This game has both solid state and electromechanical versions. This page describes the much more common solid state version. Details on the electromechanical version will be included at the end of this page in the future, as I have not been able to play or watch gameplay of the EM version to be able to write about the differences in detail.
Not to be confused with Solar City (Gottlieb, 1976) or Solar Fire (Williams, 1981).
Solar Ride is all about building bonus, then collecting it. From either left flipper, always shoot at the one-way gate in the top right of the game for 500 points and a super bonus advance (5 advances on 3-ball, 3 advances on 5-ball). From the right flipper, shoot the bonus collect saucer in the back left of the game if the base bonus and multiplier are high, or if the drop targets are all down; otherwise, aim to complete the drop targets. Lit top lanes, drop target completions, and the right in lane give bonus multipliers.
All four top lanes always score 500 points and a bonus advance.
If bonus is currently 1x, the leftmost lane will be lit for 2x bonus.
If bonus is currently 2x, the second lane from left will be lit for 3x bonus.
If bonus is currently 3x, the third lane from left will be lit for 4x bonus.
If bonus is 4x, the rightmost lane will be lit for 5x bonus.
If bonus ix 5x, no lanes are lit.
There is a gap to the right of the four top lanes that does not score anything and should be avoided on the plunge.
Always score 1,000 points in a 3 ball game, or 100 points in a 5 ball game.
Scores a full collect of the entire bonus, including multiplier. After the bonus has been collected, the base bonus will return to its initial level of 1,000 points, but the current multiplier will remain intact. For this reason, it's important to earn bonus multipliers early in a ball so that you can keep collecting multiplied bonuses throughout that ball at this saucer.
If all 5 drop targets are down, this saucer resets the drop target bank.
This gate scores 500 points and Extra Bonus, which is 5 bonus advances in a 3-ball game or 3 bonus advances in a 5-ball game. The gate leads back to the shooter lane for a replunge, allowing the possibility of getting back to the top lanes and earning another bonus multiplier. The switch on the gate can be quite sensitive, so it may be possible for a ball to touch the gate and register the 5 bonus advances but then stay on the playfield and return to the flippers instead of falling into the shooter lane.
Always score 500 points and a bonus advance.
Each target down scores 500 points and a bonus advance. Completing the bank increases the bonus multiplier. The drop targets do not automatically reset when completed; they must be reset by putting the ball in one of the game's two saucers once all 5 are knocked down.
If the four white targets are hit but the red target in the center is left standing, that red target will be lit for a Special.
Scores 5,000 points and an Extra Bonus. Also resets the drop targets if all 5 are currently down. This saucer is supposed to kick the ball to the lower left flipper, but if the kickout is weak, it may flop the ball into the center drain. Misses to this saucer can also be quite dangerous, so it's not recommended to shoot for.
On the left, there is no in lane, with a double flipper structure instead. It is possible to drain between the two flippers. The out lane scores 500 points and an Extra Bonus.
The right side of the table bottom is a conventional setup, but notice that the top of the slingshot is much, much higher than the in/out lane separator. It's difficult to make the in lane from above, and for good reason: it's worth 500 points and a bonus multiplier, plus it also gives an extra ball if the current base bonus count is 5,000, 10,000, or 15,000 points. Luckily, the right in lane can be shatzed/alley passed with the lower left flipper if you're brave, but do be aware of an up-and-over drain since the in lane divider is so much lower than the slingshot. The right out lane also scores 500 points and an Extra Bonus.
Bonus is advanced 1 time by top lanes, drop targets, and star rollovers. Extra Bonus, worth 5 advances in a 3-ball game and 3 advances in a 5-ball game, is earned at the one-way gate in the upper right, the right saucer, and the two out lanes. Bonus multipliers are awarded at lit top lanes, completing the drop targets, or going through the right in lane. Max bonus is 5x 20,000 = 100,000 points. The right in lane is lit for extra ball when the base bonus is at 5,000, 10,000, or 15,000. The upper left saucer collects the entire bonus including multiplier, but resets the base bonus back to 1,000 points when it's done (multiplier is left where it is). There is no way to carry base bonus or multiplier over from ball to ball.
This section is under construction and features a lot of uncertainties, thanks to my not having played this version before and there seemingly being no videos of gameplay of it online. Only 365 copies of the EM version were made, compared to 8,800 of the solid state version.
There is no bonus collect or bonus multiplier. In its place is the "star value", worth 1,000 points and a bonus advance times the currently lit number. Judging by the wording on the instruction card, it seems that the star value constantly scans between the numbers 1 through 5, and anything lit for Star Value collects it. The out lanes, right in lane, and top lanes all give the Star Value when lit, presumably alternating with pop bumper hits in some fashion, while the one way gate always scores the star value. In and out lanes give 500 points and one bonus advance when not lit.
The two saucers still reset the drop targets when all 5 have been knocked down, but the left saucer does not collect the bonus, and the right saucer does not give an extra bonus- in their place is "5,000 or score 10,000 bonus when lit". I am not sure whether these collect 10,000 points of your bonus, or are just an increased award of 10,000 whenever the bonus or star value have reached a certain level.
According to the instruction card, advancing the bonus once past 15,000 will immediately increase it to 20,000, with no steps at 16,000, 17,000, 18,000, or 19,000.
The two outer bumpers always score 100 points. Only the center bumper has the changing value of 1,000 points in a 3-ball game or 100 points in a 5-ball game.
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