David's Midnight Magic
A pioneering pinball simulation for early home computers.
David’s Midnight Magic is a pinball simulation for the Apple II, programmed by David Snider and released by Broderbund in 1982. Ariolasoft handled the European release. An Atari 8-bit port came out the same year, followed by a Commodore 64 version in 1983. In 1987, Atari Corporation issued a cartridge version styled after the then-new Atari XEGS.
The game closely follows the design of Williams’ 1979 real-life pinball table, Gorgar. Players start with five balls and can earn extras. A magna-save feature sits near the top of the outlanes. Up to four people can play. The bonus score is multiplied by a bonus multiplier. On the upper playfield, a collector traps balls; it releases after three balls are collected, when an arrow is hit, or if the last ball drains down an outlane. In the Apple II version, high scores can be saved to disk, and sound can be routed through the cassette player.
David Snider was inspired to create a pinball game after seeing Raster Blaster. By September 1981, the game was half-finished when Snider attended a computer conference and met Doug Carlston by chance, leading to a development deal with Broderbund. The 1982 Atari version uses four colors, down from the Apple II’s six. Most versions feature an apple on the bumper cap, but Atari versions replace it with the Atari logo.
Softline noted that David’s Midnight Magic “ratifies Bill Budge’s extraordinary program as a programming tour de force,” saying it matched Raster Blaster despite coming out nine months later, and concluded that “the fact that [David is] second should not dull the glitter of this effort.” Computer Gaming World considered Midnight Magic better than Raster Blaster but criticized the need to remove write protection from the floppy—voiding the warranty—to save high scores. The Commodore 64 Home Companion called it “extraordinarily realistic … complete with all the features that make pinball so seductive.” At the 4th annual Arkie Awards, it won “Computer Game of the Year,” with judges calling it “a program that is both an exciting video game and a fairly faithful evocation of pinball mystique.” Another reviewer was disappointed with the Atari-800 version, finding the nudge ineffective and the controls harder to use with paddles than with the Apple II version.
Atari Corporation later released a different pinball game called Midnight Magic for the Atari 2600, which
- Developer
- David Snider
- Publisher
- Broderbund (North America), Ariolasoft (Europe)
- Platforms
- Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, Atari XEGS (cartridge)
- Release Year
- 1982 (Apple II, Atari 8-bit), 1983 (Commodore 64), 1987 (Atari XEGS cartridge)
- Genre
- Pinball simulation
- Inspiration
- Raster Blaster (1981) and Gorgar pinball table
Lore & Background
David Snider was inspired to create a pinball video game after seeing Raster Blaster. By September 1981, the game was half-complete when Snider attended a computer conference and met Doug Carlston, agreeing to become a developer for Broderbund. The game was published in 1982 for the Apple II, with ports to Atari 8-bit computers the same year and the Commodore 64 in 1983. In 1987, Atari Corporation published a cartridge version styled after the Atari XEGS.
Gameplay features five balls per player, with extra balls possible, a magna-save near the top of the outlanes, and a collector in the upper playfield that released after collecting three balls, hitting an arrow, or draining down an outlane on the last ball. The Apple II version allowed saving high scores to disk and running sound through a cassette player. The Atari 8-bit version had four colors, reduced from six in the Apple II version, and the bumper cap featured an Atari logo instead of an apple.
Reception was mixed: Softline called it a programming tour de force equal to Raster Blaster, while Computer Gaming World preferred it to Raster Blaster but criticized the need to remove write protection to save scores. The Commodore 64 Home Companion praised its realism. It won "Computer Game of the Year" at the 4th annual Arkie Awards. Some reviewers found the Atari-800 version's nudge ineffective and paddle controls difficult.
Reader's Guide
David's Midnight Magic holds significance as an early and influential pinball simulation for home computers, directly inspired by and competing with Bill Budge's Raster Blaster. Its close modeling after the real Williams Black Knight table set a standard for realism in video game pinball. The game's success earned David Snider substantial royalties, reportedly in the six figures, and led to ports across multiple platforms, including a later Atari XEGS cartridge. Its legacy includes a Visual Pinball recreation in 2005 and a separate, differently-playing Atari 2600 game called Midnight Magic. The game also established a naming convention later used by Snider's brother Eric for titles like Eric's Ultimate Solitaire. Despite some technical criticisms, it was recognized with an industry award and remains a notable example of early 1980s computer game development.
Did You Know?
- David's Midnight Magic is closely modeled after the real-life pinball table Black Knight, released by Williams in 1980.
- The bumper cap has an apple on it in most versions, but this is changed to the Atari logo on the Atari versions.
- David Snider earned 'somewhere in the six figures' in royalties from the game, according to Broderbund's Doug Carlston in 1983.
- A Visual Pinball recreation called David's Midnight Magic 2005 was created in 2005.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is David's Midnight Magic?
It is a pinball simulation game built for early personal computers, programmed by David Snider and shipped by Broderbund in 1982. Fans often point to it as one of the first dedicated pinball titles for home PC hardware.
Who developed and published David's Midnight Magic?
David Snider wrote the code, Broderbund published it in North America, and Ariolasoft handled the European edition. The design drew on both the 1981 Raster Blaster and Williams' 1979 Gorgar table.
Which platforms did David's Midnight Magic appear on?
The Apple II and Atari 8-bit versions both shipped in 1982, a Commodore 64 port followed in 1983, and Atari Corporation released an XEGS cartridge edition in 1987.
What real pinball table is David's Midnight Magic modeled after?
The layout closely tracks Williams' 1979 Gorgar machine, with a similar playfield arrangement and feature placement. Raster Blaster (1981) also served as a design reference for the overall structure.
How many players can play and what key features does the table include?
Up to four players can take turns, each beginning with five balls and the chance to pick up spares. A magna-save sits near the top of the outlanes, and the accumulated bonus score is multiplied during play.
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