ClimbBall

Half pinball, half climb: the charge you earn on the table is the height you gain on the way up.

Objective

Climb as high as you can. 3 lives.

Rules

Tap or hold the left or right side — your only control, in both halves.

Pinball: Tap to launch. Flip to keep the ball alive and build charge. Light P‑A‑C up top, then exit the saucer to rocket up the climb. Drain with the meter amber and you lose a life.

Climb: You bounce automatically — steer onto platforms to go higher. Drop on spiders to squash them; cracked tiles bounce once, then crumble.

History

The first successful combination of pinball and video games appeared in the early 1980s, when arcade manufacturers experimented with blending the fast-paced action of video games with the tactile appeal of traditional pinball. Instead of relying solely on bumpers and targets, these hybrid machines included a video monitor that expanded gameplay beyond the physical playfield.

The best-known example was Baby Pac-Man, released in 1982 by Bally Midway. Players alternated between a miniature pinball playfield and a video maze, using each mode to unlock new opportunities in the other. Although innovative, the machine was mechanically complex and difficult to maintain.

Other notable hybrids soon followed, including Granny and the Gators and Caveman, the latter featuring a standard-sized pinball machine with a built-in video display. These games demonstrated creative new ways to merge physical and digital gameplay but never achieved widespread commercial success.

As arcade technology advanced, most manufacturers chose to focus on either traditional pinball or dedicated video games rather than combining the two. However, the hybrid concept never completely disappeared. Modern pinball machines often incorporate LCD screens, animated scoring, and video-based missions, while preserving the feel of a mechanical pinball game. Today's machines use video displays primarily to enhance storytelling, scoring, and player feedback rather than replacing the physical action, making them the spiritual successors to the pioneering hybrids of the early 1980s.