HERCULES


Original table by Atari Inc., May 1979.
VP conversion and script by Dave Sanders, February 2002.

Thanks to Randy Davis for Visual Pinball, to the IRPinball staff, and to the folks on the Shiva forum. But mainly to me. Tell it like it is. :>

Install the enclosed fonts in the Windows font directory.

Bug reports should be mailed to me at ealadubh@btopenworld.com .


NOTES 


(A bit of an explanation for those unfamiliar with this one-of-a-kind pin...)

 Hercules was the final table produced by Atari's pinball division, and only 500 of these goliath machines were manufactured, principally for amusement parks rather than regular arcades. Put simply, Hercules was the ultimate novelty machine. It was the largest commercial pin table ever produced, fully seven feet tall by eight feet long, with a cue-ball instead of a standard-size steel pinball and solenoids that required so much power, the table lights would dim whenever the mechanics actually did anything. As a result, the feel and play of this machine is quite unlike any other, and many people have fond memories of it even if they thought it was lousy to play. The machine was aptly named, since the fun was in trying to manipulate a cannonball with two rowing-boat oars, and simply trying to aim the ball was a herculean task in itself. :>

This then is the point of this conversion; to attempt to properly replicate the look, sound, feel and play of such an lumbering great monster, with all the differences in game speed and table physics that implies. This style of play won't be for everyone of course, so if slick, speedy, no-nonsense pinball is more your thing, go and download the Superman table (you'll have a lot fun with it). The best way to play Hercules is simply to sit back and relax, enjoy the experience of this unique table even though you're not so likely to do well at it.


PLAYING TIPS


Because of the slower and heavier flippers, what they do is not so much to hit the ball as push it. So when aiming a ball rolling down the flipper, time your flips earlier than normal to accomodate. Stronger and faster flips can be made by timing the flippers to meet the ball as it comes down towards them.

The Path Of Victory shot needs to be made with care, since the exit angle from the loop depends on the speed of the ball, and coming out of a fast loop is likely to drain the ball. If this happens, you'd better hope for a bounceback; since the ball is not metal, this can happen much more often than on a regular table from a fast drain.


TABLE CONTROLS


During play:	LEFT and RIGHT SHIFT - flipper buttons
		Z - nudge table left
		/ - nudge table right 
		SPACE- nudge table up

In standby:	5 - Insert credit	
		1 to 4 - One, two, three or four player start


RULES


Top lanes score 500 points and advance yellow, orange or red light column. Path Of Victory lane scores 500 points and advances lit colour. Complete yellow column for Double Bonus, orange column to light Extra Ball, and red column to light Special.

Return lanes score 3000 points and award Extra Ball when lit. Outlanes score 5000 points and award Special when lit. Other rollovers score 50 points.

Standup targets score 1000 points. Completing all four targets then activates a flashing target to score indicated points and reset targets. Flashing target scores 10,000 points first time, 20,000 points second time, 30,000 points third time, and 40,000 points thereafter.

Spinner value changes according to the last light lit; 10 points for yellow, 100 points for orange, or 1000 points for red.

All rollovers, lanes and targets advance the bonus.

Targets and incomplete light columns are held over from ball to ball.

Tilt penalty: ball in play.

Maximum: one extra ball per ball in play.

Special awards one replay.

One replay awarded for a score of 280,000 points.

One further replay awarded for a score of 390,000 points.

Turning the game over and looping the score past 999,990 and back to zero awards three replays (and a medal of some kind). :>

Beating the highest score to date awards three replays.

Matching the last score digit against the displayed number at the end of the game awards one replay.