Pinball simulators are amongst the oldest of video games. Heck, there was even a hidden pinball game in Microsoft Word 97! Even Nintendo themselves could not resist making their own flipper games. Franchises like Metroid, Kirby and Pokemon received the pinball treatment in the past. And while nowadays we are playing 100 person battle royales, massive-multiplayer-online role playing games and open-world sandbox games with endless possibilities, sometimes it is great to fall back to such a simple yet addicting game such as pinball. Your only goal is to beat that high score. Ah, how I love those simpler times!

Recently my pinball addiction has skyrocketed again by discovering the two pinball games on the Nintendo Switch. Pinball FX3 and Stern Pinball Arcade. My freshly bought copy of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle remains untouched because I am wasting hours behind the virtual pinball machine. It’s a good thing it is not costing me a quarter every time I want to play a new game!

If you have paid close attention, you may have spotted a third title on the eShop for a short time: FarSight’s The Pinball Arcade. The game launched on april 6th, but got pulled a day or so later. It probably had to do with them losing their license to Williams and Bally pinball machines. Hopefully they can fix this soon so we can enjoy this game as well. But for now, we can play two pinball games on our Switch.

Both games have a lot incommon. Obviously both are pinball games, and both of them are free-to-start. This means that both games offer one table to play when you download the free version straight out of the eShop. In the case of Pinball FX3 you can play Sorcerer’s Lair, while Stern gives you a Frankenstein table to start with. And while additional tables need to be purchased via the eShop, the free tables have all the functionality as the paid ones, like leaderboards, challenges et cetera.

Stern Pinball Arcade

Chances are you want to invest in new and different machines pretty soon. Both games have a plethora of pinball machines available, but it will cost you. Prices for both games vary a bit, but in general they are a quid or 2-4 per machine. They are mostly offered as bundles, and this is also the most cost-effective way of getting them. You pay for example 10 euros for a bundle of 3 or 4 machines. The downside is you cannot mix and match: Say that I am playing Pinball FX3 and I want a Jurassic Park table, the Family Guy table and an Alien table, that is a no-go. All come in predetermined packages, probably to do with the licensing.

For Stern Pinball Arcade it is also possible to buy the game as a physical release (if you can find it), giving you 11 machines on the card. It goes for around 32 pounds or 40 euros, which is actually not a bad deal if you want all of the machines available.

Besides the obvious similarities between the two games, there is also enough going on that sets them apart. Let’s take a dive in the differences at hand!

For the real pinball enthusiast Stern Pinball Arcade is the place to be, since all of the machines are digital copies of existing machines. That means that the tables you play in the game can be found in your local arcade as well. Everything about Stern breathes authenticity. Not only are the cabinets in-game copies of the real ones, the physics are very realistic as well. If you are looking for a pinball simulator, look no further! Also the sounds, the score displays and the descriptions are perfect digital recreations.

Pinball FX3

Pinball FX3 takes the arcade route however. Instead of recreating existing tables, FX3 makes tables specially for the game. These are either their own creations (like the free Sorcerer’s Lair), or tables based on popular franchises like Jurassic Park or Portal. Playing them rewards you with voice acting, minigames, moving objects and much more digital mayhem not possible with an analogue cabinet. Although this takes away the authenticity of the game it makes it a much more interactive experience.

What’s cool is that both games have a vertical mode. You want more table on your screen? Flip it! With a tv this may be a bit problematic, but in handheld this works quite fine, although the control schemes used then are not the most logical. Luckily you can use touch input as well.

Another big difference lies in the franchises available. As said before Stern Pinball Arcade gives us copies of the real physical machines. If you know them a bit then you can guess some of the machines on offer. They hold some great franchises, like AC/DC, Star Trek, Starship Troopers and Harley Davidson. So not only is the playstyle of Stern very nostalgic, their franchises are also a bit more retro. The charm is great however, and nothing beats playing a game of pinball with an AC/DC soundtrack!

Stern Pinball Arcade

Pinball FX3 takes acquiring licenses to a different level though. They create some original machines like the free Sorcerer’s Table from scratch, and they are not based on famous licenses. However, they also have an impressive list of licensed tables, including sounds, voices and the works. Think about Jurassic Park, including a Jurassic World table. The animation set brings us popular cartoons like Bob’s Burgers and Archer. There is a The Walking Dead table, and Bethesda brings us Doom, Fallout and Skyrim. As you can see, not only is it a big list, but they are also relatively modern franchises compared to Stern’s list.

We have already briefly talked presentation, but let’s go into that a bit more since with such a simple game, presentation can really help to set the mood. Stern puts you in a virtual arcade where all the tables are on display. When selecting a table you can look into the catalogus and read the actual promotional sheet, quite cool, especially if you are a real pinball fanatic.

Pinball FX3 again takes a different approach. The navigation is more menu based, with a voice-over telling you about all the options. She is a tad bit annoying but luckily can be shut up in the options menu. Per table it shows you the high scores of your friends list, quickly showing you if someone dared to bust your high score. And again, here Pinball FX3 takes things a step further.

Where Stern has a local scoreboard, and does offer some online challenges, FX3 goes a bit more over the top. Per table you can play a number of challenges, and you can level up your character. There are upgrades to unlock (like slow motion and time rewinding), which you can use in your game. If you don’t fancy that luckily there is also a classic mode which disables them. But playing more gives you more, while in Stern it is all about the highscore. I can imagine that modern players value the feeling of achievement in FX3, but it does take a bite out of the nostalgia.

Pinball FX3

All in all, what is the better game? I cannot decide for you, since it really depends on what you value more. If you are a pinball purist, and you only care for the high score, than Stern Pinball Arcade is the game for you. With a nostalgic setting, real physics and real machines, it feels like going into the arcade and putting your quarters into a real pinball machine.

Do you want popular licenses, leveling up, and a much more arcade-style approach? Choose Pinball FX3. Personally I prefer this one since the online rankings are well integrated, and I like being able to level up and unlock stuff. But I often go back to Stern as well since it just plays so damn well.

Luckily you don’t have to choose, since both are available in the Switch eShop with a free table to start with. So give them a go, because in this time of complex games, nothing is more soothing than playing some rounds of pinball. And don’t forget to post your high scores on our forums! Insert coin!