Line #4 VideoGame/EpicPinball


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/epicpinball-android_9313.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:The first hit is free...]]
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4	''Epic Pinball'' is a series of DigitalPinballTables for [[Platform/IBMPersonalComputer MS-DOS computers]] from [[Creator/EpicGames Epic Megagames]]. Released both on CD-ROM and a series of floppy disks, they are noted for being one of the last commercial games written entirely in assembly language, making for very faster and fluid action even on a modest PC. The first game was released in 1993.
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6	As with ''VideoGame/{{Silverball}}'', James Schmalz created ''Epic Pinball'' to counter the success of ''VideoGame/PinballDreams'' by using assembly language to make full use of the Platform/IBMPersonalComputer hardware. Similar to ''Dreams,'' the games were played from a top-down view, either with the entire table visible at once or with a scrolling playfield two screens tall.
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8	The first table, "Android", was available for free in the {{Shareware}} and original retail versions; paying for the game allowed users to unlock other tables. The series featured an all-digital soundtrack in Platform/{{MOD}} format and thirteen tables all together.
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10	The tables available in the series are:
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12	* ''Epic Pinball Pack 1'':
13	** "Android" (later tweaked and renamed "Super Android")
14	** "Pot of Gold"
15	** "Excalibur"
16	** "Crash and Burn"
17	* ''Epic Pinball Pack 2'':
18	** "Magic"
19	** "Jungle Pinball"
20	** "Deep Sea"
21	** "Enigma"
22	* ''Epic Pinball Pack 3'':
23	** "Cyborgirl"
24	** "Pangea"
25	** "Space Journey"
26	** "Toy Factory"
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28	A thirteenth table, "African Safari," was only available in the CD-ROM version. A stripped-down version of ''Epic Pinball Pack 3'' was included by Acer in their desktop [=PCs,=] omitting the "Cyborgirl" table. A Spiritual Successor, ''VideoGame/ExtremePinball'', was released a few years later.
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30	In 2011, the game was partially remade as "Retro Pinball" by Fuse Powered Inc. for Apple's Platform/{{iOS}} devices. It features updated versions of "Super Android," "Crash and Burn," and "Pangaea", handpicked by Schmalz himself.
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32	----
33	!!The ''Epic Pinball'' series demonstrates the following tropes:
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35	* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: To ''VideoGame/PinballDreams'', down to duplicating the "screws and fasteners" art aesthetic.
36	* TheBigRace: "Crash and Burn" is about an UsefulNotes/IndyCar race.
37	* {{Cyberspace}}: The premise of "Cyborgirl".
38	* DemoScene: Artwork for "Space Journey" and "Toy Factory" was done by a member of the demo group Future Crew.
39	* DigitalPiracyIsEvil: "[[AC:This game is not shareware. Please do not distribute!]]" Despite the warning, standalone installers for at least ''Crash and Burn'', ''Deep Sea'', and ''Enigma'' were distributed illegally in shareware bundles.
40	* ImprobablyHighIQ: Hitting the round bumpers at the top-right increases IQ by 1 for each hit.
41	* IntercourseWithYou: The background track for Cyborgirl includes some pretty pornographic-sounding moans and yelps.
42	* {{Leprechaun}}: One appears in "Pot of Gold," predictably enough.
43	* PinballScoring: It's a pinball game -- of course it's going to use this trope.
44	* PinballSpinoff: "Jungle Pinball" is based on Epic's ''VideoGame/JillOfTheJungle''.
45	* {{Shareware}}: ''Android'' (and ''only'' that table; others will warn you on startup that they are ''not'' shareware) was released essentially for free, with order info in the manual on how to get the other tables.
46	* {{Slurpasaur}}: The "Pangea" table prominently features a dinosaur that looks like an oversized alligator.
47	%% * SpellingBonus
48	%% * TopDownView
49	* TitleConfusion: The patched version of "Android" has the title on the playfield as "Super Android", but keeps "Android" in the game menus.

Context VideoGame / EpicPinball