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The absolute BEST Pinball CD for your computer...so far!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 33 / 33
Date: November 07, 1999
Author: Amazon User

Since Gottlieb has been known at the "cadillac" of the pinball industry, it is only fitting that this CD contains Premier/Gottlieb games.

The realistic action, features and sounds make it a wonderful addition to a CD game library.

That's coming from someone who has been in the commercial side of the coin operated amusement industry since 1975!

The only thing missing is changing light bulbs and waxing the playfield!

This is a great CD and a great place to start playing pinball on CD rom....Have fun!

The most realistic pinball sim I've ever played.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 36 / 36
Date: November 14, 1999
Author: Amazon User

I've played 4 of the machines, in real life and the simulations are awesome clones of the REAL thing. While young I was lucky enough to learn alot of pinball playing Spirit of 76, and there's no almost no difference. Cue Ball Wizard, the most current game, is lacking a simple way to hit the right ramp shot (the real game has a VERY easy ramp shot). Otherwise, the old games are entertaining, with different generations remembering one table or another.

Here there be PINBALL!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 18
Date: December 22, 1999
Author: Amazon User

Microsoft Pinball Arcade is the most successful marriage of today's personal computer technology with the experience of playing pinball. Working in conjunction with Gottlieb, one of the world's leading pinball machine makers, the legendary "TETRIS" design team recreates 7 Gottlieb tables, ranging from the passive tabletop "Baffle Ball" to the rowdy, rootin', tootin' "Cueball Wizard". In between, the player can try Gottlieb's first (and thus, not-too-well-thought-out) flipper game "Humpty Dumpty", the animated "Knockdown" (complete with a tiny boxer who hits the mat), "Slick Chick" which MUST hold the record for most bumpers on a single table (9 of 'em), the Bicentennial-themed "Spirit of 76" and the first 3-level playfield game "Haunted House".

The designers have addressed well such items as scorekeeping and the presentation of an uncluttered view. Instead of a scrolling playfield, which induces motion sickness in your humble critic, Pinball Arcade presents a fixed perspective view of each playfield. Incredibly detailed graphics, all the way down to ball and playfield reflections, give the impression, at times, that you're watching a real pinball machine on a TV screen, not a computer simulated one on a monitor. Score counters are placed in unobtrusive parts of the screen. Completing the experience are the actual sounds of these historic machines, from the gentle "ping" of the tiny spheres in "Baffle Ball" lazily bouncing off of a pin to the nonstop banter ("You sure need that ramp shot!") and background music in "Cueball Wizard".

Microsoft Pinball Arcade is the most stunning example of how well today's PCs can recreate the look and feel of yesterday's pinball machines. Let's hope a Williams collection is in the works! :)

Classic pinball at it's best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: December 23, 1999
Author: Amazon User

Think of the room you save by not having 7 full size machines in your house! Plus you get the chance to play on machines that are not that common. Spirit of 76 is a blast, Control keys can be customized... My only complaint is that the "TILT" is very touchy :)

Disappointing. There much better pinball games out there.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 25 / 30
Date: February 04, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I thought the idea was a good one... you get to play reproductions of influential pinball games throughout pinball history. However, I have to say that the execution left a lot to be desired.

The ball physics is very poor, and the animation was way too choppy (I have a fast machine, and the other pinball games played much more smoothly). I found myself instantly frustrated with the lack of control I had over the ball and gave up playing it after just an hour.

I'm a pinball fan, and spent the last couple of months buying pinball games and trying them out. Microsoft Pinball arcade scores near the bottom of the list. If you want a great pinball game, get "Pro Pinball: Timeshock" instead. "Addiction Pinball" was also pretty good, and "Full Tilt 2" wasn't bad, but all of them beat this lame program hands down.

Bottom line: I had high hopes for Microsoft Pinball Arcade, and it let me down. Big time.

MS Pinball Arcade

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: February 15, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I agree with David Wolf about the animation and ball control. However,as one who was a leg-kicking, glass-pounding wizard wanna-be, I must say that all the little design quirks you loved to hate on the original machines are built into these also. I especially love to hate Slick Chick and Spirit Of '76. (That dates me). All in all, Arcade ain't bad but its a shame it isn't a lot better.

Just Like I Rembered It

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: February 24, 2000
Author: Amazon User

When I was a kid, my Dad bought my brother a slightly used pinball machine for us to play. Who would have known "Humpty Dumpty" would be a classic?

Starting from age 6 through high school I logged literally thousands of hours playing Humpty Dumpty. So I would consider myself somewhat of an expert on the look and feel of playing that game.

Microsoft nailed it right down to the sound of the buzzers and how the balls behave (including being able to sneak the ball backwards up one of the chutes just like the real thing). It is spooky.

OK. Its annoying that I can't nudge the way I want to, I keep trying to push on my keyboard. Instead you nudge with keys. But I've been able to tilt the game pretty much the way I used to :-)

For a real pinball wizards this might not be the real thing, but it sure feels close to me. And I have a lot of fun playing it.

Not bad for what it is, but...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: March 30, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This isn't a bad pinball package at all, but it's definitely not the best available (for that, refer to the Pro Pinball series).

The games are faithfully rendered on-screen, and look and sound just like the originals. The gameplay itself, on the other hand, can be a bit choppy in places compared to the Pro Pinball engine. Cue Ball Wizard, in particular, is very difficult to play -- the sharp angle at which you view the table doesn't help. (If only they'd allowed you to view the tables from different angles...)

The earlier games provide a nifty sense of history for the pinball genre -- but are often not that much fun to play. The novelty may wear off relatively quickly for those used to today's tables.

Well worth a look -- and...it's not a bad value just for the nostalgia factor. If you want a great game as well as a history lesson, however, look to the Pro Pinball games.

Not what you would expect or is it?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: May 02, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The graphics for the game are amazing. If you like the old style pinball machines, you'll like it. You don't have a lot of flashing lights or bumpers, there is not much control. Frankly, if I wanted to play the old style machine, I would rather locate an arcade with these machines. With a plethora of pinball games out and most of them using more modern style games, I would recommend something more in tune with them. It is definately for the pinball fanatic, if they don't want to play on a real machine. Go figure.

Big disapointment

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: June 18, 2000
Author: Amazon User

only two of the five game are ok to play. and those are just not worth it.

I am a truck driver. I play the real game in truck stops. This game does not cut it.

The ball just does not move well in any of the five games.

I would give it no stars but that was not a choise. Whoever gave it a good rating has never played the real games....

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