Microsoft Pinball Arcade is a pinball simulation game developed and published by Microsoft for Windows 95/98 and NT 4.0. Released in 2000, it features seven faithfully reproduced tables spanning the 1930s to the 1990s, each representing a different decade. The collection includes historically significant machines such as Baffle Ball (the first modern pinball machine), Humpty Dumpty (the first with flippers), and Haunted House (noted for its innovative multi-level design), along with others like Spirit of '76 and Cue Ball Wizard. The game was created with input from pinball historians Dick Bueschel and Russ Jensen, and all sounds were directly sampled from the original machines. It also includes a brief history of pinball and a trivia quiz. While praised for its accurate physics and authentic audio, the simulation is limited to Gottlieb-licensed tables, omitting many beloved Bally and Williams titles, and lacks the operator adjustments found on real machines.
In the News3 mentions
Dec 131998
MPOG Christmas Giveaway
MPOG Christmas Giveaway: MPOG has updated and added another 50+ prizes or so and the total giveaway now will give around 60 people prizes.
DealsNov 91998
Microsoft Games Holiday Lineup
Microsoft's hot holiday lineup of PC games means no more fruitcake fiascos.
ReleaseOct 261998
Microsoft’s Pinball Arcade Trial Version
The trial version of Microsoft's Pinball Arcade is available for download.
ReleaseHow to Play TodayYour options for running this game in 2026
Original Hardware
Available on CD-ROM. Needs a Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0 PC with a Pentium 90, 16 MB RAM, 2 MB DirectX video, and a CD-ROM drive. Autorun installs quickly.
Emulation / Other Options
Runs natively on supported Windows versions; no emulation required.
Game Record
| Platform | Windows 95/98 |
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Publisher | Microsoft |
| Genre | Arcade, Simulation |
| Players | 1 Player |
Original PC Specs
| OS | Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0 |
| CPU | Pentium 90 or higher |
| RAM | 16 MB RAM |
| GPU / Display | DirectX-compatible video with at least 2 MB video RAM |
| Storage | 50 MB hard drive space |
| Drive | CD-ROM |
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