The Incredible Hulk (1979)


Quick strategy synopsis

Most scoring in this game is from bonus, but building bonus- and especially getting bonus multiplier- is very finicky. Go through a lit top lane to instantly advance to its bonus multiplier- 10-point switches change which one is lit, but the game will never light a bonus X lower than the one you have. Build bonus at the drop targets until 1-2-3 is completed, then pivot to spinner all day. 1-2-3 also lights the right side lane for extra ball. When bonus is maxed at 20,000, try to collect it from the kickbacks where the slingshots would normally be, no matter what bonus X you have.


Shots and table features

Top lanes

All four top lanes score 500 points and a bonus advance, and instantly award the lit bonus multiplier if they are indeed lit. 10-point switch hits rotate which lane is lit, but the game will never light a bonus multiplier lower than the one you have, so eventually you'll make bonus multiplier progress through enough shots to the top of the table. First goal on a ball should always be to do just that: take shots to the top of the table through the spinner or ricochets off the drop targets until you earn 5x bonus.

Drop target 7-bank

Each target down scores 3,000 points and a bonus advance. All targets down scores an additional 5,000 points, collects the C in A-B-C, and resets the bank.

Spinner

Scores 100 points per spin when not lit, or 1,000 points plus a bonus advance per spin (!) when lit. Spinner is lit for the rest of the ball by collecting the 1-2-3 targets.

1-2-3 targets

The 1 and 2 targets are on the left, while the 3 is in the middle right. The targets start lit. Hitting a lit target scores 5,000 points and a bonus advance, and unlights that target. Hitting an unlit target scores 500 points and a bonus advance. Unlighting all of 1-2-3 lights the spinner for the rest of the ball and lights the right side lane one time.

Right side lane

Always scores 1 bonus advance. Also awards 500 points when not lit, or 10,000 points plus an extra ball when lit. This lane is lit one time per ball upon completion of the 1-2-3 numbers.

Center star rollovers

Always score 1,000 points and a bonus advance.

Bottom of the table

The Incredible Hulk has a conventional in/out lane setup...but the slingshots are like nothing seen anywhere else in pinball. The inward facing sides of the "slingshots" are just passive switches behind rubbers that score 10 points each. The body of the slingshot itself is a kickback lane that is entered from above and fires the ball straight back up. If the base bonus is not maxed at 20,000 points, these kickback lanes score a bonus advance plus 5,000 points (if the A or B is lit, meaning that kickback has not been used this ball) or 500 points (otherwise). If the base bonus is maxed out, both kickbacks are lit for a bonus collect, which scores the entire bonus including multiplier before resetting the base bonus (but leaving the multiplier where it was). Always try to go for a bonus collect if it's available, but that's easier said than done since the collects can only be nudged or lucked into rather than shot.
Out lanes always score 10,000 points. In lanes score 500 points and a bonus advance, or 5,000 points plus a special when lit. Both in lanes are lit simultaneously upon completing A-B-C, which is earned by using both kickbacks once and completing the 7-bank of drop targets. Collecting an in lane special then lights the out lane on the same side for another special.

Bonus and bonus multiplier

Bonus multiplier is advanced directly to the lit value by going through a lit top lane. 10-point switches rotate which top lane is lit, but the game will never light a top lane with bonus multiplier equal to or lower than the currently collected one. Bonus is advanced by any lane (except the out lanes) or target, or by each spin of a lit spinner. Max bonus is 5x 20,000 = 100,000 points. Bonus can be collected mid-ball as described in the previous section. Bonus count and bonus multiplier can never be carried from ball to ball.

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