There are two main strategies on Tommy.
Option 1 is Union Jack: shoot either orbit to light the left or right scoop for a Union Jack mode, then start it. There are 13 modes in all; even if a mode is running, you can still light and start a new mode, unless the already-running mode is or can be a multiball.
Option 2 is Multiball: hit the Mirror with the upper flipper until Tommy is spelled, then shoot the hole behind the lowered mirror, then follow directions on the DMD to work through the jackpot sequence (requires being able to hit both the left and side ramps, and the Tommy mirror shot).
The skill shot is a precise-power plunge to the Skill Shot hole in the back right of the game. At first, the skill shot is worth 10,000,000 points. Making the skill shot increases the award for the next ball by 5,000,000, up to a maximum of 50,000,000. The skill shot is also increased when the ball leads in this hole during normal play (such as from a weak orbit shot), but the value is only given if the hole is made immediately off the plunge.
If you overshoot, there are two possible pseudo-skill shots available: the side ramp shot from the upper flipper scores 10,000,000 points immediately off the plunge, or if Multiball is lit at the Tommy hole, starting Multiball off the plunge scores a One way combo worth 5,000,000 points.
Listed on the Union Jack are 13 different modes to play. The mode currently queued up will be flashing; bumper hits or hits to the Silver Ball target in the back center of the game rotate which mode is flashing. Lit modes have been played already, and cannot be played again until the Union Jack is completed. To start a mode, shoot the left or right scoops when Union Jack is lit. To light Union Jack, shoot either orbit. Union Jack can still be lit, and a mode can still be started, while another mode is running, unless that running mode is/can be a multiball. The Union Jack modes are:
The multiball modes are Cousin Kevin, Smash the Mirror, and Tommy Scoring. These all end when single ball play resumes; while they are running, the orbit shots do not light Union Jack, and no new modes can be started.
The target in the center of the game that is situated near the right scoop and faces directly left is the More Time target. During a mode with a conventional timer (Christmas, Cousin Kevin, Silver Ball, Fiddle About, There's a Doctor, and Sally Simpson), this target can be used one time to reset the mode timer back to the full 20 seconds.
Playing all 12 standard Union Jack modes qualifies Pinball Wizard, the game's wizard mode. It is started the same way as all other modes. Pinball Wizard is a 6-ball multiball. The blinder blocking view of the flippers is on for this entire multiball. Every switch in the game scores 1,000,000 points. Make 25 switch hits to score the W in Wizard and 20,000,000 points. Subsequent letters in Wizard require 25 more hits than the previous, but score 10,000,000 more points than the previous. Collecting a letter also adds a ball to the playfield if there are less than 6 balls in play. Spelling Wizard simply resets the sequence. The mode continues until all but one ball is lost, with the Union Jack wiped clean to be worked through again.
Hit the Mirror from the upper flipper to score a letter in Tommy. (If no multiball has been played yet, simply plunging the ball spots 2 letters.) Spell Tommy to light multiball at the hole behind the Mirror or the left scoop. Tommy Multiball starts with 4 balls if it is started at the hole behind the Mirror, or 3 balls if it is started at the left scoop. The multiball sequence is as follows:
If multiball ends and no jackpots have been collected by that player in the game so far, then at the end of multiball, the hole behind the Mirror or the left scoop can be shot within 15 seconds to earn a 2-ball multiball restart. Jackpots still add-a-ball, so there isn't a large penalty for needing to do this.
After the first multiball is played, the plunge will no longer spot Tommy letters, and multiball can no longer be started or restarted at the left scoop- behind the mirror only.
These targets have their own scoring feature outside of the Silver Ball Union Jack mode. Hit a white target to make it flash. Hit a flashing white target to light it. Light all 3 white targets to light the Silver Ball target for 20,000,000 points. Hit the Silver Ball target when it is not lit to spot a hit to one of the white targets. A shot that deflects off the Silver Ball target and into the Mirror hole to start Multiball earns the Sigma Bonus worth 10,000,000 points.
This is a mode qualified by making enough left ramp shots outside of modes, and is separate from the Captain Walker Union Jack video mode. The first Captain Walker requires 5 left ramp hits, and successive Captain Walkers each require 1 more ramp hit than the previous one did. Captain Walker is a 20-second mode. The left ramp drops a bomb that scores 5,000,000 points. The side ramp drops a 10,000,000 point big bomb. The spinner value is set to 100,000 points, but increases by 100,000 every 10 spins up to a maximum of 1,000,000. The More time target does reset the timer.
The Genius lane is between the left ramp and the Silver Ball target. Each shot to the Genius lane scores one letter. Spell OK for 5,000,000, then WOW for 10,000,000, then GOOD for 15,000,000, then SUPER for 20,000,000, then GENIUS for 25,000,000. GENIUS can be spelled multiple times to recollect the 25,000,000. Spelling GOOD also scores an extra ball, and spelling GENIUS the first time lights the out lanes for a special. Letters toward these words can only be picked up when a mode is not running.
Mystery is qualified at the Genius lane by making enough right ramp shots. The first mystery is lit at 2 right ramps, and each subsequent mystery requires one more right ramp than the previous one did. Possible mystery awards include:
Whenever the captive ball is hit while a captive-ball-centric mode is not running, the bonus multiplier is advanced up to the maximum of 7x.
The spinners in the two orbits start at 25,000 points per spin. Completing one of the two banks of standup targets in the lower playfield increases the spinner value by 25,000 points. Completing a lower standup bank also scores 5,000,000 the first time and increases by 5,000,000 on subsequent times up to a maximum of 20,000,000. The completion bonus resets between balls, but the spinner value does not. The spinner value maxes out at 1,000,000 per spin.
Unlit left scoop shots will spot lower left targets, and captive ball shots will spot lower right targets.
Going through an in lane and then immediately hitting the opposite spinner scores 2x spin value, up to a maximum of 2,000,000 per spin.
Making either orbit shot lights the Union Jack mode start at either scoop unless a multiball Union Jack mode is running. Consecutive shots to the same orbit (within about 10 seconds of the last one) score 1,000,000, then 2,000,000, then 3,000,000, then 4,000,000, then Super Loops, where all orbit shots are worth 5,000,000 points for the rest of the game.
Tommy has a conventional in/out lane setup. There is no kickback, center post, magna save, etc. The out lanes can be lit for a special after completing GENIUS or from a Mystery award. The in lanes temporarily double the per-spin value of the opposite spinner if shot right away.
During Tommy Scoring and Pinball Wizard modes, as well as during Tommy Multiball after collecting a super jackpot, a blinder will pop out of the apron of the table to block the player's view of the flippers temporarily as an added challenge. The blinder automatically retracts when those features end (they're all multiballs, so it goes away as soon as the game knows there's only one ball in play).
End of ball bonus is scored as 100,000 points per left ramp hit in the game so far, plus 200,000 points per right ramp hit over the course of the game, plus 600,000 points per Union Jack mode started. All of this is multiplied by the bonus multiplier, which is advanced at the right captive ball ro can be maxed out by the mystery award. Bonus tends to be relatively minimal unless the multiplier is very high. Bonus multiplier can never be carried from ball to ball, and there is no mid-ball bonus collect.
The PAPA/Replay Foundation website's guide for Tommy, written by Dave Stewart, says that if extra balls are off, collecting one scores 25,000,000 points, but I have not been able to verify this and the game manual does not list a possible point value for extra balls and specials.
The number of ramps made in the game so far (as it affects the end of ball bonus) can be reset between balls.
To play a full game of Tommy with the blinder always on as a fun challenge, hold the Buy-In button while pressing start. There is an alternate leaderboard for scores achieved while playing in this "Tommy Shield mode".
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