Overview
Though a game with the name Video Pinball appeared in arcades in 1979, the better known Atari 2600 version was programmed by Bob Smith.
Gameplay
Moving the joystick to the left or right activates the left or right flipper; holding up on the joystick activates both flippers at the same time. The ball is launched by pressing down on the joystick button and pulling the joystick downwards. The table is "tilted" by holding down the joystick button and moving the joystick in the desired direction.
The 2600 version of the game was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace Game Room, which maintains the control idiosyncrasies.
The table has the ball launching from the right side of the screen, and includes elements that will redirect the ball on the left and right sides of the table, three bumpers, two spinners at the top of the table, and various collectibles which appear around the table. Two holes at the bottom of the table make it relatively easy for players to lose their ball, although in the 2600 version at least these holes could be closed to decrease the difficulty of the game. Passing the ball over the Atari logo four times results in an extra ball.
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