Editing Pinball (section)

==Video game simulations==
Simulating a pinball machine has also been a popular theme of video games. [[Chicago Coin]]'s ''TV Pingame'' (1973) was a digital version of pinball that had a vertical playfield with a paddle at the bottom, controlled by a dial, with the screen filled with simple squares to represent obstacles, bumpers and pockets. This inspired a number of clones, including ''TV Flipper'' (1973) by [[Midway Manufacturing]], [[Exidy]]'s ''TV Pinball'' (1974), and ''Pin Pong'' (1974) by [[Atari, Inc.]] The latter replaced the dial controls with button controls.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Andrew |title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction |date=16 March 2017 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-317-50381-1 |pages=62–3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xLVdDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA62}}</ref>

Other early pinball video games include [[Toru Iwatani]]'s ''[[Gee Bee (video game)|Gee Bee]]'' (1978), ''[[Bomb Bee]]'' (1979), and ''[[Cutie Q]]'' (1979),<ref name="kohler">{{cite book|last=Kohler|first=Chris|title=Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life|year=2016|pages=[https://www.scribd.com/read/327139764/Power-Up-How-Japanese-Video-Games-Gave-the-World-an-Extra-Life 51–2]}}</ref> [[Tehkan]]'s arcade game ''Pinball Action'' (1985),<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Roberts |first1=Mike |last2=Doyle |first2=Eric |title=Coin-Op Connection |magazine=[[Computer Gamer]] |date=1985 |issue=10 (January 1986) |pages=26–7 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gamer_Issue_10_1986-01_Argus_Press_GB/page/n25/mode/2up}}</ref> the [[Atari 2600]] game ''[[Video Pinball (1980 video game)|Video Pinball]]'' (1980), and ''[[David's Midnight Magic]]'' (1982). [[Bill Budge]]'s ''[[Pinball Construction Set]]'', released for the [[Apple II]] in 1983, allowed the user to create their own simulated pinball machine and play it.

Most early simulations were top-down [[2D computer graphics|2D]]. As [[central processing unit|processor]] and graphics capabilities have improved, more accurate ball physics and [[dimension|3D]] pinball simulations have become possible. Tilting has also been simulated, which can be activated using one or more keys (sometimes the space bar) for "moving" the machine. Flipper button computer peripherals were also released, allowing pinball fans to add an accurate feel to their game play instead of using the [[computer keyboard|keyboard]] or [[computer mouse|mouse]]. Modern pinball video games are often based around established franchises such as ''[[Metroid Prime Pinball]]'', ''[[Mario Pinball Land]]'', ''[[Pokémon Pinball]]'', ''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]'', and ''[[Sonic Spinball]]''.

Popular pinball simulations of the 1990s include ''[[Pinball Dreams]]'', ''[[Pro Pinball]]'' and ''[[Full Tilt! Pinball#Space Cadet|3D Pinball: Space Cadet]]'' that was included in [[Windows 2000]] and [[Windows XP]]. More recent examples include ''[[Pinball FX]]'' (2007), ''[[Pinball FX 2]]'', ''[[Pinball FX 3]]'' and ''[[Pinball FX (2023 video game)|Pinball FX]]'' [[Pinball FX (2023 video game)|(2023)]].

There have been [[:Category:Pinball video games|pinball programs]] released for all major home video game and computer systems, [[tablet computer]]s and [[smart phone]]s. Pinball video game engines and editors for creation and recreation of pinball machines include for instance ''[[Visual Pinball]]'', ''[[Future Pinball]]'' and ''Unit3D Pinball''.

A [[BBC News]] article described virtual pinball games e.g. ''[[Zen Pinball]]'' and ''[[The Pinball Arcade]]'' as a way to preserve pinball culture and bring it to new audiences.<ref name=BBC>{{cite web|last=Rubens |first=Paul |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26018682 |title=BBC News - Virtual games bring pinball to new audiences |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=February 3, 2014 |access-date=February 26, 2014}}</ref> Another example of preserving historic pinball machines is ''[[Zaccaria (company)#Digital recreations|Zaccaria Pinball]]'' that consists of digital recreations of classic [[Zaccaria (company)|Zaccaria]] pinball machines.

In 2022 [[Flutter (software)|Flutter]] released an online pinball game. That same year [[Google]] released an [[List of Google Easter eggs|Easter Egg]] pinball game on IOS.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Peter Wolinski |date=2022-10-26 |title=There's a secret pinball game buried in your iPhone — here's how to play it |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/how-to-unlock-the-google-pinball-game-on-iphone |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Tom's Guide |language=en}}</ref>