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"Woogy Pinball! A fantastic game using Arfenhouse marketing ploy!"
—Arfenhouse Teh Movie Too
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So, you've managed to create a successful video game series. The fans want more, and your publisher wants you to put out another title as quickly as possible. What to do?
You make a Pinball Spinoff, that's what. Pinball games are as simple to design as they are addictive, and are incredibly easy to shoehorn characters into. A Pinball Spinoff is a perfect way to satisfy everyone between actual game releases.
Keep in mind that this trope only applies to video game spinoffs, not physical pinball machines. If only part of the game is pinball, then it's a Pinball Zone.
Examples of Pinball Spinoff include:
- Pokémon Pinball was a successful tie-in to the popular portable RPG series and perhaps the most famous example of a Rumble Pack in a Game Boy game. It kept players interested by including the ability to both catch and evolve Pokémon. Later, a sequel was released on the Game Boy Advance titled Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire.
- Sonic Spinball was released for the Sega Genesis, and has since been included on almost every Genesis collection that Sega has put out.
- Sonic Pinball Party not only covered Sonic, but also had tables inspired by NiGHTS Into Dreams and Samba De Amigo.
- Kirby's Pinball Land for the Game Boy was the first of many games where the pink ball loses control of his limbs.
- Mario's Pinball Land for the Game Boy Advance.
- Metroid Prime Pinball was launched for the Nintendo DS and came with a rumble pack. Neither the game nor the accessory fared too well.
- Super Street Fighter II Turbo Pinball FX was for the Xbox 360 and is about as ridiculous as the title would imply.
- Pacman Pinball has been released on both the Game Boy Advance and on mobile phones.
- Worms Pinball for the Play Station 1.
- Packaged in Pinball Fever for PC which also included a cabinet themed around one of Team17's other racing series World Rally Fever.
- Shin Megami Tensei Pinball: Judgment was a Japan-only mobile phone game.
- Pinball of the Dead for the Game Boy Advance. Actually pretty fun.