Shooting the Rapids Deluxe is this week's AtGames tournament table

AtGames has added the digital pinball table Shooting the Rapids Deluxe to this week's Flipper Friends tournament rotation. The competition runs through March 19 for players using Legends 4K, HDP, and HD Pinball devices.

The original Shooting the Rapids was a physical solid-state pinball machine released in 1979 by Zaccaria. Zaccaria was the third largest manufacturer of pinball machines in the world during its peak. They were headquartered in Bologna, Italy, and their machines had a very distinct European design sensibility. Because they rarely exported to the United States, their physical cabinets are quite rare in North America today. Most players will only ever experience them through digital recreation.

Developer Magic Pixel handles the modern digital adaptations of the entire Zaccaria catalog. They released this specific "Deluxe" version in March 2025 across Steam and the AtGames ecosystem. When Magic Pixel creates a Deluxe edition, they do not just upscale the graphics. They take the original 1979 rule set and build an entirely new geometry around it.

The standard 1979 Shooting the Rapids had a simple single-level design typical of the early solid-state era. It had three pop bumpers and a basic drop target bank. This digital-only Deluxe version adds a complex upper playfield. The change increases the total flipper count to five and introduces new wireframe ramps that route the ball above the main action. It also utilizes Magic Pixel's notoriously bouncy ball physics. The digital ball often hopscotches off the lower slingshots in ways a physical steel ball never would.

The table relies heavily on a river-rafting theme with hand-drawn character art.

The expanded layout includes a dedicated "Bear" target and several kickout holes scattered across the upper and lower sections. The upper playfield can be tricky to navigate because its color palette blends directly into the lower section.

High scores require players to hit specific spot targets to trigger "Rapid Combos" and build their bonus multiplier. The multiplier lights scale from 2x up to 10x during a good run.

The weekly rotation

The current Season 2, Week 6 tournament is part of the broader AtGames competitive setup. Shooting the Rapids Deluxe is not the only table in the rotation this week. Competitors also have to post scores on Supersonic and Circus 2017. I love that AtGames is promoting tournaments like this. It gives cabinet owners a regular excuse to turn on their machines and actually play the games they bought. Without a leaderboard to chase, it is very easy for a home virtual pinball machine to become an expensive piece of furniture.

Players who place high enough on the global Flipper Friends leaderboard can win AtGames eStore gift cards. The top tier of the prize pool goes to the highest scorers. The company also awards random gift cards to players who simply participate and post a valid score. You just have to play until your last ball drains and enter your initials. The system handles the score upload automatically when you exit the table.

Digital pinball can sometimes feel static once your library is full. Weekly score-chasing events inject some life back into the platform. You can check the current standings and the upcoming table schedule on the official AtGames leaderboards page.