Not to be confused with Flash (Williams, 1979).
Start each ball by completing the lower right inline drop targets to earn 3x bonus, then get an extra ball at the target behind them. After 3x bonus, the upper playfield drop targets give 4x bonus, and then the lower left drop targets give 5x. Completions of the lower left drops also lit the spinners and advance the value of the center saucer. To light 2x playfield for 15 seconds and the 50,000 mini bonus, hit the 3 upper playfield drop targets when each is flashing; to light 3x playfield for 15 seconds at the saucer and the 100,000 super bonus, collect the 8 lights in the lower playfield at the flashing drops, right side standups, and in lanes.
The drop target is raised after the ball is plunged. Hitting it scores 10,000 points and 2 upper bonus advances. When this target is down, it is possible for the ball to make its way back into the shooter lane. Doing so will collect 2,100 points from the three star rollovers in the shooter lane, plus the current lower bonus value.
Flashing or lit targets score 10,000 points. Any target down advances the upper bonus. Completing this bank once lights the upper pop bumper for 5,000 points; the second completion lights the upper standup target for a collect of the upper bonus; the third completion lights the upper standup target for a special. Progress on this bank does reset from ball to ball.
If a flashing drop target is lit, that arrow will become solidily lit; lighting all 3 arrows will light the 50,000 mini bonus at the end of the ball only, and also lights the center saucer for 15 seconds of 2x playfield scoring. The 2x playfield scoring can only be earned once on a ball. The 50,000 mini bonus is not multiplied by the bonus X, nor is it collected from a mid-ball bonus collect.
If the bonus multiplier is currently 3x, completing these drop targets advances to 4x.
Scores 5,000 points and a bonus advance. Is lit for Collect Upper Bonus after 2 completions of the 1-2-3 targets, and a special after the 3rd completion.
There are two near the upper playfield's flipper, and two in the upper right lane that serves as one of the connections between the two playfields. These rollovers score 1,000 points and an upper bonus advance each.
Be deliberate about shooting for the drop targets; try not to accidentally shoot for the lane that goes down to the lower playfield. The yellow standup target is in a bit of no man's land, so think carefully about shooting for it directly. The upper flipper can be used to "backhand" the solo drop target, but it usually can't send the ball back up through that lane for the replunge on its own. The most important skill for keeping the ball in the upper playfield is well-timed upward nudges to get the ball to pop over the ramps back down to the lower playfield as it moves from left to right so that the upper flipper can hit it again.
The four left drop targets will flash orange, yellow, blue, and white, from bottom to top. Orange and blue will flash together, then yellow and white will flash together. Hitting a flashing drop target will solidly light it. Lighting all 4 drop targets is half the battle: there is another set of blue-yellow-orange-white that needs to be collected by going through the two in lanes and hitting the two standup targets in the far right of the game. Lighting all 8 of these coloured lights will light the 100,000 super bonus for the end of the ball and will also light the center saucer for 15 seconds of 3x playfield.
Each target down advances the lower bonus. Lit or flashing targets score 10,000 points. Completing this bank gives the following awards:
If 4x bonus is currently lit, any completion of this bank advances to 5x bonus.
Entering this saucer the first time always kicks the ball down toward the left pop bumper on the lower playfield. Subsequent entries to the saucer will alternate kicking the ball up to the upper playfield or back down to the lower one.
The saucer can be lit for 10,000, 30,000, or 60,000 points, or an extra ball, after 1, 2, 3, or 4 completions of the lower left drop targets respectively.
Lighting the mini bonus by lighting the 1-2-3 drop targets on the upper playfield lights this target for 15 seconds of 2x scoring. Lighting the super bonus be collecting the 8 coloured lights on the lower playfield will light this saucer for 15 seconds of 3x scoring. If both 2x scoring and 3x scoring are lit, entering the saucer will combine them, awarding 15 seconds of 5x scoring. 2x scoring and 3x scoring can only be played once per ball in play, and playing 5x scoring instead counts as using up both of them. Use playfield multipliers to whale on lit drop targets and lit spinners.
The left and right ramps back to the upper playfield each have a spinner. The spinner scores 100 points per spin, or 1,000/spin when lit. The first and second completions of the lower left drop targets light the left and right spinners respectively. Note that the right flipper can shoot both ramps. A backhand shot from the right flipper can rip the right spinner, go up the right ramp, and even make it all the way to the top of the table through the hook lane for a bonus collect and replunge.
The first target scores 10,000 point and 2 lower bonus advances. The second and third drop targets award 2x and 3x bonus. The standup target behind the inline drops scores an extra ball the first time, or 25,000 all other times.
When unlit, targets score 5,000 points and lights them. When lit, these targets score 10,000 points and a lower bonus advance. These targets hold 2 of the 8 coloured lights required for the 100,000 super bonus and lighting 3x playfield at the saucer.
Flash Gordon has a conventional in/out lane setup. The outlanes score 2,000 points and 2 lower bonus advances, and can belit alternately for a special after 5 completions of the left drop target 4-bank. The first trip through each in lane scores 5,000 points and lights it; going through a lit in lane scores 10,000 points and a lower bonus advance. The in lane lights are 2 of the 8 coloured lights needed for the super bonus and 3x playfield.
There are two separate bonuses for the upper playfield and lower playfield that each max out at 19,000 points. Upper bonus is advanced by the drop targets, the star rollovers near the upper flipper, and the star rollovers in the left ramp lane. Lower bonus is advanced by lower left drop targets, the first inline drop target, lit right standup targets, and lit in lanes. Upper bonus can be collected mid-ball at the top yellow standup target after 2 completions of the 1-2-3 drops. Lower bonus can be collected mid-ball by putting the ball back into the shooter lane.
A 50,000 mini bonus is scored by lighting 1-2-3 at the upper drop targets, and a 100,000 super bonus is scored by collecting the 8 coloured lights around the lower playfield. Scroll up to those sections for more details. The mini and super bonus are not affected by bonus multiplier, are not included in mid-ball bonus collects, and do not carry over from ball to ball despite the super bonus name.
2x bonus is scored at the 2nd inline drop target, and 3x bonus is scored at the third. If the bonus multiplier is at 3x, any completion of the upper playfield drop targets lights 4x. If 4x is lit, any completion of the lower left targets lights 5x.
None of the bonus counts or multipliers can be carried from ball to ball.
In competition/novelty play, specials score 50,000 points and extra balls score 25,000. Some tournaments do keep the extra ball on, alongside the setting that limits each player to 1 extra ball per game.
The center saucer an start with 10,000 lit, meaning one fewer completion of the lower left drops is required to light the extra ball and out lane specials.
All of the following features that typically reset between balls can be set to carry over instead: the saucer value, 2x/3x playfield being lit, out lane specials, top standup target special, bonus multipliers, the 8 coloured lights, and the lit 1-2-3 arrows at the top drop targets.
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