Start modes by completing 1-2-3 on the ramps. Start multiball by spelling Concrete: completing a bank of drop targets gives 2 letters in Concrete, while skill shots and completions of the D-I-G lanes give one. The best points in this game come from bringing modes into multiball- especially Dino Frenzy (the mode must be started before multiball begins). Bowl-a-Rama multiball can also give good points when stacked with standard multiball: start Bowl-a-Rama by comboing the lit Go Bowling ramp into the Strike target in the back left of the game three straight times.
The plunge sends the ball into the D-I-G top lanes. One lane will be flashing; flipper lane change will move which lane is flashing. If the ball rolls through the flashing lane, the skill shot is scored. Any skill shot adds 1 letter to Concrete toward multiball; skill shots also scores a value of 5,000,000 the first time, increasing by 2,000,000 each subsequent time.
Roll through an unlit lane to light it. Lane change rotates which lanes are lit. Completing D-I-G advances the bonus multiplier in the sequence 2x-4x-6x-8x-10x, or scores 10,000,000 if bonus multiplier is maxed out. Also, if Concrete Multiball has not been played yet, completing the D-I-G lanes adds a letter in Concrete.
Shoot the ramp lit for 1 to score 2,000,000 points and light one of the ramps for 2. Shoot the ramp lit for 2 to score 4,000,000 points and light one of the ramps for 3. Shoot the ramp lit for 3 to score 6,000,000 points and instantly start the flashing mode. Bumpers rotate which mode is flashing. The lit 1-2-3 numbers can all be on one ramp or alternate between the two. Both ramps have the ability to send the ball to either flipper; diverters will put the ball on the flipper opposite the next lit ramp for an easy shot. Making 1, 2, and 3 consecutively with no switches in between other than the ramp switches and in lanes awards a Three way combo worth 20,000,000 points.
The four modes are:
Playing all 4 main modes means the next completion of 1-2-3 on the ramps starts Mystery Mode, which is...the closest thing to a wizard mode this game has? And it's extremely underwhelming. You have 20 seconds to clear both the Bed and Rock drop target banks. Each individual target down scores 5,000,000, and completing both banks within the time limit scores 100,000,000. The mode ends when you collect the 100,000,000 or when the time runs out, and that's it.
Main modes can be stacked with each other or with the side modes mentioned below. Main modes can also be brought into Concrete Multiball or Bowl-a-Rama Multiball, but modes cannot be started while a multiball is running. Completing Mystery Mode resets the main mode lights, with Fred's Choice being the flashing mode by default.
Complete either bank of Bed or Rock drop targets to spot two letters in the word Concrete. Made skill shots award 1 letter, and for the first multiball only, completing the D-I-G lanes also awards 1 letter. Spell Concrete to light multiball, which can be started at the upper loop or the right orbit. Multiball is supposed to start when the ball enters a popper in the back left of the game, but there are two exploits here: if you shoot the right orbit, the gate may not open in time, and multiball will start when the ball enters the bumpers, or, you can start multiball from the center lane if you complete the D-I-G lanes. When multiball is started, the game auto-plunges balls to the playfield until there are 3 balls in play (or 4, if Concrete Multiball is started while another multiball was already in progress).
The multiball jackpot always starts at 40,000,000 points (does not carry over between multiballs). The auto-plunged balls added when multiball starts, as well as any balls replunged during the ball save, will be sent to the Time Machine mech in the back left of the game. Balls can be put back in the time machine with an upper loop or right orbit shot. The jackpot increases by a few hundred thousand points for every 0.25 seconds (roughly) that there is at least one ball in the Time Machine. There is no known limit to the jackpot amount. Jackpots alternate between the center lane (single jackpot) and the dead-end lane (super jackpot, which scores as a double jackpot). The dead-end lane is an upper flipper shot between the upper loop and the bowling targets. Keep alternating between the two to pick up massive points.
Main modes can be brought into multiball, but main modes cannot be started during multiball. Side modes at the lower left target can be started during multiball, however. Bringing a main mode or another multiball into Concrete Multiball is one of the best ways to open up as many scoring opportunities as possible- especially if you bring in Dino Frenzy, which will pay you off for missed shots to the dead-end lane thanks to the Dino target nearby.
If multiball ends with no jackpots scored, you have 20 seconds to shoot the upper loop or right orbit for a restart.
Whichever ramp is not lit for a 1-2-3 number will be lit for Go Bowling. Make this ramp and the ball will be put on the right flipper. Make a reflex shot to the standup targets in the back left of the game. The center target scores a Strike worth 5,000,000 points, and the outer targets score a Spare worth 3,000,000 points.
Hit the three Bowling targets outside of a Go Bowling chance to light one of the words Yabba Dabba Doo. Complete the phrase Yabba Dabba Doo to receive a Bowling Powerup, which makes it so that for the rest of the ball, all three bowling targets score Strikes instead of just the one in the center. A Bowling Powerup can also be obtained from the Bronto Mystery explained below.
Scoring a Strike on three consecutive Go Bowling chances is a Turkey, which instantly starts Bowl-a-Rama Multiball, a quick two-ball multiball. For as long as more than one ball is in play, the Strike target scores 20,000,000 points, and the Spare targets score 10,000,000 points.
The number of frames bowled throughout the game is kept track of and added to the end of ball bonus. The game also keeps track of your bowling score and has an initials entry for the player with the best bowling score.
Making an upper loop shot when no multiball is running lights the upper loop for Bronto Crane. Making it again pops the ball into the dinosaur head and gives a mystery award. Note that this can take some time to happen: if your upper loop shot is particularly fast and you combo the upper loop twice, the second one may not register for the mystery award. Possible awards include:
Three modes can be started by the Dicta-Bird target in the lower left of the game. They are always played in order, and as far as I know, you cannot start the next one until the previous has been completed.
Outside of Eat at Joe's and Concrete Multiball, the game keeps track of shots to the center lane. 7 shots to this lane scores an instant extra ball. 18 shots starts Dig Millions, a super pops mode where bumpers score 1,000,000 points each. Center lane awards after that (I believe 30 shots is the next one?) award 20,000,000 points.
This lane is very narrow and balls rattle out of it easily. Luckily, the switch is at the front of the shot, so you can pretty easily get credit for two center shots from a ball that chokes up and falls out of the lane. Just be prepared for the ensuing center drain potential, though.
When not lit for anything else, shooting the dead-end lane scores millions-plus, starting at 2,000,000 and increasing by 1,000,000 each time. I have not encountered a maximum value to this feature: it's probably at least 10,000,000. The millions-plus is reset back to 2,000,000 when the ball drains.
Hit a target to light it. Complete one of the 3-banks to light the out lane on that side for Drain Save for about 5 seconds. If the ball leaves through a lit out lane, you get a ball save. (There is no kickback or similar; the ball is just fed back to the plunger.)
Flintstones has a conventional in/out lane setup. Out lanes are lit for Drain Save by shell targets as described in the previous section. In lanes cannot be lit for anything in particular, and only give points.
Certain feeds from the two ramps follow a habitrail that goes below the flippers before being dropped in an in lane. Do not be frightened by this. Go Bowling ramps always feed the ball to the right flipper; ramps lit for 1 or 2 always send the ball to the flipper than can shoot the opposite ramp for the next number; ramps lit for 3 always drop the ball into the in lane on the same side as the made ramp. You'll eventually get a feel for this, and eventually your heart will stop skipping a beat after every ramp feed.
Bonus is calculated as 500,000 points for each frame of bowling played in the game, plus 500,000 points for each Concrete letter collected, plus the Miscellaneous award of 1,000,000 points, all times the bonus multiplier. The Bowling and Concrete totals continue to increase even after finishing a bowling game or playing Concrete Multiball, so it's possible for the bonus to count more than 10 frames or more than 8 letters. Bonus is very valuable if you get the multiplier high. There is no hold bonus multiplier or mid-ball bonus collect.
The manual indicates the in competition/novelty play, specials score 1,000,000 points, but I'm not even aware of a way to earn the special, let alone know if this value is correct. There does not seem to be a points option for extra balls.
The Drain Save timer on the out lanes can be set to 0-15 seconds (default 5).
The percentage of the time that the Bedrock Derby will be chosen as the Bronto Mystery award can be set by the operator to anywhere between 10% and 80% (default 40%).
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