Ruiner Pinball
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Scott Corley
| Ruiner Pinball | |
|---|---|
 Cover art by Steve Lang | |
| Developer | High Voltage Software |
| Publisher | Atari Corporation |
| Designers | Mike Baker Scott Corley |
| Programmer | Scott Corley |
| Artist | Mike Baker |
| Platform | Atari Jaguar |
| Release | |
| Genre | Pinball |
| Modes | 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 features two different pinball tables: the nuclear war-inspired Ruiner, and the medieval-themed Tower. Each table contains targets for the player to hit with the ball, increasing their score 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.
As long-time fans of pinball games, HVS proposed the Ruiner pinball concept to Atari, who later requested a second table in the game. The game earned disapproval from game critics, who took issue with the game's audiovisual elements, controls, and unrealistic physics. Later reviewers were mixed on the game's reception, in retrospect. In 2022, it was included in the Atari 50 compilation.
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Ruiner Pinball is a pinball game that features a choice of two different pinball tables: Ruiner and Tower.[1][2][3][4][5] Ruiner is a double-width table with four flippers on each side, the style of which is inspired by the impending nuclear war of the 1960s.[2][4][5][6] Tower is a three-screen high table with a set of flippers on each area, styled as a medieval fantasy setting with an evil sorceress.[3][4][5][6]
Each table has its own main objective: in Ruiner, the player must lower the DEFCON level from 5 to 1 and launch a counterattack, while navigating the ball using interconnected ramps to move between sides.[1][4][5][6][7] In Tower, the player must defeat the sorceress by casting three magic spells to destroy the castle and escape.[1][3][4][6][7] The player's score increases by hitting targets before the ball is lost.[1][4][5] Both tables also have features such as extra balls and multi-ball play.[4] The player can choose between three difficulty levels, as well as configure the number of players, and the number and texture of the ball(s).[4][6]
Development and release
Ruiner Pinball was created by High Voltage Software (HVS), which previously worked on a video game adaptation of the 1992 sports comedy film White Men Can't Jump for Atari Jaguar.[8][9][10] The game was programmed by Scott Corley as his first work in the video game industry.[6][10] Corley entered the gaming industry in 1993 as one of the first members to work at HVS before becoming the company's vice president of software development.[11][12][13] He was also designer of the Ruiner table, while artist Mike Baker designed the Tower table.[6][10] HVS proposed a pinball game to Atari Corporation, as many of the company's staff were pinball fans.[10] According to Corley, the game was named "Ruiner" after the song of the same name from the album The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails.[10] As development continued, Atari requested a second table.[10] Baker created the game's artwork on a large hand-painted board, which was scanned into Deluxe Paint slowly, part by part.[10] The cover art was illustrated by Steve Lang.[14]
The game was first showcased at the 1994 Summer Consumer Electronics Show, announced for release in the second quarter of 1995 under the name Ruiner.[15][16][17][18] It made additional appearances at tradeshows such as the 1995 ECTS Spring event and E3 1995.[19][20] The game was later scheduled for an August release date and was also showcased during an event hosted by Atari dubbed "Fun 'n' Games Day" under its final title, Ruiner Pinball.[21][22][23] It was first published by Atari in North America on November 6, 1995, and later in Europe in December 1995.[24][25] The game was marketed as the first to support the ProController, a redesigned Atari Jaguar controller that added three more face buttons and two triggers.[26] In 2022, Ruiner Pinball was re-released for the first time as part of the Atari 50 compilation, porting the game to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PCs.[27][28]
