Unlike Sonic the Hedgehog and its true sequels, Sonic Spinball is not a side-scrolling platform game. Rather, it is a pinball game in which you spin, bounce, and bump Sonic through a world of bumpers and targets. Once again, the nefarious Dr. Robotnik is turning the animals of Planet Morbious into robots. To carry out his evil scheme, he has created a monstrosity called the Veg-O-Fortress, which is a volcanic island protected by a special Pinball Defense System.
To save the day, you must help Sonic swipe the Chaos Emeralds that stabilize the mountain on which the Veg-O-Fortress stands. The Veg-O-Fortress is a giant pinball machine divided into four levels: The Toxic Caves, the Lava Powerhouse, the Machine and the Showdown. To clear a level, you must work your way upward through the pinball machine, snatch all the Chaos Emeralds, and defeat a boss at the end of the level.