3D Pinball: Space Cadet

"A Solid Game, Especially because it's FREE"

Intro:This is a fabulous game, and a great free add-on to the many Windows XP free games. To accompany the Online games, 3D Pinball is a very fun, and challenging game! You don't even have to be a pinball wizard to understand the basic concepts. There aren't many controls, which keeps the game clean and simple. Fight your way through each and every tough level, to be a true Space Cadet. For a free game, this is an amazing cure to boredom... And a good way to check your PC Pinball Skills, and also a great way to conquer your common boredom on the CPU.

Graphics
The graphics for this game are adequate. Very typical pinball game graphics. There are rumors of a secret NEW Pinball board once you reach a certain score, but I haven't seen it... nor have many, thus I can't tell you. Nice alternating colors on the pinball bumpers and such, and a good overall variation of the graphics. There have been plenty of pinball games that were far more interactive and graphically enhanced, but these graphics shall do for a free game.

Gameplay
Great gameplay. Though whenever you bump the table, your flippers freeze for some weird reason... Other than that it's glitch free. The missions are pretty involving, and sometimes rely on the luck of the bounce. Sometimes, however, they are all skill. It's rough, especially since there are only 3 Pinballs per game... And you have to complete somewhere around 15 Missions... Very hard. Multi player Mode is also a big plus towards the replayability value. Overall, great gameplay... a splendid way to kill time.

Sound
Eek.. This is the worst part of the game in my honest opinion. The background music(if on) is halfway decent, but the sounds are incredibly repetitive and annoying. The mission accepted sounds, bumper sounds, and the other various sounds are annoying, especially if the speakers are on loud. I recommend playing with neither the Sounds or Background music on, and thank god that the sounds are optional. By far the worst part of the game, and they really aren't that bad, so I think that says something.. I guess... I don't know.

Replayability
Pretty good. The multiplayer(2-4 Players) is especially good... And the missions will give you a tougher time, depending on what rank you are. You must complete 3 missions to move up a rank, and there are about 6 Ranks, and since there are only 3 Pinballs, this game will take a LONG time to fully complete in one game. Another thing that adds credibility to the replayability factor is the high scores list. The high scores list definitely leaves room to track your highest scores and compare them to friends, family, colleagues, and more... Great replayability factor, one of the best I have ever seen on a PC or Real Life.

Final Thoughts:This game rocks for a FREE Game, certainly worth $15, but you don't even have to pay that. This is a great time-killer when you are bored, and the replay value is through the roof(just read the section). There is a great FAQ on this site if you need help on defeating this game. Definitely take advantage of this free addition to your computer, very SOLID Game, indeed.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/03