Pinball Battle: The Multiplayer Version of Pinball Masters

If you're already excited about Pinball Masters, wait until you hear about the multiplayer version! Imagine sitting down across from your best friend at a long, flat pinball table. Each of you have your own set of flippers, but you share a ball as you try to force the opponent into three ball losses. You have targets you can hit on your own side to earn points, which will allow you to buy equipment, such as temporary stoppers to prevent the ball from exiting your side, and one-way doors, which will reflect the ball back onto the opponent's side of the table, while allowing it through when you send it across to the other side. Once your opponent has lost three balls down their side of the table, you clench your victory!

Switching to Unity

Greetings! This week I have begun making the switch to using Unity3D as the development tool for my pinball game. It has a lot of incredible functionality, which means there is a lot to learn! So far, I have the main game components added to the screen, but no flipper motion yet. Here's a quick clip of the game:

"Just One Minute": A Pinball Masters Gameplay Excerpt

The player pulls back the plunger, exhales, and launches the ball onto the table. The ball speeds through the launch ramp and into the gameplay area. The player can hear the ball as it ricochets back and forth between the bumpers, causing lights to flash and points to build. Watching intently as the ball makes its way down the table, the player tries to anticipate its arrival. Noting the ball traveling directly down the center, the player attempts to gently tilt the table. Unfortunately, the ball still escapes down the drain, but is saved and automatically relaunched. This time, the player manages to activate the flipper in time to send the ball back onto the field. As the player continues to bounce the ball around the table, a series of flags are triggered, and the player is given his first mission. A friendly assistant offers to grant shielding if the player shoots the ball up the left ramp in the next 30 seconds. A skill shot launches the ball up the ramp just in time to earn a basic shield in his inventory. The player decides not to use the shield at the moment, but to wait until he has to fight the next enemy. Hopefully he can also earn some healing and weaponry by completing other missions before he has to battle THE PINBALL MASTER!

Pinball Prototype v1.1

The next set of steps in building the game took quite a bit more study, but I have finally added some physics components, and the ball bounces around the screen and off the bumpers and flippers. I've added a splash of color as well as a scoreboard with instructions. I do recognize there is a LOT of work to be done to make this game what I want it to be, and I'm rather excited about the upcoming modifications. In the meantime, please feel free to check out my game and let me know what you think!

Pinball Prototype Screenshot

Pinball Prototype, v1.0

This week I built my first prototype for the pinball game. I am just getting started, so it is very basic, but I have a few elements put on-screen, and the flippers are moving correctly. Next week, I hope to get the ball moving through the screen and add some boundaries and collisions, which will compose the essential frame of the game.

If you would like to see the flippers in-action, here is the link for the current version, best viewed using Google Chrome (D and K operate flippers).

And to watch a quick preview, check out my YouTube video:

Updated Pinball Focus

Pinball Masters is a classic pinball game, updated with features appealing to the modern gamer. The player can earn skill masteries, add items to their inventory, progress between "levels" (tables), and fight bosses/masters. These fights will be carried out by hitting the boss with the pinball, thus deleting their health points. The bosses also have weapons to shoot at the ball, thus deleting the player's health points. Various items acquired throughout the pinball journey may provide shielding for the player or increase the hit points against the boss. Wormholes allow players to jump back and forth between tables already visited, while soundtrack and sound effects fit the theme of each table. Multiballs and extra shots can also be earned, along with temporary stoppers to prevent the ball from exiting gameplay. As in standard pinball, the player will start with three balls, and while temporary losses may be overcome, the player will ultimately try to progress to defeating the final boss and become a Pinball Master before the ball count decreases to zero.

Pinball Focus

Pinball Masters is a classic pinball game, updated with features appealing to the modern gamer. The player can earn skill masteries, add items to their inventory, progress between "levels" (tables), and fight bosses/masters. Wormholes will allow players to jump back and forth between tables already visited, while soundtrack and sound effects will fit the theme of each table. Multiballs and extra shots can be earned, as well as temporary stoppers to prevent the ball from exiting gameplay. As in standard pinball, a player will start with three balls, and while temporary losses may be overcome, the player will ultimately try to progress to defeating the final master before the ball count decreases to zero.