Pro Pinball: Timeshock!

Pro Pinball: Timeshock!
Developer(s) Cunning Developments
Publisher(s) Empire Interactive
Composer(s) Jake Burns
Bruce Foxton
Platform(s) PC (Microsoft Windows/MS-DOS), Macintosh (Mac OS 9 or earlier), PlayStation
Release date(s) 1997
Genre(s) Pinball
Mode(s) Single player or 2-4 players (hotseat)

Timeshock! is a 1997 pinball computer game developed by Cunning Developments and published by Empire Interactive. It is the second game in the Pro Pinball series, and is themed around the concept of time travel.

Theme and objectives

The inclusion of a time machine fixture on the table facilitates the game's time travel theme. At any one time the player is in one of a handful of time zones, the main ones being: The Present Day, The Distant Future, Ancient Rome and The Prehistoric Age. Completion of certain objectives allows the player to travel between time zones (although some must be unlocked first, by means of completing secondary objectives).

Although the basic method of playing is persistent across time zones, the details of particular awards and objectives are themed towards the current time, for example, you might be awarded with a ray gun in the future, whilst in the present day you might be awarded with a magnet. This provides variety, and helps facilitate a wider set of goals.

Gameplay

Like many pinball games, Timeshock! has features around the drains to give the player opportunity to "save" the ball. The left drain features an escape hatch back into the main play area, which, with a well timed nudge one can coerce the ball to travel through. The right drain features a "magno-save": an electromagnet placed just to the left of the right drain, activated by hitting a particular key. If used correctly, this either draws the ball out of the drain, or stops it before it gets there. However, if used recklessly, one can at worst "throw" the ball into the drain, or more likely, waste a good magno-save: Once used, the magno-save must be re-enabled by hitting a set of drop targets.

These features make Timeshock! much less of a game of chance. A skilled player can employ these techniques to extend ball times considerably.

The ULTRA Edition

Barnstorm Games, owner of Silverball Studios, a company created by the Pro Pinball original developers, launched a Kickstarter project in order to cover the cost for a remake called Pro Pinball: Timeshock! - The ULTRA Edition. It successfully surpassed the £40,000 goal with £49,349. Versions for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux have been released to date to Kickstarter backers, via the iOS/Android app stores and via Steam. A version for Xbox Live was promised as a stretch goal.[1] The game is finally released on Steam July 21, 2016.[2]

The physical machine

Silver Castle Pinball, a company in Utrecht in the Netherlands, is developing a real physical machine based on the computer game. [3]

The company is run by Jurgen van Dulst, Pieter van Leijen, Micha Balvert and Danny Boelen, who are determined to make their Timeshock! game as faithful a recreation of the original computer game it can possibly be.

They have the original artwork, sound effects, music and voice calls. Adrian Barritt who created the Pro Pinball series will take the lead in programming of all software for the machine. [4]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/500643708/pro-pinball-timeshock-the-ultra-edition-0
  2. ↑ http://store.steampowered.com/app/287900
  3. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/silvercastlepinball
  4. ↑ http://www.pinballnews.com/games/timeshock/index.html
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