A game I mainly bought because I could score a good deal.

But it ended up being well worth my money since I’ve already sunk many hours into it.

Some quick basics about the game.

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire was released in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance.

Despite it being a Pokémon game, Game Freak didn’t touch this game at all. It was developed by Jupiter Corporation.

Japan got it first in August 2003, North America followed just weeks later, timed to Pokémon Red & Blue's 5-year anniversary, with European and Australian releases following by the end of the year.

It's the follow-up to the GBC original Pokémon Pinball game, but now themed around the Hoenn region.

Usually I’m a big advocate of buying what you love.

However, that was a bit different this time around.

I never played this game before, so I obviously didn’t love the game (yet).

But, I saw a good deal and I couldn’t pass up on this.

It started with a local marketplace listing just 10 minutes from my house: a USA box, manual, and inserts (no cartridge), sitting untouched for over a week with zero bids at a €95 starting price. Meanwhile, a complete USA copy sells for €140-270 on eBay.

So I went hunting for a matching USA cartridge, eventually finding one on Vinted. At the time I wasn’t that sure about buying games on Vinted but this seller had 300+ reviews and sent me some extra photos that all checked out.

I contacted the seller and we agreed on €41 for the game.

(yes, I know. The cardboard box is worth more than double the amount of just the cartridge)

The same evening, I messaged the box seller, offered his asking price, and picked it up in person.

€136 in total.

I figured if I didn’t end up liking it, I could always resell it to break even or maybe make a small profit.

I’m not collecting just to make a profit but I mean, I’m not allergic to money either you know.

But then I started playing..

I really started to like this game. It isn’t a game I sit down to play for hours on end. But it's the perfect game for small gaps in life.

I’ve been trying to use my smartphone less for distractions, with mixed success, to be honest.

However, I try to bring my Gameboy Advance SP with me from time to time when I leave the house.

And let me tell you, this game is perfect for those 10-20 minute moments in life when I would normally reach for my phone.

It’s simple, easy to understand, you can work towards a bigger goal (catch all available pokémon) and, even though luck is a thing, you need to learn and get better to really improve your scores.

Not saying you have to be a pro gamer to play the game, not at all, but you can improve pretty quickly which is something I like.

Oh and by the way, the ball feels goooood.

The physics and weight of the ball just feel right. Hitting a good shot into a ramp is really satisfying.

Apparently, there is (or was) a real, full-size arcade pinball machine based on the game.

It was built for Pokémon USA to display it at the Pokémon center in New York.

As far as I could find it was a one-of-a-kind item, never sold to the public or anything, but just for guests of the Pokémon center to play with.

This issue was a bit more personal and less research-heavy than usual as you might notice if you read my newsletters from time to time.

Let me know: do you enjoy these quicker, personal collecting stories once in a while?

Talk to you next week!