Pinball Fantasies

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Description

After the success of Pinball Dreams on several systems, a sequel featuring four new tables was created. The gameplay is much the same as the first game, with realistic physics, multi-player options and a high score table to aim for. The tables are Partyland, Speed Devils, Billion Dollar Gameshow and Stones 'n' Bones, taking in a funfair, racing cars, a tacky game-show, and a graveyard. Each one has a range of ramps, combos, light sequences and targets to shoot, as well as general themes which are less influenced by real tables than those in Pinball Dreams.

Screenshots

Promo Images

Alternate Titles

• "Pinball Fantasies Deluxe" -- PlayStation title
• "Pinball Dreaming: Pinball Fantasies" -- iPhone title
• "ピンボールファンタジーズデラックス" -- Japanese PSX spelling

Part of the Following Groups

• 21st Century Entertainment Pinball series
• Digital Illusions Pinball series

User Reviews

The first pinball game that is really playable	DOS	IJan (1990)
Perfect conversion of a perfect game, this is the best pinball EVER.	DOS	Tomer Gabel (4643)
The ultimate pinball simulation.	DOS	Mickey Gabel (379)
great pinball	DOS	alain martinaut (2)

Critic Reviews

Top Secret	DOS	Apr, 1994	10 out of 10	100
Amiga Action	Amiga	Nov, 1992	95 out of 100	95
Amiga Power	Amiga CD32	Dec, 1993	91 out of 100	91
Amiga Dream	Amiga CD32	Nov, 1993	91 out of 100	91
Retro Gamer	iPhone	Sep 10, 2009	91 out of 100	91
Computer and Video Games (CVG)	DOS	Apr, 1994	88 out of 100	88
PC Joker	DOS	Feb, 1994	85 out of 100	85
CU Amiga	Amiga CD32	Sep, 1993	85 out of 100	85
Score	DOS	Jun, 1994	81 out of 100	81
The Retro Spirit	DOS	Nov 13, 2005	4 out of 6	67

Forums

Topic	# Posts	Last Post
PlayStation version	1	Lance Boyle (1475) Oct 04, 2016

Trivia

Attract mode

During each pinball table's attract mode, you can type words to get messages or enable/disable certain features. One such word is "credits", which will list the credits of the people who made and ported the game. Another word will turn the LED display into a scrolly, with a message out to all of Frontline Designs' demoscene friends.

Copy Protection

The PC DOS version has probably the worst copy protection ever. You have to enter a word from the manual, but you have unlimited tries! And word, line, and page won't even change after a wrong answer has been given. But this is moot anyway, since the pinball tables are separate executables. You can simply rename any of the tables (TABLE1.PRG to TABLE4.PRG) to INTRO.PRG and start the game as normal - bypassing the copy protection completely.

Release history

Party Land, Speed Devils, Billion Dollar (aka Billion Dollar Gameshow), and Stones -n- Bones were first released as Pinball Fantasies and later joined by the four tables of Pinball Mania and rereleased as Pinball Fantasies Deluxe. Then, in late 1996, 21st Century repackaged twenty of their tables, including Pinball Fantasies, as Pinball Gold.

Pinball Fantasies was originally released on the Amiga, and according to some reports, it was an incomplete, buggy game because Digital Illusions rushed to get it out in time for Christmas. The PC version is free of just about all these bugs, though there remains one major rules oversight (no multiball).

-- excerpt taken from Erik Mooney's FAQ, Rules Sheet and Strategy Guide to Pinball Fantasies

Sales

After its release, the game went up to number one in the "All Formats Top-40" chart in England and has, as of 2004, sold more than 170,000 copies.

Version differences

When playing on the PSP, pressing Select makes the screen turn 90 degrees, so that you can play the game while holding the PSP in a vertical position.

Awards

• Amiga Joker
  • Issue 02/1993 – #2 Readers' Special Price for 1992
• PC Gamer
  • 1994 - Best Arcade Game

Information also contributed by B.L. Stryker, SonataFanatica and Trixter