Virtual Pinball
Virtual Pinball — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Virtual Pinball on?
- Virtual Pinball was released on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
- When did Virtual Pinball release?
- Virtual Pinball was first released on December 31, 1993.
About Virtual Pinball
Virtual Pinball is the spiritual successor to Bill Budge's classic Pinball Construction Set. Players can choose from either 29 pre-made games or design one using the in-game editor tools. Designing options include ten different backgrounds and six themes. You also get to choose where objects are placed, the style of music, and the ball speed. Up to ten personal games can be saved.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Bill Budge
- Publisher
- Electronic Arts
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1993 | $10 | $18 | — | 3/5 | Low |
Also released on: Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. We haven’t priced or authenticated that version yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $9 | $24 | $94 |
What it needs to play
- Some modesSave battery (inside the cartridge) — saves to memory kept alive by a battery inside the cartridge; if that battery has died, saves are lost (MAME cartridge records).
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $3.53 in Oct 2008, $8.46 five years ago, and $9.53 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $2.96 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $2.19 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $1.99 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $3.75 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $3.34 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $5.99 | $5.47 |
| Jan 2015 | $4.99 | $8.99 |
| Jan 2016 | $3.80 | $9.95 |
| Jan 2017 | $4.99 | $7.45 |
| Jan 2018 | $5.98 | $9.99 |
| Jan 2019 | $4.31 | $9.99 |
| Jan 2020 | $6.99 | $10.86 |
| Jan 2021 | $8.29 | $10.61 |
| Jan 2022 | $8.90 | $14.50 |
| Jan 2023 | $8.05 | $12.75 |
| Jan 2024 | $7.77 | $13.43 |
| Jan 2025 | $9.21 | $13.40 |
| Jan 2026 | $6.88 | $13.06 |
| Oct 2026 | $9.53 | $18.00 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Barcode |
|---|---|---|
| North America | November 1993 | 014633072068 |
| Europe / PAL | January 1994 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1993
- Authenticity
- Low
A pinball construction kit more than a pinball game, and a cheap cart.
Virtual Pinball is a follow-up to Electronic Arts' 1983 Pinball Construction Set by the same author, Bill Budge, with BudgeCo as the developer. It came out on the Genesis in North America in November 1993 and in Europe in January 1994. One to four players can choose from 29 premade tables or build their own with the in-game editor.
Sega Pro was cool on it, saying it offered little action or challenge for a pinball fan.
What the press said at the time
| MegaTech Issue 28 | April 1994 | 3/5 |
“Virtual Pinball features good pin play, but the real action and fun comes when you design your own boards.”
“Although the tables sadly scroll from side to side at least there aren't hoards of obstacles wandering around.”
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits below the middle. The European loose cart usually costs about the same as the US one, while a complete European copy usually costs more. The cartridge saves to a battery inside it, so test that a save holds; a replaced battery is a normal repair and not a sign of a fake.
Virtual Pinball screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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