Star Wars Pinball Becomes First Star Wars Release for Nintendo Switch

CBR

By Anthony Gramuglia

Published Apr 11, 2019

The very first Star Wars game for the Nintendo Switch console will be an ambitious pinball simulator.

The first Star Wars release for the Nintendo Switch has been announced, and it's Star Wars Pinball.

StarWars.com announced the game will be available both for download for Pinball FX3 (a pinball simulator developed by Zen Studios) on Nintendo's eShop and for physical purchase in stores.

The game will feature 19 digital pinball tables, which will draw inspiration from throughout Star Wars lore. Tables inspired by the original, prequel and sequel trilogies will be present, alongside tables inspired by Rogue One, Solo, Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

The game will come with several unique modes. Career mode allows fans to choose the path of the Jedi or Sith as they rise up the ranks via their pinball skills. Galactic Struggle is a community mode where players earn points for either the sides of the Sith or Jedi by playing, yet again, pinball. There's also a training mode available for pinball Padawans who need to hone their skills before graduating to Galactic Struggle.

"Ever since we announced that Pinball FX3 would be available for Switch in late 2017, 'When is Star Wars coming?' has perhaps been our most frequently asked question," Zen Studios Creative Director Chris Baker said. "And the answer…this September! But the thing is, Star Wars Pinball is so big and special, we just had to do more for it."

In regard to Switch-specific features, such as the HD Rumble and vertical screen orientation of the Switch screen, Baker added, "As anyone who has ever played Pinball FX3 will tell you, pinball titles from Zen work amazingly well vertically. I personally like to switch things up between horizontal and vertical modes, but for a lot of people, once they try vertical, they just can’t go back. It gets even better if you have a peripheral like Fangamer’s FlipGrip that makes playing vertically much more ergonomically pleasing. Ultimately, it just feels more realistic to play vertically, as pinball itself is a much 'taller' game than it is a 'wide' one. When you throw in HD Rumble to literally shake things up at key moments, it really does feel like you’re holding your own personal mini-pinball table."

Finally, when asked about career mode, Baker said, "Here, you can complete five operations, each with a set number of missions of increasing difficulty such as beating the three target scores in the more familiar five-minute, one ball, and survive modes — and we are working on even more new modes that we can talk about in the future. Occasionally you can also hop into the cockpit of an X-wing or TIE fighter and complete a mission on a given table’s mini-playfield. You can even take on Darth Vader in a lightsaber duel."

"Collecting Holocron Shards in these missions also lets you unlock certain Force Powers and Talents, granting various bonuses and helping you earn higher scores later on," he continued. "As the missions will get gradually more and more challenging, you will definitely need them. If you manage to collect all the Holocron Shards, the Great Holocron will be yours, granting an additional level to each of your accumulated Force Powers and Talents!"

Star Wars Pinball, developed by Zen Studios, will be available for purchase or download for the Nintendo Switch in September.