Eight Ball Deluxe
| Industry | Pinball machines, Arcade games |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1932 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Eight Ball Deluxe is a pinball game created by George Christian and launched by Bally in 1981. With its cue sports motif, the machine gained enough popularity to justify a re-release in 1984.
Description
Building upon Bally's 1977 Eight Ball, this edition introduced more sophisticated gameplay rules, intricate shot sequences, and incorporated speech synthesis technology. It continues to enjoy popularity and was succeeded by Eight Ball Champ in 1985.
The playfield features two groups of drop targets representing billiard balls numbered 1–7 and 9–15, along with four inline drop targets that serve as bonus multipliers. Positioned behind the 1–7 targets are stand-up targets that spell out 'Deluxe'; hitting all these activates corresponding letters illuminated on the backglass. Completing the final letter grants three free games, a benefit that persists even when the machine is powered down.
Reception
In 1983, Eight Ball Deluxe received the AMOA Game of the Year accolade.
Digital versions
A digital adaptation was launched in 1993 for MS-DOS and Macintosh, developed collaboratively by Amtex and LittleWing and published by Amtex. It became a top-selling title within the Macintosh community and was nominated for Best Simulation Game by the Software Publishers Association (USA) in 1993.
Computer Gaming World commended its faithful reproduction of the original’s visuals, audio, and digitized voice elements, describing it as "gorgeous, playable and realistic" and deeming it the "connoisseur's choice." Meanwhile, PC Magazine praised it as "the best pinball game around," highlighting its "absolutely authentic" ball physics.
Between August 2016 and June 30, 2018, Eight Ball Deluxe was featured as a licensed table in The Pinball Arcade, available on PC, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Android devices. It was removed following the expiration of WMS licensing rights.
See also
- Big Shot – a pool-themed pinball machine produced by Gottlieb
- Cue Ball Wizard – another cue sports-themed pinball machine from Gottlieb