| Full Tilt! Pinball | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Cinematronics |
| Publisher(s) | Maxis Software |
| Version | 1.1 |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS |
| Release date(s) | March 13, 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Arcade game, pinball |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Hotseat multiplayer |
| Media/distribution | CD |
Full Tilt! Pinball (known simply as Full Tilt!) is a pinball video game developed by Cinematronics and published by Maxis in 1995. It featured pre-rendered 3D graphics and three "tables", which were essentially different games. The tables were called Space Cadet, Skulduggery, and Dragon's Keep. On each table, there were displays on the side which showed the players' score, ball number, player number, a display for various information and a table-specific image.
Contents |
The Space Cadet table features the player as a member of a space fleet that completes missions to increase their rank. Players can attain 9 different ranks (listed from lowest to highest): Cadet, Ensign, Lieutenant, Captain, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Commodore, Admiral, and Fleet Admiral. Players accept a mission by hitting "mission targets" which select which mission they will take, and by going up the "launch ramp". Each mission has a set number of things for players to do, such as hitting the "attack bumpers" (which are a set of four bumpers at the top of the table) eight times (this is the "target practice" mission). Missions end either when the goal is met, or when all of the lights under the launch ramp (a.k.a. fuel lights) turn off. The fuel lights turn off after a certain amount of time, and can each be turned on by having the ball go over them, or all at once by going up the launch ramp again. Upon completing a mission, some of the blue lights in a circle in the middle of the table turn on. When all of the lights in the blue circle turn on, the player's rank increases, and a light in the orange circle turns on. Play Space Cadet is included, by default, on all computers running Microsoft Windows ME and all computers running Microsoft Windows XP. The game can be found in these computers by going to the Games section of the start menu on these versions of Windows.
The Skulduggery table features a treasure hunt where the player must find Peg Leg's loot. The player can accomplish that two ways: either by piecing together a treasure map or by activating and completing a series of mini-games on the table called modes. Modes are like missions and quests of the other two tables. They are all pirate themed mini-games, such as ship battle, tavern fight, escape Bermuda Triangle, mutiny, and sword fight.
The Dragon's Keep table features a fantasy environment where players must accomplish various quests, leading to the slaying of a dragon. The quests include Dragon Hoard (steal the hoard), Fire Lizard Attack (defeat the fire lizard), Rescue Maiden (rescue the damsel in distress), Dragon Pass (find the path to dragon's lair), Wizard's Fury, and Slay Dragon. The player can acquire awards such as spells, weapons, and armors. While weapons simply add points to the score, armors and spells temporarily turn on various gates, magnets, and chutes on the table to change the gameplay.
| Full Tilt! 2 Pinball | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Maxis |
| Publisher(s) | Maxis |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) | 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Arcade game, pinball |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media/distribution | CD |
Full Tilt! 2 Pinball was released in 1996 and included three tables: Mad Scientist, Alien Daze, & Captain Hero.
| 3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet | |
|---|---|
A screenshot of the Space Cadet table |
|
| Developer(s) | Maxis |
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft |
| Composer(s) | Unknown |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) | 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Arcade game, pinball |
| Mode(s) | Up to four players |
| Media/distribution | CD |
3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet (referred to as 3D Pinball or simply Pinball) is the version of the game bundled with various Microsoft products. It was originally packaged with Microsoft Plus! 95 and later included in Windows NT, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Instructions are available from Microsoft on how to install it on Windows 98.[1] Windows XP is the last version of Windows to include the game, as it was removed in Windows Vista since beta 1. However, success has been reported in porting this game over to Windows Vista and Windows 7 in both 32 and 64-bit Environments.[2]
As the Maxis version contained significant portions of x86 assembly language, much of the game had to be rewritten in C to accommodate the MIPS, Alpha, and PowerPC platforms that Windows NT supported at the time. It contained only the Space Cadet table. The graphics of this version are only available in the 640x480 resolution, while the Maxis version comes in 3 different resolutions adjustable to a maximum of 1024x768. The image on the side is a two-dimensional image as opposed to pre-rendered 3D. The words Maxis and Cinematronics have been changed from the yellow to a dark red, making them harder to see. It also sports a splash screen that merely says 3D Pinball and shows a small pinball graphic with faded edges.
The look and feel of the two versions are similar, except Full Tilt! Pinball version has better animation, various resolutions that players can select from and multi-ball play, and extra music and sound. Music is not enabled by default in the Windows version. The gameplay in both versions is almost identical except for a few minor differences; most notably the completion of a mission in the Maxis version resulted in a "replay" (actually a ball save rather than a special) being awarded and hitting a wormhole that has the same color light activating the multi-ball round; these are not the case in the Windows version, where completing a mission merely awards bonus points and hitting a wormhole in the above circumstances awards a replay. Another difference is about the three yellow lights above the bumpers (both in the "launch ramp" and in the upper table zone): in the Windows version these are turned back off if the ball passes on them while they are on. This is not the case in the original version, where they just remain activated. Finally, in the Windows version the "fuel" lasts longer.
The only difference which is not part of the gameplay is the music: the Windows soundtrack is inspired by the original Maxis one. The two are similar but there are major differences in notes and MIDI instruments used.