Metroid Prime Pinball

In 2002, Metroid Prime proved that an exploration-driven action-adventure could make the jump to 3D without losing its identity. Three years later, it got an unexpected companion in the form of a pinball table for the Nintendo DS, where Samus Aran, in her Morph Ball form, became the ball traveling across two connected playfields split between the console's two screens. Development was handled by the British studio Fuse Games, which specialized specifically in bringing well-known brands into the pinball genre, and Nintendo published the game as one of the first attempts to expand the new handheld's repertoire with an unconventional genre crossover.

Metroid Prime Pinball carried the atmosphere and structure of the original game over into the physics-based genre – the player gradually unlocks areas of the planet Tallon IV, collects weapon upgrades, and runs into familiar bosses from the game it's based on, only instead of pulling a trigger, they control the flippers and tilt the table to steer the ball's path. The DS's second screen serves as an overview map and automatically shifts as you move between playfields, so the game elegantly works around the limits of a small display, and the player never loses track of where they are on the table. An optional Rumble Pak, bundled directly with the game and plugged into the Game Boy Advance slot, added vibration on impacts and shots, an unusual and well-received bonus on the Nintendo DS at the time. Despite its genre departure, the game respects the rules of classic pinball with genuine bounce physics, not just a cosmetic Metroid-branded sticker slapped on an ordinary table, and the level design hides plenty of small references for fans of the original trilogy, from recognizable silhouettes of the Chozo Ruins environment to sound motifs lifted directly from Metroid Prime's musical score.

Why play: Metroid Prime Pinball will appeal to series fans curious about an unconventional spin-off, as well as pinball players looking for a table with a fresh theme and a clever use of the DS's two screens.