Platform stars do so much traveling and jumping around, every now and then you gotta stop and take a break from the norm and just enjoy a leisurely activity once in a while. Mario and crew will drive go carts on occasion and partake in some board games. Kirby's Dream Course sees the adorable hero indulge in golf. Sonic the Hedgehog gets in on this action with Sonic Spinball, not only one of my favorite spin-off games, but one of my most enjoyed Sonic games in his entire run.

Pinball video games are awesome. While the real deal pinball table is something that can't be topped, I think their video game cousins are visually creative in many instances with their table designs and layouts. Sonic Spinball, the inspiration laid itself out with Casino Night Zone. Developed by Sega Technical Institute and released in the United States in 1993, Sonic Spinball is one of the few Sonic games that uses the lore from the Sonic the Hedgehog SatAM animated series (not the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog). Robotnik's fortress is built atop a volcano that powers it and he aims to Roboticize the plants and animals of Mobius into his slaves. Sonic and Tails lead an air assault and Sonic infiltrates the base to dispatch the pinball-like defenses. Man, I love the term "Roboticize", it's secondarily the reason why ROBOTNIK is my canon name for him, not Eggman. I'll never call him that sincerely. I can be lenient with my nostalgia, despite being a retro guy, but I'll die on the Robotnik > Eggman hill.

Graphically and performance wise, Sonic Spinball may not look as good or run as fast as the platform game counterparts, I'd even say it's choppier by comparison. The Sonic sprite is new, though a little smaller. The Blue Bomber spends much of his time as a ball throughout play, so there isn't much to take in. What is amazing, though, are the "tables", or levels. I really dig their designs

As far as pinball standards, the designs and layouts are very clever. Enemies act as bumpers, there's plenty of chutes and alternate chambers to blast Sonic through to unlock passageways. I love the LED ticker that pops up at the top of the screen when you engage with obstacles that gives you some pointers, just more of that authentic pinball flavoring. 

Controls are pretty standard pinball layout. A and B control the left and right flippers, respectively. Sonic can jump, look up, duck, and Spin Dash, but there's seldom many instances where Sonic's signature controls will come into play. Sonic will be carried mostly by momentum of the paddles. You can also alter Sonic's trajectory slightly, which is helpful when it comes to hitting any straggling enemies that are about, or that last series of bumpers you need to smack. It might not feel very crisp, if you're expecting a pure pinball experience. 

The music is just incredible. Barring fighting games, Sonic Spinball is one of my favorite soundtracks of the 16-bit era. The Toxic Caves theme is amazing to play on a loop. The sound effects, like the music. The explosions are satisfying, the chimes and victory alerts feel rewarding, and some of the Sonic sound effects remain ever present. The presentation is off the charts with me, it's a cool game with a respectable amount of flair.

Special bonus stages include a more authentic pinball setting from more a table perspective, which I really like. The Sonic reflection in the glass even tracks the ball with his eyes, that's nice attention to detail.

 Sonic Spinball became one of the Sonic games that commanded a lot of my time, even more than the mainline entries. I would've liked it if it ran at a smoother frame rate, but I have enjoyed it over the years nonetheless. Even if a sequel never came to fruition, the pinball theme would continue to become synonymous with Sonic games over the years, as stages will feature brief pinball interludes. Sonic Spinball is a bit of a dark horse Sonic game, I think it's better than given credit.