{"id":41994,"date":"2026-04-05T21:27:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T13:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=41994"},"modified":"2026-04-05T21:27:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T13:27:37","slug":"devils-on-the-moon-brings-the-score-chasing-of-pinball-to-the-playdate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=41994","title":{"rendered":"Devils on the Moon brings the score-chasing of pinball to the Playdate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Pinball video games have been around for years \u2014 I cut my teeth on <em>Space Cadet 3D Pinball<\/em>, which was pre-loaded on Windows 95. They range from realistic recreations of pinball tables you\u2019ll find at arcades to games that could never exist in real life like 2019\u2019s <em>Demon\u2019s Tilt<\/em> or older ones like <em>Metroid Prime Pinball<\/em> for the Nintendo DS or <em>Pok\u00e9mon Pinball<\/em> for the Game Boy Color.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">I didn\u2019t expect to find a detailed pinball game for the humble and delightful Playdate, but a pair of developers working under the name Amano pulled it off with <em>Devils on the Moon Pinball<\/em>, which arrived last week. It\u2019s the developer\u2019s third game for the Playdate, and Mario and JP (who make up Amano) pointed directly to <em>Pokemon Pinball<\/em> as the inspiration for this game. \u201cI think one of my most-played games is <em>Pokemon Pinball,<\/em>\u201d JP said. \u201cBut the idea to make a pinball game came from Mario\u2026 he came to me and say \u2018JP, I want to make a custom engine for Playdate and we should make a pinball game.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">I love playing pinball in real life, but owning a full-size table is extremely expensive and takes up a ton of room. But <em>Devils on the Moon<\/em> completely scratches the itch. The controls are extremely simple: pressing left on the d-pad flips the left fipper, A flips the right flipper, and pressing down on the d-pad launches the ball. Amano also included tilt controls; pressing right or up on the d-pad or the B button shakes the table in a particular direction so you can try and save the ball. Sadly, the crank doesn\u2019t come into play, but I can\u2019t say I have a good idea for how it would be used.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A screenshot from Devils on the Moon Pinball.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"576\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/3bIRwochgOIWHxkHgbUChQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng--\/https:\/\/d29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net\/images\/user-uploaded\/dotm-screenshot-4_5992.png\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;expand&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;image-lightbox&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;lightbox-open&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\">A screenshot from Devils on the Moon Pinball.<\/span><span> (Amano)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">I was impressed with both the physics and table design of <em>Devils on the Moon<\/em> after playing for just a few minutes. Despite not having analog control, the way the ball reacted when I hit the flippers felt consistent and smooth, and while I was often surprised at some of the bounces it took, it never felt unfair. When I drained a ball, it was almost always something I could have avoided if I knew the game better or had faster reflexes \u2014 just like a good, real-life pinball table.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">JP and Mario described the game as using \u201cstylized physics\u201d rather than it being fully realistic. \u201cIt may not necessarily be accurate to real life,\u201d JP said. \u201cBut since the screen is wider than it is tall unlike actual pinball, we needed the ball to feel a little bit floaty and not fall as fast because then it would just zoom straight down the screen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The table design feels both grounded in reality while also taking advantage of its virtual nature. There are three vertical \u201clevels,\u201d each with its own set of flippers. The 2D nature of the game means there aren\u2019t any true ramps like you\u2019ll on most pinball tables, but having three separate sections of the game to get used to makes up for that. And provided you complete various modes in the game, you can reach boss battles where you\u2019re tasked with whacking a giant enemy repeatedly to drain away their health bar. Physical pinball tables often have similar encounters, but they have to be worked into the design of the game \u2014 in this case, your ball essentially ports to an entirely different space when you battle a boss.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"The full three-stage board layout for Devils on the Moon pinball.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"777\" height=\"1391\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/fuAlSweTBcemAt19HiMgrg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTE3MTk-\/https:\/\/d29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net\/images\/user-uploaded\/board-art_1316.png\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;expand&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;image-lightbox&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;lightbox-open&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\">The full three-stage board layout for Devils on the Moon pinball.<\/span><span> (Amano)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">\u201cIt&#8217;s kind of playing like the old pinball machines where the rules are really simple,\u201d Mario said.&#8221;. &#8220;You just have a few things to do. In our case, it ended up going beyond our original scope, but it\u2019s still quite simple compared to an actual pinball machine in terms of rules.\u201d He said the design intent was to make the game friendlier to people who might try it out without a lot of pinball experience while still putting enough challenge into it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The audio and visual presentation is top-notch for a Playdate game, too. Perhaps most crucially for a pinball game, there\u2019s no lag or stuttering. The game also has a distinct visual identity, something that\u2019s always important for pinball to draw you into the world of the playfield as much as possible. The game\u2019s page cheekily promises \u201c at least (1) songs\u201d and it delivers on that with a solid theme for the main game that serves well as background music that doesn\u2019t get old if you\u2019re playing for a while, and the beeps and boops the table makes as you play feel well-suited to the game. It doesn\u2019t \u201csound\u201d like a real pinball table \u2014\u00a0but it isn\u2019t one, so that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A screenshot of Devils on the Moon Pinball.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"576\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/dIdpJtVbVuc71wySnGly_w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng--\/https:\/\/d29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net\/images\/user-uploaded\/dotm-screenshot-7_7257.png\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;expand&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;image-lightbox&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;lightbox-open&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\">A screenshot of Devils on the Moon Pinball.<\/span><span> (Amano)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">I haven\u2019t played a video pinball game in a long time, but the Playdate feels like an ideal platform for this. I can bring it with me anywhere and play a round or two (provided there\u2019s decent light) or settle in for a longer play session. The game is challenging enough that you\u2019ll need to practice a lot to get the hang of it, but there\u2019s enough variety to the three-tiered table to keep players interested for the long haul. After all, the fun of pinball isn\u2019t necessarily playing a table for the first time \u2014 it\u2019s learning it inside out so you can maximize your score. I\u2019m looking forward to getting to that point with <em>Devils on the Moon.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/gaming\/devils-on-the-moon-brings-the-score-chasing-of-pinball-to-the-playdate-130000414.html?src=rss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pinball video games have been around for years \u2014 I cut my teeth on Space Cadet 3D Pinball, which was pre-loaded on Windows 95. They&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[4605,19766,9217,17917,17645,19767],"class_list":["post-41994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-gadgets-reviews","tag-brings","tag-devils","tag-moon","tag-pinball","tag-playdate","tag-scorechasing","wpcat-32-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}