Windows' classic 3D Space Cadet pinball is getting a physical re-creation

Source: Ars Technica

Background

If you owned a Windows computer in the late ’90s or early ’00s, you probably remember 3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet, a surprisingly competent virtual table included for free with multiple Microsoft OS releases through Windows XP. Despite the game’s authenticity to real pinball, Space Cadet wasn’t based on an extant physical table; it was part of the Full Tilt! Pinball software collection sold by Maxis starting in 1995.

Previous attempts

In the intervening years, hobbyists and enthusiasts have discussed the possibility of crafting a home‑brew physical table based on Space Cadet many times, without much tangible progress. A company called Deeproot Pinball even developed a reskinned prototype of Space Cadet’s layout for a planned 2021 release, but the company later went under amid fraud allegations.

• Discussion threads
  • Reddit: Physical Space Cadet Pinball?
  • Pinball forum: One more post about Space Cadet
• Deeproot prototype announcement: Reddit post
• Release timeline reference: This Week in Pinball – April 13 2020
• Fraud allegations article: Pinball News – Game Over for Deeproot Pinball

Current hobbyist project

Hobbyist CNCDan hopes to succeed where Deeproot failed. In a video, he documents the start of his build process, which already includes:

• 3D‑printed mechanical flippers
• Pop bumpers with embedded LEDs
• Slingshots
• A raised playfield designed to mimic the look and feel of the original Windows table

While the Windows Space Cadet table didn’t have to deal with real‑world constraints, CNCDan has already run into issues with the size and positioning of table elements. After scaling and skewing the on‑screen, perspective‑shifted view of the Space Cadet playfield onto a 1‑meter‑tall table, he ended up with a rectangular playfield only 56 cm wide. That’s on the smaller side for commercial pinball tables and results in playfield bumpers that are just 53 mm wide—much smaller than any pre‑built bumpers that are commercially available.