Devils and pinball are a perfect match

There’s one specific reason I keep a Wii U handy, and that’s to have an easy way to play classic pinball Crushing the devil. Over the years, it has become a comfortable game for me. I’m not entirely sure what it is, but there’s something about the combination of familiar pinball gameplay and devilish imagery that works so well together, and makes me lose myself in the chase for a high score. But now I have something else to fill that need, and it comes in a much smaller package.

Devils on the Moon Pinball Playdate has a very literal title. It’s a game about playing pinball on the moon, which happens to be home to a bunch of little devils. It has just one pinball table, but three different levels, all designed around occult and astronomical themes. Additionally, you can unlock several one-time challenges on smaller boards, such as having to press every pin on the screen before time runs out.

There are two cool things Devils on the Moon Pinball. The first is that it works at all. The developers at Amano have managed to cram at least somewhat realistic-looking physics simulation into the small Playdate, and it’s great to play. You get the satisfying sound of launching the ball, the chaos of watching it bounce around a complex playing field, and the ability to nudge the ball to help guide your shots only So. And in my experience at least, all of this happens without any detectable slowdown, which can be a real buzz in a pinball game. It was really fun Watch the Playdate developers push the device to its limitsand Devils on the moon is the latest example. (If you’re interested in how they pulled it off, the team wrote A series of very technical development blogs.)

This artistic wizardry leads to the second great thing about the game: it has a lot of personality. The pinball table is covered with little animatronics. There is a smiling moon in the middle layer laying Majora’s Mask To shame, mischievous demons everywhere react to your performance by either mocking you or offering a helping hand. I especially like the cat-like blobs that can save the ball from getting lost. And like the best digital versions of pinball, the board changes regularly depending on how you play, opening up new ways to score points and, more importantly, find new pinballs. There’s also an in-game grimoire that keeps track of all the demons you’ve captured.

There’s an unspoken rule, at least in my mind, that every mobile device needs at least one solid pinball game. They’re the kinds of games you can play to pass a few minutes, or get lost in as you chase a high score, making them perfect for a mobile device. I had a Game Boy Pokemon Pinball and Kirby Pinball landwhile Nintendo had DS Metroid Prime Pinball. Now, it’s playtime devils on the moon pinball, And I can finally pack my Wii U away.