From: adjo@bart.nl (Ad Jonker)
Date: 95-10-16 19:01:56 EDT

RULESHEET FOR CAPCOM PINBALL MAGIC
==================================

THE PLAYFIELD.
- Clockwise we start with the left of the two flippers. They are arranged 
  as usual.
- Left flipper inlane = no effect to the game
- Left outlane = with saver to kick ball back w/l
- Scoop = "Genie bottle" which kicks the ball to the right flipper
- Green stand-up = awards extra ball w/l
- Op top of this the magic trunk where balls are locked
- Three bank stand-ups = "Morph Chamber".
- Ramp = "Secret passageway". Ball is send to the right habitrail returning 
  for the right flipper or ball is send to the magic wand.
- Left loop entry = "Linking Rings" is numbered loop 1.
- Mini ramp = "Showtime Stage". Ball may be diverted to the right habitrail 
  or to the stage.
- Stage = Curtains open and ball is either levitated onto the right 
  habitrail or kicked out to the thumper bumper.
- Thumper bumper = "Star Pit". They only exit ison the lower left side. 
  Underneath is a slingshot. Ball can bump for long periods here.
- M-A-G-I-C five bank drop targets.
- Right loop entry = numbered loop 2
- Gobble hole = "Magic hat". Ball can enter this hole either by a skill shot 
  via the 'corkscrew' or by a straight shot from the left flipper and will 
  return from the left scoop.
- Yellow stand-up target = "Crystal Ball"
- Right outlane.
- Right flipper inlane = no effect to the game.
- Right flipper.

THE RULES.

(These are taken from the preliminary release plus three hours of playing
and therefore may be changed when the games goes into production.)

No real modes here although hitting the captive ball will light some extra
scoring features.

Most important are the three rounds which leads you to a scoring feature
must like the 'grand finale' in ToM.

ROUND ONE.
MAGICIAN      LOCATION       COMMENTS (if any)
Nostradamus   Left loop 1    (one time)
Shaman        Captive Ball   (one time)
Great Hansen  Stage ramp     (one time)
Mr. Mystique  Left ramp      (one time)
Kenzo         Left loop 1    (two times)
Jadugar       Left ramp      (one time)
Matra Magna   Left ramp      (twice, one each)

Behind the drop targets is a plate with two  holes on top of it. The
magic wand will point  over them. Shoot the left ramp to feed the  ball
under the magic wand and push a flipper  button to let the ball fall in
the lit hole.   Continue to load the ball under the wand until  both
lights are off, then round two starts.

ROUND TWO.

MAGICIAN      LOCATION        COMMENTS (if any)
Nostradamus   Morph Chamber   (three bank on left)
Shaman        Magic Hat       (hole shot)
Great Hansen  Captive Ball    (one time)
Mr. Mystique  Right loop 2    (one time)
Kenzo         Under Magic Hat (hole shot)
Jadugar       Genie Bottle    (hole shot)
Matra Magna   Locked Trunk    (three balls)

Two balls must be locked in 9the trunk. The  third ball will enter the
playfield and as  long as at least two balls are in play all  scores are
tripled. If your ball is lost with  only one ball locked you must start
again in  the next ball, thus locking two balls in the  trunk.

ROUND THREE.
MAGICIAN      LOCATION            COMMENTS (if any)
Nostradamus   Magic Hat           (one time)
Shaman        MAGIC targets       (five, one each)
Great Hansen  Morph/Passageway    (three bank, left ramp)
Mr. Mystique  Showtime Stage      (right ramp)
Kenzo         Morph/MAGIC targets (three and five bank)
Jadugar       Crystal Ball        (colour match)
Magna Matra   Entire playfield    (all shots valid)

This may be compared with Tom's Grand Finale.  The display shows the face
of Queen Magna Matra being quite unfriendly. Hit all main shots and she
will scream and turn older. The number of needed shots is unknown
(probably ten). On the last three shots a gun is pointed to Matra and the
final shot will turn her into a skeleton scoring 500M.

When you've finished round three it starts all over again.

Other shots. Most, but not all, may coincide with a trick shot needed to
impress the lit magician.

SKILL SHOT.

Shoot the ball and let it drop into the hat.  Scores 5M or start Mayhem
when lit.

GENIE BOTTLE.

Timer counts down to zero. Display offers player choices. Hit either
flipper to choose. A bad decision ends the session. For each good choice
additional points.

SHOWTIME STAGE.

Shot up the Showtime ramp onto the Stage and in the Star Pit. Hits will
increase the Box office points. When the ball is diverted to the right
habitrail repeat the shot until all of the Box Office Marquee is lit. When
done the box office point value is added to the score.  When boxoffice
flashes back and forth and show time is lit shoot the ball onto the stage
and then hit as many targets as possible with the timer running down. Each
next switch will score more.

THE SECRET PASSAGEWAY.

Shooting the ball up the left ramp divert the ball either to the right
habitrail or to the magic wand. The wand is mostly pointing to the left
feeding balls to the magic trunk. When si lence the Critics is active
(Matra Magna's first challenge) it point to the right and every now and
then it is weaving (you must have done so mething wrong I guess).

THE CRYSTAL BALL.

A bit complicated. This is from the book since we couldn't figure it out
while playing.  First hit the target at any time. The colour should be
displayed (probably somewhere amongst the magicians and not on the
display). Try to hit the target again when the same colour is lit for many
more points. When the target is hit again with a colour match Presto
Changeo is lit.  Colours extinguish when hit. Turn off all co lours to
complete trick and collect full point value.

AMATEUR HOUR.

Hit the captive ball until 'Light Showtime' is made. Shoot the ball onto
the Stage, then in the Star Pit. As long as the timer is running a nice
score is given for each hit in the Pit.

MAGIC MAYHEM. (Another name for Multiball).

Hit all three Morph targets and lock 1 will be lit above the left ramp.
You can lock one or two balls. When one ball is locked the magic hat will
start mini mayhem, with two balls locked it is magic mayhem. According to
the book jackpots can only be made with magic mayhem but it will happen
with either at the same point value.

JACKPOT.

The Jackpot will be awarded by making the left ramp during multiball. It
start with a fixed value (20M). Once made shoot the right loop.  This will
start 'Build Jackpot timer'. When ti mer runs out another timer will lit
Jackpot.  Shoot the left ramp withing the time to collect the total build
jackpot. This sequence repeats itself until multiball ends.

EXTRA BALL.

Hit the captive ball until 'Lite Extra Ball' is made. A timer start.
Collect the extra ball at the small green target just above the Genie
Bottle before the timer runs out.  To our belief the captive ball lights
reset when completed. Otherwise there can be only one extra ball per
player per game.

SPINNER.

Is always scoring but will give many more points when 'Lite Spinner' is
made with the captive ball.

REAPPEARING BALL.

Neither of the players liked that name but is just another name for a ball
saver.

MIRACULOUS SAVE.

Is the kicker in the left outlane. Can be re-lit by completing the Morph
three bank.

MISCELLANEOUS.

A ball via the right outlane is always lost.  It is funny the read the
manual.  With all shots there is a comment in the column 'Player action'.
For the right outlane it says "Avoid this Out Lane as long as possible".
That makes sense to me.

The flipper inlanes light a loop each for more points.

Talking points. All scores are a bit down to Earth again. The test game
was set for ten-ball play to let the players have more change to see what
there is. The best score with five buy-ins was a low 2B.

There is no special!

Completing the rounds with a three ball game may be considered impossible.
You can however make a lot of shots and have a good game. But it means it
may cost too much for players to try to get to the end to see what
happens.

Lights don't flash, they fade on and off. Here is the only real negative
point to me on this game. When the volume is turned down and some lamps
are broken you have to know the shots by heart to continue through the
rounds. More visible lights may help to ease this.

ToM had a theme as if you visited the Theatre for a night out. PM is more
a school were you are a pupil. Well, not exactly. Matra Magna was banned
from the real world many years ago for an unknown reason and she formed
the Society of Masters. She never has completey disappeared from her old
haunts. She and her crew broke through the barriers of time and space to
cause trouble with the mortals. She did it by taking over a pinball
machine. Well, this way I don't really mind her doing so.

The sounds are less friendly. Two I remember best since I liked them best.
One is losing the ball with the saver on: "Lost something?", the other
making jackpots: A rather panicing voice "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,
JACKPOT"

The test game had a steep slope for the play field and was very fast. When
the slope is reduced and the games seems too fast there is an option of
lowering the flipper power simply by adjusting it in the menu.

The overall thought is this game can stand next to ToM and will do fine.
Many shots can be found in other games. Nowadays the differences are
marginal. Capcom did a fine job. Those asking themselves which was there
first, ToM or PM, I don't know. I do know that Capcom worked on this game
for two years and three more games are already developed.

And now: "Let the game begin". Enjoy it.

Anybody which can use a bit or all of this rules is free to do so. That's
what the Net is for to me. Ad Jonker.
