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Rack up points by bouncing a pinball around a variety of pinball tables. Create some tables of your own and do the same all over again.

A virtual anything suggests that whatever is an almost something or another. Virtual Pinball from Electronic Arts harbours the potential for an infinite variety of Pinball tables, all of which are created by the player. Though a small selection of fully functional tables are readily accessible, the real fascination with this promising new cart lies solely with the avid Pinball player's vivid imagination. Design the kind of tables that even Tommy could not imagine using parts from a selection of fifteen components, allocating them to tables chosen from a list of ten board types.

It's hard to concentrate on a game of Pinball when some fool has their stereo blasting music that isn't to your taste. In appreciation of this problem Virtual Pinball allows players to select a groove before play. There are eight soundtracks to choose from, one of which is the golden sound of silence. Interesting, eh?

The preconceived tables presented in Virtual Pinball serve to demonstrate the basic features available to the player. It's as well to have a few goes on these first and take note of the way things work for reference during construction of a personalised table. There are two basic elements to consider before work begins:

1. The Board With a choice of ten different boards on which to roll the silver ball the player is somewhat spoiled for choice. Not that it matters as the various surfaces don't affect the trajectory of the ball one bit. So it's just a case of choosing the look that suits you.

2. Parts Considering that parts include such essentials as the launcher and walls it's safe to say that a game is strictly no go without them. In Virtual Pinball it is possible to alter the look of the parts to one of six styles. These range from 'Classic' - i.e. the most common - to 'Gore' whose party-piece is emitting blood when struck. Bleugh!

Construction of the custom tables is carried out with the aid of a tool. This saves a player's virtual fingers from rummaging around a virtual shoe-box for parts as the tool stores even conceivable item in its memory!

Once a part is selected the tool is moved around the empty table in search of suitable places to drop things. Any mistakes are easily rectified by means of the tool's blaster facility.

Each time a Megadrive pinball game is released, the question of how it fares against Dragon's Fury is raised. In this case, Tengen's monster scorches Virtual Pinball into ashes!

Virtual Pinball presents such a barren interpretation of the game that it's just no substitute for the ambitious design of its biggest rival. Even the analogue tables being played in the arcades of late are far more imaginative.

Hardcore pinball fanatics might find something to amuse them within the confines of the workshop, but even then the options are limited. It is likely that a title such as this could fare better on the PC formats where there is no such thing as Dragon's Fury or even Crue Ball, however, console owners generally expect to gain some excitement from their games.

Virtual Pinball offers very little - in my opinion, it's just plain boring.

With real pinball nowadays you get loop-the-loops, bonus levels, and all sorts of bits and pieces... and I'd expect a Megadrive pinball game to emulate this. Virtual Pinball sadly doesn't. It has okay graphics, lots of different tables and a whizzo workshop mode with which you can dream up your own table by adding more flippers, walls, lights, barriers - the works.

However, even with your own table you're still stuck with the same 'flip the ball and keep it in play routine' and little else which doesn't provide much of a thrill.

When you've got excellent games like Dragon's Fury on the scene, you can only mourn the fact that EA put something like this out. Sorry EA, a really, really clever idea, but one that just doesn't work.

Presentation 70%
P. Loads of options allowing you to alter all aspects of the game. N. It's very unattractive though.

Graphics 69%
N. Quite dismal - flat and dull and utterly lacking in inspiration.

Sound 46%
P. All the New Romantic style music a player can handle... N. ...which isn't much. The sound effects aren't up to much either.

Playability 55%
P. The flippers are responsive. N. The game is boring. Constructing a customised table is a chore and a half.

Lastability 51%
P. There are endless permutations for tables available in the workshop. N. With no surprises in store and no rewards for skillful play the game isn't very enticing.

Overall 57%
A dull video-game rendition of Pinball that is both unimaginative and uninspiring. Buy Dragon's Fury instead.