Deep cuts of semi-useful pinball knowledge

This is correct.

Haha… this is no guarantee you’ll get the 500M. It’s extremely easy to not get that 9-ball target when you really need it. Pretty much guaranteed a SHOT at it, though!

The other 9-ball deep cut is that it’s possible to time it out entirely so that you don’t even get to play it. I took some well-deserved shit over this, too.

1 Like

It times out after 100 seconds or something like that, right?

Silly Gottlieb, lol.

On Funhouse if you light the steps from the mirror, it opens the gate immediately, so if you left outlane drain, it will instead go to the steps instead of the trough.

https://pinballvideos.com/v/752/19456

Also happens if you light the steps twice off of the hole near the bumpers.

3 Likes

Can I put the Stern Jurassic Park rule where if you make the truck to start Feed T-Rex and the ball rebounds into the amber target to start Chaos Multiball (or Raptor Multiball from the smart missile), you can stack the two Multiballs? Because I should.

Robocop stuff:

After completing a green/yellow/red bank to light a lock, the white target practice lights will start to cycle. Hit the targets when they are lit to advance toward ED-209 Million. You need 4 targets on default settings to start ED-209. This increases by 1 standup each time you successfully collect an ED-209 hurry-up.

Combo two sweet jumps to start 2x scoring (10 seconds on default settings). Combo three sweet jumps to earn Bonus Hold. The combo is switch based, not timed – hitting 2 or 3 other switches will invalidate your combo. The state of the combo is displayed on the playfield by Robocop’s patented chest-lamp.

Tying the jump record starts Everything Lit, which lights a timed special on the ramp and timed EB on the Robocop saucer. Your next ramp shot will also give you a 500k Jumpmaster bonus.

After scoring a Jackpot in multi-ball, hit any green/yellow/red targets to advance towards Special. You need 5 targets on default settings to light Special on the ramp. Special worth 1M when set to award points.

At PATL, Robocop was on settings where the spinner was lit via collecting a lock, as opposed to only lighting a lock (Ad 46 SPINNER LAMP, HARD). This was fun because it encouraged you to make a sweet jump or two.

Theoretical max dream shot?
Light the green and yellow locks.
Lock two balls.
Shoot three flashing standups to get 1 away from ED-209.
Make sweet jumps until you start Everything Lit. 2x will also be running.
Hit the captive ball to light the red lock.
Hit the last flashing standup to start ED-209.
Make the sweetest jump.
2x (1M ED-209 + 1M Special + 500k Jumpmaster bonus + 180k lock) = ~5.36M

10 Likes

I’m always reminding myself about this stuff in last year’s Iron Man update:

  • Super skill shot: hold left flipper and plunge to either upper rollover without the orbit up-post for 1M (+250k). Tourneys often completely disable the up-post anyway, in which case there’s no reason not to do this.

  • After reaching Mark 3, a 2.5M Arc Reactor bonus is lit at the center spinner. Decent points in a tight game. It doesn’t carry over if you drain.

  • Extra ball is lit by 2 completions of IRON MAN targets (then 3 completions, then 4…).

  • These line up nicely if you can get Mark 3 with the second completion of IRON MAN targets for Double Scoring. 2x (2.5M Reactor bonus + 3M EB) = 11M

  • Whiplash MB was decently buffed, 250k → 350k (+12.5k) per shot. Mid-way JP changed from two shots for 500k+1M to one shot for 2.5M. Super JP increased from 3M to 5M. The number of hits for subsequent Whiplashes now only increases by 1 instead of 5. This might affect your calculus of when to go for Monger vs Whiplash.

3 Likes

Don’t forget that plunging to the rollovers means there will be a chance (10-15% ?) that the ball exits the pops to the left and into peril, instead of an easily controlled exit to the right, so in a tournament where ball saver is off, this super skill shot is still not worth the risk, IMO. I would always short plunge to a live catch on the right… unless I was last player, last ball and I trailed by 900k :slight_smile: YMMV.

3 Likes

Plus, with the ball saver on, by the time the ball gets to a flipper from the jets, it’s oftentimes already timed out by then.
I appreciate the Lyman-programmed games that don’t let ball saver time be depleted by time in the jets, like AC⚡️DC

4 Likes

Secret 3-way combo on FunHouse - if the ramp is lit for Crazy Steps, shoot the ramp, then plunge the ball into either the light extra ball or 500,000 slot within 5 seconds, then shoot the trapdoor loop twice. If the trapdoor is already raised or if you plunge for Superdog you can’t get this combo, but it will still count if you shoot into the trapdoor for the second shot in the combo, and it will also progress towards 4-way combo as normal. Can’t imagine anyone would benefit from this considering the dexterity required to plunge from the steps that quickly, but just putting it out there…

Metallica:

I haven’t pulled the glass off to confirm the details of this, as my Metallica is on location. But it’s something I’ve achieved twice now…

If you successfully cash out EOTL at the scoop, then re-light CIU again on the same ball, it brings you right back to EOTL. No need to complete any CIU modes. I’m not sure if this applies if you time out EOTL, and it definitely doesn’t work if you drain your ball in between. But there’s pretty enormous scoring potential if you can crush two consecutive EOTLs.

4 Likes

That’s pretty strange. I wonder if it’s a bug or intentional?

If I remember correctly, that happens here.

Metallica second chance super skill shot.

The regular super skill shot is hold the left flipper while full plunging then hit one of the 10 major shots. You can get a 2x top lane skill shot in the left upper lane or 4x skill shot in the upper right lane if you skillfully plunge while holding the left flipper button which disables the post from coming up to stop the ball.

If you plunge for a super skill shot by holding the left flipper button and don’t hit most switches, then let the super skill shot time out, the upper lanes will remain lit for the 2x and 4x super skill shots, but now if you shoot the ball up either orbit the post will come up to stop the ball and allow it to roll into the left upper lane for a 2x skill shot.

The upper lanes will still remain lit for this 2x skill shot if you hit the slingshots, the orbit switches or spinners (on Premium). Furthermore, the 2x skill shot opportunity will remain even if you hit Sparky (opto or standup) or Snake or the first 2 drop targets. You can actually hit Sparky or Snake as many times as you want. If you start one of these multiballs the skill shot remains lit, but when the game auto-plunges balls you will only get a normal 1x skill shot.

All other switches will extinguish the upper lane skill shot opportunity.

3 Likes

So, I just realized there’s a bit of an untapped resource out there… Video/streams of virtual pinball.

I’ve never actually seen a backdoor billion IRL. Finally, video exists of it! The 10-loop combo starts here:

The one-timer save at the end is particularly awesome.

Some other interesting tidbits:

The 7, 8, AND 9 combos start here:

And the 11, 12, and 13 start here:

There’s probably more interesting stuff, but it’s so long and I was mostly looking for “10-loop proof”.

1 Like

In Mousin Around, pay attention to the state of the 3 upper bonus rollovers when you drain or lock a ball. When the new ball is served to plunger lane, only the skillshot will be flashing up there, but the original state of the lanes is preserved. You can still use the flippers to rotate them and collect an unlit lane/bonus X separate from the skillshot itself.

8 Likes

On Stern Hot Hand, the attract mode shows how a flush in each suit affects playfield features, e.g. the spades row lights and then the spinner lites.

1 Like

The items in Mystery Castle advance in a set order, even though the order doesn’t match the playfield at all. The order is:

  • Potion
  • Dragon Idol
  • Bell
  • Coat of Arms
  • Scepter
  • Gold
  • Candelabrum
  • Skull
  • Goblet
  • Mirror
  • Crystal Ball
  • Jester
  • Pandora’s Box
  • Painting
  • …repeat from top

So “theoretically” it’s possible to set things up to get the Skull early. You can change the lit item with the bumpers or by combing into the flashing “Change Item” standup after rolling through an inlane. Note that the standup is normally lit solid but won’t do anything if you hit it – it will start flashing after an inlane. Flashing “Change Item” standup also changes the shots lit to collect the Item.

Seems like the game starts randomly with either the Potion, Candelabrum, Jester, or Pandora’s Box lit. Candelabrum would be the best as the Skull is the next item.

Every 3 right ramps gives an award (skill shots not included). The awards are:

  • Light both scoops for Mega-Mode quick MB.
  • Bonus X
  • Bonus Hold
  • Bonus X
  • 5M
  • Award Item
  • Bonus X
  • Light mystery
  • Bonus X
  • Bonus X
  • …repeat from top
4 Likes

Only 27 ramps away from multiball at any time!

4 Likes