Yes, my name is Chicago Faucet, and I am a Space Cadet Pinball Addict.
I have always preferred pinball. But, the pinball game that Microsoft includes with all versions after Windows 98 is just plain addictive. I like playing computer games, and I love that they are getting more involved and more beautiful all the time - but I always go back to Space Cadet Pinball.
That’s what all of the Microsoft legal problems really revolve around. They are packaging an addictive game with their operating systems.
All the blinky blinky lights, and the bing bing sounds, and the twirly twirly objects as you progress through the stages of being a true Space Cadet. Unresistable. Late at night, when I am alone in the dark, at least I know I have my Space Cadet Pinball game. That is when I can pretend that I am someone!
Does anyone know if this is the computer version of a real stand up pinball machine?
Also, are there other like minded pinball games from Maxis that I can download or buy?
Love it. Top score: 41,241,500. Been playing it for a couple months.
It’s similar to the “real” pinball machines of my youth.
My son after I beat him quite badly one night: “I can tell what you did while you were growing up.”
I’ve played that. I think my high score is about 6 million.
From my youth, the greatest pinball game ever was 8-Ball deluxe. We had it in the basement of our dorm in college.
I had one game where on the first ball, I had cleared the rack twice, earned all the bonuses on the left alley, and had earned a free ball and 3 free games. Too bad none of the pinball regulars were around to see it.
Doesn’t it make you feel so good to be able to do so much, simply by manipulating a little metal ball? You truly feel like you are accomplishing something.
I’ve been playing Space Cadet on a couple different computers. My all time highest score was about two years ago: 22 million. It took me two hours of straight play to get that. But that computer is no longer mine.
On my current computer the top score is 12 million, held by “Ghengis Khan”.
My favorite pinball machine of all time is “Junkyard.” It’s a newer game, maybe five years old. Your girl is being held hostage by a junkyard owner and his junkyard dog. You infiltrate his territory and build different weapons by collecting different types of junk on the board, to combat him.
Me too. My current high score is 50.9 million. I was just two promotions away from lighting the whole table up.
Packages I don’t recommend:
Microsoft Pinball Arcade - Has seven classic games but most of them are the slow old-style games. Only one is worth playing at all IMO. If you like the older games (pre-70’s) you’ll probably like it though.
Ultimate Pinball Gold (ValuSoft) - Total crap. Has a jillion tables but they’re all essentially the same game with different pictures.
Ah, I went through my Space Cadet Pinball phase. I played it all the time for about 4-5 months. I think my high score was 22 mill and some change. We had a competition going on at my work. But, after I got the 22 million, nobody could beat it. We kind of just stopped playing.
As the ultimate in Mundane Prosaic Shiat I Must Share, I once bragged on this board about my 106 million score, but I got 123 mil since then. (a do nothing job helps) I’m over it now, though.
The secret is to keep the extra ball lites on by letting the ball come down the right ‘hyperspace kickout’, rebound off the flipper on its own (don’t hit it) and go up the left ‘launch’ ramp. Then with a little practice, you can send it right back up the hyperspace lane again to re-light the lights. In pinball, as in life, it’s all about having more balls.