Not to be confused with Stars Phoenix or New Stars Phoenix (both by Zaccaria, 1987).
Make your way to the top of the table through the spinner to complete 1-5 numbers, which advance bonus and spot letters in Phoenix. Completing either 4-bank of drop targets advances bonus multiplier. Advancing the Phoenix letters to E lights an extra ball, I lights the out lane special, and X lights the target special.
Lighting all 5 numbers advances the Phoenix spelling. There is no lane change to assist with collecting numbers, but luckily, all the numbers can be lit in more than one way. The 1 and 5 top lanes are tied together; going through either lane collects both. The 2 can also be collected at the left in lane; going through either of these lanes raises the center A drop target, explained later. The 3 can also be collected at either yellow pad target near the flippers. The 4 can also be collected at the right in lane; either method of getting the 4 will raise the B center target if it is down.
All 1-5 top lanes also score 1,000 points and a bonus advance.
Above and to the outside of the two upper bumpers is a yellow standup target. Both of these targets score 1,000 points, advance the bonus, and light the 3 in 1-5 if it is not already lit. It is fairly common to hit this target multiple times and get multiple bonus advances from getting stuck between one of these targets and a bumper.
Despite looking the same, the pop bumpers have different values. The two upper pop bumpers score 10 points while the lower one scores 100.
Scores 100 points per spin, or 1,000 per spin when lit. The spinner is only lit when the base bonus count is between 10,000 and 19,000, inclusive. This is going to be a go-to shot for most of the game until the Phoenix letters and base bonus have been advanced a good amount, but take extra advantage of the spinner for the short time it is lit.
A very narrow shot with a relatively high drain risk. Hitting it always scores a bonus advance. If no letters are lit, the target scores 5,000 points. If any letters are lit, the score is equal to the highest value on any lit letter: this is 10,000 for P and H, 20,000 for O and E, 30,000 for N and I, and 40,000 for the X.
Lighting the E in Phoenix, which typically takes 3 completions of 1-2-3-4-5 since the P and H light together, will light this target for an extra ball. When the X is lit, hitting this target scores a special and unlights the X; if 1-2-3-4-5 is completed again at this point, the X relights, and the special can be collected once more.
Note that the status of the uppermost left side drop target can affect the feed out of this lane. Pay attention to whether this target is up or down and adjust your approach to getting the feed under control accordingly.
Each target down scores 1,000 points. Completing either bank of targets scores 1 bonus advance, increases the bonus multiplier, and immediately resets that bank.
Each target down scores 10,000 (!) points and a bonus advance. However, these targets never raise up on their own, even between balls or players. They can only be raised by going through the 2 top lane or left in lane (for the A target), or the 4 top lane or right in lane (for the B target).
A good hit to these targets will often ricochet into the side drop targets, helping kill two birds with one stone.
Bonus is advanced by any top lane, any in/out lane, any standup target, the A and B drop targets, or by completing either side bank of drop targets. Max base bonus is 29,000 points. The spinner is only lit when the base bonus is between 10,000 and 19,000 inclusive.
Bonus multiplier is advanced by completing either side 4-bank of drop targets, in the order of 2x-3x-4x-5x. Max bonus is 5x 29,000 = 145,000 points. Neither the base bonus nor the multiplier can ever be carried from ball to ball.
Phoenix has a conventional in/out lane setup. All in and out lanes score 1,000 points and advance the bonus. The out lanes are lit alternately for a special once the letter I in Phoenix is collected. The left in lane lights the number 2 and raises the A center drop target if necessary; the right in lane does the same for the number 4 and the B center drop target.
Progress on 1-2-3-4-5 and Phoenix letters is held from ball to ball. Bonus and bonus multiplier are not carried over. At the beginning of each game and ball, both side banks ofr drop targets will reset, but the center drop targets can only be reset by appropriate lanes. These features are not able to be changed by settings.
Special can be set to free game, extra ball, or 50,000 points. Extra ball can only be turned on or off, no option for points.
By default, the P and H in Phoenix are awarded together after one completion of 1-2-3-4-5. These can be separated, so four completions of 1-2-3-4-5 are required for the extra ball instead of three, and so on for the out lane special and target special. However, if extra balls are off, as would be the case in most tournaments, the P and H *must* be given together.
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