Play Rock N Ball Online

Rock N Ball came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System, though I don't recall a specific developer. It was one of those pinball games that tried to do more than just a standard table, which was pretty common on the NES as developers experimented with the system's capabilities.

You control the flippers, of course, but the game gives you a few different ways to play. There's a standard pinball mode for up to four players. Then there's a mode called nineball where you aim to land balls in holes to complete bingo patterns. Another mode, battle flipper, puts two players against each other with flippers at the top and bottom of the screen, each trying to shoot the ball past the other. The sports pinball mode turns the table into a soccer or hockey field where you move a single flipper side to side and control a goalie to block shots. The ball physics feel a bit heavy, and some of the alternate modes are more interesting in concept than in execution. It's a game that offers variety, but the core pinball action can feel a bit stiff compared to others on the system.