Virtual Pinball

n/a

Virtual Pinball

System(s): Sega Mega Drive

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: BudgeCo

Supporting companies: E.J. Sarraille Design Group (package design), Nu Romantic Productions (sound)

Distributor: Electronic Arts Australasia (AU)

Sound driver: GEMS

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1-4

Release	Date	RRP	Code
US	1993-11^[1]^[2]	$54.9554.95^[1]^[3]	720601
EU	199x		E261SMXI
UK	1994-01^[4]	£44.9944.99^[5]^[6]	E261SMXI
AU	1993
SA	199x

Virtual Pinball is a pinball game developed by BudgeCo and published by Electronic Arts. It acts as a spiritual sequel to the 1983 computer program Pinball Construction Set, being designed and programmed by the same man, Bill Budge.

Gameplay

Main menu

Gameplay

Virtual Pinball is a pinball table construction toolkit, allowing players to create pinball tables from a set of objects, choose graphics and audio, and adjust speed settings. The table can then be tested by up to four players, tournament-style, saved or recalled into memory, or adjusted further. The "Skill" setting adjusts the game speed (Easy, Fast, and Super Fast), and the "Action" setting changes the ball physics (Normal, Manic, or Psychotic).

During gameplay, plunges the ball, the D-Pad activates any left flippers, while activates any right flippers (although tables can be constructed without plungers or flippers). nudges the table in a random direction (which is required if the ball gets stuck), though it is not possible to tilt. If the ball drops below the playfield, this is registered as having drained. Players start each table with four balls.

Virtual Pinball contains 22 pre-made tables and slots for saving 10 player-made tables (which are retained on the cartridge with a battery backup, along with high scores). Tables are saved with names up to 12 characters long. One of the pre-made tables was designed by the editors of GamePro magazine.

Additional tables can be loaded by selecting "Enter Code" and entering the name of a hidden table. These codes are revealed by playing three special tables (Compulsion, Your Break, and Flip In), which start progression games that unlock additional tables after achieving high scores or solving puzzles.

Workshop

Selecting "Workshop" on the main menu opens the editor for constructing tables. It is possible to either alter an existing table in the game or make a new one. The D-Pad moves the cursor, selects a part type from the list, cycles between parts of a particular type, and places the part. With the "Blaster" selected, press to delete an item on the table, while with the "Grabber" selected, press to pick up an item (to move it). Press START to bring up a menu where the table can be saved in one of ten possible save slots.

Tables are 512x512 pixels in size (although only 511x511 of the map is rendered on-screen), and each table can consist of no more than 256 "parts". Score values for hitting parts also cannot be changed, and there are no elaborate gameplay modes as was common in real pinball machines of the era.

There are six part themes, twelve board backgrounds, and eight music selections (including "no music").

Parts

Part	Point value
Small bumper	100
Large bumper	200
Sling shots	100
Kick walls	100
Drop targets	5,000
Moving targets	5,000
Pegs	5,000
Rollovers	100
Tracks	5,000 on entry
Springs	100 top surface
Ghost ball	1,000 on release
Kick hole	10,000 on entry
Spinner	1,000 for each revolution
Worm hole	5,000 on entry
One-way gate	100 top surface
Jackpot	1,000,000 when active

Production credits

Concept and Program: Bill Budge
Graphics: Nick Corea
Music and Sound: Nu Romantic
Producer: Nick Simmons

Source:

In-game credits^[7]

Game Design: Bill Budge, Nick Corea, Jim Simmons
Producer: Jim Simmons
Assistant Producer: Jeff Glazier
Technical Director: Tim Brengle
Product Manager: David Sze
Package Design: E. J. Sarraille Design Group
Illustration: Jean-Francois Podevin
Art Direction: Nancy Waisanen
Documentation: Valerie Hanscom
Documentation Layout, Illustration: Tom Peters
Testing Manager: Randy Delucchi
Product Testing: Tony Iuppa, Yun Shin, Mike Lopez
Quality Assurance: Bill Scheppler
Public Relations: Fiona Murphy
Original Game Concept: Bill Budge
Board Design: Bill Budge, Mike Lopez, Tony Iuppa, Jordan Maynard, Bryan Beckstrand and the incredible mystery pinball guru genius.

Source:

US manual^[8]

Magazine articles

Main article: Virtual Pinball/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)

50

^[10]

Aktueller Software Markt (DE)

75

^[11]

Console Mania (IT)

NTSC-U

80

^[12]

Computer & Video Games (UK)

PAL

70

^[5]

Digitiser (UK)

PAL

59

^[13]

Game Players (US)

NTSC-U

44

^[3]

GamePro (US)

NTSC-U

85

^[1]

Gamers (DE)

40

^[14]

Joypad (FR)

PAL

82

^[15]

Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)

PAL

72

^[16]

Mega (UK)

PAL

72

^[17]

Mega Action (UK)

PAL

84

^[18]

Mega Force (FR)

75

^[19]

Mega Machines (UK)

PAL

46

^[20]

MegaTech (UK)

PAL

62

^[6]

Magazina Igrushek (RU)

50

^[21]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

PAL

57

^[22]

Player One (FR)

74

^[23]

Sega Power (UK)

PAL

68

^[24]

Sega Pro (UK)

PAL

74

^[25]

Sega Zone (UK)

PAL

79

^[26]

SuperGamePower (BR)

80

^[27]

Sonic the Comic (UK)

PAL

80

^[28]

Todo Sega (ES)

PAL

78

^[29]

Tricks 16 bit (RU)

58

^[30]

Video Games (DE)

PAL

74

^[31]

VideoGames (US)

NTSC-U

50

^[32]

	67
Based on 27 reviews

Virtual Pinball

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, EU (4 Language Manual)
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, EU (5 Language Manual)
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, GCC
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

Main article: Virtual Pinball/Technical information.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 GamePro, "December 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 71
↑ VideoGames, "December 1993" (US; 1993-1x-xx), page 61
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 4 April 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 77
↑ Mega, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-16), page 107
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Computer & Video Games, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-15), page 72
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 MegaTech, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-20), page 82
↑ File:Virtual Pinball MD credits.pdf
↑ File:Virtual Pinball MD US Manual.pdf, page 9
↑ GamesMaster, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 99
↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 331
↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Januar 1994" (DE; 1993-12-06), page 63
↑ Console Mania, "Febbraio 1994" (IT; 1994-0x-xx), page 131
↑ Digitiser (UK) (1994-01-28)
↑ Gamers, "März/April 1994" (DE; 1994-03-04), page 55
↑ Joypad, "Novembre 1993" (FR; 1993-1x-xx), page 118
↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-1x-xx), page 30
↑ Mega, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 46
↑ Mega Action, "Christmas 1993" (UK; 1993-12-02), page 18
↑ Mega Force, "Novembre 1993" (FR; 1993-11-10), page 96
↑ Mega Machines, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-09), page 28
↑ Magazina Igrushek, "4/1995" (RU; 1995-xx-xx), page 61
↑ Mean Machines Sega, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-10-xx), page 116
↑ Player One, "Novembre 1993" (FR; 1993-1x-xx), page 138
↑ Sega Power, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-xx), page 74
↑ Sega Pro, "Xmas Special 1993" (UK; 1993-12-02), page 40
↑ Sega Zone, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-25), page 84
↑ SuperGamePower, "Abril 1994" (BR; 1994-0x-xx), page 33
↑ Sonic the Comic, "April 29th 1994" (UK; 1994-04-16), page 11
↑ Todo Sega, "Diciembre 1993" (ES; 1993-1x-xx), page 70
↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 220
↑ Video Games, "2/94" (DE; 1994-01-26), page 82
↑ VideoGames, "January 1994" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 87

Virtual Pinball
	Main page \| Hidden content \| Magazine articles \| Video coverage \| Reception \| Region coding \| Technical information No results

[:File:GamePro_US_053.pdf_p71-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 GamePro, "December 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 71

[:File:VideoGames_US_59.pdf_p61-2] VideoGames, "December 1993" (US; 1993-1x-xx), page 61

[:File:GamePlayers_US_0704.pdf_p77-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 4 April 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 77

[:File:Mega_UK_16.pdf_p107-4] Mega, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-16), page 107

[:File:CVG_UK_145.pdf_p72-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Computer & Video Games, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-15), page 72

[:File:MegaTech_UK_24.pdf_p82-6] 6.0 ^6.1 MegaTech, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-20), page 82

[:File:Virtual_Pinball_MD_credits.pdf_p-7] File:Virtual Pinball MD credits.pdf

[:File:Virtual_Pinball_MD_US_Manual.pdf_p9-8] File:Virtual Pinball MD US Manual.pdf, page 9

[9] GamesMaster, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 99

[10] 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 331

[:File:ASM_DE_1994-01.pdf_p63-11] Aktueller Software Markt, "Januar 1994" (DE; 1993-12-06), page 63

[:File:ConsoleMania_IT_027.pdf_p131-12] Console Mania, "Febbraio 1994" (IT; 1994-0x-xx), page 131

[digitiser1994-01-28-13] Digitiser (UK) (1994-01-28)

[:File:Gamers_DE_1994-03.pdf_p55-14] Gamers, "März/April 1994" (DE; 1994-03-04), page 55

[:File:Joypad_FR_025.pdf_p118-15] Joypad, "Novembre 1993" (FR; 1993-1x-xx), page 118

[:File:MDAG_UK_17.pdf_p30-16] Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-1x-xx), page 30

[:File:Mega_UK_15.pdf_p46-17] Mega, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 46

[:File:MegaAction_UK_08.pdf_p18-18] Mega Action, "Christmas 1993" (UK; 1993-12-02), page 18

[:File:MegaForce_FR_22.pdf_p96-19] Mega Force, "Novembre 1993" (FR; 1993-11-10), page 96

[:File:MegaMachines_UK_02.pdf_p28-20] Mega Machines, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-09), page 28

[:File:Migr_4_RU.pdf_p61-21] Magazina Igrushek, "4/1995" (RU; 1995-xx-xx), page 61

[:File:MeanMachinesSega14UK.pdf_p116-22] Mean Machines Sega, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-10-xx), page 116

[:File:PlayerOne_FR_036.pdf_p138-23] Player One, "Novembre 1993" (FR; 1993-1x-xx), page 138

[:File:SegaPower_UK_49.pdf_p74-24] Sega Power, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-xx), page 74

[:File:SegaPro_UK_27.pdf_p40-25] Sega Pro, "Xmas Special 1993" (UK; 1993-12-02), page 40

[:File:SegaZone_UK_14.pdf_p84-26] Sega Zone, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-25), page 84

[:File:SuperGamePower_BR_001.pdf_p33-27] SuperGamePower, "Abril 1994" (BR; 1994-0x-xx), page 33

[28] Sonic the Comic, "April 29th 1994" (UK; 1994-04-16), page 11

[:File:TodoSega_ES_09.pdf_p70-29] Todo Sega, "Diciembre 1993" (ES; 1993-1x-xx), page 70

[30] Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 220

[:File:VideoGames_DE_1994-02.pdf_p82-31] Video Games, "2/94" (DE; 1994-01-26), page 82

[:File:VideoGames_US_60.pdf_p87-32] VideoGames, "January 1994" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 87

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Virtual Pinball

From Sega Retro

Contents

Gameplay

Workshop

Parts

Production credits

Magazine articles

Physical scans

Technical information

References