Virtual pinball is like the everdrive of pinball machines. It's for people that want more than one pinball machine, but don't have the nostalgia or space for real machines.

First one I played, and the one that still holds the biggest place in my heart is "Pinball Dreams" for the Commodore Amiga, and the followup "Pinball Fantasies". Still have the best physics in any virtual pinball, hehe

I have a virtual pinball machine I built from scratch and its worth every second of effort. It looks and plays amazing.

Fantastic! I just thought about searching for Pinball Games and mind was like "I miss Space Cadet". So I looked for a Pinball game and boom Pinball FX3 was the first, I searched around for the videos and found yours. And there are more Pinball Games?! This is gonna be more fun!!!!

stumbled across your video, I have been looking into creating my own Virtual Pinball machine for some time now. I used to collect and Repair old Pinball machines, however they have become very expensive, and they take up a lot of space. I loved the idea of being able to have all the games on one machine.

Space Cadet was developed by Cinematronics, LLC as a part of Full Tilt! Pinball . There is a sequel called Full Tilt! Pinball 2 that I highly recommend

I was so hooked on pinball in the late seventies and well into the eighties. I really remember one called Flash and another one that had magnets grab the ball at times during the game. Really seriously considering building one of these. Thanks for sharing you experience !!!

Even though it's pricey it gives pinball fans the chance to actually own and play many tables that bought separately would be prohibitive. My hats off to all those creative developers and fans that have made this possible. Cheers. 😎👍🏻👍🏻

very cool dude, solid intro to the hobby. Bring on more junkies!

Thanks for the vid, Chris! I used to be devoted to real Pinball in my Teens, but after my spinal cord accident I couldn't operate the traditional machines. That left me with the computer simulations. It wasn't until I found and purchased 'Balls of Steel,' and played it on Windows '95', that a series of simulations gave me anything comparable to the real table and kept my interest. Plus they were far superior to their competition of that time. The downside was that I could never get the disk to run beyond the Win'95,' system. Nice to see the latest evolutions of Pinball Sims.

a brilliant build, friend! I remember the first decent digital pinball game I played was Night Mission for the Commodore 64 made by subLOGIC way back in 1982. happy gaming!

Amazing..!! I have an original empty Super-Man Cabinet that I purchased like 8yrs ago and was going to convert it into a virtual pinball but never got around to it... Now I’m motivated again...!! Thank You

*Super* late, but Space Cadet 3D Pinball is actually a repackaged demo for a game called Full Tilt Pinball. The more you know!

Thx for the linking and the kind words ;) And yes you are not the only one who needed to learn how to read properly :D But we all helped you so you could "finish" your VPin Cabinet

While I still enjoy the classic silverball and own 3 machines (Gottlieb Night Moves/Super Soccer/Allied Leisure Take Five). I really like the variety VP machines offer, and as a classic pinball restorer, I have to say the maintenance and off the shelf hardware is the best incentive due to ease and not having to hunt down antique parts. It is expensive at the onset due to the build and the computer and graphics, but believe me this is a hell of a lot better than searching and waiting for a pop bumper or solenoid or Target ramp to appear and wreck your wallet. And it is really not too difficult as prebuilt cabinets are appearing and all you need is a computer, monitor, and controls for a truly personal experience.

I had a "golden gloves" pinball machine from the 50's-60's. Mechanical plunger. That's how i learned to play pinball. massive hours of play when I was like 5-15 years old.

For those of you who want to look at virtual pinball's beginnings, consider looking back at Video Pinball for Atari 2600. It's blocky, but fun. The next step in virtual pinball evolution I encountered was on the Atari 8-bit computer. It was called Dave's Midnight Magic pinball. It is limited in the number of colors on the screen, but features a side-by-side presentation. Game play and sound effects were actually quite good. And then there is Pinball Construction Set, which was a good effort for the time.

Who never realized that although Space Cadet was distributed by itself with Windows, it was actually part of a 4-6 table set? The whole set was a paid software. The group that made them, I believe, no longer exists, but I believe that the pack is still floating around in digital and physical media formats.

My first virtual pinball experience was Night Mission on the C64, but it was Pinball Dreams on the Amiga 500 that changed virtual pinball forever.

Amazing! Thanks for the video, I have wanted to build my own for so long and really want to take the plunge. Awesome setup!

Awesome job man. Given the tables in those games are fully modeled in 3d it must be at least technically possible to set up a Trackhat or something similar that tracks your head height/position/movement & somehow set up the game software to change the rendered angle of the table in real time to suit so as to create an illusion of depth below the glass. I feel that could be the ultimate simulated pinball experience

Cool video, my first experience with virtual pinball was with Pinball Dreams/Fantasies on the Amiga 500.

Pinball FX3 is the best pinball game to date inmo, thanks for the video.

I remember spending a lot of time playing Epic Pinball back in the 90s... My favorite pin is Bally’s Cirqus Voltaire. You might try that one in your cabinet.

ANYTHING that allows me to play *Theatre of Magic* again, I'm on board!

The first computer pinball for me was Cybergirl pinball by Epic. You can still download a copy and play, but it requires dosbox or a similar dos emulator to play. The graphics sucks at 480x640 but it is still a great game. Remember this was before windows at the beginning of the computer game development era. You should give if a try, I think you will be surprised at how well it plays even on new computer rigs.

Pinball Dreams & Pinball Illusions are easily the best virtual pinballs to date. And they were made in the early 90's!

That's a great machine you built right there!

Great info,you gained another sub!Thanks for sharing!

I can't say enough about Future Pinball! Hell yeah, it's definitely worth checking out if you are into real pinball. It would be nice to have table hardware like this though, it looks great.

Still looks like an amazing machine.. Congrats dude.. More power to you..

Love the rig! However I'm not really a DIY'er. Most of the pre-built machines I've been able to find are older tech (1080p instead of 4K, etc). Any suggestions for "top of the line" builds? Budget not a problem.

Thank you so much for the video. I recently built an arcade Mame and loving. Looks like this will be next project.

What would be amazing would be a VR game that uses a large flipper controller with a spring launcher so you can play classic pinball games in VR.

I got one from Creative Arcades in Lake Forest and I couldnt be happier! it makes noise when the bumpers hit and the flippers it almost feels real! I highly recommend it! Mine acts also as a upright videogame with the scoreboard part of the screen so i can play pinball and arcade stand up classics ! Creative arcades if you want it done and done right thanks guys!

That table/set-up would be awesome with the Pro-Pinball series.

Pro pinball ultra "timeshock"

idea behind it is cool only i'm not sure this will give me the oldschool Pinball feeling. I've played a lot of pinball tables.

i played roller ball for the MSX in 1984 and still have that game

Very interesting watch. I really need to build my own VP table one day!

My first-ever pinball sim was "Video Pinball" on the Atari 2600, a 1980 cartridge that actually didn't resemble real pinball all that closely, but was just fun enough that I played it a lot anyway. (There was a much better pinball sim for the Atari 2600, a port of the personal-computer game David's Midnight Magic--it didn't have the Black Knight-derived playfield, but it was actually a credible pinball simulation. But I didn't discover that until many years later with a 2600 emulator.) The game that really got me hankering for it again was Amtex Software's 1994 simulation of the Gottlieb electromechanical table Royal Flush. This was published by Brøderbund for Windows, but there was also a Macintosh port that was cancelled as a commercial product but was released later as abandonware. I remember playing that a lot--unfortunately it doesn't play on modern Macs at all.

I love the pinball cabinet you made, you have the plans for this cabinet or some photos would be very helpful.

pinball dreams, pinball fantasies on the amiga in the late 80's

Epic Pinball

You are correct... I played Space Cadet first on windows 95 :)

What are you using for the 2nd vertical screen where you'd normally see a DMD? I think I prefer your screen over a DMD not only due to the absurd prices of real DMD screens but also because that lower LCD screen is infinitely more useful.

This is absolutely amazing! I’d love to have one of these!

You are my hero, this machine is awesome and a virtual cab is going to be my next build on my channel Level By Level Gaming. I subbed a while back but just found this vid, thanks for sharing brother.

My first was the NES Pinball

I think you forgot to talk about ball physics. Because the most important thing about a virtual pinball machine is not only how good the graphics are, or how great the mini-games or sound effects are. So at least for me, ball physics is the most important thing. For what good is it if the ball does not do what you're trying to do? But otherwise a great video, keep it up.

I'll tell you what i was kinda sick of my ps vita but then i came across the pinbal arcade, pinball hero and zen pinball, and the good thing is you can play all games vertically and use X and triangle as flippers (the right stick does the nudge btw) makes the experience better, but I'm really looking forward to build a virtual machine, cos real machines are insanely expensive in my country

Nice your machine ... how much it cost made one ? ... and the contacts of people and places to buy items to built it ???

Whelp it was this video that initially put me on my journey. I have been working round the clock every chance I get to get it all going for about a year now. I have slowly been ordering parts for a super high end cab with toys and the works. About another year or so and I will be completely done. My cab will have Mame Pinball fx Comics Android games (vertical) Pc games (vertical) Visual pinball Visual pinball 10 Future pinball Video game magazines And more!!! All with individual backglass, dmd, wheel name, topper videos, table videos and table audio mostly made by me. There is so much work I am doing it might shock you. I worked out batch files and scripts using pinball x launch before and after lines to get some of this stuff to work.. I link you the final video👍🏽 when all is said and done. Thanks for the inspiration.

We're in kind of a strange place when it comes to emulation of the classic Williams/Bally tables from the 1980s and '90s, because Farsight Software's "The Pinball Arcade" used to carry a huge number of these, but Farsight recently lost the Williams/Bally license and Zen snapped it up. So we're seeing Zen's new emulations of these tables we used to have on Farsight's game trickling out again. To their credit, Zen makes way slicker and less buggy software than Farsight ever did, so it's a higher-quality product. But I wonder if Zen is ever going to move heaven and earth to get the IP rights for some of the old tables with media licenses, like Twilight Zone, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Addams Family, or Doctor Who (Farsight spent literally years hammering away at this). I kind of doubt it... they do media tie-ins but it's all their original creations.

20:33 What?!?! oh hell yeah!

Anyone remember Thrillride also Judge Dredd and Avengers on windows 98 I think. The old British show Avengers not the Marvel Avengers. I have a real High Roller Casino at home and have had Johnny Mnemonic, Last Action Hero, Space Jam, Viper Night Drivin, Operation Thunder, White Water, Waterworld and Lights Camera Action in the past.

The true video pinball games that started it all, Epic megagames (makers of UNREAL) did epic pinball and extreme pinball for DOS in 1993 and 1995. Featuring fully realized sound tracks (using MOD music, a form of midi music but the digital instruments are also provided with the music), 3d rendered tables, and 3d rendered animations for both the board assets and the dot matrix display, more than what you saw on modern pinball tables at the time. No high resolutions at this time but otherwise it was awesome.

I recently bought a Virtual Pinball machine and its worth every penny.

Back in the early 80's I played Bill Budge's Pinball Construction Set. A great game!

Great video! Good work man, did I hear The Adams Family?

Great build. Looking into doing this myself. What size are those screens? And where did you get the middlescreen? Do you have a link?

Fish Tales is my favorite free pinball on Xbox.

I appreciate how in depth you are but seriously can you make a much shorter video that showcases virtual pinball and the machines us that are intrested should be seeking? I really want a nice machine like the one to your left at the beginning of the video

I understand why virtual pinball is becoming so popular.. It looks cool as hell.. And adds depths to a pinball machine of the past.. I get it.. And maybe I will own one someday. But my counter argument against virtual pinball is. It's a close proximity of a pinball machine. But it's not even a close copy of the pinball machine. Like the classics. Attack from Mars Pinbot. F14 TOMCAT. the list goes on. When your playing a virtual pinball machine you're playing against a program. And the programmers that made that game. It's a video game that trying to be a real pinball machine in video game forum. Video games can be hacked video games can be manipulated to cheat. But real pinball machines can't why.. Simple. Pinball machines are based on physics. Every action is has a equal and opposite reaction. You're dealing with temperature and what it does to the wood of a pinball machine.. When the ball hits a bumper you feel it in the machine. It's very visceral I can't explain beyond that. You can get a feel of your favorite machine. But with physics and Newton laws attached.. No two games are the same Chaos Theory.. And with a pinball wizard can manipulate the game could make the physics work with them.. But sometimes the physics can bite them in the ass.. Like for instance F-14 Tomcat pinball machine. By Williams. I can show you how to rack big points only using the left flipper. But if the machine isn't balance right it might not work. Still one of my favorite pinball games. And hopefully I will own one.. Fingers crossed. One day. I say play play virtual pinball machine replication of a real machine. And play a real version of that machine.. And you will see and feel the difference. Like I said I understand why virtual pinball is so popular but once you play the real machine you'll never understand. And me being a purist I'm headstrong on this statement. It's apples and oranges.

Short answer: YES, ABSOLUTELY

Has anyone ever put "rumbler" servos in these virtual machines? I think that would really bring them to the next level... that tactile feedback CLUNK you feel in your hands when you hit the flipper buttons and when the ball hits the bumpers and stuff. That lack of tactile feedback is what loses me a little bit on the virtual machines. I played with one for a while at a rec room store this week and I"m really on the fence. I could get a used Gottleib machine from the 90's for less than the virtual one they had.

3:20 My very first experience with virtual pinballs ever was "Pinball Action", when I was a kid, even before I knew what a PC was.

I am a 53 year old female building a video game console with the raspberry pi 3B+ and would love to make one of these. I don’t think I could figure this out as it looks very complex. It is awesome though.

I can't get it to work on the XBox One. The menus seem to be shut down. It will only let me buy the first set of tables, and that's about it.

Nes pinball was one of my favorites as a kid

You sold me on Pinball and MOTU

Pinball in Virtual Reality on a headset like the Oculus Rift is amazing. I don’t think many would want to build a virtual pinball cabinet on a flat screens going forward.

I loved playing pinball growing up because it was an experience unlike any other game I played, keep in mind we had the N64 at the time. I was always happy to spend up to $20 on a fun and flashy one at the arcade. Then they replaced it with "Virtual Pinball" . . . . . o_O And I hated it. I missed the feeling of the flippers banging and things physically being hit. Any time I made the ball jump I felt like I was just that strong that the game could not handle my awesomeness lol. I could walk in mad about something and walk out feeling better after smashing the ball around for a bit. Now I tried to give the VPB a good run but its just not my jelly and im not sure how people can even call it Pinball.

Mayor La Guardia was funny! He wanted to BAN Pinball but legalize Marijuana? WTF?

Just been looking through your videos to see if you’ve covered your Wii U 🤔

Ever used any 3D or head tracking like BAM?

Are there any tables that you can challenge the computer?

Pinball Dreams Pinball Fantasies Pinball Illusions Ofcourse the Amiga versions are the best...

nice video! try also Zaccarias Pinball

What is that table you have there? I'd love to buy one like that. I've wanted a pinball machine, but they just cost too much and you only get one theme. Having all those themes makes it seem worth it.

the first for me was on the Commodore 64. With Pinball construction kit. It was pretty basic but still it was pinball.

Dumb question but can you play this on a regular PC as I really don't have the space or money to build a VP table. Thanks.

I’m new to virtual pinball and my skills to building my own are questionable. For my first virtual game I found a company that loads 863 table with 42 fx2 games. This machine costs around 3000. Dollars. I thought this would be a good starting point if I should decide to build my own like you in the future. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Roger K

PinBot and Fun House were my Favorites

Cuál es el programa de Visual pinball que usa para hacer este proyecto?? Que versión es y cuál es el programa?? Gracias

great video m8 , going to build one myself for my channel

I WANT ONE LIKE YOUR'S, WITH THE 3 SCREENS. DO I HAVE TO BUILD THE CAB ? IS THERE A PLACE WHERE I CAN BUY THE CAB WITH THE 3 PRECUT HOLES FOR THE SCREENS ?

What size monitors/displays are you using?

It would have been good to have the video play take up the screen while you were narrating..... not that we don't want to look at you :) just would have been nice to see a closer view of the game play...

Shout out to Scott!

Iam looking for info on building a table top android pinball machine but can't really find much the few that I've found have been confusing when it comes to getting the buttons working

If you use a 4k 3D tv without glasses.. would it add to the immersion and make the experience better ?

The most realistic is ................... Pro-Pinball The Web Timeshock Big Race USA Fantastic Journey Timeshock Ultra Edition (HDR)

I'd love to have my own cabinet one day. I'm having loads of fun with the Williams tables on Pinball FX3. As far as I can tell, their Classic arcade physics is good and the nice thing is that they are constantly working on it i.e. the volume 4 tables came with new flipper physics (which they will implement in the previous tables as well).

1 year later...Digital Pinball...but The Maria's can't monetize digital pinball machines unless the OLED is solid...🐂

If it was just plug in and play I would buy one. The fact that you have to download the software and games kind of sucks

Can you run Space Cadet on this virtual pinball table?

Hello budy, how are you. I have a problem, I am trying to configure the pmballx control with ps2 usb control, how can you help me configure and install, please.

Just came across this video that is awesome

What OS are you running ?