Played this game for hours as a kid. My mom and I printed out the directions so we could read up on all the missions and promotions and stuff.
Having tried other pinball games here and there, this definitely became the standard that I judged everything else by. The physics just feel really good, and the gameplay was a wonderful mixture of skill and flashiness without ever feeling like it was too overwhelming. Just solid from top to bottom.
I'm right there with you. Once you understood what you were doing in the game, it felt like more than pinball, it felt like you were playing a game with the pinball machine, if that makes sense. Going on missions, getting promotions, etc were things you could actively pursue. Fun times.
Having tried other pinball games here and there, this definitely became the standard that I judged everything else by. The physics just feel really good, and the gameplay was a wonderful mixture of skill and flashiness without ever feeling like it was too overwhelming. Just solid from top to bottom.