Try to land in the saucer whenever it is lit for double or triple bonus. The rubbers on either side of the top funnel as well as any standup target advance the bonus and move the wheel arrow. The bonus is not an end of ball bonus, it must be collected at the saucer, so beware.
The Big Wheel rotates one position every time a target labelled Advance Bonus is hit. The Wheel has ten positions:
Whenever the bonus is collected, it is reset back to 1,000 points to be built again. The max bonus is 10,000 points.
A quick stack of points can be earned by hitting the rubbers at the top of the table exactly enough times to move the wheel to a bonus collect, than landing in the saucer, all on the plunge.
The center saucer is finicky. Direct shots up the middle of the table are frequently too powerful to settle in the saucer directly, and a ball coming down through the center of the table can rim out of the saucer as well. Nevertheless, shoot for the center saucer, as making it almost always gives good rewards, especially so if the wheel is on double or triple bonus.
The bonus is not collected at the end of the ball in any way, and is reset to 1,000 points for the next player or ball when the current ball drains.
The red bumper in the center is always lit and always scores 100 points. All other bumpers score 10 points, or 100 when lit.
The upper left and lower right bumpers are yellow, and are lit by the standup target in the far upper left of the game. The lower left and upper right bumpers are green, and are lit by the upper right standup target. Remember that both On Bumpers standup targets also advance the bonus.
Both lanes score 1,000 points, or 5,000 points when lit/when their corresponding gate is open. Gates are opened as wheel awards only. The left gate sends the ball to the right toward the center of the playfield; this can be a little dangerous if the center post is not raised, as it can lead to center drains. The right gate directs the ball to the shooter lane for a replunge. All gates close after being used once, and must be reopened with another wheel award to be used again.
When the gates are not open, the left side lane makes the ball fall toward the left out lane. There should be a pin or post along the left side of the game that the ball can be nudged off of to save it and push it back into play.
The right side lane has no such risk, as there is a curved metal that guarantees the ball will be moved back into play instead of risking falling into the out lane just below.
There are no in lanes on Stardust: just out lanes, slingshots, flippers, and a center post that pops up between the flippers to prevent center drains.
The left out lane always scores 1,000 points. The right out lane scores 1,000 points, or 5,000 points when lit/when the gate is open. The open right out lane gate, referred to as the Bottom Gate by the game, directs the ball back into the shooter lane for a replunge, and closes upon use.
There is a center post between the flippers that blocks the entire center drain when raised. The post is raised by hitting either of the two Advance Bonus standup targets positioned tot he sides of the center saucer. The post is lowered with the small rollover buttons to the left and right of the big wheel, or when the ball is drained.
Remember once more that the score feature labelled Bonus is not actually an end of ball bonus! It can only be collected at a saucer when the wheel is pointing to one of the Bonus values. Built up bonus is lost when the ball drains, and collecting the bonus at a saucer also resets the value to 1,000 points.
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