Pinball Quest is an NES game developed by Tose and published by Jaleco, first released in 1989. It uniquely blends pinball gameplay with RPG elements and is regarded as the first RPG-style pinball game.
It features four modes: a story-driven "RPG Mode", plus three single/multiplayer modes: "Circus", "Viva! Golf" and "Pop! Pop!". In RPG Mode, players control a silver pinball to traverse a six-floor castle and rescue Princess Bali imprisoned by the Dark Lord Beezelbub. Players use flippers to hit targets, defeat enemies, and earn coins to buy upgraded flippers and bumpers on the black market.
The six RPG Mode levels and their features:
1. Tomb: Captain's Ghost, Skeletons
2. Gate: Witch Ziffroo, Demon Dogs
3. Goblin: Goblin Kids, Goblin Guards
4. River: "toitles", "Wheel O' Luck", Dark Knight
5. Harpy: Harpies, Demon Guards
6. Throne Room: Beezelbub
Pinball Quest gained attention for its innovative blend of pinball and RPG elements, and is considered one of the most bizarre genre crossovers in gaming history.