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"Watch me pull a rabbit outta my hat!"

Rocky: "And now, here's something we hope you'll really like!"

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends is an arcade pinball game based on the cult cartoon series by Jay Ward. Designed by Tim Seckel with artwork by Kevin O'Connor, it was released by Data East in 1993.

As the title indicates, the title celebrates the animated misadventures of Rocket J. Squirrel, Bullwinkle the moose, the Pottsylvania spies Boris and Natasha, and characters from the show's supporting segments. Help Mr. Peabody and Sherman fire up the WABAC Machine and travel through time, save Nell from the spinning sawblade, defuse the Bomb with the Bomb Extinguisher, and complete the Pie to start Tri-Ball multiball. Hit the Hat targets to enable the Hat Trick, then watch the backglass as Bullwinkle tries to pull a rabbit (and a mystery reward) out of his hat.

Appropriately enough, Rocky and Bullwinkle is a game suitable for all types of players, one that is fun for casuals while offering a fair amount of depth for pros. The colorful art, zany sound package, funny animations, and good variety of shots makes this a nostalgic pleasure for fans of the show.


The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends demonstrates the following tropes:

  • Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: Rocky, Bullwinkle, and Mr. Peabody.
  • Amusing Injuries: If the player misses the Skill Shot, Bullwinkle gets pelted in the face with various objects.
  • Animal-Eared Headband: Rocky wears a pair of fake rabbit ears for Bullwinkle's Hat Trick.
  • Big Electric Switch: Snidley Whiplash can be seen pulling a switch to operate the sawmill.
  • Bound and Gagged: Nell is tied up in the sawmill.
  • Cartoon Bomb: Boris' BOMB targets.
  • Chained to a Railway/Railroad Tracks of Doom: One of the animated sequences has Snidley Whiplash tying Nell to a pair of train tracks, only to get hit himself when the train ends up going on another set of tracks that he happens to be on.
  • Damsel in Distress: Nell, of course.
    Narrator: "Meanwhile, Snidely Whiplash had Nell tied to the log..."
    Nell: "Save me!"
  • Developer's Foresight: If a ball drains down the outlanes but the player manages a "death save" (nudge the table so the ball bounces back up to the flippers), Mr. Peabody will comment, "Good work, Sherman!"
  • Lantern Jaw of Justice: Sported by Dudley Do-Right.
  • Match Sequence: Aesop chisels the word "Match" on a wall, then his son enters from stage left with a jackhammer to carve the match number.
  • Moose Are Idiots: Bullwinkle, and we love him for it.
  • Narrator
  • Ominous Multiple Screens: The WABAC Machine has a screen for each of its modes.
  • Pull a Rabbit out of My Hat: The Hat Trick, available after hitting all three Hat targets. Bullwinkle will pull out either a rhino, a lion, or Rocky, and the player gets a reward according to what he pulls out.
    Rocky: "But that trick never works!"
  • Shout-Out: A small DeLorean can be seen parked behind the WABAC Machine.
  • Shown Their Work: Tim Seckel is a fan of the show, and he was ecstatic when he found out Data East had acquired the rights to make a pinball machine themed on Rocky & Bullwinkle. The love shows everywhere in the game.
    • The game is filled with numerous cameos and references to various story arcs and shorts, including:
      • The Moon Men from "Jet Fuel Formula", and the robotic Moon Mice from "Metal-Munching Mice".
      • The football game between Wossamotta U. and the Mud City Manglers.
      • The storybook and fairy from "Fractured Fairy Tales", along with Prince Darling from "Sleeping Beauty".
      • Boris and Natasha wear their British police disguises from "Rue Britannia".
      • The lost state of Moosylvania.
      • The "Mr. Know-It-All" segment, "How To Be A Temperamental Movie Star"
  • Skill Shot: Use the flippers to choose one of three rewards, then launch the ball into the corresponding flashing lane.
  • Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Boris and Natasha.
  • WABAC Trip: Completing all of the WABAC modes starts "Back In Time", where the player has fifteen seconds to shoot the left ramp as often as possible, going back 100 years for each shot.
  • Welcome to Corneria: Hitting an already-lit Hat target makes Rocky yell "Wrong hat!"... repeatedly.

Narrator: "Stay tuned, there's more!"

Alternative Title(s): Rocky And Bullwinkle

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