![]() ![]() In addition to the pinball action, Ultra has a sort of mini strategy game buried beneath the surface. ![]() So all of the tables are sci-fi oriented, with the Colony table being on the planet's surface, the Mine being underground, and the Command Post being aboard a space station. The overarching theme of this version is a space colony, actually based on Sierra's previous ambitious (and ultimately failed) strategy game, Outpost. And the best part, for some, was that Ultra did not require users to buy Windows 95, which considering that Win95 cost $205 at launch and 3-D Ultra Pinball barely priced at $50, was quite the savings.ģ-D Ultra Pinball spans three "main" tables - Colony, Command Post, and Mine - and several sub tables, with the option to play the main tables individually or play all of them at once, shifting between tables by completing certain skill shots. 3-D Ultra Pinball had not one table, but three (and further tables within those tables), more music, more graphics, more amazing skill shots, and digitized speech and computer-rendered animations to take advantage of its CD-ROM format. Minecart Madness: The Mine level uses minecarts to move the pinball between playfields.When 3-D Ultra Pinball was released, the magazine page ads declared dominion over Space Cadet.Machine Monotone: One of the voices is a female monotone.Hell Is That Noise: When run on Windows, the MIDI music for the Mine table can sometimes get stuck on a single note, making for an unintentional Drone of Dread.Elaborate Underground Base: The Operations Center level. ![]() Computer Voice: Various voices are used to give game instructions.Anti-Frustration Features: If you launch a ball and fail to score before it drains, the game gives you a "bozo ball" for another go.The company followed it with several more 3-D Ultra Pinball titles, as well as a series of non-pinball "3-D Ultra" games, such as 3-D Ultra MiniGolf and 3-D Ultra Radio Control Racers.ģ-D Ultra Pinball was sold both individually and as a part of the 3-D Ultra Pinball Power compilation set.ģ-D Ultra Pinball demonstrates the following tropes: But the title's biggest weakness was its physics engine - precision aiming is nearly impossible thanks to the very floaty ball and inconsistent ricochets, the table nudge is useless, and most Real Life flipper catches and ball passes aren't possible.ĭespite these issues, the game proved to be a surprise hit for Sierra. Even so, some pixelation was present, as the game was originally designed for Windows 3.1, with playfields rendered at 640 x 480 resolution and 256 colors. The game fully embraced its digital pinball heritage, and modes would feature wandering enemies, transform parts of the playfield, or temporarily change the rules of physics.ģ-D Ultra Pinball used pre-rendered playfields throughout the game, offering detailed graphics and fast action at the cost of a fixed camera. As Mission Control gives instructions, invoke various extra modes, warp between tables to complete challenges, and watch out for hidden levels. This is done by playing pinball in three areas - the Colony, the Operations Center, and the Mine - each with a primary playfield and several connected mini-playfields. It was developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra in 1995, and is the first game in the company's "3-D Ultra Pinball" series.īased loosely on Dynamix and Sierra's Outpost, the goal of the game is to build a deep space colony and launch a starship. 3-D Ultra Pinball is a computer pinball game for the IBM Personal Computer and Apple Macintosh.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |