Pinball Spire comes so close to nailing the ‘pinballvania’

Pinball Spire blends two of my favorite game genres: pinball and Metroidvania-style video games. That rare combination was explored in 2018’s Yoku’s Island Express, but Pinball Spire takes a different approach to the “pinballvania” idea — it’s more clearly inspired by Castlevania than Metroid, treating its pinball playfields like a series of medieval dungeons to conquer.

As Pip, a sentient pinball with eyes, I climb a dark and mysterious tower, using flippers and plungers to smack the circular hero ever upward in Pinball Spire. Pip can unlock special super powers on his pinball-themed quest, earning the ability to slow down time for lining up perfect shots and the ability to turn into a fireball, which lets him smash through enemies (instead of bouncing off of them). These powers are used to solve the game’s environmental puzzles, like lighting a series of torches in a pitch-black room.

Levels are laid out like simple pinball fields. There are ramps to ride, spinners to, uh, spin, and multiple flippers scattered around each level. Enemies, many of them flying eyeballs or other threatening orbs, can be smashed for mana, which powers Pip’s abilities. Breaking your way out of the game’s various dungeons requires finesse, solid aim, and — too often — a great deal of patience.

Pinball Spire’s levels are sometimes too large, or laid out in such a way that one small mistake can undo a lot of progress. As Pip bounces around, launched by bumpers and run-ins with enemies, he’ll sometimes fly to and fro for long periods of time. It can be annoying to line up a shot, whiff, and then watch as the game’s ball hero just bounces around and around and around, ultimately landing nowhere near where you’d like him to be.

But Pinball Spire has its share of clever ideas. You’ll need to manage Pip’s mana and have quick reflexes to pull off the combos required to nail consecutive actions. The game’s levels are full of secret exits and hidden collectibles — mostly cosmetics for Pip to wear on his quest.

Successfully completing a level and saving at the game’s generous save points can be really satisfying. But Pinball Spire can also be frustrating; missing a shot, sometimes due to bad enemy placement and a bad bounce, can not only halt your progress, but reverse it. Falling down the spire feels really, really bad.

Pinball Spire doesn’t take long to beat — a few hours — and doesn’t overstay its welcome. If you’re open-minded about digital pinball and want some clever puzzles to smash through for a few hours, it’s now available on Steam.