is a 2003 pinball game developed by Jupiter and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. It was first revealed at E3 2003. The North American release was done to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the North American release of Pokémon Red and Blue. It is based on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and is a sequel to Pokémon Pinball for the Game Boy Color. In some ways, it plays like a traditional pinball game, where the objective is to get a high score by keeping the ball in play as long as possible and hitting bumpers. In keeping with the theme of Pokémon, it features Pokémon collection, where while the players play pinball, they must also capture the eponymous creatures.
Ruby & Sapphire has received generally positive reception. It was well-received when it was revealed at E3 by publications such as IGN and GameSpy. Its release was similarly well received, with Metacritic giving it an aggregate score of 82/100. It has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, and has received significant praise from review outlets such as Nintendo Power, GamePro, and IGN, the latter awarding it the Game Boy Advance Game of the Month award for August 2003. In spite of the positive reception, some reviewers found it to be an inferior pinball experience, such as TechTV and The Guardian, though felt that Pokémon fans would enjoy it.
Gameplay
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire plays similarly to traditional pinball games, using a similar engine to its predecessor, Pokémon Pinball. It was also shown at the 2003 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, as well as at the European Computer Trade Show in London, England. Developed by Jupiter and published by Nintendo. It is based on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and features Pokémon available in those games. It was first released in Japan on August 1, 2003, and in North America on August 25 of the same year. The North American date coincided with the five-year anniversary of Pokémon Red and Blues North American release. It was released in Australia on September 26, 2003, and in the United Kingdom two months later on November 14. A Nintendo eShop version for the Wii U was released on January 1, 2015.
Reception
Pre-release reception
Before its release, Pokémon Pinball Ruby & Sapphire received generally positive impressions from critics. After a play test by Anoop Gantayat of IGN, he felt that fans of the series would enjoy it. He also praised the visuals, calling them "bright, colorful, and happy". However, he bemoaned the lack of e-Reader support, a feature common in Game Boy Advance games at the time. Craig Harris, also from IGN, found it to be a fun game, anticipating its release. IGN also included it in a list of the 10 big Game Boy Advance games of 2003. GameSpy described it as "much more than a pinball game", describing its gameplay mechanics as "unique".