About

<h2>Overview</h2><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/1/14036/787525-pinball3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-787525" data-ratio="0.75" data-width="800" data-embed-type="image" style="width: 800px"><a class="fluid-height" style="padding-bottom:75.0%" href="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/1/14036/787525-pinball3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-787525"><img alt="The 1992 machine Cue Ball Wizard." src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/scale_small/1/14036/787525-pinball3.jpg" srcset="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/1/14036/787525-pinball3.jpg 800w, https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/scale_medium/1/14036/787525-pinball3.jpg 480w, https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/scale_small/1/14036/787525-pinball3.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" data-width="320"></a><figcaption>The 1992 machine Cue Ball Wizard.</figcaption></figure><p>Microsoft Pinball Arcade is a 3D virtual pinball game developed by <a href="/mir-dialogue/3010-4706/" data-ref-id="3010-4706">Mir Dialogue</a> and published by <a href="/microsoft-studios/3010-340/" data-ref-id="3010-340">Microsoft</a> for <a href="/pc/3045-94/" data-ref-id="3045-94">Windows PCs</a> on December 15, 1998.</p><p>One of the earliest pinball games to feature recreations of real-life <a href="/pinball-machine/3055-5382/" data-ref-id="3055-5382">pinball tables</a>, Microsoft Pinball Arcade features licensed recreations of seven tables by <a href="/gottlieb/3010-524/" data-ref-id="3010-524">Gottlieb</a> (from the 1931 machine <a href="/baffle-ball/3030-25639/" data-ref-id="3030-25639">Baffle Ball</a> to the 1992 machine <a href="/cue-ball-wizard/3030-35345/" data-ref-id="3030-35345">Cue Ball Wizard</a>).</p><p>The game later received a handheld port by <a href="/saffire-corporation/3010-1331/" data-ref-id="3010-1331">Saffire</a> for the <a href="/game-boy-color/3045-57/" data-ref-id="3045-57">Game Boy Color</a>, released by <a href="/classified-games/3010-6155/" data-ref-id="3010-6155">Classified Games</a> in North America in 2001.</p><h2>Gameplay</h2><p>A little known hidden feature of the PC version of the game is the use of CDs for custom soundtracks for the first five tables. While each of the first five tables technically has their own music track on the <em>Microsoft Pinball Arcade</em> disc—Haunted House and Cue Ball Wizard use emulated ROMs that feature their full soundtracks—none of the game's installation options in the setup program copy these tracks to the user's PC. If the game is fully installed to the PC, players could use any CD with separate audio tracks and the game will use each of the first five tracks on the disc as each of the first five tables' music soundtracks.</p><h2>Tables</h2><figure data-align="right" data-img-src="https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/10/103881/2167753-tableselect.png" data-ref-id="1300-2167753" data-size="small" data-ratio="0.75428571428571" data-width="350" data-embed-type="image" style="width: 350px"><a class="fluid-height" style="padding-bottom:75.4%" href="https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/10/103881/2167753-tableselect.png" data-ref-id="1300-2167753"><img alt="Table Select" src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/scale_small/10/103881/2167753-tableselect.png" srcset="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/10/103881/2167753-tableselect.png 350w, https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/scale_small/10/103881/2167753-tableselect.png 320w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" data-width="320"></a><figcaption>Table Select</figcaption></figure><p>The PC version of the game includes seven tables, organized chronologically. The GBC version only includes five tables (with Humpty Dumpty and Cue Ball Wizard not included).</p><p>The demo for the PC version only includes one table: Haunted House.</p><ul><li><a href="/baffle-ball/3030-25639/" data-ref-id="3030-25639">Baffle Ball</a> (1931)</li><li><a href="/humpty-dumpty/3030-28674/" data-ref-id="3030-28674">Humpty Dumpty</a> (1947)</li><li><a href="/knock-out/3030-28698/" data-ref-id="3030-28698">Knock Out</a> (1950)</li><li><a href="/slick-chick/3030-44493/" data-ref-id="3030-44493">Slick Chick</a> (1963)</li><li>Spirit of '76 (1976)</li><li>Haunted House (1982)</li><li><a href="/cue-ball-wizard/3030-35345/" data-ref-id="3030-35345">Cue Ball Wizard</a> (1992)</li></ul><h2>PC System Requirements</h2><ul><li>Multimedia PC with a Pentium 90 MHz or higher processor</li><li>Microsoft™ Windows™ 95 or Windows 98 operating system or later; or Windows NT™ Workstation operating system version 4.0 or later with Service Pack 3</li><li>16 MB of RAM for Windows 95/98; or 24 MB of RAM for Windows NT</li><li>15 MB hard disk space required for minimum installation; Additional 20 MB required for installation process. Swap file must be a minimum of 30 MB</li><li>Microsoft DirectX® 6.0-compatible sound card</li><li>Microsoft DirectX 6.0-compatible 1 MB PCI video card capable of at least 640 x 480 256 color display</li><li>Double-speed CD-ROM drive</li><li>Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device</li><li>Microsoft DirectX 6.0-compatible joystick or game pad (optional)</li></ul>