Question: Pokémon Pinball is a pinball-based game that was a spinoff in the series that was first released in Japan in what year?
Context: Zen Pinball is a series of pinball machine video games for iOS and the PlayStation 3 developed by Zen Studios.  The iOS releases are two separate applications, each containing one table; Zen Pinball: Rollercoaster, released July 7, 2008, and Zen Pinball: Inferno, released October 31, 2008.  "Zen Pinball" for the PlayStation 3 was published by Sony Computer Entertainment and features four tables, plus an additional six tables as downloadable content.  It was released on the PlayStation Network on May 14, 2009.  It is the PlayStation 3 counterpart to the "Pinball FX" series on the Xbox 360, and the first pinball game on the PlayStation 3.  The game was also released on Android devices as Zen Pinball THD on December 1, 2011, and the Nintendo 3DS as Zen Pinball 3D via the Nintendo eShop on December 1, 2011 in Europe and January 12, 2012 in North America. Pokémon Pinball (Japanese: ポケモンピンボール , Hepburn: Pokemon Pinbōru ) is a pinball-based Pokémon spin-off video game for the Game Boy Color.  It was released in Japan on April 14, 1999, and in North America on June 28, 1999.  In it, the ball is a Poké Ball, and most of the objects on the table are Pokémon-related. Metroid Prime Pinball is a pinball video game themed after the "Metroid" series.  The game uses the graphical style and various story elements from "Metroid Prime".  It was developed by Fuse Games for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, and released by Nintendo in North America and Australia in 2005, in Japan in 2006, and in Europe in 2007.  "Metroid Prime Pinball" uses the basic mechanics of pinball, along with typical pinball items.  New mechanics are introduced, such as wall jumping and the ability to fire weapons.  The Nintendo DS's touchscreen can be nudged with a finger to alter the pinball's trajectory while in motion. Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is a pinball game developed by Jupiter, published by The Pokémon Company and distributed by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console.  It was first revealed at E3 in 2003, and was released in the same year – on August 1, August 25, and November 14 in Japan, North America, and PAL regions respectively.  The North American release was done to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the North American release of "Pokémon Red" and "Blue".  It is based on "Pokémon Ruby" and "Sapphire", and is a sequel to "Pokémon Pinball" for the Game Boy Color.  In some ways, it plays like a traditional pinball game, where the objective is to get a high score by keeping the ball in play as long as possible and hitting bumpers.  In keeping with the theme of "Pokémon", it features Pokémon collection, where while the players play pinball, they must also capture the eponymous creatures. Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, originally released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation the Movie: Mew and the Wave Hero, is a 2005 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and produced by OLM, Inc. It is the eighth installment of the "Pokémon" film series.  It was released in theaters in Japan on July 16, 2005, followed by the Japanese DVD release on December 22, 2005.  The English dub was done by 4Kids Entertainment and was first released on DVD in Australia on August 16, 2006, with the US release following on September 19, 2006.  The English dub of the movie premiered in the US for the first time at the 2006 Comic-Con in San Diego, California.  The film aired in the United Kingdom in July 2007 on Cartoon Network and it continues to air on CITV.  This is also the last "Pokémon" film to be dubbed in English by 4Kids Entertainment, who have been dubbing "Pokémon" from the start of the television series in 1998.  In India it was dubbed in Hindi and aired on 9 July 2017 at hungama TV All future "Pokémon" episodes and films would be dubbed by The Pokémon Company International. Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version are role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy.  They are the first installments of the "Pokémon" series.  They were first released in Japan in 1996 as "Red" and "Green".  "Blue" was released later in the year as a special edition.  They were later released as "Red" and "Blue" in North America, Europe, and Australia over the following three years. " Pokémon Yellow", a special edition version, was released roughly a year later.  "Red" and "Green" have subsequently been remade for the Game Boy Advance as "Pokémon FireRed" and "LeafGreen", released in 2004. Pokémon Ruby Version and Sapphire Version (ポケットモンスタールビー・サファイア , Poketto Monsutā Rubī & Safaia , "Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire") are the third installments of the "Pokémon" series of role-playing video games, developed by Game Freak published by The Pokémon Company and distributed by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance.  The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and internationally in 2003. " Pokémon Emerald", a special edition version, was released two years later in each region.  These three games ("Pokémon Ruby", "Sapphire", and "Emerald") are part of the third generation of the "Pokémon" video game series, also known as the "advanced generation".  Remakes of the two games, titled "Omega Ruby" and "Alpha Sapphire", were released for the Nintendo 3DS worldwide on November 21, 2014, exactly twelve years to the date of the original "Ruby" and "Sapphire" release date, with the exception of Europe, where it was released on November 28, 2014. Pokémon Rumble World (Japanese: みんなのポケモンスクランブル , Hepburn: Minna no Pokémon Sukuranburu , Everyone's Pokémon Scramble) is a freemium action video game in the "Pokémon" series developed by Ambrella, published by The Pokémon Company and distributed by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS.  It is the fourth game in the "Pokémon Rumble" subseries, and features toy versions of at least 719 creatures from the first six generations.  The game was first released worldwide as a free-to-start download title on the Nintendo eShop on April 8, 2015, with physical retail versions available in Japan the following November, Europe in January 2016, and North America in April 2016. Pokémon is a series of video games developed by Game Freak and Creatures Inc. and published by Nintendo as part of the "Pokémon" media franchise.  First released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, the main series of role-playing video games (RPGs) has continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds. The Little Mermaid II: Pinball Frenzy is a video game developed by Disney Interactive Studios and Left Field Productions and published by Nintendo of America, Inc. for the Game Boy Color.  It was first released in September 2000 in North America and was later released on March 16, 2001, in PAL regions.  The game features two pinball tables based on the animated films "The Little Mermaid" and "", with each being represented by Ariel and her daughter Melody respectively.  It also includes sixteen unlockable minigames, and supports up to four players through alternating tables.  Critical response to the game was primarily positive, with reviewers praising its visuals and appeal to girls.  Some critics questioned the decision to create a title based on "The Little Mermaid".  The game was compared several times to "Pokémon Pinball".
Answer: 1996