Monster Bash is all about stacking modes. Starting each mode typically takes between 3 and 7 shots to a certain feature. Modes are timed, so try to start a handful of them all at once, but leave Frankenstein Multiball or Mosh Pit Multiball for last, since modes can be carried into multiball and all timers pause when more than one ball is in play. The center shot with the spinner lights Mosh Pit Multiball and awards smart bombs. Start all 6 modes for mini-wizard mode, complete all 6 modes for full wizard mode.
One of the three top lanes that spell D-I-G will be flashing. The flashing lane can be moved in either direction with lane change. If the plunged ball goes through this lane, you score 100,000 points and a random monster weapon. Subsequent skill shots score 50,000 more than the previous. If there is a maximum, it is at least 250,000.
Completing D-I-G increases the bonus multiplier by 1x and increases the pop bumper value by 1,500 points (they start at 10,000 at the beginning of the game). If there is a maximum point value for the bumpers, it is at least 25,000 per hit. The maximum bonus multiplier is 250x.
Each monster has a playfield feature and a mode. Shooting a monster's feature enough times, typically to complete a selection of lights somewhere on the playfield, starts that monster's mode, and lights that monster's face on the playfield. All six monster modes can be completed in some way; doing so lights the instrument on the playfield corresponding to that monster. Collecting the 6 monsters by starting all of their modes lights the scoop for Monster Bash, a mini wizard mode. Collecting all 6 instruments by completing all of their modes lights the scoop for Monsters of Rock, the full wizard mode.
In the order they are shown on the playfield from left to right, the monsters are:
Creature from the Black Lagoon: a small cave-like lane, somewhat detached from the rest of the playfield on the far left. Making the lane 4 times to finish the lights above the cave starts Creature Feature. During Creature Feature, the goal is to hit all 5 major shots in the game- both orbits, both ramps, and the center lane. You have 20 seconds to make a shot, and making any lit shot resets the timer. The first lit shot scores 1,000,000 points, and each additional lit shot score 1,000,000 more than the last, with the final shot being worth 5,000,000. Shooting the Creature's cave spots one of the remaining shots for you. Making all 5 lit shots awards the Creature's saxophone.
Bride of Frankenstein: corresponds to the two ramps. Each ramp needs three shots to complete: those three shots score 200,000, 225,000, and 250,000 each. Making a completed ramp scores 300,000. Compelting both ramps starts Ball and Chain, the Bride's mode. The goal in Ball and Chain is to complete both ramps again (three shots each) within 30 seconds. The timer does not reset when you make a ramp, but it can be reset up to 3 separate times by shooting the center spinner lane. Ramps score 1,000,000 points each during this mode, and the center spinner lane scores 500,000. Completing all three shots on both ramps within the time limit awards the Bride's microphone. The mode keeps going after the microphone is collected, though, with ramps worth 1,500,000 each until the timer runs out.
Frankenstein's Monster: the standup targets just left of center on the playfield. Shooting either target a total of 7 times causes the Frankenstein toy to tilt backwards and reveal a ramp; shooting this ramp starts Frankenstein Multiball. This is a three-ball multiball where the goal is to bash the Frankenstein toy 7 more times. Hitting the toy scores a 1,000,000 point super jackpot; all other shots in the game score a 400,000 point regular jackpot. Making two or three regular jackpots with no super jackpot in between will double or triple the next super jackpot respectively, increasing its value to 2,000,000 or 3,000,000 and counting has 2 or 3 separate super jackpots toward mode completion. Collecting a total of 7 super jackpots awards Frankenstein's keyboard. If the multiball ends without collecting the keyboard, the ramp behind Frankenstein will still be available for 15 seconds; shoot this to start Last Chance, a single-ball mode with all the other rules of Frankenstein Multiball that ends once the keyboard is collected or once 15 seconds pass without hitting Frankenstein himself.
Since all timers stop during any multiball on this game, and since other modes can be brought into multiball but not started during multiball, always try to start Frankenstein last so that everything is in play for high value for as long as possible.
Mummy Mayhem: is started at the scoop, and is lit by hitting a total of 60 pop bumpers. The goal of Mummy Mayhem is simply to score 7,500,000 points within 45 seconds. During Mummy Mayhem, all major shots in the game (Creature, both loops, both ramps, and the center lane) score a Mummy Jackpot that is worth 500,000 points plus an additional 50,000 points for each switch hit since the last Mummy Jackpot was recorded. Collecting 7,500,000 points lights the Mummy's bass guitar, and gives an award equal to 250,000 points times the number of seconds left on the clock when you reached the scoring threshold. Each time Mummy Mayhem is completed, the next trip to Mummy Mayhem will require 10 more pop bumper hits to light, and 500,000 more points to complete.
The Wolfman: corresponds to the loops. Shooting either loop advances the moon phase through Quarter, Half, Three Quarter, and Full Moon. That fourth shot which awards Full Moon starts Full Moon Fever, the Wolfman's mode. Full Moon Fever is a true hurry-up, where each shot starts at an increasing value (1 million, then 2, then 3, then 4) and counts down until it is hit. The value will go as low as 250,000, then stay there for a few seconds, then time out and end the mode. Collecting all 4 hurry-ups awards the Wolfman's drum kit.
Take note: when Full Moon Fever is not running, shots to either orbit will be diverted into the pop bumpers, but if Fever is running, shots will go all the way around the back of the game and must come down the opposite orbit to count (unless Mummy Mayhem is running, in which case the ball will go into the pops anyway but orbit credits are still given).
Dracula: the right side standup targets. Hitting either one spots a letter in Dracula, and completing the word lights Drac-Attack at the scoop. Completing Dracula again before starting the mode at the scoop awards a garlic clove, which is Dracula's weapon. During Drac-Attack, a Dracula toy will slide around the right side of the playfield in an arc. The goal is to hit Dracula a total of 5 times. Hits to Dracula score 1,250,000 points if Dracula is not moving, or 2,500,000 if he is moving. 5 hits to Dracula lights his lead guitar.
Lighting 3 monsters by starting their modes lights an extra ball at the scoop. Lighting 4 instruments by completing their modes will light the out lanes alternately for a special.
Each of the six monsters has their own Weapon, which can be collected either at the skill shot or by making the center lane a multiple of 3 times. Weapons are used during their modes by pressing the Launch button. The Weapons act like smart bombs, and spot one shot toward completing that mode. If you have Weapons for multiple monsters whose modes are running concurrently, the used Weapon will be whichever monster is closer to completing their mode. The weapons are:
The center spinner scores points (I haven't figured out exactly how many, seems to be variable). During single ball play when no mode is running, a shot up the center lane that goes around the back of the game and down the left orbit scores one Mosh Pit. The 6th Mosh Pit, and every 18th after that (24th, 42nd, 60th, etc), lights the scoop for Mosh Pit Multiball. The 12th and 30th Mosh Pits light the scoop for extra ball. All other multiples of 3 Mosh Pits award a random monster weapon. It is quite a bit easier to shoot this lane from the right flipper.
Mosh Pit Multiball is started at the scoop. Initially, it is a 2-ball multiball, with a jackpot that starts at 750,000 points. Any switch in the game (except the pop bumpers?) increases the mosh pit jackpot by 5,000 points. Any major shot in the game (both orbits, both ramps, Creature, center mosh pit lane) scores the mosh pit jackpot, but does not reset its value, unlike the Mummy Jackpot. The center mosh pit lane also adds a ball to the multiball on each of the first two hits, making mosh pit effectively a 4-ball mode. During Mosh Pit Multiball, the ramp behind Frankenstein's monster is revealed. Shooting it 10 times scores a super jackpot worth 10x the current mosh jackpot value. Then, the targets will raise, and hitting them a further 5 times scores a second super jackpot, this time worth only 3x the current mosh jackpot. These super jackpots alternate in their availability for the duration of the multiball.
A semi-obscured standup between the center lane and the scoop. Most attempts to shoot the center lane with the left flipper end up here. It's a rather dangerous target that sends the ball back at the flippers quite quickly. The target scores +1 bonus multiplier and 10x the current pop bumper value, but does not actually spot 10 bumpers toward the next Mummy Mayhem.
Hitting any of the blue targets on either side of the left ramp or on either side of Frankenstein's shot awards a letter in the word Phantom. Spelling Phantom lights two phantom flips, which alternate between the in lanes and can be moved with either flipper lane change. If a ball goes through a lit in lane, the game will take control of that flipper and flip for you, aiming at whatever shot on the opposite side of the table it thinks you need the most. Supposedly, the game adjusts the timing of Phantom Flip after missed shots to calibrate to specific machines, but even with this, it tends to brick shots and put balls out of contorl more often than not.
No matter what it's lit for, the scoop awards a Concert Hall before anything else. This is a minor mystery award that comes alongside the name of a real-life concert venue, typically altered a bit to make a horror themed pun. The most common awards are 50,000 points, 75,000 points, 100,000 points, one of the monster weapons, advance a monster (toward mode start), or Hold Bonus X. However, the scoop can also give Light Extra Ball if the first two balls were particularly short in length, or it can start one of the monster modes for you (most often done when 5 monsters or 5 instruments have been collected).
The 44th scoop shot will always award Lyman's Lament. This is a secret easter egg mode that lasts for the remainder of the ball: you get +25 bonus X, the value of each switch in the game toward bonus is increased to 2,500, and Lyman Sheats himself (the game's software designer) will comment and taunt you on your ball.
The scoop can also be lit for Start Mummy Mayhem, Start Drac-Attack, Extra Ball, Monster Bash, and Monsters of Rock.
Lit at the scoop by playing, but not completing, all 6 monsters' modes. This is more similar to Total Annihilation in Attack From Mars or Royal Madness from Medieval Madness than a true wizard mode. It's a 4-ball multiball with a fairly long ball save. Any monster's shot scores 2,000,000 points. The center mosh pit shot scores a Bash Jackpot of 2,000,000 points plus an additional 500,000 points for every monster shot hit since the last Bash Jackpot, up to a maximum of 7,500,000 points.
This is lit at the scoop by collecting all 6 of the monsters' instruments (completing all of their modes). Just starting Monsters of Rock gives a mega bonus of 5,000,000 points per instrument collected over the entire game so far (including duplicates) plus 25,000,000 points for each completed set of instruments earned to that point. This means that Monsters of Rock is guaranteed to have a 55,000,000 startup bonus the first time, 110,000,000 startup bonus the second time, etc. On top of all of that, if you're playing Monsters of Rock without ever having started Monster Bash (usually done by completing all 6 modes the first time through, and not having Mummy or Dracula be the last one), you get an additional 50,000,000 points Rock-before-Bash bonus.
During the multiball itself, all monster shots score 4,000,000 points each. Bashing any monster lights their face on the playfield. Making a complete set by bashing all 6 monsters at least once scores a Monsters of Rock collection bonus of 4,000,000 points for each monster shot hit since the last collection bonus. The center mosh pit lane scores and spots a monster toward the collection bonus for you. A good Monsters of Rock should score several hundred million points.
Modes can be brought into Monster Bash, the mini wizard mode. If modes are completed during Bash that give the player a complete instrument set, Rock will immediately start, with all the benefits therein, including restarting the 4-ball multiball and firing up a new ball save. Modes cannot be brought into Monsters of Rock.
Monster Bash has a conventional in/out lane setup. The out lanes are lit alternately for a special after collecting 4 monster instruments. The in lanes are lit alternately via lane change after spelling Phantom to light Phantom Flip as described above.
Base bonus is equal to 50,000 points, plus an additional 370 points for every switch hit over the course of the entire ball (unless Lyman's Lament is started, in which case switch hits after Lament starts at 2,500 to the bonus instead of 370). I am not aware of a maximum base bonus count. Bonus is not carried over from ball to ball.
Bonus multiplier is advanced by 1 for each completion of the D-I-G lanes and each hit to the Tomb Treasure target. It is also advanced by 25 by starting Lyman's Lament. Max bonus multiplier is 250x. Bonus multiplier is not carried over from ball to ball unless a Hold Bonus X was collected from a mystery concert hall.
Extra balls and specials cannot be set to have a point value for competition/novelty play.
The length of the ball save, and how many times the ball save can be used over the course of a game before it does not come on anymore, can be set individually.
The timer for all monster modes except Wolfman can be set. Most modes have a range of 20-40 or 30-60 seconds on their time limits.
The game can start with some Dracula letters (default 3) or some Frankenstein body parts (default off) lit to make it easier to collect those instruments the first time.
The extra balls available from the mosh pit lane can be set to 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, or off for the first, and 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, or off for the second.
The number of monsters or instruments needed to light the extra ball or special can each be set to anywhere from 1-6.
Phantom Flip can be set to have a short ball save activate whenever the Phantom Flip fires, or alternatively, the whole phantom feature can be disabled outright.
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