It’s the kind of cheesy, fast-paced “futuristic” music that will quickly and permanently bore itself into your brain like the creature from “Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan”. This is a real shame because the music is… actually surprisingly good. One strange feature of this game is that the music is turned off by default. Yay! Lens flare! From back when it was cool, BEFORE J.J.Abrams ruined it through overuse! I’ve only found one of these so far ( where you have to hit the bumpers near the top of the screen eight times), but it added some variation to the game. Not only is the board littered with wormholes, hyperspace and all manner of other cool things that you can hit if you aim carefully but- once your score reaches a certain point – you’ll actually be given missions. Joking aside, the sound design is actually fairly awesome and, if you grew up in the 1990s, you’ll feel a pang of nostalgia as soon as you hear the game’s many stylised sound effects.Īlthough you can just hammer the flipper keys wildly and hope for the best ( like I did with pinball games when I was a kid), this game rewards you for playing strategically. The physics in the game feel surprisingly solid and everything that the ball hits will react with an impactful animation and a sci-fi sound effect that could have been taken from only the finest toy laser guns that the 1990s had to offer. ![]() In terms of the gameplay, it’s actually fairly solid. You can also use other keys to tilt and bump the table, if you’re a filthy cheater. You’ll be using the function keys for various game functions (eg: “F3” pauses the game and “F2” starts a new game), the spacebar to launch a new pinball and the “Z” and “/” keys control the left and right flippers respectively. The controls for this game can take a bit of getting used to since, like many great games from the 1990s, the controls are strictly keyboard-only. And is that the flying car from “Blade Runner”? LOL! I don’t know why, but his expression is just hilarious. Yes, this is probably going to be a silly review. But, beware, Starfleet Academy *ahem* I mean, the Space Cadet Academy is watching you… Given the steep cost of this game (well over £100… albeit with a free copy of Windows XP and/or a free PC), I can see why people might be tempted into space piracy. Versions for other good incarnations of Windows, such as Windows 98, also exist too.Ī quick Google search shows that users of modern parody versions of Windows can furtively download copies of this game from *ahem* less than legitimate sources. I got this game quite a while ago, when I got Windows XP. But, not daring to see how many IQ points this more modern FPS game had leeched from me, I ended up playing… the free pinball game that comes with Windows XP… instead. I’d planned to look for some “Doom II” levels to review, since I haven’t reviewed one in a while and I was beginning to worry that playing nothing but “ Red Faction II” recently had dulled my “Doom II” skills. Beyond the nostalgia, it’s refreshing to have a progressive storyline built around the quest for points on the table.One afternoon, I was feeling a fascinating mixture of boredom and curiosity. Like other free classics from Microsoft, such as Minesweeper and Solitaire, 3D Pinball – Space Cadet takes us back to a simpler time before slacking off got serious. If you want to change the controls, click on ‘Options’, followed by ‘Player Controls’. Despite being a digital table released in 1995, it’s still so popular that enthusiasts have recreated it and made it available as a free download. The pinnacle of your space fleet career is Fleet Admiral, but you’ll have to work your way up from your starting rank of Cadet through Ensign, Lieutenant, Captain, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Commodore, and Admiral until you reach the top. Each mission requires you to achieve certain tasks like hitting the ‘attack bumpers’ eight times. However, it’s different from most pinball games because you are a member of a space fleet where you complete missions to rise through the ranks. It’s a top-down view of a pinball table with a space theme. ![]() What is 3D Pinball - Space Cadet?īased on one of three pinball games included in the ‘Full Tilt! Pinball’ series, 3D Pinball – Space Cadet was later separately bundled in with Windows 95 to Vista. Unfortunately, due to a bug in the latter, Microsoft removed it, and it never returned. Although it’s no longer included in Windows, you can download it separately and resume your space fleet career. It’s a much-loved classic that was included with Windows from 95 to Vista. It’s a classic game with nostalgic elements like Minesweeper and Solitaire. Instead of just aiming to rack up the highest possible score by hitting various points on the table, you’re a member of a space fleet where you complete missions to get promoted to the rank of Fleet Admiral. 3D Pinball - Space Cadet is a free pinball game with a difference.
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