True Pinball

n/a

True Pinball

Publisher: Ocean Software, Gaga Communications (JP)

Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (49 tracks)

Genre: Table

Number of players: 1-8 (alternating)

Release	Date	RRP	Code

ESRB

Sega

ELSPA

USK

This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.

True Pinball, known as Tekkyuu: True Pinball (鉄球トゥルー・ピンボール) in Japan, is a pinball game released for the Sega Saturn in 1996.

True Pinball is an enhanced remake of the Digital Illusions' 1995 Amiga/DOS game Pinball Illusions, featuring the same four tables (Law 'n Justice, Babewatch, Extreme Sports and The Vikings, the latter originally added as a DOS exclusive) with graphical and audial upgrades to suit more advanced hardware. The major difference between True Pinball and Pinball Illusions is the addition of pre-rendered 3D modes - whereas Pinball Illusions only allows you to play the tables from a top-down perspective, True Pinball renders them at an angle, simulating depth (and a more realistic perspective for the user) and reducing the amount of scrolling needed to see the entire table.

The game can be played either in a low resolution 3D mode, a high resolution 3D mode (which, due to interlacing tricks, will not function properly with component video or with most emulators) or in a similar 2D mode found in the original game. Other tweaks include altered music, more speech and altered menus.

Though the tables are more detailed in the Saturn version, it is still considered to be out-classed by the DOS version of Pinball Illusions, primarily due to the fact the maximum screen resolution there is 800x600, resulting in sharper graphics. Also, as the tables were not originally designed for 3D, many elements, particularly towards the top of the screen, are obscured by scenery. Also scrolling, which is not always desirable by the user, is not completely eliminated (unlike Digital Pinball: Last Gladiators, released for the Saturn a few months prior in 1995).

Promotional material

JP print advert
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) Print advertisement

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

Consoles + (FR)

77

^[6]

Computer & Video Games (UK)

80

^[1]

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)

NTSC-U

70

^[7]

Famitsu (JP)

NTSC-J

73

^[8]

Freak (IL)

88

^[9]

Game Informer (US)

NTSC-U

73

^[10]

Joypad (FR)

PAL

74

^[11]

MAN!AC (DE)

PAL

70

^[12]

Maximum (UK)

25

^[13]

Mega Fun (DE)

PAL

70

^[14]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

PAL

85

^[2]

Next Generation (US)

50

^[15]

Player One (FR)

85

^[16]

Saturn Fan (JP)

NTSC-J

58

^[17]

Sega News (CZ)

91

^[18]

Sega Power (UK)

PAL

83

^[19]

Świat Gier Komputerowych (PL)

95

^[20]

Sega Saturn Magazine (UK)

PAL

71

^[21]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

60

^[22]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

58

^[5]

Sonic the Comic (UK)

PAL

86

^[23]

Total Saturn (UK)

PAL

82

^[24]

Ultimate Future Games (UK)

PAL

62

^[25]

Video Games (DE)

PAL

69

^[26]

	72
Based on 24 reviews

True Pinball

Saturn, US
Cover
Disc Manual

Saturn, EU
Cover
Disc

Saturn, JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 File:CVG UK 172.pdf, page 40 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 172.pdf_p40" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf, page 82 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf_p82" defined multiple times with different content
↑ File:SSM_UK_04.pdf, page 84
↑ File:SSM_JP_19960412_1996-06.pdf, page 236
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Saturn no Game wa Sekai Ichi~i~i~i!: Satamaga Dokusha Race Zen Kiroku, SoftBank Publishing, page 16 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SnGwSISDRZK Book JP.pdf_p16" defined multiple times with different content
↑ Consoles +, "Février 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 117
↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "September 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 25
↑ Famitsu, "1996-04-12" (JP; 1996-03-29), page 1
↑ Freak, "2/96" (IL; 1996-xx-xx), page 1
↑ Game Informer, "September 1996" (US; 1996-0x-xx), page 52
↑ Joypad, "Février 1996" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 67
↑ MAN!AC, "06/96" (DE; 1996-05-08), page 59
↑ Maximum, "February 1996" (UK; 1996-xx-xx), page 145
↑ Mega Fun, "05/96" (DE; 1996-04-xx), page 70
↑ Next Generation, "October 1996" (US; 1996-09-17), page 177
↑ Player One, "Février 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 114
↑ Saturn Fan, "1996 No. 12" (JP; 1996-05-24), page 70
↑ Sega News, "Prosinec 1996" (CZ; 1996-1x-xx), page 15
↑ Sega Power, "April 1996" (UK; 1996-02-15), page 34
↑ Świat Gier Komputerowych, "12/1996" (PL; 1996-xx-xx), page 1
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "February 1996" (UK; 1996-01-24), page 84
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-06 (1996-04-12)" (JP; 1996-03-22), page 236
↑ Sonic the Comic, "7 June 1996" (UK; 1996-05-25), page 10
↑ Total Saturn, "Volume One Issue Four" (UK; 1996-12-29), page 59
↑ Ultimate Future Games, "April 1996" (UK; 1996-02-29), page 84
↑ Video Games, "5/96" (DE; 1996-04-24), page 96

[:File:CVG_UK_172.pdf_p40-1] 1.0 ^1.1 File:CVG UK 172.pdf, page 40 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 172.pdf_p40" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf_p82-2] 2.0 ^2.1 File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf, page 82 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf_p82" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:SSM_UK_04.pdf_p84-3] File:SSM_UK_04.pdf, page 84

[:File:SSM_JP_19960412_1996-06.pdf_p236-4] File:SSM_JP_19960412_1996-06.pdf, page 236

[:File:SnGwSISDRZK_Book_JP.pdf_p16-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Saturn no Game wa Sekai Ichi~i~i~i!: Satamaga Dokusha Race Zen Kiroku, SoftBank Publishing, page 16 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SnGwSISDRZK Book JP.pdf_p16" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:ConsolesPlus_FR_051.pdf_p117-6] Consoles +, "Février 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 117

[:File:EGM_US_086.pdf_p25-7] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "September 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 25

[8] Famitsu, "1996-04-12" (JP; 1996-03-29), page 1

[9] Freak, "2/96" (IL; 1996-xx-xx), page 1

[:File:GameInformer_US_041.pdf_p52-10] Game Informer, "September 1996" (US; 1996-0x-xx), page 52

[:File:Joypad_FR_050.pdf_p67-11] Joypad, "Février 1996" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 67

[:File:MAN.21AC_DE_1996-06.pdf_p59-12] MAN!AC, "06/96" (DE; 1996-05-08), page 59

[:File:MAXIMUM_UK_04.pdf_p145-13] Maximum, "February 1996" (UK; 1996-xx-xx), page 145

[:File:MegaFun_DE_1996-05.pdf_p70-14] Mega Fun, "05/96" (DE; 1996-04-xx), page 70

[:File:NextGeneration_US_22.pdf_p177-15] Next Generation, "October 1996" (US; 1996-09-17), page 177

[:File:PlayerOne_FR_061.pdf_p114-16] Player One, "Février 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 114

[:File:SaturnFan_JP_1996-12_19960607.pdf_p70-17] Saturn Fan, "1996 No. 12" (JP; 1996-05-24), page 70

[:File:Sega_News_3_CZ.pdf_p15-18] Sega News, "Prosinec 1996" (CZ; 1996-1x-xx), page 15

[:File:SegaPower_UK_77.pdf_p34-19] Sega Power, "April 1996" (UK; 1996-02-15), page 34

[20] Świat Gier Komputerowych, "12/1996" (PL; 1996-xx-xx), page 1

[:File:SSM_UK_04.pdf_p84-21] Sega Saturn Magazine, "February 1996" (UK; 1996-01-24), page 84

[:File:SSM_JP_19960412_1996-06.pdf_p236-22] Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-06 (1996-04-12)" (JP; 1996-03-22), page 236

[23] Sonic the Comic, "7 June 1996" (UK; 1996-05-25), page 10

[:File:TotalSaturn_UK_04.pdf_p59-24] Total Saturn, "Volume One Issue Four" (UK; 1996-12-29), page 59

[:File:UltimateFutureGames_UK_17.pdf_p84-25] Ultimate Future Games, "April 1996" (UK; 1996-02-29), page 84

[:File:VideoGames_DE_1996-05.pdf_p96-26] Video Games, "5/96" (DE; 1996-04-24), page 96

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[5]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

True Pinball

From Sega Retro

Promotional material

Physical scans

References