With pinball’s popularity not being what it once was, there’s going to be a generation of gamers who have no idea what the fuss was all about back in the day. They’d probably be surprised to hear that there even was a fuss in the first place. Pinball was, like, ridiculously huge. There was a time when even the local takeaway would’ve had a pinball table in the corner, but at some point over the last 20 years or so they’ve fallen out of favour (pinball tables, not takeaways) and are now generally only found at conventions or one of the few dedicated arcades left in existence. Pinball Arcade serves a dual purpose, then – educating the uninitiated about the history of pinball, and providing fond memories for the nostalgic older guard.

There’s a lot more to pinball than meets the eye – yes, it’s fun enough to simply try to keep the ball in play for as long as possible, but you can make things a bit more interesting by trying to meet the various objectives for mega point scores. Deciphering the layout and objectives of a real-world table was never an easy task, but in Pinball Arcade players are given full instructions on how to make the most of each game. Between this and the advertisements and background info screens displayed while each table is loading, there’s plenty of fascinating insight on offer for even the most dedicated player.

Many of the earlier tables in this collection are rather on the sparse side, but that’s just the way things were back then. It’s easy to appreciate their inclusion both as a curiosity and as a way of preserving their historical value. As things got more advanced, the tables got more exciting and eventually grew to encompass a range of licensed tie-ins. Unfortunately, anyone joining the series at this point will find a smaller roster of tables than previous console versions, due to some behind the scenes legal issues.

The Switch edition of Pinball Arcade includes a TATE mode, allowing players to turn the screen vertically to get a better view of the table, which is a huge help as it can be a little difficult to see what’s going on in the regular landscape mode. Joycons, classic controllers and touchscreen controls are all supported, and anyone wanting to compare their high scores with other players can compete for a place on the global online leaderboards. The game also includes a challenge mode for those wanting to truly test their skills. It’s worth mentioning that the physical edition contains 11 ready to play tables, but there’s also a free version on the eShop with a single table. Both can be expanded with downloadable content, but it’s going to cost a pretty penny if you want to build up the complete collection.

This might not be the most exciting fast-paced arcade pinball video game ever made, but it’s difficult to imagine a better simulation of some of the world’s most iconic tables. We’re never going to have the funds – or the space – to collect this many genuine tables, but Pinball Arcade is the next best thing.

PINBALL ARCADE / DEVELOPER: FARSIGHT / PLATFORM: PC, PS4, SWITCH (REVIEWED), XBOX ONE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW