From: phaedrus@milton.u.washington.edu (Mark Phaedrus)
Subject: FunHouse Rules Posting v2 (repost) (LONG)
Date: 16 Apr 91 04:21:20 GMT


     I made enough misteaks the first time around that I've prepared one
revision of the original FunHouse Rules posting.  This will be the last
revision, unless Williams decides to put out a new ROM revision or something.
     A clarification of purpose: this posting is not intended to tell you
every single rule about the game.  Score values of targets aren't covered
unless they're fairly big-ticket items (50K or more).  In addition, it is not
designed to tell you everything there is to discover about FunHouse, that would
take a lot of the Fun out of it.  There are quite a few subtle features in
there waiting to be discovered, and I'm not going to do all your work for you
(even if I'd discovered them all myself, which I haven't).  In particular,
I've removed my earlier mention of the Sausage Bonus, since the information I
gave earlier was partially wrong and you'll figure it out well enough when the
time comes anyway.
     My thanks to Williams for producing a fantastic game and providing me
with the manual.  I hope I'm not giving away any company jewels; if I am, I'm
sure they'll be sending someone around for me shortly. :)
     My further thanks to the very nice gentleman at Williams (who shall
remain nameless and addressless; he has enough work to do answering *my*
email, thank you very much), who offered some corrections to the prior
posting, among other things.  Where this posting is wrong, it is now
DEFINITIVELY wrong.
     If you're not interested in FunHouse rules, skip this message now and
run get your head examined.

OBJECT OF THE GAME
     Take control of the FunHouse and put Rudy to sleep by advancing the clock
to midnight.  Once Rudy is asleep, shoot the ball into his mouth to start
Multi-ball and a chance at tens of millions of points.

STARTING THE GAME
     One to four players can play; the Start button will light when there are
credits in the machine that haven't been played yet.  Don't leave half-credits
in the machine when you start a game; they will disappear at the end of the
first ball.  New players can enter the game by inserting coins and pressing
Start until the end of the first ball; after that, pressing Start aborts the
current game for all players and begins a new one.

PLUNGER SKILL SHOT
     Shoot the ball from the plunger so it stops in the loop at the top of the
machine and rolls back into "Rudy's Hideout" (a kicker just behind Rudy's
head).  250K the first time during a game, then 500K, then 750K, then 1M every
time after that.

"YOU CAN HAVE IT BACK!"
     A ball that goes straight from plunger to drain without touching a scoring
target is not counter against you.  FunHouse is a bit more liberal than other
machines in this regard; for instance, it often returns very weak plunger shots
that go down the jet bumper lane and into the right outlane, even though they
touch two scoring targets.

THE CLOCK
     The clock starts at 8:00.  (If it does not, your machine is not on
standard settings; see DIFFICULTY OPTIONS.)  It holds its value from ball to
ball, resetting to 5:00 after the MIdnight Multi-ball sequence completes.
Shots that advance the clock are: starting a ball (30 minutes); Hidden Hallway
(10 minutes); Wind Tunnel (15 minutes); center ramp (15 minutes, then 20, then
25, then 30); jet bumpers (0 minutes when off, 5 when lit, 10 when flashing);
blue S-T-E-P targets (5 minutes); Superdog targets (5 minutes); manhole below
jet bumpers (30 minutes); Trapdoor (10 minutes); Trapdoor loop (10 minutes).
     The lane that runs between the jet bumpers and the right in/outlanes will
light an unlit jet bumper, or flash a lit one.
     The clock will not advance past 11:25 during Quick Multiball or during
Frenzy.
     When the clock reaches 11:30, the Hidden Hallway lock flashes.  The only
way to advance the clock further is to lock a ball there; this moves the clock
to 11:45 and serves another ball.  Locking another ball advances the clock to
Midnight, sends Rudy to sleep and opens his mouth to start Midnight Multiball.
     Advancing the clock to 11:30 for a second time during a game lights the
Special lights on the outlanes.  The lights toggle between on and off each
time the ball strikes a slingshot, and the special must be collected before
the end of the ball or it is lost.

RUDY
     Hitting Rudy's jaw from the side flipper adds to your end-of-ball bonus
(this bonus is 50000*the number of Rudy hits; you start the game with 1 hit,
and hits carry over from ball to ball), and relights the Mirror award light.
     Rudy talks frequently, commenting on the game action.  Shooting the ball
into his open mouth during this time is a Rudy Gulp, worth 250K.
     When the Million light is lit (lit by the Mystery Mirror or Quick
Multiball), hitting Rudy's jaw or mouth scores 1M.
     When the clock is at midnight and Rudy's mouth falls open, locking a ball
in Rudy's open mouth scores 1M (2M if Million was lit by the Mystery Mirror as
well), and starts Midnight Multiball.

TRAPDOOR LOOP/TRAPDOOR
     At the start of the game, shooting the ball around the Trapdoor loop
opens the Trapdoor for about 8 seconds; hitting the open Trapdoor scores 500K.
Once the 500K is collected, two consecutive Trapdoor loops are needed to open
the Trapdoor, which is then worth 750K; once that is collected, three
consecutive loops open the Trapdoor for 1M.
     The Trapdoor can also start Frenzy (see FRENZY), and it awards Million+
during Midnight Multiball.
     The Trapdoor is disabled during Quick Multiball.
     Whenever the Trapdoor is open, its bonus will also be collected if a ball
rolls over the Trapdoor loop sensor behind the Trapdoor.  This usually happens
if a ball just clears the sensor and then rolls back over it on the way down.
     Hitting the Trapdoor when it's not supposed to be open (for instance,
when the game opens/shuts everything when it can't find a ball) awards 100K.

CENTER RAMP
     Hitting the ramp awards 75K and 15 minutes, then 100K/20 minutes, then
125K/25 minutes, and 150K/30 minutes from then on.  This resets at the start
of every ball and after Midnight Multiball.
     When the blue "STEPS" light is lit at the entrance to the ramp, the
center ramp leads to the Steps plunger instead of the left inlane.

RUDY'S HIDEOUT
     Shooting the ball into this kicker behind Rudy's head scores 75K during
normal play.  (See PLUNGER SKILL SHOT.)

GANGWAY
     The inside right inlane starts the left Gangway flashing; the Trapdoor
loop and the left inlane start the right Gangway flashing.  Hitting an unlit
Gangway starts it flashing as well.  Hitting a flashing Gangway awards 150K,
then 200K, then 250K, then 250K and lights the Extra Ball light on the Hidden
Hallway.  Gangway lights turn off after a few seconds.  The Gangway value
carries over from ball to ball, until the Extra Ball is lit; after that, the
Gangway resets to 75K at the start of every ball.

WIND TUNNEL/MYSTERY MIRROR
     Ordinarily, the Wind Tunnel hole just awards 15 minutes and 10000 points;
however, when the white "MIRROR" light is lit, hitting the Wind Tunnel awards
the flashing Mirror award.
     The "MIRROR" light is on at the start of each ball; it is turned off
whenever a Mirror award is collected, relit when Rudy's jaw is hit, and relit
for about 4 seconds when the ball goes down the right center lane.
     The six awards are:
     "Extra Ball Is Lit"--Hidden Hallway extra-ball light comes on, and stays
on until collected.
     "Million Is Lit"--the next hit on Rudy's jaw during this ball is worth
1M.
     "Jet Bumpers At Maximum"--all three bumpers flash for the rest of the
ball (10 clock minutes for each bumper hit).
     "Superdog"--20 seconds of Superdog bonus time.
     "Steps Gate Open"--hitting the center ramp OR a drain down the left
outlane will now lead to the Steps plunger.
     "Quick Multiball"--see QUICK MULTIBALL
     The Mirror is disabled during Quick Multiball and Midnight Multiball.
     Once all six awards are collected, the Mirror light relights and all six
award lights flash; hitting the Mirror at this point starts Super Frenzy (see
FRENZY).  (Note to Whirlwind players: this does NOT award all six bonuses
again, unlike Whirlwind's Mega Door Score.)  Once Super Frenzy is started, the
Mirror is disabled for the rest of the ball, after which it resets.

STEPS
     The Steps plunger can be reached by the center ramp (after hitting the
Mirror "Steps Open" or the manhole) or a left outlane drain (after hitting the
Mirror "Steps Open").
     There are three steps on the ramp, each with a flashing light.  At the
start of the game, only the "Light Frenzy" light is lit; hitting all four
"S-T-E-P" targets lights one unlit step (first Light Frenzy, then 500K, then
Light Extra Ball).  Hitting a step with a flashing light by it collects that
step's award and unlights that step.  Hitting an unlit step awards 100K.
Shooting the ball all the way to the top of the ramp awards 20 seconds of
Superdog time.
     "Light Frenzy" opens the Trapdoor and lights its "Frenzy" light (which
stays on until collected); "Light Extra Ball" lights the Hidden Hallway
extra-ball light (for the rest of the ball only).
     When "Light Extra Ball" is collected, the "500K" light goes off as well.
     "Light Extra Ball" can only be collected once per game.

SUPERDOG
     Superdog is started by the Steps ramp or the Mirror.  For 20 seconds,
hitting any of the three Superdog targets is worth 200K, then 225K, then 250K,
and so on.  Collecting Superdog from the Steps or Mirror while Superdog is
already in progress adds 20 seconds to the existing Superdog timer.
     The Superdog timer stops while the ball is in the Wind Tunnel or the
Steps ramp; the Hidden Hallway lock stops the timer as well, but 3 seconds may
tick off before the timer finally stops.

FRENZY/SUPER FRENZY
     Frenzy is started by hitting the Trapdoor when the Frenzy light is lit;
Super Frenzy is started by hitting the Wind Tunnel after all six awards have
already been collected.  The Frenzy Bonus starts at 120K for normal Frenzy,
1.5M for Super Frenzy; during the Frenzy period, all playfield targets add 50K
(or 100K for Super Frenzy) to the Frenzy Bonus.  The Frenzy Timer starts at 20
seconds, and stops whenever the Superdog timer would stop.  The Frenzy Bonus
is added to your score at the end of the ball.  (Don't tilt.)
     The clock will not move past 11:25 during Frenzy.
     Collecting a Frenzy while one is already in progress adds 20 seconds to
the existing Frenzy timer.  Collecting Super Frenzy while a Frenzy is running
adds 20 seconds to the Frenzy timer and converts it to a Super Frenzy.
Collecting Frenzy while Super Frenzy is running adds 20 seconds to the Frenzy
timer and leaves it as a Super Frenzy.

QUICK MULTIBALL
     Quick Multiball is started from the Mystery Mirror.  A second ball is
served, or launched from the Hidden Hallway; as soon as it strikes a playfield
target, the first ball is launched from the tunnel.  Until one of these balls
is lost, all Rudy hits are worth 1M.  The clock will not advance past 11:25
during this period.
     Once the clock reaches 11:30, if there are already two balls in the
Hidden Hallway, the game will try its best not to award Quick Multiball; it
will only do so if it's the only award left uncollected.  If Quick Multiball
is hit during this time, and the clock is at 11:30 or 11:45, a normal Quick
Multiball starts.  If Quick Multiball is hit with the clock at midnight,
Quick Multiball and Midnight Multiball are both started; all Midnight Multiball
rules apply, and all Rudy hits are worth 1M until all balls but one are lost.

MIDNIGHT MULTIBALL
     Midnight Multiball is started by advancing the clock to midnight and then
hitting Rudy's mouth, or by Quick Multiball.  The Trapdoor opens and the
Million+ light turns on; the first Trapdoor hit scores 2M and closes the
Trapdoor.  The center ramp reopens the Trapdoor for 3M; each time the Trapdoor
is hit its value increases by 1M (to a maximum of 10M) and the Trapdoor is
closed again.
     The Steps and Mirror are disabled.
     Once all balls but one are lost, the Trapdoor closes.  If at least one
Trapdoor shot was made, the clock resets to 5:00 and normal play resumes.  If
no Trapdoor shots were made, the Hidden Hallway Lock relights, and you have 12
seconds (actually more like 24 seconds) to relock the one remaining ball.  The
playfield clock counts down the number of seconds remaining; nothing can stop
this timer.  If the ball is locked in time, another ball is served, and you
have one more chance at a 2-ball Midnight Multiball.  Otherwise, normal play
resumes.

3/4-WAY COMBO
     Hitting the center ramp, then the right Gangway, then the Trapdoor loop
awards the 500K 3-Way Combo.  The targets must be hit in that order, and
quickly (so you don't have much time to spend lining up the Gangway shot).
Center ramp/Steps plunger/Trapdoor loop/Trapdoor loop is also an acceptable
3-Way Combo.
     After the 3-Way Combo is hit, hitting Rudy's jaw quickly enough awards
the 1M 4-Way Combo.

GRACE PERIOD
     When you shoot a ball into the Hidden Hallway lock just before Superdog/
Quick Multiball/Midnight Multiball expires, the bonus in question usually
remains lit for a few extra seconds, just long enough to let you take one last
shot at the bonus once the ball is kicked out of the lock.  If this happens at
the very end of Midnight Multiball, and Frenzy was lit before the multiball
started, hitting the Trapdoor with this last shot awards the Million+ value
and starts Frenzy as well.

EXTRA BALLS
     Extra balls are always collected by hitting the Hidden Hallway when its
Extra Ball light is lit.  Collecting an extra ball turns off the Extra Ball
light, unless it's "lit more than once" (lighting it more than one way without
collecting it in between).
     Here are the possible ways of lighting Extra Ball:
     Mystery Mirror "Extra Ball Is Lit"--you have until the end of the game
     Steps "Light Extra Ball"--must be collected on that ball
     Gangway "Light Extra Ball"--you have until the end of the game

DIFFICULTY OPTIONS
     There are five standard difficulty settings for FunHouse.  The settings
of individual features can be adjusted individually, but most operators save
time by using one of the standard settings.
     Conveniently enough, the clock time at the start of the game indicates
the setting in use.  If it starts at 8:00, the game is on Medium settings (the
factory standard) and this posting should be accurate.  If the start time is
different, make the following adjustments:
     9:00: Your machine is Easy.  The Gangway value starts at 200K.  Light
Extra Ball can be collected from the Steps twice, not once.
     10:00: Your machine is Extra-Easy.  Let me know where you live.  All the
Easy adjustments are in effect.  You have until the end of the game to collect
an Extra Ball lit from the Steps.
     7:00: Your machine is Hard.  The clock resets to 4:00 after Midnight
Multiball, not 5:00.  When "Extra Ball Is Lit" is collected from the Mirror,
you must collect the extra ball before the end of the ball in play or it's
lost.  The "MIRROR" award light does not automatically relight at the start of
each ball.
     6:00: Your machine is Extra-Hard.  Take this as a compliment to your
playing abilities, or shoot the operator. :) The clock resets to 3:00 after
Midnight Multiball.  The Hidden Hallway timer after an unsuccessful Midnight
Multiball counts down much faster.  Mirror "Extra Ball Is Lit"s go away at the
end of the ball.  You must advance the clock to 11:30 three times, not two, to
light the Special.  The "MIRROR" light is on at the start of each ball, but
Rudy's jaw does NOT relight the Mirror.  No lights are lit on the Steps at the
start of the game, and Frenzies must be collected before the end of the ball
or they are lost.

5-BALL MACHINES
     If your machine is set for 5 balls per game, the following changes will
have likely been made: The clock will start at 5:00.  (Gack!)  The Gangway
value starts at 100K.  Mirror extra balls must be collected before the end of
the ball.  The Special lights will not turn on until the clock reaches 11:30
for the third time.  The "MIRROR" light does not automatically relight at the
start of each ball.  The Steps ramp starts with no lights lit.

