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Pinball

    Pinball Editor's Picks

    • Pinball Rules

      Pinball is one of the most recognizable arcade games. Although few companies still manufacture new pinball machines, older machines from pinball's heyday in the 1980s and 90s are still mainstays in bars, bowling alleys and movie theaters. Basic pinball rules are usually consistent, but each game has its own set of intricacies,... more »

    • How to Hit Your Targets in Pinball

      Hey, anyone can stand there and smack the flippers! But how do you consistently nail the targets? Do you want to be pinball champion of your neighborhood? It can be done. more »

    • How to Stop a Pinball on Flippers

      The key to racking up a big score in pinball is hitting the targets. The key to hitting the targets is controlling the ball. The key to controlling the ball is stopping it on the flippers. And the key to stopping it on the flippers? Well, actually there are several of them. more »

    • How to Play 3D Pinball

      3D Pinball is a modified version of the Space Cadet table from Full Tilt! Pinball. Originally first bundled with Windows Plus! 95, 3D Pinball was included with the Windows operating system until the release of Windows Vista. The premise of the machine is the player is a Cadet in the Space Corps and must run missions to move through... more »

    • 3D Pinball Tips

      "3D Pinball" was originally packaged with Windows Plus! 95, with Windows XP being the last version to officially carry it. The game is a modified version of the "Space Cadet" pinball table from the "Full Tilt! Pinball" game. "3D Pinball" is the most elaborate game included for free with the Windows operating system. The game is more... more »

    Pinball Quick Guides

    • Pinball Basics

      While pinball is often considered a pastime for kids, it's actually a surprisingly complex...

    Pinball Articles

    • How to Play Pinball

      Pinball is a fun game to play. You can go into any arcade and play pinball, or you can go online to almost any game site and play very realistic... more »

    • History of Pinball Machines

      Pinball is a coin-operated arcade table game. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible by directing the balls inside the... more »

    • How to Buy a Pinball Machine

      The pinball machine has always been one of the favorite arcade games for teenagers and adults alike. They have a classic appeal that harkens back... more »

    • How to Recondition a Pinball Machine

      Whether you have a classic model or a newer model, you periodically must recondition it. You can hire a professional service to do this, or you... more »

    • How to Make a Pinball Coffee Table

      If you like to play pinball and enjoy a great cup of coffee, you can combine your interests. Learn how to make a pinball coffee table from scratch... more »

    Wikipedia

    Pinball

    Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible. Secondary objectives are to maximize the time spent playing (by earning extra balls and keeping the ball in play as long as possible) and to earn free games (known as replays).

    History of pinball
    Evolution from outdoor games
    The origins of pinball are intertwined with the history of many other games. Games played outdoors by rolling balls or stones on a grass course, such as Bocce or Bowls, eventually evolved into games played by hitting the balls with sticks and propelling them at targets. Croquet and Shuffleboard are examples of these games.

    These games led to indoor versions that could be played on a table, such as Billiards or Carrom, or on the floor of a pub like Bowling. The tabletop versions of these games became the ancestor of the modern pinball machine.

    Bagatelle

    The existence of table-based games dates back to the 15th century. While some games took the wickets and balls of Croquet and turned them into the pockets of modern billiards, some tables became smaller and had the holes placed in strategic areas in the middle of the table.

    In France, during the reign of King Louis XIV, someone took a billiard table and narrowed it, placing pins at one end of the table while making the player shoot balls with a stick or cue from the other end. Pins took too long to reset when knocked down, so the pins eventually were fixed to the table and holes took the place of targets. Players could ricochet the ball off the pins to achieve the harder scorable holes.

    In 1777, a party was thrown in honor of the King and his wife at the Château de Bagatelle, owned by the brother of the king. The highlight of the party was a new table game featuring the s read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinball

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