this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2026
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A hobbyist is rebuilding Microsoft’s 3D Pinball: Space Cadet as a real machine, crafting a physical playfield with working bumpers, ramps, and lighting.

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[–] turkalino@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I remember just a couple years ago, when I was on a pinball kick, I did some research to see if anyone had made a real Space Cadet machine and was surprised to see no one had. I remember reading some claims that doing so would be virtually impossible because the mechanisms necessary to recreate the behavior of the game could not feasibly be arranged on the underside of the playfield.

I hope this person proves them wrong

[–] LikeableLime@piefed.social 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't remember exactly how the game plays, but just looking at the table I don't see anything that looks impossible. There is that subway/tunnel that iirc works in both directions which would require some trickery but totally doable at least in one direction.

[–] Hideakikarate@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I vaguely remember the middle of the table turn into a black hole, pulling the ball in. That might be tough to implement in a real thing.

[–] RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Dont most tables with something like that either have a rotating plate or an electromagnet that only magnetizes the ball when it is powered? Probably could so something like that.

The new DUNE table has a similar feature for the sandworm. It's a magnet on an elevator and will grab the ball and bring it below the playfield to a subway that feeds to a VUK. So it's possible. The only issue would be the pop bumpers on the upper playfield for the launch, pop bumper assemblies drop down a good 4-5 Inches from the playfield, so they would need to be changed.

[–] PieMePlenty@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Oh man, I've thought about this many many times. I don't know shit about real pinball tables so I had no idea if it were actually possible, but I leaned more towards probably not. The physics didn't seem recreateable. I even thought about how I'd probably put a small vacuum pump for the gravity hole in the center!
I hope they succeed and I hope it feels as authentic as possible.

[–] thessnake03@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

I'd go with magnet for the gravity hole.

[–] yermaw@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 week ago

tech press and the internet at large is standing at attention.

Meanwhile tech press and the internet at large

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

Heck yeah it counts as retro. I imagine we all have happy memories of that little game.

[–] popekingjoe@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

This is awesome.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 week ago

This hit me right in the nostalgia.

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I forgot all about MS pinball - IIRC it was pretty fun. Making it a real thing would be a blast!

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Someone decompiled it and there's now versions of it available on the play store and other places. It is a real blast from the past.

[–] SpookyBogMonster@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

One of the first things I did, when I installed Linux Mint, was install a port of Space Cadet Pinball

[–] artifex@piefed.social 2 points 1 week ago

how did I never think to do this!?

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I did a post on it a while back, it runs on everything!

[–] thingsiplay@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago

Last update is 3 years ago. The project is dead. /s (just joking around BTW)

[–] NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

3d? What about it was 3d?

Is was okay I guess. Not really all that great, but I don't recall a 3d aspect.

[–] newthrowaway20@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It had that Skeuomorphic faux-3D look to it, kinda.

[–] NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I guess the ramps did go over the playfield, so in that way I guess it was 3d.

I had to look it up: cinematronics called the platform "Full Tilt! Pinball", AKA "Pinball 95" and it came with three tables, space cadet being one of them. But it was not 3d space cadet pinball, it was just space cadet. The one that came on the windows plus for 95 was a shortened version - less content- as well.

Then microsoft licensed it for themselves and merged that name "3d pinball for windows".

[–] turmacar@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's 3D compared to pinball videogames from the 70s/80s, which were decidedly not. It actually looks like a pinball game that could exist, the ball moves relatively realistically, and has paths that go 'over' the main play field.

That’s just what Microsoft chose to name it… Many games back then were called 3D even if they were just pre-rendered like this or Donkey Kong Country.

[–] Pat_Riot@lemmy.today 2 points 1 week ago

I play it on my phone. I would love to have a physical table of it.

[–] thingsiplay@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago
[–] Aeao@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

That’s awesome