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Playing tips for some of the more |  | pinball machines |
[Austin Powers] [Black Rose] [Corvette] [Demolition Man] [Dracula] [Flintstones] [Frankenstein]
[Medieval Madness] [NBA Fastbreak] [Revenge from Mars] [Scared Stiff] [Star Wars]
[Star Wars Episode 1] [Tales of the Arabian Nights]
The Addams Family is possibly the best pinball machine of all time, and given
that Williams/Bally are no longer making pinballs, we could be saying that for a while. Here, I attempt
to give a few guidelines as to how I play the game.
In summary, big points on this machine come from completing the mansion tour (the ? after all of the features have been completed), and from the multiballs. However, you will find that this will only get you so far - the following tips will help to sort out the big boys from the little boys.
Get good at the skill shot - over the course of a good game, you will be surprised how many points come from here. Skill awards, extra balls, T-H-I-N-G awards all come from here.
Get good at the left ramp shot (the one from the upper flipper). This advances the Million Plus shot & awards a T-H-I-N-G letter. It also lines you up for the 5x graveyard award at the swamp. The words ... quicksand, fumes, toxic, waste and ours spring to mind. Again, a large component of your score will/should come from here. Note that each hit on the jet bumpers will advance the graveyard value.
Be confident and hit the electric chair from either the left or right flipper. When you are playing well, you will be surprised how easy it is to do this.
Collect extra ball (usually 6 shots) and spot mansion room (usually 15 shots) from the bear shots on the ramp.
Get good at the combos (eg. left orbit, then left ramp, then swamp). These give good points, and also light "stars", which give additional points when T-H-I-N-G is collected.
Due to the incremental nature of this machine, you will probably find that the majority of your points come from just one ball. Bear this in mind, and get those points (particularly the graveyard and million plus) increasing.
A safe, but boring, way to play the game is to hit the central (EB) shot, then hit the left ramp, then hit the swamp for 5x graveyard....then do it again & again....if you are good enough.
The game consists of six modes, each of which takes four shots to light
(perhaps with the exception of the laser beam shot).
Skill shot (easy to do) awards big points as well as bonus multiplier.
Lighting "SHAG" via the outlane rollovers six times awards extra ball.
Starting four modes lights extra ball.
Starting each of the six modes, starts virtucon multiball.
Successfully completing each of the six modes (not done this) starts Moon Base multiball...and that's about it!!
Black Rose is a relatively simple game to play - although it may not seem it. Just follow the following rules.
Lite lock via return lanes or "pirates cove" (far left shot). Once lit, lock a ball into pirates cove.
When in multiball play - shoot the ramps - this will add letters to SINKSHIP. This can be done repeatedly - this is where the good scores come from! Don't particularly worry about getting 3-ball multiball, because it's difficult to do, and you tend to lose one ball immediately!
Load the cannon via the shot from the upper right flipper & then shoot broadside at the top of the table from the cannon. You will get 20million for your first ship followed by 30million etc.
When shooting the cannon always wait until the cannon is moving from right to left, and use the central habitrail (the track straight down the middle of the pinball) to line up your aim. Never shoot when the cannon is going from left to right. Double click on the flippers rather than use the red fire button.
The other way to get good scores is via the double broadside feature, which is started via the top centre shot, quite often early in the game. This shot doubles each time you get it, and maxes out at 32million. In one game I hit this twelve times, giving 255million!!
Did you know that if (before shooting a ball), you click LLRLL where L is left flipper
and R is right flipper, then a secret skill shot opens up for you! Click RRLRR to reset it!
Demolition Man cheats are invoked by pressing the thumb buttons
(the little red circular buttons on the top of the flipper
handles) simultaneously. This should be done at the following points :
1) During any multiball to get a secret jackpot.
2) When awards are given in the extra ball / multiball saucer (hold multipliers, light extra ball etc).
3) After the third Capture Simon shot.
4) After the second Retina Scan.
5) After getting U-Look-GR8-2Day.
6) During AcMag to get a free award and an exploding cow!
Also, more points are scored on the combo shots if you make them with the handles rather than the flippers. Stick with the handles - it's worth it!
Start by going for the ramp to get your extra ball and other goodies.
The Rats and Bats bonuses are awarded at the end of each ball, so try to get them in ball 1.
Big points come from the multiballs, where you are awarded 10 million for key shots. If you start another multiball from within multiball, you are awarded 20 million per shot. If you can start all 3 together (very very difficult) you get 30 million per shot,and will be guaranteed at least one special.
The Flintstones is a relatively
straightforward game, but that being said, it does have its hidden treasures.
The Bronto Crane awards random features off the upper flipper. If you are lucky, your machine will award extra balls from this feature (not all do!).
Get the central upper shot to the DIG lights. Extra ball is usually awarded at 7 shots. Once you have the extra ball, don't worry about this shot any more.
The 1-2-3 shots which are taken from the left and right ramps. These start the features - Flintstones is unusual in that it only has 4 features (the complete opposite of Twilight Zone!).
Of the features, the Dino multiball is the best, and the Water Buffalos the worst.
Multiple features can be started at once, and features operate during multiball too.
My tip is to get through the features as quickly as possible, however that being said, the final feature (mystery mode) is somewhat of a disappointment - hit each drop target for 5 million, and clear them all in 20 seconds for 100 million.
The bowling feature is cool because the points score as per the real game, and there is a high score entry for the bowling champ. However, you can only hit a strike a spare or a miss, and to this day, I do not fully know how the points are calculated.
Bowling Power Up (usually awarded from the bronto crane) guarantees a strike providing you hit the bowling bank.
For multiball, complete "CONCRETE" to start, hit the red start light, and then shoot the jackpot which (indefinitely, I think) alternates between the central (extra ball) shot and the upper left hand u-turn shot. Note that the super jackpot cannot be hit from the upper flipper on some machines - it depends how your machine is set up.
My strategy is as follows :
Go for the extra ball by 7 central shots.
Hit the bronto crane - repeatedly if you can!
Get good at multiball - if you are lucky, the machine will be set up so that super jackpot can be hit from the upper flipper.
Start Dino multiball and the jackpot multiball at the same time for four ball multiball and big points potential.
You need to press extra ball within the game to be offered the opportunity of buying an extra ball. Get
into the practice of pressing the extra ball button as soon as you
start the game - you never know when you might need it! (if buy-in is configured)
Shoot the North Pole whenever you can. This shot adds two letters onto your Frankenstein feature.
The ball can repeatedly be put in the Geneva hole from the left flipper when not lit to increase the jackpot. Don't do it - it's sad and not clever.
When the next feature is "Extra Ball" shoot the Ice Cave. This will light an (extra) extra ball if that makes sense!
The multiball on this machine is more complex than on most other machines. I'll leave it for you to fathom out!
I have only one tip for playing this machine - just keep destroying the castles. There are five castles, each
incrementally more difficult. If you are on castle N, then N shots to the
castle will lower the drawbridge, and then (N+1) shots will open the portcullis. Hope this makes sense!
Castle awards are 2 million, 4 million, 6 million etc. Also big points are given for hitting the portcullis too. The extra ball is usually given after two castles, and I believe that this is the factory setting.
So, it may seem boring, but keep hitting the ball at the castle.
When you get multiball - ignore the jackpots, and keep on hitting the castle! Those wretched trolls get in the way - just keep slaying them!
Holding the left flipper in when you launch a ball will send the ball all the way around the top orbit. Shoot a ramp, and then the castle for a bonus that counts down from 1,000,000. There are many other hidden features - no doubt they can be found on the web.
This is an unusual game in that it is extremely low scoring. In fact, it has to be the
lowest scoring of any machine ever made!
During Pizza Power Shot (when the ball bounces up the backglass) always fire when the counter hits "2 points". Do this five times and then quickly sneak in a final shot for one or two points. My maximum score on Pizza Power Shot is 17.
Go for free throws (basket shot with nothing else lit) until you have 3 - this will light an extra ball. Don't go for free throws after this point.
During "hoop" features (eg. half court hoops) hit the left orbit three times for an extra ball. Don't shoot this shot once you have achieved the extra ball.
Learn the answers to the trivia quiz - the answers may seem obvious in the US, but it is a pure gamble here in the UK! Dennis Rodman is the Worm - remember that fact!!!
What happens in the final feature?? Who knows!
I've not seen a rule sheet for Revenge From Mars on the internet (at the time of writing), and there is
precious little information on the machine itself, so I hope that
the following is of use. However, holding a flipper in will give
details on what scores need to be attained for various awards. Please note
that these tips have been written from memory, so there may be the odd minor slip here and there.
** UPDATE ** Rule sheet is available by following the 'Pinball Archive' external link on the home page.
In summary, Revenge From Mars is a slick, visually pretty, but somewhat repetitive game. That being said, it offers the opportunity for a good long game for those who know how to play it. Extra balls are fundamental to this game - it is not unusual to see five in one game.
OBJECT OF THE GAME - As far as I can make out, the object is to collect nine saucers lights, and then Attack Mars.
STARTING THE GAME - Some games allow you to choose your starting feature by the outer flipper buttons (this may be a ROM upgrade from the original game). If this is the case, select Big-O-Beam because it is the highest scorer, and quickly gets you towards the first extra ball. It also guarantees a saucer light.
MISSILES - Ramps and orbits light missiles. Extra balls are usually awarded at 20 and 50 missiles. Missile awards are incremental too - get good at these shots, because they are a fundamental component of those big scores. They also generally contribute during the features, and keep the ball out of trouble.
MULTIBALLS - Multiballs are awarded at several stages during the game. Completing all 3 groups of weapon/saucer/fuel features will start a multiball. During multiball, use the outer flipper buttons to move award multipliers around the screen, and collect items by shooting them. Note that items are carried over during these multiballs. 30 items collected on this multiball will award an extra ball, and several jackpots along the way. Go for this!! 40 hits will start Mothership Multiball. The flippers will go dead, and the balls will drain - don't worry, it always does this! Mothership multiball is followed by Grandmothership multiball and then Wicked Step Mother multiball (or something!). Points are incremental for these multiballs. Multiball also arises through ball capture, through Martian Attack, and through Martian Hypno-beam.
MARTIAN HYPNO-BEAM - Not for epileptics, or to be played in a dark room, this multiball is awarded through a "random" award from the scoop. Although "random", you will always be awarded it during a long game. Hit the red shots to add balls, and then repeatedly hit the centre shot to decrease efficiency from 100% to 1%. At 1%, shoot the central ramp to get an extra ball. The feature will then repeat, with an award of 15 million. I don't know what the subsequent awards are.
MARTIAN ATTACK MULTIBALL - This is started from the scoop when the green light is lit. Shoot one of the left standups and one of the right standups (the martians will shake as per the original Attack From Mars pinball). You then shoot the central ramp to start the feature. This is a two ball multiball - shoot ramps and orbits to kill martians. Avoid shooting the central ramp, because this may kill the big martian and end the feature. There is a high score entry (and free game) for the martian champion.
SAUCER LIGHTS - Saucer lights are awarded at 10 and 30 martians in the above multiball. They are also awarded for completing features flawlessly - instructions on how to do this are shown on the screen before starting a feature (eg. watching all six videos in Mars kneads women). Saucer lights can also come from "Stroke of Luck", and probably other places too. They are fundamental to the game. Irrespective of where you start the game, the fourth feature will be ?, which will be one of Martian Aerobics (space invaders), Martian Autopsy (not pleasant), Martian Bowling or Martian Tank. These features are time consuming, and not particularly big earners - get them out of the way as quick as you can! n.b. outer flipper button selects the angle for your shot in Martian Bowling.
ATTACK MARS MULTIBALL - Once you have collected nine saucer lights, the big red "Attack Mars" light will light - shoot the ramp to start.
This is the "end game", and consists of three stages. During the first stage, use the outer flipper buttons to line up one of three saucers in your "sights", and then shoot the central ramp to destroy. In the second stage, targets appear in a circular formation above the central and outer ramps. Again, use the outer flipper buttons to rotate the targets, and the ramps to destroy. During the third and final stage, a giant martian head appears in the central shot. Hit the shot to raise the ramp, and then quickly (within 5 seconds?) shoot the ramp. This needs to be done repeatedly to kill the martian head, and complete Attack Mars.
...then it's back to square one - all features and saucer lights are refreshed, and if you've got the energy, and balls (pinballs!), then you can do it again.
Like the martians, you could do with an extra pair of hands to do all of this! This feature is the most exhausting of any pinball feature I have seen, and has at times left me with repetitive strain injury! There is a high score table entry for the Attack Mars champion, which usually starts at 250 million!
Complete the six tales of terror, complete the stiff-o-meter (getting 5m points in the
process), and then get 1m for every subsequent jackpot shot. There is no other way to get a BIG score,
as far as I am aware.
Extra balls are very important as with every game. Get them from the right ramp shot (usually about 7), 3 eyeballs from the backglass spider, and by completing leaper mode (5 leapers in about 20 seconds). You may be awarded one from telephaphetic mode if you are lucky.
Keep getting the deadheads, because the points are incremental. I have managed to get these up to 600,000, which is a lot of points if you add them all up.
Get as many points as you can from the crate and coffin multiballs.
If lit, go for the spider shot rather than the plunger skill shot. There are three main spider strategies :
1) Get the extra ball first by getting 3 eyeballs.
2) Start leaper mode, and try to get the extra ball (can be risky, because you can lose a ball, and not gain an extra ball!).
3) Extend the coffin and crate multiball features.
Completing each spider function starts spider multiball, which I have never seen done.
This is from memory, but this is not a difficult machine to play, strategy-wise.
The game is all about getting the central ramp shot, and this can be done from either flipper if they are set correctly and strong. The features start themselves if you keep doing the ramp shots.
In addition, I remember that the Yoda feature is worth getting, and that holding in the button speeds up the pointless video mode.
Most of this game seems to revolve around repeatedly hitting the centre shot, or the ramps to the either side of it.
Tips are as follows :
Get good at the skill shot. This awards 1m, 2m then sticks at 3m for subsequent shots. The skill shot is the best way to do the extra ball shot too.
Extra balls are key to this game, and on a 3-ball game, you should be getting 5-7 balls each game. CP30 offers an extra ball on completing once, and on the sixth or seventh time (not sure which at time of writing). Extra balls are usually awarded at 20m and 60m, but I guess this can be adjusted. They can be awarded randomly from Wattos Junk Shop & Mos Espa (or whatever they are called).
The features generally revolve around repeatedly hitting the middle shot. The outer flipper buttons can be used on some features (eg. droids, queen amidala) to kill driods etc with your lasers.
Completing J-E-D-I starts multiball battle. It is your choice whether you play this feature with one, two or three balls (ie once you have started, you can leave the balls in the eject lane). It is your choice to work out what is best for you. The feature involves making repeated central shots, surprise! surprise!
This is quite an unusual machine in that the big scores nearly
always come from the end of ball bonuses, which are incremental.
Always try to get as many lamp spins as you can with your first ball, and then concentrate on getting the bonus multipliers and extra balls.
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