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Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

brennan.io

41–50 of 136 posts

Re: Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

#41
post #14

I was wondering why newer OS doesn't bundle games with their default installation anymore? Even on smartphone. I remember on old dumb phone (nokia I think), you can play snake and some racing game. It even has multiplayer via bluetooth.

I remember kids begging their parents to play Brick Breaker on their parents blackberries. Of course this was before young children having iPads was normalized

Re: Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

#42
post #38

It's ridiculous how accurate this recreation is to the original, it looks and feels identical. The author was able to do this just decompiling the exe files, without looking at the original source code. Basically, completely blind. So it goes without saying: The deaf, dumb and blind kid sure makes a mean pinball.

My understanding is you had to NOT look at the disassembled code for a project but have someone else do so and document what they see and that constitutes clean room. Course if I make Claude do the same thing… write a spec from disassembled code, that could work.

Clean room needs an independent second party with their own intent. An AI rewrite probably doesn't qualify, since its output traces directly to what it read.

Re: Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

#43
post #7
post #5

I wish somebody had as a passion project or company to build Space Cadet into a real physical pinball table.

Many people have thought about this, IIRC it's not physically possible to build because there is a lane that goes under a bumper (which in real life they extend down quite a bit) https://files.catbox.moe/pnaeri.png

Pop bumpers on an elevated/overlay playfield seems like a nightmare in general, maintenance would be a big pain. I can't think of a machine that has a pop like that, but my internal pinball database is getting pretty dusty.

You might be able to make the kickback lane work with a subway or maybe make the machine a widebody and go around the mess?

Re: Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

#44
post #38

It's ridiculous how accurate this recreation is to the original, it looks and feels identical. The author was able to do this just decompiling the exe files, without looking at the original source code. Basically, completely blind. So it goes without saying: The deaf, dumb and blind kid sure makes a mean pinball.

My understanding is you had to NOT look at the disassembled code for a project but have someone else do so and document what they see and that constitutes clean room. Course if I make Claude do the same thing… write a spec from disassembled code, that could work.

It's crazy that license laundering is still the primary use case for LLMs.

Re: Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

#45
post #38

It's ridiculous how accurate this recreation is to the original, it looks and feels identical. The author was able to do this just decompiling the exe files, without looking at the original source code. Basically, completely blind. So it goes without saying: The deaf, dumb and blind kid sure makes a mean pinball.

My understanding is you had to NOT look at the disassembled code for a project but have someone else do so and document what they see and that constitutes clean room. Course if I make Claude do the same thing… write a spec from disassembled code, that could work.

[dead]

Re: Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

#46
post #23
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The line represents a physical tunnel through which the ball can travel.

Oh, there's a hole at the top of the line that leads to an underground lane? That makes sense, I couldn't make that out in the photo, thanks.

If you drain to the far left, and kickback is lit, the ball gets sent along the line and comes out the top (and IIRC, refills your fuel?)

Re: Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

#47
post #38

It's ridiculous how accurate this recreation is to the original, it looks and feels identical. The author was able to do this just decompiling the exe files, without looking at the original source code. Basically, completely blind. So it goes without saying: The deaf, dumb and blind kid sure makes a mean pinball.

Just to note, Microsoft provides debug symbols for Pinball

Re: Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

#48
post #5

I wish somebody had as a passion project or company to build Space Cadet into a real physical pinball table.

There have been a few attempts at this. I think the most well-known one is probably this one [1].

While we’re at it, I’d love to see a physical version of the seseame street pinbal table [2], though that one might be a bit more ambitious. :)

[1] - https://spacecadetpinball.wordpress.com

[2] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZshZp-cxKg

Re: Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

#49
post #46
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, there's a hole at the top of the line that leads to an underground lane? That makes sense, I couldn't make that out in the photo, thanks.

If you drain to the far left, and kickback is lit, the ball gets sent along the line and comes out the top (and IIRC, refills your fuel?)

Oh that whole thing is a higher level! I see now, I thought that top section is actually a ground section, thanks.

Re: Space Cadet Pinball on Linux

#50

That reminds me, do skilled players actually use the tilt keys? I remember being confused for years as to the purpose of tilt keys because I hadn't used a real pinball machine, and I can't remember it nudging the ball enough to merit the risk.

It's been forever since I played space cadet, but skillful nudging is beneficial in many video pinballs. A little nudge here and there helps save balls from the drain and can help make some shots.
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