Big Bang Bar

[metallik]

Got a few hundred games of BBB under my belt, was wondering what other peoples' scores and strategy were like. My game is set up factory, except tube dancer is set to hard (1st time does not spot the circle target). Also, you cannot backhand the ramp from a cradle. You MIGHT backhand it on the fly but you risk a drain (ramp save is not turned on). Flipper strength is 11. Replay = credit. Flippers are adjusted to be aligned to the inlanes at rest. Yellow flipper rubber (looks REAL nice but makes things bouncy and harder to control).

One of my main goals is to see how high I can push the replay value. Right now it's only at 166M. This helps make the game interesting... you're playing for best possible score *every time* (NO start-overs allowed) ... then, every time you open the coindoor, you get judged by the game (replay go up or down). I also have to compensate for guests who suck at pinball, which makes it harder! My neices were over the other day and clobbered my average :(

As for strategy, the game isn't super complex, but there are definitely ways to play and things to go for that will increase your scores...

- Skill shot: Always go for the normal one on the first 2 balls. Try for the nudge bonus, it's not hard to drop it in the A lane. Ball 3 and any extras: go for the Super. Every made skill shot increases the value of the Super by 5M, so that ball 3 Super is worth a cool 15M. Extras can push this to 20, 25, etc. You HAVE to make the skill shot (any variety) to boost this value, so if you flub an early one, the Super stays low.

- No skill shots after locks, so look at the playfield and see where the best place to plunge is. If Mosh or Happyhour is running, plunge to the pops. If a lucrative mode is lit but not qualified, plunge lightly to the UR flipper and slam the center bank to lock it in.

- General strategy is to qualify a mode and a lock, then shoot the ramp to collect both (if it's a Looped lock, you won't get the mode however).

- Any mode can stack with multiballs, although some (mosh, happyhour) are best for stacking. Mosh can be huge if you have lively pops - I've had a 94M mosh. Happyhour is also great for multiball. Starting either on the first lock is OK, as you get 2 free plunges to the pops. Just be quick locking the balls as soon as they dribble down to maximize the mode time.

- Don't forget, you can start new modes during multiball! Listen for the music crescendo that signals the end of the current mode... as soon as you hear that, qualify another mode and start it ASAP. Better to get something going and progress towards Big Bang than to try for another optimal stack.

- During Looped in Space, worry less about the mode and more about drops. Jackpots here start at 30M and increase each DT completion. These can be huge IF you can collect. With no ballsaver, this multiball tends to live up to its 'quick multiball' name :p If you can get into a groove, you can get hundreds of millions though.

- In non-tournament play, always try for the EB award from the tubedancer (unless Underground is running). Trap on right flipper, and time the ramp shot to light the hurryup EB (not hard to do). The feed from the tube gives you a free crack at the 1-bank through the narrow gap... it's definitely makeable, and those EBs can be huge down the road. If the ball winds up on the right flipper, quickly shoot the left orbit and hope the pops get it before it times out. If Underground is running, go for the tubedancer jackpots/points instead, since the game keeps the DT down during this and the EB harder to collect.

- Rays Ballbusters is probably the hardest non-mode requirement to collect. If you're lucky to start with 2 on each side, DON'T SCREW IT UP. Play carefully and quickly make the 2 necessary shots to complete it. Anytime this is NOT completed, keep an eye on it all the time.. balls will hit it and move things around. If you see it one or two shots from completion, stop and take time to finish it off. In multiplayer games, things get interesting as you sometimes are competing with the other players for ball position. If you've completed ballbusters and all 4 balls are on one side, avoid shooting it at all (skip Barroom Multiball for the time being) and let the other player(s) deal with it. If yours is completed and there's a 2-2 or 3-1 ball config, feel free to knock one of the two or the single ball over. This gives you a brawl letter AND screws the other players :)

- Big Bang. Does anyone have information on scoring during this mode? So far all I know is the ramp: 5M times number of balls in play. 20M a shot if you have all 4 balls, so this is what I tend to shoot for the most. Anyone know what the orbits, ballbusters, inner loop, etc are worth?


So far my high score is 2.1B .. would have been more but I got greedy during my 2nd Big Bang trying to nudge balls around and tilted :(

So, what's YOUR strategy??

[BBB93]

Some nice strategy tips there Met, thanks, look forward to working them into my game. I can't add anything quite as detailed as your suggestions.

I have used one piece of stategy during the DARTZ mode to successfully hit repeated shots to the saucer. After hitting the saucer the first time, I have found that I can make additional saucer shots by doing the following.

- Make the first shot, the saucer kicks the ball to the left flipper, let the ball hit the left flipper and bounce pass to a raised right flipper. The ball will travel partway up the right inlane, then rolls back down onto a still raised right flipper. The ball will travel about 3/4 the way towards the tip of the flipper, then stops and reverses direction. At that point, a quick flip will back-hand the ball right back into the saucer. repeat until mode times out. Have strung together 5-6 saucer shots this way.

Have only about 120 games in so far... haven't come anywhere close to 2+Billion yet My high score is a meager 740M

Gives me something to work on

Bob S
BBB#93
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Belly-Up To The Big Bang Bar ©

[unigroove]

strategy on Big Bang:
launch the balls softly and collect 3 of them in the shooter lane, while playing 1 on the playfield. The game will 'think' 3 balls are in play which means triple scoring. Some may say this is not fair, but no autolauncher is also part of the game.

[runner1717]

[Bertl]