as hell -- but more on that later). You can also select the ball speed and the number of balls you start with, which is a good way for kids or beginners to the pinball concept to improve without the usual video game frustration that makes you want to hurl the Gameboy across the room.

Graphics/Look-feel. The Gameboy often surprises me with what it can do. You expect pretty crummy graphics from a procesor of this kind, but the designers of this game found a way to make what the Gameboy can handle into some nice looking graphics, including some animation sequences leading into the play of the mini-games. The movement of the ball is smooth to the average eye, and that makes it easy to follow.

Also, the game cartridge comes with a "rumble pack" -- something that is cool but functionless, utilizing a pretty basic motor. It vibrates when the ball hits the bumpers or is kicked back. I really don't know what it is supposed to do except make you feel like you're starring in a musical by the Who, but whatever. It's nice I guess, and comes with a battery even!

Cons. There are several.

(1) Rules of game "extras" are somewhat vague, even after perusal of the instruction manual. I have played the game for a good while now, and I am still quite unclear as to why things I do make other things happen. I have been trying to discern a pattern, and I think there definitely is one, but the game moves quickly, and my focus is on not dropping the ball. So, the Mini-games in particular -- major sources of high-points -- are really confusing to me still. But to be honest, I think that a kid might have a better grasp of the logistics than me, so who knows.

(2) You can't save the game. One thing I loved about Pokemon Pinball was then when you had to, say, go to work, you could save your game and return to your high score game when you got home that night, rewarded with the ball still suspended in imaginary thin-air, awaiting you. This game...not so much. You have to play it out. This means that I am not able to be as successful, since real life is always pulling me away from the all-important Pinball.

Lowdown. OK, before I go back and play it some more...

All things said and done, this game is a great one. It's got appeal for adults -- especially those drawn to more contemplative games rather than the usual sort of shooting/adventure fare. A number of our friends (all adults) have gone out and purchased a Gameboy specifically to play this game since we got it, and they all love it. I am unsure of its longterm appeal for younger kids, but the kids who have played it at our house have enjoyed it, though not, perhaps totally "gotten it." I highly recommend it.

I was going to make another sidenote about how many people we know play this game in particular during times of "intestinal distress," but again, I just don't want to cheapen this...so, you're welcome.