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If you've ever wanted to sit back on your couch whilst playing Future Pinball on your big screen TV but dont have a wireless controller or keyboard then here's a tip for all you iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch owners. Mobile Mouse creates a wireless connection from your iDevice to your PC using a regular wireless network effectively giving you a remote trackpad/mouse and keyboard. Of particular interest to Pinball addicts is it also allows you to control Future Pinball by making some simple changes to the Key controls used within the game. Note that you will need a wireless network for this to work.
1) Firstly download and install the Mobile Mouse App from iTunes . If you get in quick you may be able to get it for free (today only) however its generally just a few dollars to purchase and is a fantastic app especially for those with a media center PC. 2) You'll also need to download and install the host application on your PC available from www.mobilemouse.com. Once installed, test the connection between your iDevice and your PC to make sure the virtual controller is operating. I find the trackpad mode works brilliantly, click the icon of two little arrows at the top right of the Mobile Mouse App to switch between air mouse and trackpad mode. Rotating your iDevice switches to a larger trackpad and is best for playing Future Pinball. 3) Open Future Pinball and go to Preferences/Game Keys and Controls. 4) Ensure that "Enable" is selected for Mouse/Joypad controllers. 5) Set the "Button Actions" for Left Flipper to "Left" and Right Flipper to "Right" 6) Set Analog Plunger to "Up-Down". 7) Start a Future Pinball Table and shake your iDevice to bring up the keyboard within the Mobile Mouse App. Switch to numeric mode and press 5 and 1 to start the game as usual. Shake again to return to trackpad mode. Dragging your finger down the iDevice "trackpad" and back up again will launch the ball. 8) Use the left and right virtual trackpad buttons to control your flippers. (I have not yet tried nudging but it may be possible). 9) Amaze your friends with your cool controller. 10) Shake your fist when you find that the left flipper will occasionally stick until the button is pressed again. This seems to be a result of pressing both buttons together and may be a random bug. Hopefully that will be sorted out in a newer version if feedback is given to the developers . Alternatively it may be possible to bypass this bug by using different keys.
Enjoy.
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Bugs in the System
Australian readers can get their hands on "Star Galaxy Pinball" reduced for one day only to AU$349 (+AU$50 shipping). I'm not sure who would ever pay the full AU$995.95 retail price on this unit however at under $400 shipped its probably a little more attractive. This pinball machine is aimed at younger players and is a "Toy Pinball" as opposed to a commercial grade pinball machine. Offer ends 12pm AEST March 17th 2011.
Visual Pinball has recently been updated to V9.10 which brings some exciting new features to this aging pinball platform. Of particular interest is the addition of "Layback", a new option for fullscreen cabinet tables which allows the user to adjust the perspective of the table to create a much more realistic appearance. Check the image and take note of the view angle on the flippers compared to objects at the top of the table. Other new features include the ability to add true alpha transparency to ramps and the ability to import a swathe of new image formats (*.jpg; *.jpeg; *.png; *.gif; *.ico; *.IFF; *.PCX; *.PICT; *.psd; *.tga; *.tiff; *.tif).
Its been a while since Ive featured a new release from Tii, but his Tron Pinball for Future Pinball is just so perfectly suited to his neon art style that it would be a sin to not mention it here. Check out those custom lightbike objects.