The last time we saw a pinball game from Nintendo that incorporated Mario into its formula, it was back on the NES, with the release of Pinball. Taken straight from the Vs. Pinball arcade game that was seen on its own and in PlayChoice machines, it introduced some fun gameplay elements with the Mario theme. But little did we know that his involvement would only get better with Nintendo's next Mario Pinball effort.

Enter Mario Pinball Land, a game that literally transforms our hero into a crunched-up little ball and lets him go on a number of playfields based upon the Mario universe, where he vows to fight the evil Bowser once again. This time, ol' Bowser has kidnapped Peach and turned the Mario world into one huge pinball realm, forcing Mario to be scrunched up on his quest to the save the day. Along the way, Mario will battle a number of enemies, collect stars to open up new bonus rooms, collect coins for 1-ups and other bonuses, and fight bosses who can't wait to stop the heroic plumber dead in his tracks.

The pinball formula that Fuse Games has introduced here is similar to that of the old Game Boy release of Kirby's Pinball Land, where Mario is launched by flippers into targets and doors that lead to new areas. You can only access new areas by collecting stars, which appear after completing different tasks, like defeating all the enemies on a playfield or unlocking particular items that are aimed for. In each of these areas lie new challenges, as well as the occasional boss, which can prove to be a headache for Mario. Fortunately, a pattern can be worked out so they can be dispatched with just the right amount of patience.

The gameplay in itself feels right, although the rolling action that Mario has sometimes goes a bit too fast for his own good. This can result in a slight bit of frustration with a missed target, like a penguin that has to be knocked down to be destroyed, but gets back up before the second hit can be landed. Fortunately, Fuse Games has made sure that the game doesn't become incredibly difficult, providing lots of opportunities to keep in play, like a pipe that can be extended between the flippers to insure it doesn't drop down into the previous playfield. The game also allows you to save after a certain amount of progress, so you can proceed to the next levels and not have to play through the game entirely in one try.

The graphics look great, especially Mario himself, who rolls around with great fluidity and looks hilarious at times, especially after a collision with enemies. There's also superb detail in each of the level layouts, complete with side details like roller coasters and jumping enemies. It looks like a typical Mario game, but with some nice touches to keep the pinball theme in hand. Throw in traditional Mario tunes and sound effects and it fits the bill.

Mario Pinball Land looks to be making quite a few bumps in its journey toward the fall gaming market, and it looks to be right up the pinball alley for Game Boy Advance owners. The game arrives this October, so practice your flipper skills.