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| Epic Pinball | |
|---|---|
 CD cover ofEpic Pinball: The Complete Collection | |
| Developer(s) | Digital Extremes |
| Publisher(s) | Epic MegaGames |
| Designer(s) |
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| Artist(s) |
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| Composer(s) |
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| Platform(s) | MS-DOS |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Pinball |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
Epic Pinball is a 1993pinball video game developed byJames Schmalz and published byEpic MegaGames. The initial release pre-dated Schmalz'Digital Extremes name. The game is played seen from a 2D top-down view within a scrollable window with plain raster graphics in 320x240. It was noted for being programmed entirely inx86assembly language[1] forMS-DOS systems.
The game was originally distributed on floppy disks in 3 separate packs of 4 tables each. The originalshareware version (and an early retail version) included only the original "Android" table. Later shareware versions and retail versions contained an updated version called "Super Android" (although it is still referred to as "Android" in the game, the table was changed to say "Super Android").
| Release | Table | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pack 1 | "Android" | Included in "Retro Pinball". |
| "Pot of Gold" | Designed by Terry Cumming. | |
| "Excalibur" | Modelled and based on a pinball table from the 1970s.[2] | |
| "Crash & Burn" | Included in "Retro Pinball". | |
| Pack 2 | "Magic" | |
| "Jungle Pinball" | A tribute to Epic's earlier gameJill of the Jungle. | |
| "Deep Sea" | ||
| "Enigma" | ||
| Pack 3 | "Cyborgirl" | Designed by Joe Hitchens. |
| "Pangaea" | Included in "Retro Pinball". | |
| "Space Journey" | Designed and illustrated byPixel ofFuture Crew. | |
| "Toy Factory" | Designed and illustrated byPixel ofFuture Crew. |
Another table, "African Safari", was included in the "Full Edition" (the CD-ROM version), in addition to the tables from the three packs above.
Tim Sweeney saw some impressive 3D demos done by a group of Finnish developers that were members of the PC demogroupFuture Crew and sentMark Rein to Finland to recruit them. They declined except forMisko Iho who travelled to the US with Mark, bringing back an unfinished version of a pinball game.[3] Unable to convince them to allowEpic MegaGames to finish the game, Tim showed the unfinished game toJames Schmalz in Canada. James developed Epic Pinball (with six pinball tables) from scratch in nine months while he was in college. Tim and Mark kept in touch with James to ensure he was on the right track.[4] The graphics were created usingDeluxe Paint II and the music was composed usingScream Tracker.[5]
In 1993, the first registered game included only the first two pinball packs. The following year, xLand Games distributed that very version under the title "Fliper".[6]
In 1994, the "Crash & Burn", "Jungle Pinball", "Enigma", "Cyborgirl" and "Deep Sea" tables were released as individual games by B&N Software and its child company Strange Ranger.[citation needed]
In 1995, all three packs plus the exclusive "African Safari" were released on CD.[citation needed]
In the mid to late 1990s, individual tables were given away as free floppy diskettes to customers ofBlockbuster Video upon renting 2 or more items. The promotion lasted only for a few months.[7][8]
In 2011, the game was partially re-made by Fuse Powered Inc. for Apple'siPhone,iPod Touch andiPad platforms. The game, re-titled as "Retro Pinball", features updated versions of three tables from the original game.[9]
The game was re-released on GOG.com on November 30, 2017, with support forMicrosoft Windows,macOS, andLinux pre-packed withDOSBox.[10][11]
Epic Pinball was a major commercial success for its creators,[14] whose internal figures placed it as the third-best-selling shareware product of all time. Designer James Schmalz said in 1999 thatEpic Pinball was more successful than anyone imagined it could be.[15] According to Epic's Tim Sweeney, it was the publisher's top-selling shareware game, and Schmalz earned "more than a million dollars from the shareware royalties" in its first year.[16] Ultimately the game sold more than 200,000 copies.[17]
Computer Gaming World in 1994 stated thatEpic Pinball was superior to the development team's commercialSilverball and "overall quality is very high". The magazine concluded that the $45 registration fee was a good value for eight boards, as "very few commercial alternatives offer as much without causing your wallet to Tilt!"[18]
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