Erik Mooney's FAQ, Rules Sheet and Strategy Guide to Pinball Fantasies by
Digital Illusions/21st Century/Frontline Design (whew, what a title!)

Version History:

1.0: First version, 1/18/97.

1.1: Minor changes/fixes, first public release.  1/22/97.

1.2: Added info about the Billion point shot.  4/8/99.

Availability:
On my homepage http://attila.stevens-tech.edu/~emooney or by emailing
me at emooney@attila.stevens-tech.edu or erikmooney@altavista.net .
This will also probably be posted on The Tower of Pin at
http://pcpinball.com .

Disclaimer:
I do not guarantee the accuracy of any of the information contained
herein. I am not responsible for any physical, logical, emotional, or
brain damage incurred from this document or the information contained
herein.  I only guarantee that it will take up disk space (unless
someone comes up with a revolutionary new compression technique.)
All trademarks contained in this document are the property of their
respective owners.  I give permission to copy, post, and otherwise
reproduce this document and the information contained herein as long
as credit is given to me.


                              Introduction:

Though it's a few years old by now, Pinball Fantasies is still one of
the best PC pinball simulators on the market.  With accurate if simple
physics, detailed playfields and rules sets although no multiball
play, and excellent sound and graphics, these four tables have
provided many PC pinball fans with hours of playing time.

Party Land, Speed Devils, Billion Dollar (aka Billion Dollar Gameshow),
and Stones -n- Bones (NOT Nightmare - that's in Pinball Dreams) were first
released as Pinball Fantasies and later joined by the four tables of Pinball
Mania and rereleased as Pinball Fantasies Deluxe.  Then, in late 1996, 21st
Century repackaged twenty of their tables, including Pinball Fantasies, as
Pinball Gold, available for under $20 US.  I strongly recommend this CD to
any fan of PC pinball - twenty tables for twenty bucks?!

The tables are definitely on the playful side, especially Party Land, and
the .MOD-format music is better (IMO) than any other pinball sim to date
except Pro Pinball: The Web.  Were it not for one major oversight in the
rules (described below), I would rate this as the best PC pinball game after
Pro Pinball: The Web (as it stands, Pinball Illusions Illusions is better,
and Full Tilt 2 is a better game but not a better simulator); and as
Pinball Gold, it's undoubtedly the best package for the casual PC pinball
player.

Pinball Fantasies was originally released on the Amiga, and according to
some reports, it was an incomplete, buggy game because Digital Illusions
rushed to get it out in time for Christmas.  The PC version is free of
just about all these bugs, though there remains one major rules oversight.
All information in this guide is based on the PC version.. I originally
played it as the separate Pinball Fantasies release, and I'm using the
Pinball Gold version as a guide for this document.

As far as I know, the game was originally produced by Digital Illusions
for the Amiga; Frontline Design handled the PC conversion; and 21st Century
Entertainment marketed and distributed both versions.

Quick list of 21st Century tables and games:
Pinball Dreams - Ignition, Steel Wheel, Beat Box, Nightmare
Pinball Dreams 2 - Neptune, Safari, Revenge of the Robot Warriors, Stall Turn
        (was only available in Europe)
Pinball Arcade - includes all tables from Dreams and Dreams 2
Pinball Fantasies - Party Land, Speed Devils, Billion Dollar, Stones 'n Bones
Pinball Mania - Tarantula, Jailbreak, Kick-off, Jackpot (only available in
        Europe)
Pinball Fantasies Deluxe - includes all tables from Fantasies and Mania
Pinball Illusions (Floppy version) - Law & Justice, Babewatch, Extreme Sports
Pinball Illusions (CD version) - above three plus Vikings
Pinball Gold Pack - all 20 tables listed above

Absolute Pinball, only available in Europe (?)  Some people have told
me this is by 21st, others have told me it's not.. can someone give me
confirmation on this and a list of the tables?

Pinball 2000 - Released by Expert Software under license from 21st Century -
        includes Rocket, a modified version of Ignition, and Graveyard, a
        modified version of Nightmare.
Expert Pinball 4000 - released by Expert Software, using 21st Century's
        physics engine - includes Codename X, Fender Bender, Tennis (new
        tables), and Casino, a modified version of Jackpot.


                            General Strategies:

Many of the rules are similar across the tables - there is no multiball, most
light sets are flipper-cyclable, bonuses from special rounds are awarded as
bonus instead of immediately, each table has a center pin, and so on.
Becoming familiar with the general feel of the game will help you on all
four tables.

The ball moves (and looks) like it's made of plastic and not metal..
thinking of it this way may help you.

Each table has one ramp for which a running total of shots is kept, and
during Fun With Bonus, these shots are worth 100K each.  The first hit of any
of these ramps during a game awards two shots.  Party Land has Cyclones;
Speed Devils awards Miles; Billion Dollar has Skills, and Stones -n- Bones
keeps track of Screams.

On each table, an extra ball is awarded if you beat the previous highscore,
and one can also be awarded on a Match (only one Match per game, sorry.)
Lit extra balls unlight with a drain on all tables.  Extra balls are
stackable, though Speed Devils and Billion Dollar have only one extra ball
available per game (plus highscores and matches.)

Death saves are difficult because of the center post, but bangbacks aren't
extremely difficult.. the easiest way to do those is bump the ball onto
the center post, then quickly bump it again onto a flipper.

As in all pinball games, catching and controlling the ball makes it much
easier to make your shot; keep this in mind too.

And now, the tables.


                                PARTY LAND

This is a colorful amusement park-themed table with a playful atmosphere and
a slightly cluttered layout, but the table layout is pretty easy to pick up.

                      Targets, clockwise from bottom:

Center post:
This is pretty forgiving; most balls that hit it will bounce straight up.

Left slingshot:
Perfectly normal.

Left inlane:
Also normal.  Does not light anything.

Left outlane:
Does not light anything; can be lit for Extra Ball.

Left sinkhole:
Collects any lit Snacks.  Ice Cream and Soda merely score points; collecting
Popcorn lights the "A" in PARTY, and lights Hold Bonus if bonus has not been
held on the current ball, or lights Double Bonus for 10 seconds if bonus is
held.  Both Hold Bonus and Double Bonus are collected on the right orbit.
Lit Snacks unlight on a drain.

Duck drop targets:
In the centre of the board, labeled "H-I-T".  Dropping all three lights the
next Snack.  Draining resets the ducks.

Upper flipper:
Nothing special here; is used to shoot Cyclone and Tunnel.  Holding this up
blocks shots to the left orbit and makes the left sinkhole easier to hit.

Left orbit:
Lights one letter in MAD.  If this completes MAD, one letter of CRAZY is
lit.  Completing CRAZY starts Mega Laugh, the highest-scoring round in the
game.  MAD and CRAZY do not reset on a drain.

Drop zone:
Above the upper flipper.  Balls sent to the Tunnel, Arcade or Hidden
Entrance are ejected from here.

Skyride ramp:
Lights a Skyride light (on the playfield in front of the ramp.)  Three
Skyrides (all lights lit) lights Bonus Multiplier (1x-2x-4x-6x-8x) on the
right orbit.  The Skyride lights reset on a drain.

Arcade:
If lit, awards a random award.  BAR-BAR-BAR is always displayed, so don't
start cheering when you see this. =)  Possible awards are: No score, 500K,
1M, 5M, CRAZY letter spotted (can start Mega Laugh), Side lane Extra Ball
is lit, and possibly some I've forgotten.

Arcade Standup:
The standup just to the right of the Arcade that makes a funny noise when
hit.  Awards zero points, but lights the Arcade.

P-U-K-E rollovers:
Completing these lights the next award at the Demon Head, which is 5M the
first time on any ball, Extra Ball if done twice without draining, and
Jackpot on the third and later times on one ball.  Completing these also
lights Y in PARTY.  Draining does not reset PUKE, but does unlight Demon Head
awards.  If Jackpot is lit this way, there may be a timer on it (I forget.)

Hidden Entrance:
This is hidden from view, approximately under the U in PUKE, in the middle
of the orbit.  Weak shots to the Orbit will drop in here.  Getting here
lights 5X Cyclone ("Go for the Cyclone") for 10 seconds, and ejects the
ball from Drop Zone for a shot at Cyclone.  The 5X Cyclone doesn't always
activate (in this case, it'll just award 250K); I'm not sure exactly when..
the limit may be once per ball, once every 10 Cyclone shots, or something
similar.

Cyclone Ramp:
Awards a Cyclone shot.  The right orbit -> Cyclone combo lights R in PARTY.

Tunnel:
Below the Cyclone; awards the lit Tunnel value (1M, 3M, or 5M) and lights
the next Tunnel light.  Lit Tunnel lights time out after about 15 seconds.
Feeds the ball to Drop Zone for another shot at the Tunnel.  The right Orbit
-> Tunnel combo lights P in PARTY.

Right Orbit:
Scores the lit value (displayed in a balloon at the orbit entrance) and
advances it by 250K; if it is collected at 750K, resets to 250K.  Sends
the ball around to the upper flipper, and collects Bonus Multiplier, Hold
Bonus, or Double Bonus if lit.

Bumpers:
The three colorful circles near the right Orbit that make happy-sounding
noises when hit. =)  They score either 1K or 7K (I forget at the moment.)

Demon Head:
Scores 250K, and awards 5M, Extra Ball, or Jackpot if lit.  Ejects the ball
back out of the Head towards the right flipper.

Right outlane, right inlane, right slingshot:
Normal, and same as their counterparts on the left.

Plunger:
Simulated manual plunger.


                            Scoring and stuff:

Skill Shot:
Shooting the Cyclone or Tunnel immediately after launching awards a Skill
Shot.  Skill Shots start at 1M and increase by 1M each time; this value is
tracked separately for the Cyclone and Tunnel.  Making Skill Shot also awards
the corresponding letter in PARTY.  The 1M for Tunnel shots is awarded in
addition to the skill shot value.

Jackpot:
Starts at 10M, and is increased by various things.. I don't know exactly
what.  Always collected at the Demon Head.

PARTY and Happy Hour:
The T is lit by shooting either orbit or Skyride, then shooting another one
of those shots (may be the same one) within 10 seconds.  All other letters
are described above.
Completing PARTY starts Happy Hour (as the game will tell you.)  "All
targets" are worth 1M for 25 seconds, and Jackpot is lit at the Demon Head.
Unfortunately, the gave is rather unforgiving in terms of what constitutes
a "target".. only the Duck drops, slingshots, and bumpers count towards
this total.  A good round is worth about 8M, and topping 15M in this round
is very difficult.  Points from this round are not awarded immediately,
but are awarded as part of your bonus.  Starting this round also immediately
adds 1M to your bonus (I think.)
During Happy Hour, you can relight letters in PARTY.  I don't know what
happens if you relight all of PARTY before Happy Hour ends.

CRAZY and Mega Laugh:
Completing CRAZY starts Mega Laugh, when all loops, ramps, and sinkholes
score 5M for 25 seconds, and Jackpot is lit at the Demon Head.
This round is worth MUCH more than Happy Hour, with an average of around 25M,
and my personal record is 65M (kept hitting the Tunnel.)  Again, points from
this round are awarded along with your bonus instead of immediately, and
starting Mega Laugh awards an immediate 5M to your bonus (this 5M can be
multiplied on the current ball.)

If either CRAZY or PARTY is completed while the other round is running,
the game waits till the current round is finished before starting the
next one.  If you do this and then drain during the first round, you do not
get the second one.


                               Extra Balls:

Four known methods, only one of which can be done consistently.

1) light PUKE twice, then shoot Demon Head
2) Random from Arcade - light side lanes for EB (unlights if you center drain)
3) Beat the previous high score
4) Match =)

                                 Strategy:

There are four possible tracks to follow, which are partially intertwined.

First, you can simply try to earn an extra ball with every ball, which only
requires eight Skyride shots (PUKE twice) and then the Demon Head.  After
hitting a PUKE letter, its not too difficult to nudge the ball back up
onto one of the rollovers and get an extra letter, so you can collect the
EB in as few as four Skyride shots.  This gets you points via Skill Shots,
Cyclone bonuses, and the occasional Mega Laugh or Happy Hour when it starts.

Second, you can go all-out for Mega Laughs, which requires 15 shots to the
left orbit, or less if you get a CRAZY letter from the Arcade.  These are
worth about 25M each plus the 5M added to your bonus.

Third, you can mix things up, going for whatever presents itself.. getting
a mix of Mega Laughs, Happy Hours, and collecting the occasional Jackpot,
sequence of Tunnel shots, 5x Cyclone, and other awards.

Fourth, you can exploit the rules oversight, which I'll explain at the end
of this guide.  This is the way to by far the highest scores in the game.

During Mega Laugh, just go for whatever shot is hittable by the current
flipper.. the best place to be is shooting Tunnels repeatedly, but this often
requires shooting the right orbit, which is difficult.  During Happy
Hour, you can either aim low from either flipper at the slings, hoping to
bounce it back and forth in the slings a few times, or shoot for the left
orbit and hope for some bumper hits.  Murphy's Law dictates that shots to
the right orbit will go through during Happy Hour, and hit the bumpers all
other times. =)


                               SPEED DEVILS

This is a race car-themed table with more complicated and harder rules than
Party Land.  This table has a distinct upper playfield, which I'll deal
with separately.


                  Lower Playfield, clockwise from bottom:

Center post:
Same as Party Land.

Left slingshot, inlane, and outlane:
Normal.  Unlike Party Land, the outlane cannot be lit for an EB.

Left ramp:
Awards a Mile, and returns the ball to the left flipper.  Shooting either
Ramp and then the other Ramp within 10 seconds awards an Overtake if one is
lit, or 1M if no Overtakes are lit.  10 ramp hits starts Off Road, which
is all targets 100K for 25 seconds.  20 ramp hits lights Extra Ball, 30
lights Jump on the mini-ramp, and every 10 after that alternates Off Road
and Jump.

Bumpers:
Actually part of the upper playfield, and will be discussed there.

Mini-ramp:
This is the mini-ramp that can be lit for Jackpot or Jump.  Returns the
ball to the upper playfield.  Lights G in GEAR.

B-U-R targets:
When completed, lights A in GEAR.  Resets on a drain.

Right ramp:
Same as Left ramp, except on the other side and somewhat more difficult
to hit.

N-I-N' targets:
When completed, lights R in GEAR.  Resets on a drain.

Right outlane, inlane, and slingshot:
Blisteringly normal.


                            Upper playfield:

Flipper:
A standard right flipper, except higher up and closer to the center.

Off-Road lane:
Awards Bonus Multiplier (1x-2x-3x-4x-5x-6x-7x-8x-9x) if lit.  Lights E in
GEAR.  Sends the ball to the...

Bumpers:
Score about 1k, and send the ball (usually) to the left flipper.

Top mini-lane:
This goes from above the upper flipper around to P-I-T.  Can be lit for
Extra Ball.

Pit Stop:
Sinkhole above P-I-T.  Scores Super Jackpot, Hold Bonus, and starts Turbo
Mode when those are lit.

P-I-T rollovers:
Lights a bonus multiplier, or scores 1M if all bonus multipliers are lit.
Lit multipliers stack until collected at the Off-Road lane, but reset on
a drain.


                             Rules and stuff:

You start the race in 11th place, and your goal is to reach first place
and win the race.  In the center of the playfield are six gear lights
(numbered 1-2-3-4-5-6), and ten "place" lights (1st, 2nd, etc.)

Completing GEAR lights a gear light, and lights the next two place lights.
These two places are now available for you to Overtake into by shooting
both ramps in succession.

Reaching sixth gear lights Hold Bonus at Pit Stop.

When you reach fifth gear, all the places are available.  You can now reach
first place, which wins the race.  This lights Jackpot on the mini-ramp for
about 30 seconds.  If collected, it will light Super Jackpot at Pit Stop
for about 20 seconds.

Reaching first place lights Turbo Mode at Pit Stop (this can be collected
without collecting Jackpot.)

Turbo Mode is like Mega Laugh - all loops, ramps, and sinkholes score 5M
for 30 seconds.  After Turbo Mode, the places all reset, unlit, and you
must relight GEAR to light more places (I guess this is supposed to be a new
race.)

Off Road is like Happy Hour.  "All targets" score 100K for 30 seconds.  The
slingshots, BUR, NIN', and bumpers count towards this.

As with Party Land, starting Turbo Mode or Off Road while the other is
going will start the second once the first ends.  Also like in Party Land,
these modes award their points at the bonus countup instead of immediately.


                               Other Scoring:

There is no skill shot in this game.

I think the Jump is always worth 5M, Jackpot is 10M, and Super Jackpot is
50M, but I'm not quite sure.  There is about a 30-second timer on Jackpot.

Making an Overtake lights "Increase Speed" at the mini-ramp.. there is no
visible light for this.  "Increase Speed" advances the speedometer (in the
centre of the playfield) by one notch.  Every two "Increase Speeds" lights
an Upgrade for your car - these are the yellow triangles pointing toward
various shots at the top of the playfield.  Collecting an Upgrade awards
5M (I think), but doesn't seem to do anything else.  An "Increase Speed" that
does not light an Upgrade will give the message "Put the pedal to the metal";
an "Increase Speed" that does light an Upgrade will tell you to get that
Upgrade.


                                Strategies:

Not a whole lot beyond the obvious: get Gears, Overtake cars, and get
Turbo Mode.  I usually concentrate on getting Gears until I have up to 3rd
place lit (thats 4 Gears), then go for the Overtakes and I'll usually pick
up the last gear while Overtaking.  It isn't worth it to aim for the Off-Road
lane (to the bumpers) during Off-Road.. just keep going for Gears, and
BUR-NIN' will score some Off-Road points for you.  Make sure to get Turbo
Mode and the Extra Ball when lit, and go for Jump and Jackpot when they're
lit.  Don't worry about the Upgrades.

When lighting GEAR, I usually hit the mini-ramp and Off-Road first, because
BUR and NIN' are harder.  Also, if you already have A or R lit, try not to
complete BUR or NIN'.. instead, try to stop with two letters lit until you
collect the next GEAR.

Since bonus multipliers stack, its a good idea to keep the ball going around
the P-I-T rollovers a few times at the start of a ball.

The major rules oversight is again the key to mega-scores here.. more on this
later.


                               BILLION DOLLAR

You're a contestant on a game show, trying to win One Billion Dollars.  This
table is much different from the others, requiring you to make many specific
sequences of shots.


                       Targets, clockwise from bottom:

Center pin, left inlane, left outlane, left slingshot:
Normal.  Balls that go up the Prize Ramp when Spin Wheel or Collect Prize
is lit are ejected from the left outlane.

Two unlabeled drop targets:
I really don't know what these do, except score about 7k.  Possibly, they
increase the Cashpot value when both are hit.

Bumpers:
The usual three, in a triangle at the entrance to the...

Left orbit:
Sends the ball out the right orbit to the upper flipper.

Cashpot sinkhole:
Scores the Cashpot, or 5X Cashpot if lit to do so.

Two more unlabeled drop targets:
Same as previous two unlabeled drop targets.

"Loop" ramp:
Circular ramp, with the entrance located below the entrance to the Skill
ramp.  The left orbit -> loop ramp combo advances bonus multiplier (1x-2x-3x-
4x-6x-8x-10x).  Feeds to a diverter that normally alternates left and right,
but under some circumstances will always feed to the same flipper.  Lights
5X Cashpot for about 15 seconds.  Plunged balls go here if plunged hard
enough.

Skill ramp:
Awards one "Skill".  Six Skills starts Money Mania, all targets 500K.  Twelve
lights Extra Ball on the left orbit.  Eighteen starts Money Mania, all loops
and ramps score 1M.  Every six after that alternates types of Money Mania.
Feeds to the left flipper.

"$" drop targets:
Dropping both lights Spin Wheel at the Prize Ramp.

Prize Ramp:
The long ramp stretching across the top of the playfield, with the entrance
above and slightly to the right of the upper flipper.  If Spin Wheel and/or
Collect Prize is lit, the ball is sent to the sinkhole below the left
outlane, and the wheel is spun.  Otherwise, the diverter will send the ball
to the left flipper for another shot at the Prize Ramp, which will be lit
for "Loop Mil".

Right orbit:
The entrance just above the upper flipper sends the ball through the orbit
and probably into the bumpers.

Mini-ramp:
Behind the upper flipper.  Sends the ball to the upper flipper.  Scores no
points on its own.

Right outlane, inlane, and slingshot:
Normal.


                                 Prizes:

Your goal is to collect two rounds of three prizes each, then win the
Billion Dollars.

The first round of prizes consists of the TV, Trip, and Car.  To light the
TV, you must make the mini-ramp -> Skill ramp combo.  Lighting the Trip
requires the left orbit -> Skill ramp combo, and a mini-ramp -> Loop ramp
combo will light the Car.  Now, shoot the Prize Ramp three times to collect
the three prizes left to right.
This entire sequence resets if you drain before collecting all three prizes.

Collecting the third prize lights the Jackpot for 30 seconds on the mini-
ramp.  Collecting this Jackpot lights the 50M Super Jackpot for about five
seconds on the Loop ramp (you get ONE shot at this.)

The second round gets a little harder.  Lighting the Boat requires a three-
way combo of mini-ramp -> Skill ramp -> right orbit.  The House will be lit
if you shoot a three-way left orbit -> Skill ramp -> right orbit combo, and
the Plane is lit by shooting the mini-ramp -> Loop ramp -> left orbit, another
three-way combo.  Again, three Prize Ramp hits are required to collect the
prizes, and draining resets the entire sequence.

Collecting the third prize again activates a Jackpot - Super Jackpot sequence
as before.

After collecting all six prizes, hit the Cashpot and then the Prize Ramp
to collect your One Billion Dollars (one billion points)!.


                                Other Rules:

The rest of the game is pretty standard Pinball Fantasies stuff.  Money Mania,
all targets 500K, is again pretty restrictive on what counts as a target:
the four unlabeled drop targets, the two $ targets, slings, and bumpers
count.  Money Mania awards its score during the bonus countup.

There is no official Skill Shot, but plunging the ball hard will hit the
Loop ramp and light 5X Cashpot, which acts as a Skill Shot if hit.

Cashpot starts at 500K, resets on a drain, and is increased by something,
though I don't know exactly what.

Spinning the Wheel awards a value between 25K and 5M.  If the Wheel is
going to collect a prize, you also get the value on the Wheel at the same
spot as the prize (so the TV scores 5M, Trip scores 25K, etc.)

If the prize due to be lit by the mini-ramp -> Loop ramp combo is already
lit (either Car or Plane), it will award a Raising Millions instead, worth
1M more each time.  This value doesn't reset on a drain.


                                 Strategies:

Until I or someone else figures out how to score the Billion, your best bet
for points is probably to ignore the prizes, and just go for Skills, Money
Manias, 5X Cashpots, and the occasional Spin Wheel or Loop Mil.

The major rules oversight is not in this table, but there is a different
rules oversight in this table that's almost as bad.


                              STONES -N- BONES

This is a ghost/graveyard-themed table, with the most complex ruleset
and playfield in Pinball Fantasies.  This is also generally a mode-based
game.  IMO, this is the best table in Pinball Fantasies.


                      Targets, clockwise from bottom:

Center post, left inlane, left slingshot:
Normal.

Left outlane:
Has a kickback that sends the ball into the Vault when lit.

The Vault:
Sinkhole below the left outlane; can be hit either by using the kickback or
via the Vault ramp.  Starts the next mode if it is lit, and always scores
the Vault Score.  Ejects the ball up the left outlane.

S-T-O standup targets:
First three letters in the word STONE.

Left ramp:
Shooting it twice in succession awards 1M; other than this, the ramp doesn't
do a whole lot in the game.  Sends the ball out the right lane for another
shot at the ramp.

B standup target:
First letter in the word BONE.

Vault ramp:
Leads to the R-I-P targets, and then to one of two lanes.  The right lane
sends the ball to the Vault, while the left lane leads to the left inlane and
lights Million Plus on the right lane and 2X Scream for about 6 seconds, and
Bonus Multiplier at the Well for about 8 seconds.

R-I-P targets:
Lights the kickback when completed.  Lit kickbacks do not stack.

O-N standup targets:
Two more letters in BONE.

Scream ramp:
Adds one Scream, or two Screams if lit to do so.  Ten Screams lights Extra
Ball at the Tower; every 10 after that lights the Tower for 5M.

E:
The final letter in BONE.

Right lane:
Sends the ball either to the K-E-Y rollovers and bumpers, or to the...

Tower:
If open, a strong shot to the right lane will go in here.  Can be lit for
1M, 5M, Double Bonus, Hold Bonus, Jackpot, Super Jackpot, Extra Ball, or
Tower Bonus.  Any hit to the Tower will collect all lit tower awards.  Ejects
the ball down the entrance to the Vault ramp.

K-E-Y rollovers and bumpers:
Completing KEY lights an award at the Tower.  The bumpers score about 1K.

Well:
Awards the Well Treasure, and a Bonus Multiplier (1x-2x-4x-6x-8x-10x) if lit
to do so.

N-E standup targets:
Last two letters in STONE.  Completing both STONE and BONE lights the next
mode at the Vault.

Right outlane, inlane, slingshot:
Normal.


                              Rules and Modes:

The core of the game revolves around completing STONE-BONE to light the
next mode at the Vault (the white "Ghost" arrow pointing towards the Vault
ramp lights up), and then starting that mode.  There are eight modes.  When
a mode is lit, the "ghost" on the playfield associated with that mode lights
up.

Mode 1: 5M (Bat lights up)
Scores 5M, payable immediately.

Mode 2: Tower Hunt (Blue face)
Tells you to "hit the Tower for 5 - 10 and 20 Millions in 30 seconds", but
the third hit is only worth 15M.  I've never hit the Tower 4 times in this
mode.  When this mode ends, the Tower is open for 1M, though the Million
light on the Tower does not light.

Mode 3: Extra Ball (Green ghost, looks like Slimer from Ghostbusters)
Lights Extra Ball at the Tower.  This unlights if you drain.

Mode 4: 10M (Animal face in center)
Scores 10M, lump-sum payments only.

Mode 5: Ghost Hunt (Brown ghost on the right)
All targets worth 1M for 30 seconds.  Only the STONE-BONE standups, slings,
and bumpers count.  This mode lights Jackpot at the Tower; if this is
collected, Super Jackpot (50M) is lit for 10 seconds at the Tower.  After
Super Jackpot is collected or times out, the Tower is closed unless otherwise
opened.  Your Ghost Hunt score is awarded as part of the bonus.

Mode 6: Multi Demons (Blue ghost with tentacles)
This is a very good fake-multiball.  The Well and Vault are lit to lock
balls for 30 seconds or until the Demon value is collected at the Scream
ramp.  The Demon value starts at 5M, increases to 10M after one lock (either
one) and to 20M after two locks.  After a lock, a ball is served to the
plunger.  Collecting the Demon value (or draining) ends the mode and clears
the locks.  While a ball is locked in either place, that sinkhole is
unavailable for subsequent shots.

Mode 7: 15M (Mummy face)
Awards 15M, payable in 20 annual installments.  =)

Mode 8: Grim Reaper (Grim Reaper)
All loops, ramps, and sinkholes score 5M for 50 seconds.  Jackpot and Super
Jackpot are lit as in Ghost Hunt.  Note that hitting the Vault ramp and then
the Vault counts as two separate awards, as does shooting the right lane
into the Tower.  Using the Kickback also counts toward your Grim Reaper total.
Surprisingly, Grim Reaper scores are awarded along with your bonus. =)

After the eighth mode is completed, the cycle restarts.


                                Other Rules:

Skill Shots are made by hitting the flashing letter of KEY, and are worth
1M more each time.

Completing K-E-Y the first time on any ball lights the Tower for 1M; the
second KEY lights Tower for 5M; the third lights Double Bonus and the
fourth lights Hold Bonus, both of which are collected at the Tower.  The
fifth and subsequent KEYs light Tower for 5M.

The Well Treasure starts at 100K and is increased by about 64K for each
hit of the Scream ramp.  The Vault Score starts at 500k and increases by
doing something.  Both scores reset on a drain.

If you hit the Tower when it's closed (this can happen if the ball passes
the Tower entrance while it's open, but the Tower closes before the ball
reaches the sinkhole) the game awards a "Tower Bonus 1M."  This also occurs
for some reason after Tower Hunt finishes.. it seems as if the game forgets
to close the Tower entrance.

There is also a Super Combo award of some sort, although I haven't gotten
it in a long time.. I think this is done by hitting the left diverter in
the Vault ramp, 2X Scream, and the left ramp as a three-way combo.. if I
remember correctly, this is worth 5M.

Multiple awards can be lit at the Tower, but if you light one award
multiple times, it does not stack.  If you have the 10 Screams extra ball
lit and the third mode is lit, don't hit the Vault until you collect the EB.
Similarly, if you open the Tower for 5M with K-E-Y, and then get your
20th Scream, you will only get one 5M award at the Tower.  Lit Kickbacks
don't stack either, so if the kickback is lit, don't complete R-I-P again.

                                Strategies:

Basically, you want to progress through the Modes and collect as many points
as possible from each one.  Aim at whatever you like until about two more
letters of STONE-BONE are needed, then try to complete STONE-BONE.

During Ghost Hunt, you can go for the Jackpot - Super Jackpot if you want,
or just keep the ball in the lower playfield, hitting the slings and
STONE-BONE targets (possibly lighting the next mode).  Either way produces
about the same score (obviously, Super Jackpot scores more, but is difficult
to get.)

During Grim Reaper, you want to collect Jackpot and Super, then try to
go around and around the left ramp a few times, or hit the Vault ramp and
get the ball into the Vault.

Multi Demons isn't worth a lot of points, so it may just be better to hit
the Scream ramp as soon as you can to clear the round so you don't have to
worry about the locks.  If you're close to Hold Bonus, though, you may want
to use the locks because the balls will be relaunched and either hit KEY
letters or the Tower.

The major rules oversight is by far the way to the highest scores in this
game.


            WARNING - MAJOR SPOILER - THE MAJOR RULES OVERSIGHT

Thought I'd never get to this, huh?  This IS a major spoiler, and really
ruins a lot of the fun of the game.  There is one and only one way to 2B+
scores, and that's taking advantage of the Hold Bonus glitch.

When your bonus is held, it holds everything.. your normal bonus value
multiplied by the multiplier, any Cyclone, Miles, or Screams bonus, and
any bonuses from the special rounds.  This value becomes your starting bonus
for the next ball, and the whole thing CAN BE MULTIPLIED and HELD AGAIN.
Suppose you get Mega Laugh, hold the bonus, and on the next ball, reach
a multiplier of 6x.  Suddenly, all those 5M loops became worth 35M instead
(5M on the original ball plus 5M * 6 on the current one.)  If you get
Grim Reaper, hold the bonus, then on the next ball get 10x multiplier and
hold the bonus again (remember that Hold Bonus requires getting Double
Bonus in addition), then on the next ball get 6x before draining, those
original 5M loops become worth 5M + (10 * 2 (double bonus) * 5M) + (10 * 2
(double bonus) * 6 * 5M) = 705M each!  If you reach 10x and hold bonus
on three consecutive balls (again, holding requires getting Double Bonus),
that's a total bonus multiplier of 20 * 20 * 20 = 8000... plus, at least
this final value will be scored again after holding (if you have another
ball), for a total bonus multiplier of SIXTEEN THOUSAND.

This trick is a little more difficult to pull off on Speed Devils, because
lighting Hold Bonus requires getting six gears, but bonus multipliers are
easier on Speed Devils than any other table, so holding just one Turbo Mode
and an Off-Road or two can generate 1B-plus.  Also, Speed Devils has only one
extra ball available, so you need to start the sequence with a ball or two
remaining.  (Party Land and Stones both have EBs available on every ball.)

Billion Dollar is a different story.  There is no Hold Bonus on that table
(that I know about).  Instead, there's a completely different glitch that's
even worse than the previous one, because this one barely requires any skill.

If the Trip or House is already lit, the mini-ramp -> Loop ramp combo awards
a Raising Millions value that increases by 1M each time.  The problem is
that the programmers forgot to reset this value at the end of the game (it
does reset if you leave the table.)  So if you get this four times in a
game, then start a new game, your first Raising Millions will be worth 5M.
You could just shoot for these all day and be scoring 200M per shot after
a few hours.  This basically invalidates any high scores for the table
unless the player is sure the Raising Millions value started at 1M.

STONES -N- BONES 

This is a ghost/graveyard-themed table, with the most complex ruleset and playfield in Pinball Fantasies. This is also generally a mode-based game. IMO, this is the best table in Pinball Fantasies. 

Targets, clockwise from bottom: 

Center post, left inlane, left slingshot: Normal. 

Left outlane: Has a kickback that sends the ball into the Vault when lit. 

The Vault: Sinkhole below the left outlane; can be hit either by using the kickback or via the Vault ramp. Starts the next mode if it is lit, and always scores the Vault Score. Ejects the ball up the left outlane. 

S-T-O standup targets: First three letters in the word STONE. 

Left ramp: Shooting it twice in succession awards 1M; other than this, the ramp doesn't do a whole lot in the game. Sends the ball out the right lane for another shot at the ramp. 

B standup target: First letter in the word BONE. 

Vault ramp: Leads to the R-I-P targets, and then to one of two lanes. The right lane sends the ball to the Vault, while the left lane leads to the left inlane and lights Million Plus on the right lane and 2X Scream for about 6 seconds, and Bonus Multiplier at the Well for about 8 seconds. 

R-I-P targets: Lights the kickback when completed. Lit kickbacks do not stack. 

O-N standup targets: Two more letters in BONE. 

Scream ramp: Adds one Scream, or two Screams if lit to do so. Ten Screams lights Extra Ball at the Tower; every 10 after that lights the Tower for 5M. 

E: The final letter in BONE. 

Right lane: Sends the ball either to the K-E-Y rollovers and bumpers, or to the... 

Tower: If open, a strong shot to the right lane will go in here. Can be lit for 1M, 5M, Double Bonus, Hold Bonus, Jackpot, Super Jackpot, Extra Ball, or Tower Bonus. Any hit to the Tower will collect all lit tower awards. Ejects the ball down the entrance to the Vault ramp. 

K-E-Y rollovers and bumpers: Completing KEY lights an award at the Tower. The bumpers score about 1K. 

Well: Awards the Well Treasure, and a Bonus Multiplier (1x-2x-4x-6x-8x-10x) if lit to do so. 

N-E standup targets: Last two letters in STONE. Completing both STONE and BONE lights the next mode at the Vault. 

Right outlane, inlane, slingshot: Normal. 

Rules and Modes: 

The core of the game revolves around completing STONE-BONE to light the next mode at the Vault (the white "Ghost" arrow pointing towards the Vault ramp lights up), and then starting that mode. There are eight modes. When a mode is lit, the "ghost" on the playfield associated with that mode lights up. 

Mode 1: 5M (Bat lights up) Scores 5M, payable immediately. 

Mode 2: Tower Hunt (Blue face) Tells you to "hit the Tower for 5 - 10 and 20 Millions in 30 seconds", but the third hit is only worth 15M. I've never hit the Tower 4 times in this mode. When this mode ends, the Tower is open for 1M, though the Million light on the Tower does not light. 

Mode 3: Extra Ball (Green ghost, looks like Slimer from Ghostbusters) Lights Extra Ball at the Tower. This unlights if you drain. 

Mode 4: 10M (Animal face in center) Scores 10M, lump-sum payments only. 

Mode 5: Ghost Hunt (Brown ghost on the right) All targets worth 1M for 30 seconds. Only the STONE-BONE standups, slings, and bumpers count. This mode lights Jackpot at the Tower; if this is collected, Super Jackpot (50M) is lit for 10 seconds at the Tower. After Super Jackpot is collected or times out, the Tower is closed unless otherwise opened. Your Ghost Hunt score is awarded as part of the bonus. 

Mode 6: Multi Demons (Blue ghost with tentacles) This is a very good fake-multiball. The Well and Vault are lit to lock balls for 30 seconds or until the Demon value is collected at the Scream ramp. The Demon value starts at 5M, increases to 10M after one lock (either one) and to 20M after two locks. After a lock, a ball is served to the plunger. Collecting the Demon value (or draining) ends the mode and clears the locks. While a ball is locked in either place, that sinkhole is unavailable for subsequent shots. 

Mode 7: 15M (Mummy face) Awards 15M, payable in 20 annual installments. =) 

Mode 8: Grim Reaper (Grim Reaper) All loops, ramps, and sinkholes score 5M for 50 seconds. Jackpot and Super 

Jackpot are lit as in Ghost Hunt. Note that hitting the Vault ramp and then the Vault counts as two separate awards, as does shooting the right lane into the Tower. Using the Kickback also counts toward your Grim Reaper total. Surprisingly, Grim Reaper scores are awarded along with your bonus. =) 

After the eighth mode is completed, the cycle restarts. 

Other Rules: 

Skill Shots are made by hitting the flashing letter of KEY, and are worth 1M more each time. 

Completing K-E-Y the first time on any ball lights the Tower for 1M; the second KEY lights Tower for 5M; the third lights Double Bonus and the fourth lights Hold Bonus, both of which are collected at the Tower. The fifth and subsequent KEYs light Tower for 5M. 

The Well Treasure starts at 100K and is increased by about 64K for each hit of the Scream ramp. The Vault Score starts at 500k and increases by doing something. Both scores reset on a drain. 

If you hit the Tower when it's closed (this can happen if the ball passes the Tower entrance while it's open, but the Tower closes before the ball reaches the sinkhole) the game awards a "Tower Bonus 1M." This also occurs for some reason after Tower Hunt finishes.. it seems as if the game forgets to close the Tower entrance. 

There is also a Super Combo award of some sort, although I haven't gotten it in a long time.. I think this is done by hitting the left diverter in the Vault ramp, 2X Scream, and the left ramp as a three-way combo.. if I remember correctly, this is worth 5M. 

Multiple awards can be lit at the Tower, but if you light one award multiple times, it does not stack. If you have the 10 Screams extra ball lit and the third mode is lit, don't hit the Vault until you collect the EB. Similarly, if you open the Tower for 5M with K-E-Y, and then get your 20th Scream, you will only get one 5M award at the Tower. Lit Kickbacks don't stack either, so if the kickback is lit, don't complete R-I-P again. 

Strategies: 

Basically, you want to progress through the Modes and collect as many points as possible from each one. Aim at whatever you like until about two more letters of STONE-BONE are needed, then try to complete STONE-BONE. 

During Ghost Hunt, you can go for the Jackpot - Super Jackpot if you want, or just keep the ball in the lower playfield, hitting the slings and STONE-BONE targets (possibly lighting the next mode). Either way produces about the same score (obviously, Super Jackpot scores more, but is difficult to get.) 

During Grim Reaper, you want to collect Jackpot and Super, then try to go around and around the left ramp a few times, or hit the Vault ramp and get the ball into the Vault. 

Multi Demons isn't worth a lot of points, so it may just be better to hit the Scream ramp as soon as you can to clear the round so you don't have to worry about the locks. If you're close to Hold Bonus, though, you may want to use the locks because the balls will be relaunched and either hit KEY letters or the Tower. 


                                   CREDITS

Author: Erik Mooney (emooney@attila.stevens-tech.edu)




