In previous articles, we have looked back at the development of games that were bundled with Microsoft's various versions of Windows. Many were developed by Microsoft team members as side projects such as
Solitaire,
Minesweeper. and
Hover. All of them became big hits, thanks in part to the fact that they were already installed with Windows.
However, one game that ended up being included in a number of Windows versions was actually a port of another game. We are talking about .
The game started its life at developer Cinematronics, which formed in 1994. A year later, in October 1995, the developer launched
Full Tilt Pinball which was published by Maxis (Maxis would acquire Cinematronics in 1996). The Windows and Mac game included three pinball tables. One, Dragon's Keep, was a fantasy-themed tablet, while another, Skullduggery, was a pirate-themed pinball game. The third pinball table was Space Cadet and from its title, you can guess correctly that it had a sci-fi space theme.
However, even before
Full Tilt Pinball was released, a version of the Space Cadet table was released by Microsoft as part of its Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 product. It launched on the same day that Windows 95 did, on August 24, 1995. Since lots of people got Windows 95, those of them that also decided to get the Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 pack, were able to play the version of the Space Cadet pinball tablet.
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