Shoot the orbits. The right orbit is preferred until it has been hit at least 5 times, as 5 shots to this orbit maxes the bonus multiplier at 5X and completes an entire spelling of Black Pyramid. At this point, either orbit is a go-to shot. Never aim for the center swinging target.
Constantly scans between 5 awards throughout the game. The A is the most valuable, but ending up in this saucer at all off the plunge is good enough. B and K score 25,000 points; L and C score 5,000 points and flash the left or right bumpers; the A opens the gate in the right out lane. This saucer also awards the corresponding letter in Black if it has not already been collected.
The top lanes score 1,000 points and turn on the left or right bumpers respectively if they are not already on or flashing.
Score 100 points when unlit, 1,000 points when lit (by top lanes), or 3,000 points when flashing (by top saucer awards).
Standup targets in the top of the playfield award P and Y; standup targets near the bottom of the playfield award R and A; the in lanes award M and I; the right orbit awards D. Letters in Black Pyramid are this game's bonus count, discussed later.
Hitting the center swinging target will light the star or number corresponding to the currently lit arrow. The target itself, as well as any slingshot or bumper hit, advances the arrow one position to the right. If the six lights spelling 200,000 are lit, then, appropriately, 200,000 points are scored; however, if one of the stars was lit first, that value is doubled to 400,000, and if both of the stars were lit first, the value is tripled to 600,000 points plus a special.
If the arrow is pointing to a star or number that is already lit, the swinging target will spot a letter in Black instead.
Lit stars score 20,000 points each, and lit numbers score 10,000 points each, alongside the end of ball bonus (these amounts are NOT multiplied by the lit bonus X).
Each shot to this orbit scores and advances the value as follows: 20,000 - 30,000 - 40,000 - 50,000 - 70,000 - 80,000 - 90,000 - extra ball - special. Progress on this lane resets at the end of the ball. After special is collected, the value resets to 20,000.
Shots to this orbit can also spot letters in Black or numbers for the 200,000 swinging target. Slingshots and bumpers alternate which spot award is lit on the left orbit.
There are 3 in line drop targets that award 2X, 3X, and 5X bonus. Once the 5X bonus is collected, this lane is lit for Complete Black if the word Black is not already completely spelled, then lit for Complete Pyramid if the word Pyramid is not completely spelled. Once the entirety of Black Pyramid has been completed one time after the 5X target is knocked down, this orbit shot is just worth a constant 50,000 points per hit.
Black Pyramid has a conventional in/out lane setup, with the addition of a gate in the right out lane that redirects the ball to the right in lane one time before closing. This gate can be opened by entering the top saucer when the A award is lit.
The left out lane is always worth 1,000. The left and right in lanes correspond to the letters M and I in Pyramid; the lanes score 1,000 points, or 3,000 when lit (i.e. their letter has not been collected yet). The right out lane scores 1,000 points, or 5,000 when the gate is open.
Letters in Black can be collected at the top saucer, or spotted by the left orbit or swinging target when lit.
Letters in Pyramid can be collected at various targets and lanes around the playfield.
Both Black and Pyramid can be completed with one shot, once per ball in play each, at the right orbit after the 5X drop target has been knocked down.
Each lit letter in Black Pyramid scores 5,000 points for the end of ball bonus. Up to two completions of Black Pyramid can be stored as a super bonus as well; these add 60,000 points to the bonus. Completions of Black Pyramid after the second score a special. The bonus multipliers awarded from the in line drop targets do apply to all Black Pyramid letters, including the super bonus. A max Black Pyramid bonus is 120,000 points (two completions) plus 55,000 points (11 letters on a 3rd completion; actually finishing the 3rd time resets the lights and removes them from bonus) times 5x bonus multiplier for 875,000 points.
All letters and progress in Black Pyramid is carried forward from ball to ball, so it's very important to have a good ball 1.
At the end of the ball, 20,000 points are scored for each lit star and 10,000 points are scored for each lit number in the 200,000 point swinging target feature. These points do not get multiplied by the bonus multiplier, and reset if the 200,000 feature is collected, with no bonus scoring to account for previous completions of the 200,000 target.
The special awarded for completions of Black Pyramid can be set to be awarded just once per game instead of being open ended. Also, the special can be set to be awarded starting with the second, third, or fourth completion of Black Pyramid.
The left orbit can be set to have the 20,000 value lit to start, or to only have that value lit after the first shot. Also, the maximum point value in the sequence before extra ball/special is lit and the chain resets can be set to 50,000, 70,000, or 80,000 instead of 90,000. This means the extra ball can require anywhere from 5 to 9 orbit shots in a single ball.
In tournament/novelty play, specials score 50,000 points, and extra balls score 25,000 points.
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