3-D Ultra NASCAR Pinball
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| 3-D Ultra NASCAR Pinball | |
|---|---|
 North American box art | |
| Developer | Dynamix |
| Publisher | Sierra Attractions |
| Series | 3-D Ultra Pinball |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac OS |
| Release | December 1, 1998[1] |
| Genre | Pinball |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
3-D Ultra NASCAR Pinball is a 1998 pinball video game for Windows and Mac OS,[2] and the fourth game in 3-D Ultra Pinball series. It was released under the title 3-D Ultra Pinball: Turbo Racing in Europe.[3][4] The game uses an improved graphics engine first used in 3-D Ultra Pinball: Thrillride, which takes advantage of greater color depth and resolution up to 800x600 pixels.[3] The game includes multimedia information about four NASCAR tracks,[5] namely Bristol Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Watkins Glen International Raceway;[6] but only includes a single Speedway table alongside Garage and Pit Stop tables.[5]
Up to four players play a virtual pinball simulation with a NASCAR theme.[6]
Players can play a full season of races racing as Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte or Bill Elliott. The choice of driver only affects some graphics, and some callouts by the in-game commentators.[3] Play begins on the Garage table in which the player uses a single ball to hit targets to improve their car for the race.[3] This is followed by a 60-second qualifying lap on the Speedway table which determines the players starting position in the race.[3][5] Four ramps on this table represent the four turns of the racetrack.[6] When the race begins, players have up to five balls or until a timer ends to finish the race. During a race players can start the Pit Stop table, to increase score and improve efficiency of their car.[6][4] The players finishing position in each race is tracked across an entire NASCAR season.
Development
The pit crew on the Pit Stop table were motion captured.[6]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer Gaming World | 3/5[7] |
| IGN | 3/10[8] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 65/100 |
| Gamezilla! | 79%[5] |
| Happy Puppy | 5/10[9] |
Reception
The game was nominated for "PC Family Title of the Year" at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards organized by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.[10]
Game reviews were mixed; IGN found the game to be sub-par without attention to detail, with dated physics and graphics, though found the design of the table to be clever.[8]
The Chicago Tribune said the game does a good job of presenting the various stages of a race day, but that only die-hard NASCAR fans would enjoy it.[11]
Gamezilla! found a solidly-constructed fun game with crisp sounds that is entertaining for a modest price, although doesn't break any "significant ground" in gaming.[5]
HappyPuppy criticized the lack of depth.[9]
