The Pinball Arcade

The Pinball Arcade aims to bring real life pinball tables to the PC.

Release Date

November 2013.

Pros

The Pinball Arcade comes with one free table, Tales of the Arabian Nights. It might be free, but it is one awesome table to play.

Even though only one table is free, variety is still a very strong point in The Pinball Arcade. All other tables can be played to a certian score limit. So you can try out all the other tables and decide whether to buy them. Or if you are as bad a player as I am, you might not even reach the score limit. Farsight Studios are still adding tables to the game which means more variety to come.

Every month a new table is set as a free table, so you can play that table without a score limit for that particular month. Effectively that is two free tables for play, one that is permananently free and the other changes each month.

The graphics are very nice indeed. Some tables look better than others though, but that is probably due to the different designs of the tables in real life.

The sounds and music are also very nice. Once again, it depends on which table you play. Some tables just plain sounds better than others. I am not sure how accurate their representations are of the real thing, but the variety is certainly there and some of them sound great.

There are three camera angles to view launching the ball and four camera angles for the normal game play. Although there are not as many camera angles as Dream Pinball 3D for normal game play, it is enough to give different useful views. What is even better, is that each camera angle can be locked so that the view does not scroll.

It has Haunted House! Although I have not played it in over twenty years, Haunted House is one pinball table that is permanently stuck in my head. The table has a three level playing field, eight flippers and one inverted play field and all of this greatness is simulated in The Pinball Arcade. Ah, what great memories.

Each table has animated instructions on how the table works.

On the simulation side, I think The Pinball Arcade is as realistic as Pro Pinball Timeshock. The ball moves as I expect it to.

Cons

I cannot think of a single con for The Pinball Arcade. The game plays very well with one free table and the rest can be played to a score limit.

Other Points

If you are willing to spend extra money, you can buy Pro Packs which adds extra stuff for some of the tables. These extras include pro tips for the table and access to the operators menu. For the simulation enthusiast, even the operator’s menu operates differently between tables, so you have to know what you are doing for each table. It does cost extra so these extras are not for everyone.

After sticking to the free tables for a while, I decided to buy the Season Two Pro Pack during a sale. The strange thing is, the sale price listed on the Steam DLC page was $35.99USD, but the in-game price was $29.99USD. Sure enough I bought the pack in-game for the cheaper price.

Biases

Reviewed version 1.22.7 to 1.26.11 of the game.

I really liked Dream Pinball 3D, Pro Pinball Timeshock and Pinball Fantasies.

I enjoy playing pinball in real life, but I have not touched a pinball table in over twenty years.

DRM

Steam.

Minimum Requirements (as stated on Steam game page)

OS: Windows XP
Processor: Dual Core 1.6 ghz or better.
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Graphics: Graphics card supporting DirectX 9.0c and Shader Model 3.0
DirectX: Version 9.0c
Hard Drive: 4 GB available space
Sound Card: Direct Sound capable card.

Computer Played On

Windows 7 64 bit.
Intel Core i5 2.3GHz
4GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1GB RAM
Conexant SmartAudio with egg speakers or earphones. Or Logitech G35.
Graphics settings are set to whatever I feel comfortable with playing on this PC. They are usually not set to the highest settings. All screenshots are taken with my settings.

Dream Pinball 3D

Pinball simulation brought to life with wonderful graphics and atmosphere. Choose from six tables, four difficulty levels and get different types of balls during play.

Release Date

August 2006.

Pros

The graphics are beautiful. There is glass reflection which looks realistic, but makes the table more difficult to see. The ball and everything else in the table also looks great with nice lighting and animations.

The sounds are also excellent. Dream Pinball 3D is the first pinball game I played that has ambient sounds. It gives the atmosphere that you are in real place playing pinball with other people around.

There are six tables to choose from. Not as many as Pinball Gold Pack but much better than the single table of Pro Pinball Timeshock.

There are seven camera angles to choose from. Only one of them is the all viewing static camera though. The other cameras range from sticking your head right up against the glass and following the ball very closely, to viewing most of the table with only slight movement. The close camera views really show off the beautiful graphics of the game, but it is a bit difficult to play.

While playing, you can get balls made of different material which have different weights and give different scores. I have never seen a real pinball table that changes ball type during play, so I do not think this is realistic. It sure gives an extra challenge for a computer game though.

Cons

On my Windows 10 PC, the maximum resolution the game would allow me to set is 1280 x 1024. Unfortuantely, it is not playable on this resolution. For some strange reason the game keeps minimizing, sometimes at the main menu and sometimes when I start a table. For the game to be playable I have to set the resolution to 1280 x 960 or lower.

There are sparkles that pop out from the places where the ball scores points. Yes, it shows where points can be scored but it looks out of place and there is no option to turn it off.

The tables do not feel as balanced as Pinball Fantasies or Pro Pinball Timeshock. Some of the targets seem impossible to hit, but sometimes the ball will just hit that target after randomly deflecting from something else.

Other Points

There is speech and music for the pinball tables, but they do not sound anywhere near as good as Pro Pinball Timeshock.

There are four difficulty levels which determine how many balls you get as well as a few other things.

If you are feeling competitive, you can submit your high score to the official site and see how you fare against other players. Only the Flash version of the page displays high scores.

Biases

Reviewed GOG.com version of the game.

I really like pinball in real life, although I have not touched a pinball table in over 20 years.

On computer I really liked Raster Blaster, Night Mission and Pinball Construction Set on the Apple II.

On the PC I liked Epic Pinball and really liked Pro Pinball Timeshock and Pinball Fantasies.

I also really liked Space Cadet, the pinball game that came with Windows XP.

DRM

Dream Pinball 3D is DRM free from GOG.com.

Minimum Requirements (as stated on GOG.com)

Windows XP or Windows Vista
1 GHz Processor (1.4GHz recommended)
256MB RAM (512 recommended)
NVidia or ATI 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 7 (compatible with DirectX 9 recommended)
Mouse, Keyboard

Computer Played On

Windows 7 64 bit.
Intel Core i5 2.3GHz
4Gb RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1Gb RAM
Conexant SmartAudio with egg speakers or earphones. Or Logitech G35.
Graphics settings are set to whatever I feel comfortable with playing on this PC. They are usually not set to the highest settings. All screenshots are taken with my settings.

Handy Tips

If you have the GOG.com version of the game and want to submit high scores to the official site, you can get an activation code by contacting GOG support.

Pro Pinball Timeshock

Pro Pinball Timeshock really puts the simulation in pinball simulation.

Release Date

September 1997.

Pros

The game comes with two comprehensive manuals. One is a technical manual which explains technical stuff like options for the game. The second manual explains the rules of the table, what options there are for the table and also has a section on pinball techniques.

The game is built like a real pinball table simulation. There is even an operator’s menu where you can set all kinds of settings as well as test the table’s mechanisms. Most of the settings are initially locked and will unlock over time as the number of games played increases. All the settings unlock when Total Play Time has reached 24 hours.

The realism is amazing. You can actually trap a ball under the upper right flipper.

The excellent graphics also add to the realism. All the ball movement, bumpers, flippers and flashing lights look and move just like a real pinball table.

The music is excellent and I would also say, better than Pinball Fantasies!

There are four table views which are all non-scrolling including the top-down view.

Although slightly more difficult than Pinball Fantasies, the game is still well balanced. All ramps and targets can be reached, but it is not too easy.

The multiball is absolutely insane. I managed to get six balls on the table at one point. Very frantic but very good fun.

Cons

With only one table, variety is definitely not a strong point with Pro Pinball Timeshock.

Other Points

There is a credit system where you can use credits to buy-in extra balls to continue a game, but there is actually no way of adding credits like inserting coins. Credits must be won by playing the game.

There is an examine table feature where you can select a section of a table for a zoomed up view and a slide show feature that shows parts of the table from different angles. I do not think it has any impact on the actual game other than just showing off the table.

Biases

Reviewed version 1.07 from GOG.com.

I really like pinball in real life, although I have not touched a pinball table in over 20 years.

On computer I really liked Raster Blaster, Night Mission and Pinball Construction Set on the Apple II.

On the PC I liked Epic Pinball before Pinball Fantasies came along and blew me away.

I also really liked Space Cadet, the pinball game that came with Windows XP.

DRM

Pro Pinball Timeshock is DRM free from GOG.com.

Minimum Requirements (as stated on GOG.com)

Windows XP or Windows Vista
1 GHz Processor (1.4GHz recommended)
256MB RAM (512 recommended)
3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 7 (compatible with DirectX 9 recommended)
Mouse, Keyboard

Computer Played On

Windows 7 64 bit.
Intel Core i5 2.3GHz
4Gb RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1Gb RAM
Conexant SmartAudio with egg speakers or earphones. Or Logitech G35.
Graphics settings are set to whatever I feel comfortable with playing on this PC. They are usually not set to the highest settings. All screenshots are taken with my settings.

Pure Pinball 2 Redux

Three beautiful tables of pinball goodness which is, unfortunately, marred by strange pinball mechanics.

Release Date

February 2005.

Pros

The graphics are very nice. Not as good as The Pinball Arcade, but I do think it is nicer than Dream Pinball 3D.

There are twelve camera angles to choose from. There are no static cameras, but the first two move only slightly. With so many camera angles I am sure every player will find one to suit them.

Although there is no nice animated tour of the tables and how to score points, the manual is quite comprehensive as to how to play each table. The included manual from GOG.com‘s version of the game is missing the diagram of the tables, but they are available in this forum post.

Cons

The music is mostly non-reactive. I say mostly because, I have encountered one time where I triggered an event that actually changed the music. The rest of the time the music sounds like a single track being played from a CD and setting it to repeat infinitely. Even Pinball Fantasies had more reactive music than Pure Pinball 2.

Out of the three tables, only Runaway Train has music which I thought matches the table theme. The other two tables sound like just random music picked from somewhere.

The pinball mechanics feels wrong. The ball motion is okay, but it does not bounce enough off static surfaces. The flippers also feel very weak and sometimes it would propel the ball in an unexpected direction.

The family friendly nature of the pinball tables are ruined by the display of scantily clad women for the loading screens. The images have no relation whatsoever to the pinball tables. Fortunately, a nice person has provided replacement loading images and can be downloaded from this GOG forum post.

Other Points

There are three tables. That is more than Pro Pinball Timeshock, but less than all the other pinball games in recent memory.

The sounds are OK.

Pure Pinball 2 Redux works fine on my Windows 10 PC. The highest resolution I can run it at is 1280 x 960, but the game still looks and plays fine.

Biases

Reviewed the GOG.com version of the game.

I really liked The Pinball Arcade, Pro Pinball Timeshock, Dream Pinball 3D and Pinball Fantasies.

After reviewing The Pinball Arcade, I found a real pinball table and have been playing that before Pure Pinball 2 Redux.

DRM

Pure Pinball 2 Redux is DRM free from GOG.com.

Minimum Requirements (as stated in the manual)

CPU 450 MHz Pentium® II or equivalent
System RAM 128 MB
Hard Drive 800 MB of free hard drive space
Graphics Display Adapter with T&L hardware and 32 MB of Video RAM (these include NVIDIA GeForce 256/2/3/4/FX series, ATI Radeon series, SiS Xabre, and Matrox Parhelia series)
Sound DirectSound® compatible sound card
CD-ROM 2x CD-ROM (GOG.com‘s version definitely does not need this)

Computer Played On

Windows 7 64 bit.
Intel Core i5 2.3GHz
4GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1GB RAM
Conexant SmartAudio with egg speakers or earphones.
Graphics settings are set to whatever I feel comfortable with playing on this PC. They are usually not set to the highest settings. All screenshots are taken with my settings.

Pinball Gold Pack

20 tables of pinball simulation from the 90s.

Release Date

1996.

Pros

It is simple pinball which makes it very easy to learn.

A great variety with 20 tables to choose from.

Pinball Fantasies! This set of four tables was the reason I bought this pack. It was amazingly fun years ago when it was first released, and it is still amazingly fun now. The table designs are very well balanced. All ramps and targets can be reached and yet it is not too easy.

The music for Pinball Fantasies is one of the best game music ever produced. They are very well suited to their corresponding table themes.

Cons

The sound is slightly delayed. This may be a DosBox compatibility issue, but then again this is the only game on DosBox that I noticed this delay.

Apart from Pinball Fantasies, which is excellent and Pinball Illusions which is OK, all the other tables including the Mania tables are a bit frustrating. There are some targets or ramps that are almost impossible to reach.

The GOG version of the game does not come with any manuals. Luckily the games are very easy to play with only the shift(or ctrl depending on mapperfile setting) keys, space bar, enter and the down arrow key being used.

Other Points

Pinball Illusions is the only game in the pack that has multiball.

Pinball Illusions can be set to 800×600 resolution where most of the table is visible. There is still a little bit of scrolling, but it is much easier to see than with standard resolution view.

Biases

Reviewed GOG version.

I really like pinball in real life, although I have not touched a pinball table in over 20 years.

On computer I really liked Raster Blaster, Night Mission and Pinball Construction Set on the Apple II.

On the PC I liked Epic Pinball before Pinball Fantasies came along and blew me away.

I also really liked Space Cadet, the pinball game that came with Windows XP.

DRM

The Pinball Gold Pack is DRM free from GOG.com.

Minimum Requirements (as stated on GOG.com)

Windows XP or Windows Vista
1.8 GHz Processor
512MB RAM (1 GB recommended)
3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 7 (compatible with DirectX 9 recommended)
2GB HDD – I am not sure why GOG has 2GB for the requirements when it only takes up around 30Mb on my hard disk.
Mouse, Keyboard

Computer Played On

Windows 7 64 bit.
Intel Core i5 2.3GHz
4Gb RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1Gb RAM
Conexant SmartAudio with egg speakers or earphones. Or Logitech G35.
Graphics settings are set to whatever I feel comfortable with playing on this PC. They are usually not set to the highest settings. All screenshots are taken with my settings.

Handy Tips

The GOG version of the game has the shift and ctrl keys swapped for some reason. To change them back to normal, edit the files dosboxDREAMS1.conf, dosboxDREAMS2.conf, dosboxPFD.conf and dosboxILLUSIONS.conf and remove the line mapperfile=mapper.txt.