Full Tilt! Pinball
Encyclopedia
Full Tilt! Pinball 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.
when the previous one is lost. If the game is tilted during 'bmax' play, that ball is lost and 'bmax' play is cancelled. Play resumes at a Replay ball, an Extra ball (either can be earned during 'bmax' play) or the next of the 3 primary balls. 'bmax' can be re-enabled by typing it in. A game that has had any 'bmax' play is not eligible for the High Scores list. 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 "Hidden Test" cheat code does not work on the Full Tilt! version of the game, however it does work on the Windows version. The other cheats do work on the Full Tilt! version.
This version is a little different from the Windows' one: the differences are listed in the 3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet section
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.
), 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.
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
. 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.
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.
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
video game developed by Cinematronics
Cinematronics, LLC
Cinematronics, LLC was a Texas-based developer of games for the PC and Mac, founded in 1994 by David Stafford, Mike Sandige and Kevin Gliner. They developed Tritryst for Virgin Interactive, Full Tilt! Pinball for Maxis, and Jack Nicklaus 4 for Accolade...
and published by Maxis
Maxis
Maxis is an American company founded as an independent video game developer in 1987. It is currently a subsidiary of Electronic Arts . Maxis is the creator of one of the best-selling computer games of all time, The Sims and its first sequel, The Sims 2...
in 1995. It featured pre-rendered 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
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.
Space Cadet
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. This table (and possibly the others) contains cheat codes that must be typed in at the beginning of the game. Typing in the words "hidden test" (with a space between the words) accesses Hidden Test mode. Hidden Test mode allows the player to click and drag the mouse to move the ball, makes the 2nd place slot in the High Scores table show a score of title "Mem.:". Lastly, typing in "bmax" at any time gives the player unlimited lives (balls). A new ball is ejected from the Yellow WormholeWormhole
In physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would be, fundamentally, a "shortcut" through spacetime. For a simple visual explanation of a wormhole, consider spacetime visualized as a two-dimensional surface. If this surface is folded along a third dimension, it...
when the previous one is lost. If the game is tilted during 'bmax' play, that ball is lost and 'bmax' play is cancelled. Play resumes at a Replay ball, an Extra ball (either can be earned during 'bmax' play) or the next of the 3 primary balls. 'bmax' can be re-enabled by typing it in. A game that has had any 'bmax' play is not eligible for the High Scores list. 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 "Hidden Test" cheat code does not work on the Full Tilt! version of the game, however it does work on the Windows version. The other cheats do work on the Full Tilt! version.
This version is a little different from the Windows' one: the differences are listed in the 3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet section
Skulduggery
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
, mutiny, and sword fight.
Dragon's Keep
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 distressDamsel in distress
The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...
), 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
Full Tilt! 2 Pinball was released in 1996 and included three tables: Mad Scientist, Alien Daze, & Captain Hero.3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet
3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet (referred to as 3D Pinball or simply Pinball) is the version of the game bundled with various MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
products. It was originally packaged with Microsoft Plus! 95
Microsoft Plus!
Microsoft Plus! was a commercial operating system enhancement product by Microsoft. The last edition is the Plus! SuperPack, which includes an assortment of screensavers, themes, and games, as well as multimedia applications...
and later included in Windows NT
Windows NT
Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993. It was a powerful high-level-language-based, processor-independent, multiprocessing, multiuser operating system with features comparable to Unix. It was intended to complement...
, Windows Me
Windows Me
Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me , is a graphical operating system released on September 14, 2000 by Microsoft, and was the last operating system released in the Windows 9x series. Support for Windows Me ended on July 11, 2006....
, Windows 2000
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
and Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
. Instructions are available from Microsoft on how to install it on Windows 98
Windows 98
Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on 15 May 1998 and to retail on 25 June 1998. Windows 98 is the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid...
. Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
is the last version of Windows to include the game, as it was removed in Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
since beta 1. However, success has been reported in porting this game over to Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and Windows 7 in both 32
32-bit
The range of integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4,294,967,295. Hence, a processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of byte-addressable memory....
and 64-bit
64-bit
64-bit is a word size that defines certain classes of computer architecture, buses, memory and CPUs, and by extension the software that runs on them. 64-bit CPUs have existed in supercomputers since the 1970s and in RISC-based workstations and servers since the early 1990s...
Environments.
As the Maxis version contained significant portions of x86 assembly language
X86 assembly language
x86 assembly language is a family of backward-compatible assembly languages, which provide some level of compatibility all the way back to the Intel 8008. x86 assembly languages are used to produce object code for the x86 class of processors, which includes Intel's Core series and AMD's Phenom and...
, much of the game had to be rewritten in C
C (programming language)
C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
to accommodate the MIPS
MIPS architecture
MIPS is a reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by MIPS Technologies . The early MIPS architectures were 32-bit, and later versions were 64-bit...
, Alpha, and PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
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
Splash screen
A splash screen is an image that appears while a game or program is loading. It may also be used to describe an introduction page on a website. Splash screens sometimes do not cover the entire screen, but only a rectangle near the center...
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.
External links
- Full Tilt! 2 Pinball at MobyGames.
- http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/25/a-look-at-windows-vistas-casual-games/Joystiq.Com Windows Vista's Casual Games
- Full Tilt! Pinball Windows 95 demo