Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire - Ruby Table

I accidentally left out the first 8 minutes of the first upload attempt. Here's the complete video.

Before we begin, I should say that there will be a lot of unexplained pinball terminology in this description. If there are any terms you don't understand, just leave a comment or send me a message directly.

Let's begin with the Ruby Table. The Ruby Table is the successor to the Red Table in Pokémon Pinball, in that it has a highly asymmetrical layout, Safari Zone available as a location, Catch! Mode started by shooting into a dead-end lane on the right, and two left loop entrances each with a different purpose.

Just like in the first Pokémon Pinball game, at the bottom are two slingshots, two inlanes, two outlanes, and Pikachu sitting at the bottom of one of the outlanes, whose location can be toggled between the left or right outlane with a flipper button. Pokémon Pinball has always been a two-flipper game, with no upper flippers, though Makuhita does serve a similar function just for this table, punching the ball to the Nuzleaf ramp. (I didn't do that on this run because I didn't know it yet.) Also common to all Pokémon Pinball tables, the left orbit has the lights "EVO" and the right with "GET." Shooting either orbit at least to the second rollover switch will spell the next letter. There is no skill shot. Ball Savers are generous in all Pokémon Pinball tables, with Latios serving that purpose for this one.

Hitting the Chikorita target will activate both Linoones for about two seconds. Hitting the right Linoone three times readies Makuhita, who functions like an upper slingshot and can send the ball up the Nuzleaf ramp. Hitting the left Linoone three times activates Travel Mode: Shooting either orbit, then shooting the central scoop within 1 minute will change the location, which changes which Pokémon are available to catch.

Each inlane and outlane has a letter that spells out "HOLE." If all four are lit, the central scoop will open (if no other modes are going on that requires the scoop). Shooting it provides a random award. The left flipper button moves the whole sequence left, and the right flipper button moves the whole sequence right. This also applies to the top rollover lights, which if all three are lit, resets the lights and upgrades the Poké Ball to a Great Ball (double playfield scoring), Ultra Ball (triple), and a Master Ball (quadruple).

The left lane, between Chikorita and Cyndaquil, provides Coins--either 1, 5, or 10, depending on which light is lit. Coins can be redeemed at the Poké Mart on the right ramp, activated by bumping its doors and entered by reaching it again, for various bonuses.

The right orbit contains a spinner. Each flip charges Pikachu, and when fully charged, activates the Pikachu kickback.

The meat of the game are Catch!, Evolution, Hatch, and the Bonus Rounds. When "GE" or "GET" are lit on the right orbit, shooting the ball into Sharpedo starts Catch! Mode. It's pretty simple: Within 2 minutes, hit the bumpers three times, then hit the Pokémon that appears three times. When "EVO" is lit on the left orbit, shoot the Poké Mart (which will override shopping) to start Evolution Mode. Select a Pokémon to evolve, then collect three icons related to how that Pokémon evolves ("Ex" is Experience Points, for instance), then shoot the central scoop in 2 minutes to evolve that Pokémon. Hit Cynaquil until it retreats into the cave, then shoot the cave to start Hatch Mode. An egg will hatch, and a small Pokémon will wander randomly around the playfield. You're given about 45 seconds to hit it twice until it gets away.

Catching or hatching a Pokémon adds one Poké Ball light underneath the monitor (very rare in real pinball machines; there's usually a dot-matrix display on the backbox, though the 2015 release Full Throttle has a monitor there), and evolving a Pokémon adds two. Once all three are lit, the central scoop opens to give access to the Bonus Round, which overrides the random award if available. Bonus Round progression on Ruby is as follows: Kecleon, Groudon, Kecleon, Groudon, Rayquaza. Failure to complete a Bonus Round means that Bonus Round is repeated the next time all three Poké Ball lights are lit.

The goal of the Kecleon Bonus Round is to attack Kecleon 15 times in 2 minutes. Kecleon spends most of its time invisible; by shooting the tree, it drops a Devon Scope, which makes Kecleon visible. Hit Kecleon to trip it, then hit it again to attack it. The Devon Scope wears off after about 8 seconds. Defeating Kecleon gives 30 million points times the playfield multiplier.

For Groudon, you must hit Groudon 15 times in 3 minutes. Groudon will place rocks and pillars of fire in the way, as well as shooting Fire Spin, which traps the ball until you mash the flippers. Defeating Groudon gives 50 million points times the playfield multiplier. Defeating Groudon twice will catch it.

More on Rayquaza later—it’s on Sapphire too.