Between 100,000 and 150,000 points, a flipper appears that the screen never shows you.
Nintendo released Pinball for the Famicom on February 2, 1984, built across two screens stacked vertically, a set of flippers waiting on each one. Inside the scoring system itself, between 100,000 and 150,000 points, there is a flipper that never appears on screen. It answers to the same button as the others. It moves the ball the same way. You simply can't see it — no sprite, no outline, nothing the manual explains. Five years later, in May 1989, Nintendo brought Pinball back for the Famicom Disk System, this time as a rewrite-only release, written straight onto a disk you already owned rather than sold in its own box. The ball still finds the flipper. Nobody ever drew it in.
About this game
Pinball is a Famicom Disk System game released in 1989, developed by HAL Laboratory, published by Nintendo. It is a pinball video game.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Pinball was developed jointly by Nintendo's R&D2 division and HAL Laboratory, and released for the Famicom on February 2, 1984. The game presented its playfield across two vertically arranged screens, each fitted with its own set of flippers. Five years later, on May 30, 1989, Nintendo brought Pinball to the Famicom Disk System. This edition was released as rewrite-only software, meaning it was not sold as a packaged disk of its own but written directly onto a disk a customer already owned, typically through a Disk Writer kiosk found in stores. HAL Laboratory again handled development for this later version, with Nintendo as publisher for both the 1984 cartridge and the 1989 disk edition.
Tricks & Tales
Score high enough during a match, and the ball action pauses for a bonus stage: Mario appears on screen to rescue a woman — one of his earliest appearances in any Nintendo game. Inside a pinball table's bonus round, without running or jumping, all he does is arrive and save someone.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The Famicom Disk System was sold exclusively in Japan and was never officially released in any other region. It was designed as an attachment to the original Famicom, using a rewritable magnetic Quick Disk format — a medium that no longer has manufacturer support and that Nintendo ceased rewriting or selling decades ago. Buyers outside Japan should understand that there is no Western-compatible equivalent: FDS software requires a Famicom console, the RAM adapter, and the dedicated power adapter, all of which are Japan-market hardware. The disk media itself is not readable by any standard floppy drive.
Maintenance Tips
The drive belt is the most critical maintenance item. The original rubber belt (approximately 31mm diameter) stretches and eventually fails after decades of storage, preventing the drive from reading disks. Replacement belts are widely available from retro hardware suppliers and require no special tools -- a documented procedure exists in multiple collector guides. After belt replacement, the drive may need alignment, which is a more involved process. The RAM adapter board contains electrolytic capacitors that should be recapped if the unit is used regularly -- leaking capacitors can damage the PCB and corrupt disk reads. Clean the battery compartment with vinegar and a cotton swab if corrosion is present. FDS disks should be stored in their cases away from magnetic sources.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Pinball copies regularly.
Is this the Nintendo Pinball, or is it connected to Mattel?
It's Nintendo's own game, developed together with HAL Laboratory — not connected to Mattel Electronics in any way. Some catalog data mixes this title up with an unrelated Mattel product from the same era, but Nintendo's Pinball first shipped as a Famicom cartridge on February 2, 1984, and later returned on the Famicom Disk System on May 30, 1989.
Is the Disk System version the same release as the original cartridge?
No — they're two separate releases, five years apart. The 1984 cartridge was Nintendo and HAL Laboratory's original release. The 1989 Famicom Disk System edition was a rewrite-only release: rather than being sold boxed on its own disk, it was written onto a disk you brought in, usually through a Disk Writer kiosk. If you're specifically collecting the Disk System edition, look for the 1989 date.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Pinball
A short checklist for buying a used Famicom Disk System disk wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Inspect the disk and its shell
Disk System media is fragile — the magnetic disk can wear, and saves are written back onto the disk itself.
Ask whether it was tested and reads reliably; look for cracks or a warped shell in photos.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is Japanese Famicom Disk System media and requires a Famicom with a working Disk System drive.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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Mind the drive belt on the console side
Disk System drives commonly need a replacement belt to read reliably — this is a console matter, not the disk.
If reading is unreliable, the console's belt is the usual culprit, not the game.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Pinball sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
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