Iwata's Flipper Passion – Gamopat

Before video games came out in the 1970s, mechanical games prevailed in bars, carnivals and playrooms, the flippers being the undisputed stars of these mechanical games. It is therefore logical that the first video games like Pong or Breakout have principles not very far from the flipper: it is also a matter of sending back a ball indefinitely to make the biggest score...

That's why, when the video games entered the homes, the flippers games were among the first games realized and naturally when the Famicom came out in Japan in 1983, Nintendo wanted to create its flipper: Pinball Famicom.

It is a very young company that came to offer its services to Nintendo to create games on the new Nintendo console, Hal Laboratory, which is charged with the finishing of this flipper game. Satoru Iwata, the current CEO of Nintendo, who was then programmer at Hal remembers « Instead of giving the green light to our personal ideas, Nintendo asked us to make operational a title that did not work at all: Pinball Famicom »

Nintendo in the late 1970s and early 1980s had imposed a Cartoonesque style on his Game & Watch electronic games as well as in arcade games like Sheriff or Donkey Kong, a style found in Pinball family, a colorful and fantasy game in the spirit of Nintendo productions of the time. Although Pinball Famicom is a pretty rudimentary freak game, we already find a lot of the recipes that will be the trademark of the flippers designed by Hal Laboratory: jackpot, playing cards, bonuses, delusional animals (penguins, chicks that come out of the egg and sea lions juggling with balls) involved in the flipper, ball blockers, bonus board where Mario has to deliver Daisy, etc....

Later Iwata and Hal will reap the fruits of the Pinball Famicom experience, and will gradually impose as the masters of the pincer on consoles and 8-bit micro. Thus in the mid-1980s, Hal with Iwata as a co-producer, will release a little flipper jewel that will ridicule everything that was done so far in this field: Rollerball on MSX standard computers (NDLR: released in 1984 on MSX).

Where Nes Pinball stood on 2 screens, Rollerball on MSX now displays on 3 screens. Never the physics of the ball had been so nervous and impressive of realism, the bonuses have never been so numerous and we can now make all possible blows in the real freaks of the bars (forks, cushioned, etc... ) all with a zest of madness and demeasurement ... All those who tested Rollerball at the time fell to the reverse of happiness as the game was ahead of its time.

In 1985, the year of Rollerball's release in France, Tilt magazine awarded its golden tilt of the best freak game to 2 ex-aequo games: Macadam Bumper and Cobra Pinball.

Macadam Bumper from ERE computer on CPC

Cobra Pinball Cobrasoft on Oric

A reward that sums up by itself all the imposture and copying of the French video-ludic media that reinforces the owners of the MSX in their certainty of holding the truth alone against all.

1988 Rollerball will be released on Famicom, but this game has nothing to do with the title MSX. this game shows that « plus » is not synonymous with better. The game now stretches on 4 screens, has more targets, bonuses in all directions, features music and a graphic theme representing New York at night. But the game is too complicated, too confused, too difficult to make a decent entertainment for the greatest number. The game, however, remains very good for as little as one stings to grasp the mechanics.

We do not know exactly the role of Iwata in the production of the 2 flippers that Hal Laboratory designed for the Gameboy however this one is credited as part of the staff without more precision.

When the Game Boy comes out, Hal repeats with an even more accomplished game: Revenge of the Gator. Hal Laboratory seems to have learned the lessons of Rollerball on Famicom, namely that there is no point in wanting to do a complex simulation to make a successful flipper and realizes that a entertaining game is above all a clear game in its simplicity.

In Revenge of the Gator everything is beautifully made from the superb intro to the gameplay. The game is nervous, the physics and animation of the ball are at the top. The game extends over 4 tables but also offers 3 absolutely delusional bonus tables. The passage from one level to another of height is dotted with obstacles, such as doors or bricks. The well thought out bonus tables offer for example a break-in. Bumpers, ramps, corridors, targets, jackpots, etc. are present. There's nothing missing! The graphics are sober , legible and very fun truffled reptiles with Kawai designs. The music is guillerette and accompanies the action well.

Revenge of the Gator is an absolute must on Game Boy who will know a spiritual son in Kirbys Pinball Land which is even more awesome than his predecessor. The game was one of the first to be released on the first laptop of the Kyoto firm and summarizes to itself what was going on the unique and inimitable style of Game Boy games.

Often the best games did not come out armed like Athena of Jupiter's thigh. They are the result of a long and slow evolution, each new opus bringing gameplay innovations and new ideas. Kirby, Pinball Land therefore takes advantage of Hal Laboratory's know-how in terms of video games of flippers because he is the last born of a long genealogy: Pinball Famicom, Rollerball MSX and Famicom, and finally Revenge of the Gator.

Born on Game Boy, the Kirby series has given rise to all sorts of side games that are more awesome to each other on GB: bridle breakers, Tetris-like and therefore creepy. Hal sublimates the freak by returning to all fundamentals.

In Kirbys Pinball Land there are 3 tables of flippers (of 3 levels) who communicate with each other at the end of each one a boss: Whispy, Kracko and Poppy bros. There are also mini-games like a cracker, a game where you have to score goals with the flip ball in a football cage protected by a goaltender.

The game takes place in an absolutely charming Kirby dressing (the bigger than ordinary ball is a Kirby) and delusionally resembling the universe of anime Dr Slump. One must for example aim at clouds to make them rain, break the celestial vault to break the moon, or touch targets in the shape of heads Moai of Easter Island... Bonuses, surprises, jackpots, etc... fill up in this game that breathes good mood, love for work well done and well finished as well as love for Game Boy support. Only flat the game is less nervous and heavier than Revenge of the Gator. The music, as for it, spit out by the adorable sound of the GB chiptun, sublime, are of course from the Kirby universe.

Iwata is a genius who has shown that there is no need for super machines to make great games. Iwata is well known as president of Nintendo but we must not forget the genius developer. It's one of those who gave MSX, Nes and Game Boy so many good games. With Revenge of the Gator and Kirby Pinball we immediately recognize the stripped Iwata patte but kawai, fun, full of rewards and bonuses of all kinds... These two Game Boy games are true miracles of gameplay and game design on one of the most technically limited machines. I therefore propose that the canonization trial be initiated as soon as possible for the recognition of his Holiness Iwata.

Gamopat – Iwata – Flipper's passion