Competition Install Master List
- [General & Manufacturer Overview]
- [Stern Pinball Competition Settings]
- [Bally & Classic Settings]
This guide provides a quick-reference breakdown for Tournament Directors and competitive players on how Competition Mode and Competition Install alter game rules, mystery awards, and difficulty settings across various pinball machines.
General & Manufacturer Overview
Stern Pinball Overview
- Warning: Changing to tournament mode will affect COINAGE and FREEPLAY settings on older Stern games (pre-High Roller Casino, High Roller Casino before 3.0 ROM, Data East, and Sega games).
- Spike 2 Games: Spike 2 games with the newer service menu will detail the exact changes before performing the install.
- Spike 3 Games: Spike 3 games with the newer service menu will detail the exact changes before performing the install.
Setup Methods:
- Competition Mode (Standard Adjustments) or (quick menu new service menu):
- Sets
Competition Mode: YES - Removes randomness from game features; Mystery awards follow a fixed order and reflexive settings lock to fixed values.
- Sets
- Competition Install (Utilities Menu):
- Installs Competition (enables competition mode and alters adjustments) and Novelty (disables extra balls and specials).
Bally Overview
- Setting Bally SS games to NOVELTY converts Extra Balls to 25,000 points and Specials to 50,000 points.
- Toggles carry-over settings for Bonus, Bonus X, and other game features depending on the specific title.
Stern Pinball Competition Settings
| Game | Mode / Install Type | Key System Adjustments | Fixed Awards & Gameplay Changes | Extra Ball Replacement / Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avengers: Infinity Quest | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Bingo awards are fixed (Center column/row are Super Ball Save & Light Portal Lock; all others are super modes). Mystery in fixed order. Topper gems start gem mania: No IC Gem Maina CPU Gird Award: No |
Disabled. |
| Competition Install | Competition Mode: On Start with lockdown button: Off Tilt Debounce: 1000ms Instant Info Auto Scroll: Off |
Insider Connected Computer Gem Mania Award: Off. | Disabled. | |
| Foo Fighters | Competition Mode (Pre-1.00) | Standard adjustments applied. | Mystery given in fixed order: 2.5M, Engine van upgrade, Advance spinner, Speakers van upgrade, Max tractor beam, Bomb van upgrade, 5M, +1x Bonus X, Light ball save, Light extra ball. | Award 10M points. |
| Competition Install (V1.00+) | Competition Mode: YES Tilt Warnings: 2 Action Button Behavior: DISABLED Timed Plunger / Flipper Launch: OFF |
Overlord difficulty: Medium (no target spotting inside) Overlord lock: Empties at end of ball (2+ players) Van mode timer: 40 seconds. |
Extra Ball Limit: NO EXTRA BALLS. | |
| Game of Thrones | Competition Install | Lannister Buttons: EXTRA HARD (4/game) Targaryen Freeze Time: HARD (10s) Dire Wolf Frequency: HARD (2/game) |
Swords Unlock Multipliers: HARD Ram Hits for Multipliers: HARD Two Bank Difficulty: EXTRA HARD (always times out) Ball Save Timers: Blackwater/Wall (6s), Hand (8s), Iron Throne/Winter (10s) Left Drops Award Lord of Light: OFF. |
Disabled. |
| Ghostbusters | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Tobin Spirit Guide & Slot Pops in fixed order Negative Reinforcement: 1 correct guess per 10 ghosts collected (next guess always incorrect). |
Extra Ball Limit: No Extra Balls (Scoop never lights; no points awarded). |
| Competition Install | Competition Mode: Yes Player Language Select: No Game Restart: No Lost Ball Recovery: No |
Recommended manual tweaks: Set Midnight Madness to NO and Allow Scare Feature to NO. | Extra Ball Limit: No Extra Balls. | |
| Godzilla (Stern) | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Maser Mystery award in fixed order. | Award 50M points instead. |
| Competition Install | Competition mode: On Tilt Debounce: 1000ms Start with lockdown button: Off Planet X Unlock Normal |
Standard competition behavior active. | Extra Ball Limit: No Extra Balls. | |
| Guardians of the Galaxy | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Removes all randomness. | Award 15M points instead. |
| Competition Install | Free Play: Yes Player Language Select: No Game Restart: No Allow Left + Start End: Never Lost Ball Recovery: No |
Groot M.B. Virtual Lock: Yes. | Extra Ball Limit: No Extra Balls. | |
| Metallica (remake) | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Coffin Locks Lit Behavior: Coffin,Captibe Ball Resurrect Difficulty: Hard Resurrect Number Hits Start: 4 Resurrect Number Hits Increment: 4 1st Captive Ball Extra Ball 10 |
Disabled. |
| Iron Maiden | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | 1st drop target award: Advance Bonus X (instead of Light Orb) Initial lit Eddie Battle fixed as Flight of Icarus. |
Disabled. |
| Competition Install | Competition Mode: On Secret Skillshots: Off |
Fear of the Dark is initially lit mode Madness Mode Enabled: Off (Can I Play With Madness disabled). |
Disabled. | |
| JAWS | Competition Install | COMPETITION MODE: YES TILT_WARNINGS: 2 COIN DOOR DISABLE TILT: YES ACTION BUTTON BEHAVIOR: DISABLED START BUTTON BEHAVIOR: SINGLE CREDIT |
Game Restart: NO Lost Ball Recovery: NO Timed Plunger / Flipper Launch: OFF Target Game Time: NO TARGET TIME Night mode lighting: classic |
EXTRA BALL LIMIT: NO EXTRA BALLS. |
| JAMES BOND | Competition Install | COMPETITION MODE: YES TILT_WARNINGS: 2 COIN DOOR DISABLE TILT: YES ACTION BUTTON BEHAVIOR: DISABLED START BUTTON BEHAVIOR: SINGLE CREDIT |
Game Restart: NO Lost Ball Recovery: NO Timed Plunger / Flipper Launch: OFF Target Game Time: NO TARGET TIME Virual Lock: on |
EXTRA BALL LIMIT: NO EXTRA BALLS. |
| Jurassic Park (Stern) | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Amber Frenzy modes in fixed order (Pops, Targets, Slings, Ramps). | Disabled. |
| Competition Install | Competition Mode: On Tilt Debounce: 1000ms Start with lockdown button: Off |
Smart Missile can award Invalid Frenzy: Off Goat Mania: Off. MAP - ALLOW DINO ESCAPES No |
Disabled. | |
| Led Zeppelin | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | If Extra Ball Records set to Auto, EB lights at 5 records. | Disabled. |
| Competition Install | Competition mode: On Start with lockdown button: Off |
Build Icarus During Multiball: No Zeppelin MB lock difficulty: Medium (spell ROCK) Lite Start Tour: requires +1 R ramp Earn Sales from Active PF: No Electric Magic: 3 completions of LED ZEP Band Boosts: 0. |
Disabled. | |
| Rush | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Mystery awards in fixed order (Activate Instruments, 2.5M, Bonus X…) Red Barchetta is initial Time Machine MB Far Cry MB jackpots in fixed order. |
Disabled. |
| Competition Install | Standard adjustments applied. | Far Cry MB Difficulty: Medium (standups → timed R ramp → Side scoop lock) Drops Stay Down on Full Set: No Freewill add-a-ball set to 2 hits. |
Disabled. | |
| Star Wars (Stern) | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Mystery awards in fixed order Shot multiplier maxes at 10x (instead of 20x) |
Disabled. |
| Competition Install | Competition mode: On | Allow Missions to Stack: Off. Tie Fighter Multiball starts at 50 Tie Fighters (instead of 35). Multpliers Difficulty Hard Hyperspace Mball Difficulty Hard |
Disabled. | |
| Star Wars Fall Of The Empire | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Removes all randomness. | Disabled. |
| Competition Install | Competition mode: On | Show Scores More Frequently On Jedi Save Diffculty Medium Battle of Hoth Muitball Difficulty Increase Nedium |
Disabled. | |
| The Beatles | Competition Install | Player Language Select: No Game Restart: No Allow Left + Start End: Never Default game mode: Competition |
Main/Tax Man/AML MB ball save: 15s Record magnet: Multiball only Level to complete song: 3 |
Extra Ball Limit: No Extra Balls (200K points awarded). Special: 400K points awarded if disabled. |
| The Mandalorian | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Multiball always enabled treated as No (must start/complete Hunter Mission or drain) First shot starts Ambush The Foundry excludes Question Mark award. |
Disabled. |
| Competition Install | Multiball Always Enabled: No Start with lockdown button: Off Default Game Mode: Competition Player Game Mode: No |
Standard competition features forced. | Disabled. | |
| The Walking Dead | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | If 1st Walker EB set to Auto, lights at fixed kills. | Award 2.5M points instead. |
| Competition Install | Competition Mode: On Bicycle Girl Lit at Start: No Shot Modes Light/Start MB: Start Multi-Kill Sequencing: Left to Right Multi-Kill Carryover Horde: Yes Horde Lost Advances Ball: Yes |
Only 1 drop target bank completion needed to light modes (modes cannot light during MB) Multi-Kill value does NOT reset after Horde Supplies/Combos/Cross-Bow/Bicycle Girl for Multi-Kill: Off Prison/Well MB Super JP with Bomb: No Draining/getting bit in Horde ends ball-in-play. |
Extra Ball Limit: No Extra Balls. | |
| Venom | Competition Mode | Standard adjustments applied. | Disables saved progress loading during Competition Mode. | Disabled. |
| Competition Install | COMPETITION MODE: YES TILT_WARNINGS: 2 ACTION BUTTON BEHAVIOR: DISABLED START BUTTON BEHAVIOR: SINGLE CREDIT |
Coin Door Ball Saver: YES Coin Door Disable Tilt: YES Allow Left + Start End: Never Timed Plunger / Flipper Launch: OFF |
EXTRA BALL LIMIT: NO EXTRA BALLS. |
Bally & Classic Settings {#heading–classics}
| Game / Platform | Mode / Setting | Specific Adjustments | Gameplay & Scoring Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bally SS Games | Novelty Mode | System Dipswitches / Menu | Extra Balls score 25,000 points; Specials score 50,000 points. Adjusts carry-over behavior for Bonus and Bonus X. |
| Viking (Bally) | Custom / Switch Settings | Switch #8 (Inline drops score 5 bonus advances) | Toggles carryover for EB, Special, outlane 25k lights, and drop target point values. Extra Balls score 25,000; Specials score 50,000. |
