Sonic Spinball is a spin-off game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Dr Robotnik has taken over Mt Mobius and put in place a pinball defence system which Sonic has to navigate through. Rather than having separate tables with the aim of achieving a high score, Sonic must collect the 5 Chaos Emeralds in each level in order to reach the boss and progress to the next level.
If Sonic falls between the flippers, or goes down the gutter, you will lose a life unless there was something to stop you, like the usual kickbacks or a safety platform. If you lose all lives, it is game over.
Sonic assumes ball form through the majority of the game, but there are some platforms where he can stand up and move freely. Usually this will mean taking a few steps then jumping to the next part of the table, where Sonic will assume ball-form once more. Bizarrely, Sonic is very sluggish and even more frustrating to control on foot.
Whilst in ball-form, you can influence Sonic's movement in order to guide him. The flippers can be used to provide the ball speed and general direction, and your influence can make sure he gets there. That's easier said than done.
The physics are very floaty and it can end up taking far longer than expected to navigate the table. This problem is enhanced by the fact that the table designs are often designed to frustrate. You will be required to hit a certain target, but next to it will be a pipe, either leading away from the area, or will lead you back to your flippers but taking you several seconds to get there, further dragging out the game and making it a chore to play.
The bosses aren't particularly interesting, and they also have the design of allowing you to drop out of the area and forcing you to find your way back. Once defeated, you play a bonus round where Sonic is actually playing a pinball table. You simply have to hit the metal ball at Badniks, but the table is simplistic and the ball feels extremely floaty.
The tables have a few areas to them and will be fairly symmetrical. The levels don't look like a Sonic game which is another strange design decision. You would have thought there would be a Casino style level, since this must have been the main inspiration for the game, but instead, you go through Toxic Caves, Lava Powerhouse, The Machine, and Showdown (a launch-pad).
Since I enjoy pinball and quite like Sonic as a character, I thought Sonic Spinball would be an enjoyable game. However, the levels are purely designed to frustrate and you often just go round in circles; taking ages to proceed to the next area within the level, then swiftly dropping back out. It's a game where you are supposed to play repeatedly, increasing your skills to get further each time. I played the game via Sonic Mega Collection and frequently used the save/reload feature and I still thought it was one of the most frustrating games I have ever played. I just cannot imagine playing the game in one sitting, never-mind playing it multiple times.