I Miss Pinball

[Prolix]

Did you know there is only one manufacturer of pinball machines left in the world? http://www.sternpinball.com/
I'm telling you though when they went solid state it was the beginning of the end. Before that the parts were more solidly built. I wasted many an hour banging away on a machine bumping just enough to get the ball into the right slot.

[neko kyouran]

pft.

pinball wizards don't need to bump.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHxpy7O004s&feature=related

[Prolix]

Funny neko but not true. Of course these days a little bump causes a tilt. In the old days on some machines you could lift the front legs off the floor and it wouldn't tilt. Sometimes you had to because the ball would get hung up on a poorly designed component and stop moving. If you watch that video you'll see Daltrey pretending to give the table a shake or two. Nothing like a real player would though.

[Elady]

Most of my computer pinball games I have let you set keys so you can bump the machine. Heck even in the instructions it even says bumping is a skill you should learn.

[Prolix]

It just isn't the same.  There is no way to vary the size of the bump in a computer game nor can you really get a "feel" for the system. Of course the real thing was possible to break due to too much physical abuse.

Maybe I should have spent less time with pinball and more with girls my age, eh? 

[LigH]

We have an old "Dr. Who" pinball in our recreation room in the company (unfortunately, with defect score display; but "cracked" by the merchant not to require any money).
The sound is already so crazy, when the "plumber" robot starts howling... -- Just what I don't get used to is the *CLACK!* you get for a free play.

As for the software versions, I love DosBox for supporting



 

* LigH grins imagining people out there listening to the soundtrack in their minds already...

[Ralas]

I've been playing Indiana Jones pinball when I go to the laundromat.  It's really easy to get multi-ball, and I can give it a little bump without it tilting.  Haven't tried any medium sized bumps yet.

Lately, I've been thinking it might be fun to try and write an OSS OpenGL 3D pinball game that can take user-generated machines (skins + variables for bumpers and other components and where they go.)  It's much easier to think about thento  actually start coding...

[angstrom]

If anyone wants to create their own pinball tables (or use other peoples) then check out Visual Pinball/VPinMame. It's got a simple drag 'n' drop system for creating the tables, and Visual Basic scripting for your own "features".