Curious to try pinball but don’t know where to start? Here’s some pointers to help you get playing.
By the way – pinball is a pretty challenging game! Classic games were designed to be tough so they would have short game durations. Shorter play times would result in more credits needed, which would result in more profit for the operator. But at Oh, Flip!, all games operate on a freeplay basis. You don’t need to put any money in the games. So it’s OK to lose! Embrace the challenge, and have another go!
Essentials:
Starting a game
Traditionally, pinball machines were coin-operated. To start a game, you would first have to insert coins into the machine to add ‘credits’. At Oh, Flip! this isn’t necessary, as all our games operate on ‘freeplay’, meaning you don’t have to pay for any games inside the arcade once you’ve purchased your admission.
So, to start a game, just press the start button on the front panel of the machines. On the modern games this is usually a brightly coloured and clearly labelled button. On the older machines, it’s a little less obvious – but you’re looking for a button on the front, near the coin slots.
Multiplayer
Most of our games support up to 4 players. To play a multiplayer game, simply press the start button multiple times to add each player. For example, the first button press will start a game and release the ball for player 1. Before plunging the ball, press the button a 2nd time. You’ll notice a 2nd player is added to the game – usually this is acknowledged with an audio or visual cue in the game – for example, a 2nd player score will become illuminated.
Players take it in turns to play each ball. Pay attention to the score display to see which player is indicated to take the current turn. If a player earns an extra ball during play, this will be played before passing over to the next player. So for example, a typical gameplay sequence might be:
Player 1: Plays their first ball. The ball drains (falls out of play below the flippers, ending the turn).
Player 2: The score display now shows player 2’s score flashing – it’s player 2’s first ball. They play, and the ball drains.
Player 1: Now plays their 2nd ball.
Player 2: Plays their 2nd ball.
Player 1: Plays their 3rd ball. They do really well, and the game awards them an extra ball. After the ball drains, the game will still indicate that it’s still player 1’s turn. Player 1 now plays their extra awarded ball. The ball drains.
Player 2: Now plays their 3rd ball.
Playing multiplayer in this way is a very fun way to play with your friends. You get to watch each other play, which will help you learn the game mechanics. And, it’s fun to compete! After you’ve played all your balls and finished the game, whoever has achieved the highest score is the winner.
Launching the ball
After starting a game, you need to launch the ball into the playfield. For most games, this involved pulling the spring-loaded plunger on the right-hand-side of the game. The further back you pull it, the faster the ball will launch when you release.
Some games have a ‘launch’ button, instead of a plunger. For these games, just hit the button to launch the ball.
Flipping
All of the games have flippers. You can control the flippers by pressing the flipper buttons on the left and right side of the machine – near the front, top. You’ll find you can reset your hands on the corners of the glass, with your fingers reaching down to the flippers.
Lots of games have more than 2 flippers – look for additional flippers further up the playfield. For example, the game FunHouse has an extra flipper on the left hand side. This flipper is pretty much essential for hitting Rudy (the ventriloquist dummy) in the mouth – which, you definitely will want to do. So try to remember where these extra flippers are, and use them to your advantage!
Advanced Information:
Rules and objectives
All games have different rulesets and objectives. When you start out, just practice trying to keep the ball in play. Next, a good rule of thumb is ‘aim for anything that’s flashing’. The flashing lights on the playfield are trying to help show you what you should be aiming for. Also, look for ‘safe’ shots and try to make those. For example, a game might have a ramp, which when hit will safely return the ball to your flipper, without any risk of draining. Try aiming for that ramp, then you know you’ll get the ball back safely after your shot!
Modern games have more complex rules and objectives. You may want to do a google search for “[game name] tutorial” to find detailed guides on how to play a game. This isn’t essential to enjoy a game, but will help if you’re seriously determined to post a high score…
High Scores
If you manage to score enough points to be entered on the high score table, the game will prompt you to input your initials or name. Use the flipper buttons to change the letter, and press the start button to confirm and move on to the next letter.
Please don’t write a rude word for your high score… yes, there’s lots of funny words you can make with 3 letters. We want Oh, Flip! to be a place that all ages can enjoy – please don’t ruin the fun for our younger visitors!
Knockers
Sometimes you’ll hear a pinball machine make a loud ‘banging’ noise. This is a knocker. They’re designed to make a big loud noise and get everyone’s attention. If the knocker goes off, it means you’ve done something good! You’ve earned an extra ball, reached a ‘replay’ score or achieved a high score – the knocker is supposed to get everyone’s attention and let them know that the person who is playing the game right now is awesome. Feel proud of yourself – even if it does make you jump!
Multiball
Lots of games have a multiball. This is where multiple balls are in play at the same time. These are really fun modes to play, and are worth trying to activate. Here’s a few tips to experience a multiball:
- Operation Thunder – the 3rd mission in operation thunder is a multiball mission. Missions are cleared by shooting the flashing targets. But if you drain a ball, you’ll automatically advance to the mission. This means that if you fail mission 1 by draining ball 1, and fail mission 2 by draining ball 2, you’ll still make it to mission 3 – the multiball mission. You may need to manually plunge multiple balls in to play (if you didn’t success in an earlier mission, which would have physically locked a ball ready for multiball.)
- Total Nuclear Annihilation – You can start a multiball by locking balls into the lock area. You’ll hear the voice say “Ball 1 locked”, then “Ball 2 locked”. When you’ve locked 2 balls, hit the same area 1 more time to start the multiball. During multiball, if you hit the top target in the ball lock area, you can have a 4th ball released for a 4-ball multiball.
Nudging
In addition to interacting with the game using the flippers, you also have the ability to ‘nudge’ the machines. If you see the ball heading straight down the middle of your flippers, try giving the side of the machine a gentle push to one side. You might be able to get the ball to move over to the side, and save a ball that would otherwise have drained!
Isn’t that cheating? No, not at all! This is part of the game and is something you must learn to get better at pinball. There’s lots of scenarios where nudging can be helpful.
However – if you nudge too violently, the game may ‘tilt’. This freezes play and forces your ball to drain. It’s a penalty for over-nudging. This still isn’t cheating and you shouldn’t feel bad about it! It just means that you pushed the game further than it will allow. The challenge with nudging is learning how to effectively manipulate the ball, without activating the tilt!
Stern Insider Connected
The Dungeons & Dragons game integrates with an online service called Stern Insider Connected (IC). By registering for an account with Stern IC, you can get a QR code to scan on the game. This will link your gameplay to your Stern IC account, allowing you to save high scores, unlock achievements and even resume levelling up your D&D character! This isn’t essential to enjoy the D&D game, but it’s a fun extra that you may want to try.
Stuck Ball
If a ball gets stuck in a game mechanism, just wait a few moments. The game will most likely realise that nothing is happening, and will enter a ‘ball search’ mode. This will try to fire all mechanisms to release a ball that is stuck somewhere.
If the ball search doesn’t un-stick your ball, you can try freeing the ball with a nudge.
If your ball is still stuck, then we may need to remove the glass and manually clear the ball. Please notify Oh, Flip! or Up A Level staff, so that they can either resolve the issue, or notify a technician.