Microsoft Pinball Arcade
Microsoft Pinball Arcade is a pinball video game from Microsoft. It was released on December 15, 1998, for Microsoft Windows and in 2001 for the Game Boy Color. The game is a collection of seven real pinball tables licensed from Gottlieb.
Microsoft Pinball Arcade
- Date
- 1998
- Genre
- pinball video game
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Microsoft Pinball Arcade is a pinball video game from Microsoft. It was released on December 15, 1998, for Microsoft Windows and in 2001 for the Game Boy Color. The game is a collection of seven real pinball tables licensed from Gottlieb.
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wikidata · Q6840187 · wikipedia · Microsoft Pinball Arcade
In this article
The object
The object
These include one from each decade: Baffle Ball (1931), Humpty Dumpty (1947), Knock Out (1950), Slick Chick (1963), Spirit of 76 (1975), Haunted House (1982), and Cue Ball Wizard (1992). This game was designed for Windows 9x and Windows NT 4.0. The resolution of the PC version could be set up to 1024x768. A free trial PC version was released, with Haunted House as the only playable table up to a limited score. The Game Boy Color version features five tables, excluding Humpty Dumpty and Cue Ball Wizard.
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — Microsoft Pinball Arcade • Developer — * Microsoft • Saffire (GBC) • Publisher — * Microsoft Home • Classified Games (GBC, US) • Cryo Interactive (GBC, PAL) • Released — PC: December 15, 1998 GBC: 2001 • Genre — Pinball • Modes — Single-player, multiplayer • Platforms — Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Color
Gameplay
Gameplay
Microsoft Pinball Arcade uses the game rules from the original tables. The game shows the layout of each table, with details of points available from each feature. The view of each table is fixed, with no scrolling; the scores are displayed in the corner of the screen in the style of the original games. The earlier five games do not have music on the original pinball machines, and have an appropriate type of music added.
Places
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Places
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- United States
Reception
GameSpot praised the game for its faithful reproduction of the sound effects, detailed high-quality graphics, and realistic ball physics. IGN enjoyed the graphics, but found much of the gameplay and sounds boring although did enjoy Haunted House. CGW noted that the game includes some entertaining tables, and some of "purely historical" value. Reviewing a beta version, GameRoom noted that "only a pinball machine can be a pinball machine", but were still impressed with the graphics and sound. Pinball Player said it was the best pinball-based game for the home computer. Nintendo Power found the ball moved "curiously slow." In 2025 Pixel Addict said the simulation is good, but "a little glacial."
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Disc Directory. Ultimate PC. 18. 160. January 1999.
- 2.Microsoft Pinball Arcade. www.microsoft.com.
- 3.On the CD. PC Zone. 71. 194. December 1998.
- 4.Hodder, Doug. Pinball Arcade by Microsoft. Pinball Player. 19. 6. 19-21. 1999.
- 5.GameSpot. Pinball Arcade for PC. 21 December 1998.
- 6.Fischer, Blake. Microsoft Pinball Arcade. IGN. 11 February 1999.
- 7.Atkin, Denny. Reviews - Give No Quarter(s). Computer Gaming World. 176. 164. March 1999.
- 8.Gameroom Book & CD-ROM Review. GameRoom. 10. 52. October 1998.
- 9.Also playing this month. Nintendo Power. 139. 158. December 2000.
- 10.Qually, Gareth. The CRT Glow of Pinball. Pixel Addict. 27. 28. 2025. 2754-9275.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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