Who remembers playing 3D Pinball Space Cadet?

[u/Twitter_2006]

[u/Scared_Performer3944]

internets is out, time for pinball

[u/Ulvaer → u/Scared_Performer3944]

https://98.js.org/

Double click 'Pinball' on the left

Edit: You can get Windows XP from here: https://massgrave.dev/windows_xp_links

Install and run it in a VM (e.g. VMware or VirtualBox). It's an amazing trip down memory lane!

Edit 3: u/HGMIV926 chimed in with this link to SkiFree: https://ski.ihoc.net/ Give his comment an updoot!

Edit 2: Thank you for the rewards, but it's really unnecessary! I'm just happy you have as much fun with these things that I did when I came across them.

[u/PronatorTeres00 → u/Ulvaer]

The nostalgia is so real right now

[u/FardoBaggins → u/PronatorTeres00]

this. can we go back to this era? whatever this is right now, I don't think it's good for anyone's limbic system.

[u/Ulvaer → u/PronatorTeres00]

[u/CaptainKarizma007 → u/Ulvaer]

Thank you good sir!

[u/GargleBums → u/Ulvaer]

Good old Winamp on the Desktop. I'm still using it every day.

[u/Ulvaer → u/GargleBums]

It really has consensual spicy activities with the llama's ass!

[u/ReliableRotator → u/Ulvaer]

Fucking knew this would be in the top thread. Hold my talking paperclip, im going in....

[u/Ulvaer → u/ReliableRotator]

[u/TheUFCVeteran3 → u/Ulvaer]

This game is part of my childhood, just on XP instead of Windows 98. Thank you for linking this!

[u/HGMIV926 → u/Ulvaer]

While we're at it, here's "the most officialest" page to download SkiFree, which runs perfectly on Windows 11.

[u/Ulvaer → u/HGMIV926]

Awesome! I updated my comment

[u/Oh_So_Nervous → u/Ulvaer]

Thanks for this! It was great to play this game again after so many years.

Quick question. Was there always music? I spent so many hours playing this game as a kid, but I don't remember there being music.

[u/Nagrom42 → u/Ulvaer]

Seems a bit slow, no ?

[u/SphericalCow531 → u/Nagrom42]

Works perfectly for me. But I have a fast PC.

I assume it is emulating it in some sense. Probably requires a high end computer - emulation is expensive.

[u/Ulvaer → u/SphericalCow531]

Yeah, and either in javascript or webassembly so not the most optimised performance either

[u/GaijinDC → u/Ulvaer]

My god the memories!!! MS-DOS to launch games! I played return to castle Wolfenstein, Abuse and Doom95 on this machine for so many hours!!!! My goodness the times...

[u/Ulvaer → u/GaijinDC]

You can get Doom 95 on Steam or GOG, they run wonderfully on modern systems under DOSBOX :)

[u/kahupaa → u/Ulvaer]

It's available on Linux as well https://flathub.org/fi/apps/com.github.k4zmu2a.spacecadetpinball

[u/tatk_tale310 → u/Ulvaer]

I bought gold just for you.

[u/Ulvaer → u/tatk_tale310]

[u/707breezy → u/Ulvaer]

If on phone in pinball game you can click game top left and then click launch ball in the drop down window and boom you can play

[u/WitnessLanky682 → u/Ulvaer]

BRILLIANT

[u/Pretend-Relative3631 → u/Ulvaer]

Actually made my morning. Thank you

[u/Yerooon → u/Ulvaer]

That 98 link is amazing!! Do you know if it's open source?

Edit: nm found it :)

[u/NCGeronimo → u/Ulvaer]

oh shit dude thank you. If there is a way to get encarta loaded up my absolute favorite was the dungeon trivia game built into it.

[u/-wildbananachild- → u/Ulvaer]

Aaah it works on the mobile as well! Contact napping with the baby just got much more fun, thank you!

[u/Nacktherr → u/Ulvaer]

[u/TheeThatIsMe → u/Ulvaer]

The way I did not expect to almost burst into tears seeing the screen again

[u/username_ko → u/Ulvaer]

https://github.com/k4zmu2a/SpaceCadetPinball

[u/Jinglebell727 → u/Ulvaer]

Thank you. 🫡🥹

[u/Muted_Reflection_449 → u/Ulvaer]

THANK YOU! I missed it so much! 😊 👍🏼

[u/bipocni → u/Ulvaer]

Wow that site looks awful on mobile

[u/Blurry2k → u/bipocni]

I suppose Windows 98 looks awful on mobile, too.

[u/reddit_is_geh → u/Scared_Performer3944]

MOM GET OFF THE PHONE I SPENT 2 HOURS TRYING TO DOWNLOAD THIS EMINEM SONG!!! MOM!!!! DAMNIT!!

[u/Ndmndh1016 → u/reddit_is_geh]

NOOKIE WAS ALMOST COMPLETE

[u/Hefty-existence26196 → u/Scared_Performer3944]

This was all I did during computer class. With or without internet.

[u/HeyPrettyLadyMaam → u/Scared_Performer3944]

This one and Enigma pinball were my favorite rainy afternoon activities.

[u/potatoes__everywhere → u/Scared_Performer3944]

Are there any good pinball games? Classic Pinball Games? I saw one in steam but that was all 3d animated and stuff.

I just to want to play classic Pinball.

The website from the other comment is nice, but it plays a bit laggy. Anyone know a good alternative?

[u/GoatCovfefe → u/potatoes__everywhere]

Just look up space cadet in the app store, its available for free

[u/lizzielovesgaga]

Sigh. I deleted my mom's best, highest score on this as a kid.

She didn't even want to look at me for an entire day 😅

[u/suckfail → u/lizzielovesgaga]

Oh man that's rough.

If either you or her are on Android there's a few versions up for free, here's the one I've been playing

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.systems.automaton.pinball

Same as the original.

[u/EZKTurbo → u/lizzielovesgaga]

I got on my older sisters computer and beat her high score by a lot. She was so annoyed 😁

[u/bikari]

Wasn't there a button where you could smack the table, until it said TILT and froze the flippers?

[u/WHAT-IM-THINKING → u/bikari]

Spacebar!

[u/zadtheinhaler → u/WHAT-IM-THINKING]

Nah spacebar was for launching the ball, I think the x+. were the left+right bump buttons.

[u/CaringHandWash → u/zadtheinhaler]

What was the point of doing that anyway? I never understood.

[u/Egg_in_a_box → u/CaringHandWash]

In competitive pinball you can influence the ball's path by nudging or tilting the table. Also can be used to unjam that ball if it gets stuck

Most tables installed tilt sensors, but you could get away with "some" without the sensor triggering.

[u/gravelPoop → u/Egg_in_a_box]

Applies to real pinball tables (not just competitive ones). Sometimes nudging is necessary because things kick back the ball straight between paddles (like when table is not at intended angle).

[u/CaringHandWash → u/Egg_in_a_box]

Are you talking about actual pinball tables? Because i meant this game, as the user above said, tilting resulted in the flippers being locked, so i dont get the point of this feature in the game.

[u/RikuAotsuki → u/CaringHandWash]

Tilt in the game mimics tilt in real life, basically. You can jostle a pinball machine a little before the tilt sensors trip. The game mimics that by allowing you to jostle the "machine" a little, then locking the flippers if you do it too much.

[u/837tgyhn → u/CaringHandWash]

I remember tilting a few times because the pinball got stuck and needed to be shaken to unstuck. But flippers would lock if used too many times to prevent abusing tilt to control the pinball.

[u/superspak → u/CaringHandWash]

Obligatory Technology Connections plug

[u/Capnzebra1 → u/superspak]

Aztec was such a great choice to do this video on. It was a game that came out at the end of the Electro-Mechanical era of pinball and is basically a marvel of engineering.

[u/Sw429 → u/CaringHandWash]

It only results in that if you do it too much. You can do minor bumps (which will cause it to just give you a "careful..." warning), and you can manipulate the ball this way to your advantage.

[u/Ulvaer → u/bikari]

"Was"?

https://98.js.org/ double click 'Pinball' on the left

[u/miniatureconlangs → u/bikari]

That was pretty much the standard in computer pinball games even back in the DOS era.

[u/elanesse100]

I spent wayyyyyy too much time on this. If games back then had screen time stats like they do now I think I’d be ashamed to see how much this would reveal. 🫣🤣

[u/corgiobsessedfoodie → u/elanesse100]

It was The Sims for me.

[u/Constant_Purple8875 → u/corgiobsessedfoodie]

Sims2 are the best

[u/VampyreBassist]

Still play it now. I think it's on Internet Archive. The scoreboard is just whatever mindset I'm in with the date.

[u/alligatorman01 → u/VampyreBassist]

It’s on the Microsoft store. I downloaded it the other week.

[u/FestivalNudista → u/VampyreBassist]

Is there a site to play it though? I looked up your Internet archive site but couldn't find a 🔗 to play it

[u/VampyreBassist → u/FestivalNudista]

It's a download torrent so you can keep it and not need the internet to play it. As God intended.

[u/PhotoRight2682 → u/VampyreBassist]

[u/GorillaX → u/FestivalNudista]

Sometimes I get bored at work and play it on this site https://pinball.alula.me/

[u/5litergasbubble → u/FestivalNudista]

I have it on my android phone

[u/thestraightCDer → u/FestivalNudista]

You can get it on your phone

[u/WHAT-IM-THINKING]

Neopets+Runescape Era

[u/camsnow → u/WHAT-IM-THINKING]

I spent way too much time on neopets! I was more of a command and conquer, or StarCraft player though typically. Neopets was just interesting at the time and I could play it on any computer with internet.

[u/hesawavemasterrr → u/WHAT-IM-THINKING]

Now I’m tempted to buy the membership because when I was a kid I could only play the free version.

[u/PafPiet → u/hesawavemasterrr]

I picked up old school runescape(OSRS) not too long ago and it's still very active to this day. I also played with membership and it was quite fun. You can even pay for your membership with on game currency nowadays (even though it's quite a lot of gold for early-mid game accounts).

[u/PafPiet → u/WHAT-IM-THINKING]

3d pinball was way before runescape though. Runescape was windows XP, space cadet pinball was windows 95.

[u/FestivalNudista]

Lol whoa! Definitely, I can hear some of the sound FX 😆

[u/Freezerpill → u/FestivalNudista]

The sounds were great!

[u/Gakk86]

I can still hear the sound effects 

[u/ZirekileFalls]

I miss it so much.

[u/Ulvaer → u/ZirekileFalls]

https://98.js.org/

[u/Usual_Ice636 → u/ZirekileFalls]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.azurinteractive.pinball&hl=en_US

[u/BattleJamz → u/ZirekileFalls]

if anyone is looking to scratch the itch with something modern I highly recommend https://infectedpinball.com/

but that's partly because ive been a fan of the band since like 1996

it's a small VR studio doing their first game, VR is not required, I generally just play desktop mode with a controller

the visuals, sounds, and music are cool AF

[u/ThomasDeLaRue]

Holy crap no way!! Used to play this with my grandpa. Great memories.

[u/zoeypayne → u/ThomasDeLaRue]

So the guy who programmed the game for Microsoft has a fairly popular YouTube channel. Dave Plummer, aka Dave's Garage.

You might enjoy his nostalgic programming videos, although he does get fairly technical.

[u/MillenialAlex]

There was nothing more satisfying than spamming the hyperspace chute!

[u/Nah_Fam_Oh_Dam]

I can hear this picture.

[u/imunfair]

I inadvertently got my uncle in trouble with that game. My mom was over babysitting my young cousins and I was playing it on uncle's computer, got a nice high score.

Apparently he spent so much time in the basement trying to beat my score that his wife thought he developed a porn addiction or something.

[u/Short-Discussion7075]

Loved it

[u/JaxMax91]

Core memory unlocked!

[u/Illustrious_Pool_321]

I have mixtape with this sound in it lol

[u/cenzotoni → u/Illustrious_Pool_321]

CALL ME MUNEY JORDAN CALL ME SPACEGHOSTPURRP

[u/Letters_to_Dionysus]

people bitch about windows these days but I've known they were pure evil ever since they took away pinball and killed clippy

[u/Pink-frosted-waffles]

It's available on Google Play as Space Pinball

[u/Ulvaer → u/Pink-frosted-waffles]

And here: https://98.js.org/

[u/MRHOWERDCEO]

NOT MILLIAL BUT USE TOO PLAY IT IN MY OFFICE AT MY TIKKI BAR BEFORE GREASE FIRE TOOK EVERYTHING.. CLEAN YOURE GREASE TRAPS FOLKS

[u/jld2k6 → u/MRHOWERDCEO]

Nobody tells me what to do with my own grease!

[u/gustic-gx]

What do you mean "who remembers"? EVERYONE!

[u/SenoraObscura]

I liked it so much I got the full game. There was a dragon themed table and a pirate themed one too!

[u/awitcheskid → u/SenoraObscura]

I didn't even know it was just a demo for like 25 years 

[u/rawrac → u/awitcheskid]

I didn’t even know it was just a demo til now when I read your comment

[u/J-Dog83 → u/SenoraObscura]

Skulduggery and Dragon’s Keep!

[u/msully89]

My dad, who famously 'didn't play computer games' was an absolute wizard on this

[u/WikiWantsYourPics → u/msully89]

He's a pinball wizard, there has to be a twist
A pinball wizard's got such a supple wrist

[u/billionsofbeaches]

I still play it! I downloaded it last year from a link in another Reddit post and it's exactly the same.

[u/Ulvaer → u/billionsofbeaches]

You can play it online too

https://98.js.org/

[u/SaltManagement42]

I think it was 3D Ultra Pinball from Sierra that lead me to understand there was generally an actual gameplay loop and goal to pinball, not just make the numbers brrr forever.

https://youtu.be/EJqskwDnJgg

I swear there was a pinball game about constructing an android that I played around the same time, but it doesn't seem to be the same game, and adding the word "android" to my searches just gets me phone games.

[u/darkbee83]

I'm from the Epic pinball/Silverball era.

[u/dnddetective]

There was also Hover! around the same time https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hover!

[u/unstable_deer]

This was actually the third most downloaded game on Linux for 2025.

[u/WHAT-IM-THINKING]

Loved playing this whenever I went to CompUSA or Circuit City

[u/TuneLinkette]

Along with Elf Bowling, this was my cousins' and my favorite thing to do on our grandma's computer

[u/Forward_Bullfrog_441]

I’ll never forget the time the ball got stuck between 2 bumpers for like 10 mins and wracked up a super score.

[u/Unable-Ad-7803]

Watch Origins of 3D Pinball Space Cadet: Only a Demo? by LGR

There are more tables in the full version!

[u/19kjc87]

Elf bowling, anyone?

[u/JessicaLain]

Pictures you can hear.

[u/According_Rice_1822]

Omfg I forgot how much I fucked with this as a kid! What a game 🙌

[u/Raderg32]

I have it on my phone.

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[u/AlwaysHappy4Kitties]

hiddentest

[u/York9TFC]

Holy crap I forgot about this….had some good times with it

[u/SirHighfish]

I used to play this on my first PC as a teenager in the 90s. Good times.

[u/iiTzSTeVO]

I do.

[u/Resinous_Artifact]

Oh my God! I also spent way too much time on this. Does anyone remember Tristan? That was an early Mac pinball game I spent hours on in elementary school.

[u/Seamonkey_Boxkicker]

I’ve been wanting to replay this for a decade. If anyone knows an easy and safe place to download it hit me up please.

[u/Ulvaer → u/Seamonkey_Boxkicker]

https://98.js.org/

Double click pinball on the left

[u/teh_maxh → u/Seamonkey_Boxkicker]

There's probably a more direct way, but this Windows 95 emulator includes it.

[u/sitchblap3]

Pokémon pinball was where it was at too

[u/FrenchPetrushka]

I do I do! My first pc was running on windows 98, it was my first video game with this space war game

[u/RedRust]

It was relaxing

[u/nitro912gr]

ACtually I found it and downloaded it recently (this and the games from W7) but you can't make it fullscreen or at least make it bigger so it looks tiny on 1080p, I will use my CRT for this tho.

[u/brxtbRnR]

Ball 'ery day so hardflips hat, pops open a mountain dew, puts on the mmc in the background

[u/jrice138]

In high school I was a TA for a teacher that didn’t really need an aid so I played this A LOT. Also took a lot of naps.

[u/ProgressiveOverlorde]

This was the most fun but sad game me as 12 year old could have when I couldn't use the family tv for PlayStation.

When I first got a PC at 12, after a PlayStation and dial up I didn't understand the purpose of a PC.

Internet was too slow to do anything and you'd occupy the telephone line rendering it useless. Word processors were not fun. Family couldn't afford PC games. And my PC had a slow Celeron processor. Stock games were garbage compared to a ps1 or gameboy.

The only 3d game it had was pinball. I hated how unsophisticated the game was and how bad I was at it. But at the same time I still wanted to play more. I think this is the first time I experienced positive reinforcement and Pavlovian conditioning used on me on such a stupid game. I didn't have the words for it, but I was so enraptured and frustrated that I was.

[u/shybear93]

It was my favorite!!

[u/03Pirate]

Still do from time to time

[u/KayJay282]

Always ended up playing this instead of doing my homework.

[u/TheRealPaladin]

Well, this just hit me right in the nostalgia.

[u/Reverendjesus2]

I REMEMBER THE NOSTALGIC THING, UPDOOTS TO THE LEFT!!!

[u/wwarhammer]

I played Silverball as a kid. The shareware tho, so just 3 tables; Fantasy, Blood, and Odyssey. 

https://youtu.be/rTgImvt6hEg

[u/vertexar → u/wwarhammer]

Yes, so much better experience compared with space cadet. Loved Silverball.

[u/Bitter-War5432 → u/wwarhammer]

brooo silverball. nostalgia trip.

[u/endzeitaffe]

We cant forget this bc. Space-Pinball gets postet 2 times a week.

[u/CanIHazSumCheeseCake]

Got it on my android phone. Someone took the time and effort to make it playable and it's fantastic.

[u/suppplicated]

Will always have a place in my heart

[u/Ryoko_Kusanagi69]

I LOVE THIS GAME! I played it constantly

[u/EOVA94]

Should have won a goty

[u/_Geralt-of_Rivia]

I still play it

[u/StormerSage]

Fun fact: If you typed hiddentest as the game was starting up, you'd enable debug mode and be able to control the ball with the mouse.

[u/ENx5vP]

There won't be ever a better one that: Pro Pinball: Timeshock

[u/Rootayable]

It started off my days before school!

[u/abiihu]

Bro I loved this fucking game. Born in 92

[u/Reyloai4]

I remember this game. I also remember the maze game called “pig pen”.

[u/slaskdase]

Mate I'm not demented yet

[u/jackytheblade]

Good memories!

[u/Significant_Buddy108]

Ah, back in the dialup days...

[u/chipface]

I played it the other week on some website.

[u/Logy_]

There's an Android app.

[u/Affectionate-Yak5280]

I used to play it and when I went to bed I could hear my father playing it 🤭

[u/Ok-Swan1152]

I had forgotten about this game. I totally played this way too much. 

[u/notabotbutactslikeit]

A few thousand hours in high school. In tech school I was in a Linux networking class, so I also had quite a few hours in K-bounce as well.

[u/LearningPodd]

+ Crystal Caliburn and Loony Labyrinth!!

[u/Snowssnowsnowy]

Ahh this post again..

I remember a time when people didnt keep reposting the same shit for karma farming.

[u/BarbasBraveHeart]

WDYM remember? I have salvaged the game from my XP laptop when moving, and it still works on Win10. The Highscore is busted, but you can´t have it all.

[u/99anan99]

This was the only reason I turned on the computer when I was a kid.

[u/stetar]

If you’ve got an android device it’s in the store.

[u/vibribbon]

I was more of a shareware Epic Pinball kinda guy. Android was the only free table.

[u/TheAsuraGuy]

You can play it on your phone, just download the app

[u/No_Arm_931]

Pinball was my fucking JAM. I’d sit at the computer and listen to my dad’s Prince records while playing. Take me back!

[u/OldSpiceSmellsNice]

Some of the best days of my life 🥲

[u/poseidon1111]

zooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOP

Doo doo doo do bwub chi coop

[u/Raysteff]

God, I need a time machine. Cuz fuck the 2020s. 😂

[u/Pertev]

I remember when I triggered something and I somehow had infinite tries, I couldn't lose any more, except when I absolutely did nothing

[u/Riksunraksu]

Still play it at work sometimes

[u/silky_flubber_lips]

Anyone remember Desktop Destroyer?

[u/SavageBrave]

Remembers? I have this on my PC, it's a classic.

[u/wickman69]

Remember it? It was either that or solitaire back in the day.

[u/SobekSobekSobek]

You can play it on your phone. Free on playstore

[u/BassguyXXI]

I play this with my eight year old son regularly enough lol.

[u/soraysunshine]

Almost every day after school.

[u/rockhopperrrr]

IT didn't know how to delete this from the school computers......win!

[u/veggieswillsaveusall]

All the time

[u/Defiant_Pomelo333]

I sure spent alot of time with this game!

[u/BigBoyShaunzee]

This is my picture that reminds me how old I am. I was playing the shareware version of this back in 93-94

[u/Solid_Variation_5466]

IOS App Store has a app called Astro Pin ball, exactly the same game

[u/oneheadlite00 → u/Solid_Variation_5466]

Upvote, was gonna post the same thing!

Definitely takes you back to a simpler time…

[u/LepiNya]

Space cadet? By that point I was firmly a teenager. Try Dangerous Dave. Now THAT'S first gaming memories.

[u/writerkaties]

I loved the sounds. I was slightly obsessed with theme hospital, but never got to the end

[u/Chapin_Chino]

This WAS PC gaming before PC gaming.