Ruiner Pinball
Developer(s)High Voltage Software[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Atari Corporation
Producer(s)Bill Rehbock
Kerry J. Ganofsky
Designer(s)Mike Baker
Scott Corley
Programmer(s)Scott Corley
Artist(s)Mike Baker
Platform(s)Atari Jaguar
Release
  • NA: November 6, 1995
  • EU: December 1995
Genre(s)Pinball
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Ruiner Pinball is a 1995 pinball video game developed by High Voltage Software (HVS) and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar. The game is a collection of two pinball tables featuring their own layout, storyline, and thematic. Each table contains objectives and targets for the player to increase scoring opportunities by performing several shots with flippers before the ball is lost. It was marketed as the first title to support the ProController, a redesigned Jaguar controller that added three more face buttons and two triggers.

Ruiner Pinball originated as a project proposed to Atari, as many of the High Voltage Software staff were pinball fans and liked the idea of making one. HVS pitched the project showing a working demo by programmer Scott Corley, who was given free rein to make it by producer Kerry J. Ganofsky, and Atari greenlit the project upon seeing the demo. Initially, the game was intended to have a single table, however, Atari requested to add a second table. It garnered generally unfavorable reception from critics; criticism was geared towards the visuals, soundscapes, gameplay, controls, and unrealistic physics. Retrospective commentary for the game has been mixed. In 2022, it was included in the Atari 50 compilation.

Gameplay

Ruiner Pinball includes two pinball tables: Ruiner (left) and Tower (right).

Ruiner Pinball is a pinball game that features a collection of two pinball tables, each with their own layout, storyline, and thematic: Ruiner and Tower.[1][2][3][4][5] Ruiner is a double-width table with four flippers on each side, taking place during an impending nuclear war in the 1960s.[2][4][5][6] In the Ruiner table, the player navigates the ball using interconnecting ramps to travel between sides.[5] Tower is a three-screen high table with a set of flippers on each area, taking place in a medieval fantasy setting where an adventurer enters a castle to defeat an evil sorceress.[3][4][5][6]

Each table has its own main objective: in Ruiner, the player must lower the DEFCON level from level 5 to 1 and launch an attack against an enemy country, while in Tower the player must defeat the sorceress by casting three magic spells in order to destroy the castle and escape.[1][3][4][5][6] There are targets for the player to increase scoring opportunities by performing several shots with flippers before the ball is lost.[1][4][5][6] Both tables also include features such as free balls and multi-ball play.[4] There are three difficulty levels and the player can enter the number of participants, set the number of balls to play, turn the picture-in-picture display window on or off, or apply texture to the ball in the game's options menu.[4][6]

Development

Ruiner Pinball was created by High Voltage Software (HVS), which previously worked on a video game adaptation based on the 1992 sports comedy film White Men Can't Jump for Atari Jaguar.[1][7][8] It was co-produced by Kerry J. Ganofsky and Bill Rehbock of Atari Corporation.[6] Scott Corley acted as the game's programmer and designer of the Ruiner table, being his first work in the video game industry.[6][8] Mike Baker served as artist and designer of the Tower table.[6][8] A composer for Ruiner Pinball is not credited, though Aardvark Action Audio is listed for providing the audio engine.[6] In 2014, Corley discussed about the game's production in a thread on the 3DO Zone fan community forums.[8]

HVS proposed a pinball game project to Atari, as many of the company's staff were pinball fans and liked the idea of making one, with Corley citing Raster Blaster (1981) and Night Mission Pinball (1982) as his childhood favorites.[8] HVS pitched the project by showing a working demo written within days by Corley, who was given free rein to make it by Ganofsky.[8] Atari greenlit the project upon seeing the demo and HVS began working on the game.[8] Corley recalled that at one point during development, Atari requested a name for the game so they could advertise it.[8] He christened the game Ruiner, named after the song of the same name on the album The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails, when looking through his personal music collection.[8] Corley told the name to Ganofsky, who proceeded to send it to Atari.[8] Initially, the game was intended to have a single table, however, Atari requested to add a second table.[8] The artwork for the Ruiner table was hand-drawn and painted by Baker on a large board.[8] The artwork was scanned, pieced together, and corrected using Deluxe Paint.[8] Corley said the process was a difficult task because at the time "there was no scanner that large".[8]

Release

The game was first showcased at the 1994 Summer Consumer Electronics Show, planning for release in the second quarter of 1995 under the name Ruiner.[9][10][11][12][13] Early previews prior to launch showed different visuals and music compared to the final version.[10][11][12] It made additional apparances at tradeshows such as the 1995 ECTS Spring event and E3 1995.[14][15] The game was later scheduled for a August release date and was also showcased during an event hosted by Atari Corporation dubbed "Fun 'n' Games Day" under its final title, Ruiner Pinball.[16][17][18] The game was published by Atari first in North America on November 6, 1995, and later in Europe on December 1995.[19][20] It was marketed as the first title to support the ProController, a redesigned Atari Jaguar controller that added three more face buttons and two triggers.[21] In 2022, Ruiner Pinball was included in the Atari 50 compilation for Windows, the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, marking its first re-release.[22][23]

Reception

Ruiner Pinball received generally unfavorable reception from critics.[31][32] Game Zero Magazine's two reviewers criticized its bland visuals, unattractive music, and ball physics. They compared the game unfavorably to Crüe Ball (1992) on the Sega Genesis and recommended any of the pinball titles on the TurboGrafx-16 instead.[28] Writing for Ultimate Future Games and The Atari Times, Andy Robertson lambasted its graphical presentation, soundscapes, controls, and limited number of tables, stating that "Ruiner is not even a very good pinball".[27][29] The Electric Playground called it "the Latoya Jackson of video pinball games". They said that the gameplay is dull and tedious, and that the overly busy visuals cause the ball to be frequently lost against the backgrounds.[25]

MAN!AC's Robert Bannert compared its visuals unfavorably to Dragon's Fury (1991), stating that most of the game's elements tend to get lost in the hand-drawn backgrounds and pointed out the lack of bonus rounds, recommending Pinball Fantasies (1992) instead.[1] Véronique Boissarie of Consoles + found Ruiner Pinball to be an original and well-designed pinball game, praising its colorful graphics, audio department, and playability, but criticized the blurry scrolling.[24] Marc Abramson of the French ST Magazine faulted the game's audiovisual presentation and controls, and unrealistic physics.[2] VideoGames compared it with other pinball video games like Crüe Ball and Dragon's Revenge (1993). They criticized the graphics and plot of the two tables, while also remarking that the game does not simulate the feel of playing pinball accurately.[30]

GamePro described it as an enjoyable but unexceptional title, saying that it "looks like a plain old 16-bit pinball game" and offers nothing unusual in its pinball action aside from the unusually large tables.[33] Next Generation explained that the game does not play well due to the "rigid" animation and unpredictable physics. They added that the game makes good use of the video game format with its multi-level tables and animated targets, but that these elements are "superfluous" without good gameplay.[26] Atari Gaming Headquarters' Keita Iida wrote that "Ruiner Pinball resembles most 16-bit pinball games like Alien Crush and Crüe Ball in that realism is discarded with". He found the storylines for each table uncompelling and the visuals washed out.[3]

Retrospective coverage

Retrospective commentary for Ruiner Pinball has been mixed.[34][35][36][37][38] Author Andy Slaven gave favorable remarks to the colorful and eye-catching visuals but found the physics unrealistic, stating that it fails to convey the feeling of a real pinball game.[34] In a retrospective outlook for The Atari Times, David Sherwin praised the Ruiner table for its graphical quality and sound effects, but criticized the Tower table for having little detail and lackluster music. He regarded it as "a true example of video pinball where creativity and surrealism are emphasized more than historical generic accuracy".[35] Retro Gamer labelled it as "Fast, fun and very frantic".[36] PCMag called it the best pinball game on the Atari Jaguar, citing its fluid action.[37]

Notes

  1. ↑ Audio engine by Aardvark Action Audio.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bannert, Robert (January 1996). "Spiele-Tests: Ruiner Pinball". MAN!AC (in German). No. 27. Cybermedia. p. 69. (Transcription by MANIAC.de. Archived 2020-10-25 at the Wayback Machine).
  2. 1 2 3 4 Abramson, Marc (February 1996). "Cahier Loisirs / Jaguar: Interrogation Écrite". ST Magazine (in French). No. 102. Pressimage. pp. 57–58.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Iida, Keita (2001). "AGH Jaguar Review: RUINER PINBALL". Atari Gaming Headquarters. Archived from the original on 2001-03-03. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Scholeri III, Joseph (1998). "Ruiner Pinball - Overview". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nils, Nils (November 6, 2020). "Ruiner Pinball im Test" (in German). neXGam. Archived from the original on 2024-01-04. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ruiner Pinball (Game Manual) (International ed.). Atari Corporation. 1995.
  7. ↑ "Atari Jaguar Development". High Voltage Software. 1996. Archived from the original on 1996-11-05. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Corley, Scott (gpumgr) (July 15, 2014). "Hello again from Scott". 3DO Zone Forums. Archived from the original on 2015-09-20. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  9. ↑ Scamps, Olivier; David (July 1994). "Dossier CES - Jaguar: Living On The Edge". Player One (in French). No. 44. Média Système Édition. p. 56.
  10. 1 2 "1995 Video Game Preview Guide - All The Latest Games From The Summer CES: Jaguar". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 61. Sendai Publishing. August 1994. p. 161.
  11. 1 2 "Special Feature: Jaguar". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 63. Sendai Publishing. October 1994. pp. 136–140.
  12. 1 2 Guy, Travis (producer) (1994). AEO at SCES 94. Atari Explorer Online (VHS). United States: Subspace Publishers. Event occurs at 39m18s. Archived from the original on 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  13. ↑ Norwood, Jeffrey (February–March 1994). "part 3: 1995 SOFTWARE PREVIEW". Jaguar Journal. (Transcription by JustClaws. Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine).
  14. ↑ "Spring '95 - Frühjahrs Messe ECTS". Video Games (in German). No. 43. Magna Media. June 1995. pp. 6–18.
  15. ↑ "E-3 The Biggest And Best Electronic Entertainment Show Ever! - Jaguar". GameFan. Vol. 3, no. 7. DieHard Gamers Club. July 1995. p. 35.
  16. ↑ "Release Liste: Jaguar". Video Games (in German). No. 45. Magna Media. August 1995. p. 43.
  17. ↑ Gore, Chris (August 1995). "The Gorescore - Industry News You Can: Upcoming Jaguar Software Titles". VideoGames. No. 79. Larry Flynt Publications. p. 14.
  18. ↑ "Atari's Fun 'n' Games Day". GamePro. No. 78. IDG. January 1996. p. 60.
  19. ↑ "Atari Corp. presents pinball like you've never seen it before; Ruiner Pinball for Jaguar 64 hits retail shelves". TheFreeLibrary.com. Business Wire. November 6, 1995. Archived from the original on September 5, 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
  20. ↑ Abramson, Marc (January 1996). "Cahier Loisirs / Jaguar: c'est Nöel!!!". ST Magazine (in French). No. 101. Pressimage. pp. 54–57.
  21. ↑ Rat, The Lab (February 1996). "GamePro Labs - Player's Guide to Power Peripherals: Feline Friends". GamePro. No. 79. IDG. p. 22.
  22. ↑ Machkovech, Sam (September 12, 2022). "The 103 classic games that did, and didn't, make the Atari 50 anniversary cut — Retailer leak suggests games from arcade to Jaguar; surprises apparently still await". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on 2022-09-14. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  23. ↑ McFerran, Damien (October 27, 2022). "Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Trailer Shows Jaguar Games In Action - The cat is back". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on 2022-10-29. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  24. 1 2 Boissarie, Véronique (February 1996). "Jaguar Review: Ruiner Pinball". Consoles + (in French). No. 51. EMAP Alpha. p. 116.
  25. 1 2 "Reviews: Ruiner Pinball". The Electric Playground. Hip Interactive. January 5, 1996. Archived from the original on 2000-12-05. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  26. 1 2 "Finals: Ruiner Pinball". Next Generation. No. 15. Imagine Media. March 1996. pp. 86–87.
  27. 1 2 Robertson, Andy (August 1996). "Jaguar Mini-Reviews: Ruiner Pinball". The Atari Times. No. 4. Gregory George. p. 5. (Transcription by The Atari Times. Archived 2014-10-29 at the Wayback Machine).
  28. 1 2 E.Phoenix; R.I.P. (December 1995). "The Final Word game review - Double Exposure: Ruiner Pinball -- Atari/High Voltage". Game Zero Magazine. Game Zero. Archived from the original on 1998-01-21. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  29. 1 2 "Ultimate review sector: Will Ruiner ruin you or will you ruin Ruiner?". Ultimate Future Games. No. 13. Future Publishing. December 1995. p. 74.
  30. 1 2 "Reviews: Ruiner Pinball". VideoGames. No. 85. Larry Flynt Publications. February 1996. p. 88.
  31. ↑ "Test: Ruiner Pinball". ReVival (in French). No. 2. ABCD Dire. March 1998.
  32. ↑ Karels, Ralph (August 1999). "Special: Atari Jaguar - Komplettübersicht Jaguar-Modul-Games". Video Games (in German). No. 93. WEKA Consumer Medien. p. 56.
  33. ↑ "ProReview: Ruiner Pinball". GamePro. No. 80. IDG. March 1996. p. 68.
  34. 1 2 Slaven, Andy; Barnes, Lucus (2002). "JAG - Atari Jaguar". Video Game Bible, 1985-2002. Vol. 1. Trafford Publishing. pp. 47–53. ISBN 9781553697312. Archived from the original on 2023-02-11. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  35. 1 2 Sherwin, David (April 2004). "Jaguar Reviews: Pinball Fantasies & Ruiner — Two pinball games for the Jaguar 64". 2004 Compendium. The Atari Times. pp. 1–102. Archived from the original on 2004-03-30. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  36. 1 2 Hawken, Kieren (July 18, 2013). "Minority Report: Jaguar Special - Ruiner Pinball". Retro Gamer. No. 118. Imagine Publishing. p. 45.
  37. 1 2 Edwards, Benj (February 11, 2017). "7 Forgotten Atari Jaguar Classics". PCMag. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  38. ↑ Gaternt, John (2001). "Jaguar Reviews: Ruiner Pinball". Jaguar Front Page News. GameSpy. Archived from the original on 2002-11-04. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
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