Play Vs. Pinball Online

Summary

Vs. Pinball takes the classic feel of a mechanical pinball machine and translates it to the arcade cabinet, letting two players battle for the highest score. The table is split across two vertically stacked screens, so the ball literally climbs from the lower plunger‑launch area up to the upper playfield and can slip back through openings, creating a sense of depth you don’t get on a single screen. A quirky bonus stage pops up when the ball drops into a hidden hole, swapping the pinball physics for a Breakout‑style challenge where Mario rides a platform and tries to clear bricks. The main board is peppered with whimsical touches—penguins waddling across the playfield and other oddball graphics that keep the eye moving. In its debut year, the game even cracked the top‑25 arcade tables in Japan, showing that the novelty of a two‑screen pinball experience resonated with crowds.

Storyline

Vs. Pinball includes a quirky bonus stage where the goal is to save Pauline, the damsel first seen in Donkey Kong (1981). In this mode Mario rides a small platform and the player launches the pinball off it, aiming to smash the stack of blocks that hide Pauline underneath.

Once every block is cleared, Pauline falls onto Mario’s platform and awards bonus points. If she reaches the floor instead, the attempt ends in failure.