Both of these are single player EM games. Skylab is a replay game adjustable to add-a-ball, while Spacelab is add-a-ball only. There are actually two versions of Spacelab: the "low-scoring" and "high-scoring" versions. Differences are addressed throughout the guide as they are relevant.
Hit the side walls to spell Skylab for two bonus advances. Lit in lanes and top lanes also advance bonus. In the captive ball structure, transferring all 5 balls to the lit side scores a special, which can be worth points as well as extra balls or specials.
Unlit lane scores 100 points. Lit lane scores 1,000 points and a bonus advance. Which of the two lanes is lit alternates with the orange Change rollover buttons midway up the playfield.
On the high-scoring Skylab, lit lane scores 10,000 points.
Hitting a side wall scores 1,000 points and unlights the nearby Skylab letter. Putting out all six lights will relight the Skylab letters and score two bonus advance.
There are 5 captive pinballs in a U-shaped lane. Hit one side to knock one ball to the other side. This scores 100 points at first. If you get all 5 balls onto the side lit for Rocket Special, you earn a special (free game, extra ball, or 10,000 points) and any captive ball knocked from one side to the other will score 1,000 points for the rest of that ball.
On the high-scoring version of Spacelab, these points are multiplied by 10. Transfers are initially worth 1,000, which increases to 10,000 when the special is collect, and the point value for the special is 100,000. Also, only on this version collecting the rocket special lights Double Bonus on any ball, whereas on other versions of the game, double bonus is only available on the final ball and is never given as a skill award.
Skylab and Spacelab have a conventional in/out lane setup. In lanes score 100 points, or 1,000 and a bonus advance when lit, alternating via the Change rollover buttons. Out lanes score 1,000 points, and are lit for special by maxing out the end of ball bonus. These point values are all multiplied by 10 on high-scoring Spacelab.
Bonus is advanced by lit top lanes or lit in lanes. Completing the Skylab letters awards two bonus advances. Each bonus advance is worth 30,000 points on high-scoring Spacelab, and 3,000 points on all other vrsions. Max bonus is 24,000 or 240,000 points. Double bonus is awarded for free on the final ball of the game on all versions, but can be lit on other balls on high-scoring Spacelab only by collecting a rocket special. Advancing the bonus to the E on easy settings or B on hard settings (15,000/150,000 and 24,000/240,000 respectively) lights the out lanes for Space Lab Special.
Extra balls cannot be set to have a point value. On Skylab, all specials score a free game, an extra ball, or 10,000 points. On low-scoring Spacelab, specials score an extra ball or 10,000 points. On high-scoring Spacelab, the Rocket Special scores double bonus plus either an extra ball or 100,000 points, and the Space Lab Special scores either an extra ball or 500,000 points.
Skylab and both versions of Spacelab have only a 5-digit score display. On Skylab and low-scoring Spacelab, the max displayable score is 199,990 thanks to a single 100,000 light. On high-scoring Spacelab, silkscreened numbers in the backglass make it possible to count score as high as 1,999,990.
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