Virtual Pinball

Sega exclusive

Virtual Pinball is the spiritual successor to Bill Budge's classic Pinball Construction Set.

Released: 1993
Platforms: Sega Genesis
Genres: Arcade Pinball
Developers: Bill Budge
Publishers: Electronic Arts
Modes: Multiplayer Single-player
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Action
Country: United States
Age ratings: ESRB T PEGI 12

About

Virtual Pinball is a follow-up to EA's 1983 Pinball Construction Set from the same author, Bill Budge, released 10 years later for the Sega Genesis. One to four players can choose from either 29 premade tables or design one using in-game editor tools. Designing options include ten different backgrounds and six themes, and a player can choose where objects are placed, the style of music, and the ball speed. Virtual Pinball lacks the unlimited floppy disc storage used by the original, and the ability to create self-booting disks that can be played without the construction set software.

Keywords

pinball
digital pinball
in-game map editor

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The player can play the 29 existing games, go to the blueprint plans, or play one of the ten user created games. It also allows the player to change the Game theme, Parts theme, Board background, Skill level, ball action, and music.

Workshop Mode allows starting with a blank game where up to 256 parts can be placed anywhere on the board. These parts include Bumpers, Flippers, Walls, Kick Walls, Targets, Tracks, Specials, Launchers, Blasters, and Grabbers. All of these items are related to items found on a real table.