Spinners all day is a good way to play. From the top of the table you'll eventually need all 4 top lanes to work toward bonus, as well as the A and B targets near the bumpers to light the spinners for 1,000 points per spin. Bonus gets really big if you complete sets of 1-9 numbers; two of these are on the in lanes, where the ball doesn't go very often, so you can really boost your score and make life easier if you can shatz/alley pass the in lanes to pick these off. Bonus multiplier is from lighting A-B-C-D once in a ball.
The top lanes have 1, 4, 6, and 9; the 5 is a standup target on the center of the table; 2 and 8 are standup targets in the lower sides of the table; 7 and 3 are the left and right in lanes. Whether lit or not, any of these lanes or targets score 300 points, and if they are lit, making that switch will unlight it and light the corresponding number in the center of the table.
Collecting 1, 4, 6, and 9 (the four top lane numbers) lights the top lanes for 5,000 points instead of 300. Also, when 1, 4, 6, and 9 are completed, the 4 and 6 lanes will alternate being lit with a yellow arrow on each 10-point switch hit. The 4 and 6 lanes, when lit with the arrow, spot the C and D from the in lanes at the bottom of the table.
Collecting the 1, 3, 7, and 9 from the two outer top lanes and the two in lanes lights one of the out lanes for 50,000 points, also alternating on 10-point switch hits.
Collecting all of the 1-9 numbers causes them all to come back on, and the super bonus lights advance. One completion of 1-9 is worth an 18,000 super bonus; the second completion increases this super bonus to 36,000; the third completion and anything after that scores an instant special. When the numbers reset, the top lanes will no longer be worth 5,000 points until 1-4-6-9 is collected again, but the yellow arrows that spot C or D at the top lanes will remain lit and the 50,000 point alternating out lane will remain lit. Progress on 1-9 numbers, including the number of completed sets of 1-9, is carried forward from ball to ball.
Standup targets in the upper left and upper right of the bumper area correspond to A and B respectively, while C and D are at the in lanes once again. The A and B targets, as well as the in lanes, always score 300 points. Unlike the numbers, A-B-C-D letters are unlit if they still need to be collected, and lit if already collected. Making A and B on a ball once lights one of the spinners for 1,000 points per spin; which one is lit alternates with 10-point switch hits. Making C and D on a ball once lights the bottommost bumper for 1,000 points instead of 100. Completing A-B-C-D once on a ball lights 3x bonus. Any further completions of A-B-C-D on a ball score a special.
A-B-C-D letters and completions are never carried from ball to ball, so you'll have to earn your lit spinner and your 3x bonus each time.
Score 10 points per spin, or 1,000 per spin when lit. Light one spinner by collecting A and B. It is impossible to light both spinners at once. 10-point switch hits alternate which spinner is lit. Know and learn to love the spinner shot on both sides of the table.
In addition to being the #5 in the set of 1-9, there is an extra ball feature available at the center target. Every so often, based on 10-point switch hits, this target will be lit for an extra ball. The possible settings for this are 1 in 10, 1 in 15, 1 in 20, or 1 in 25. I have been unable to conclusively determine whether these probabilities mean that after each switch hit, there is a 1 in 10 chance (e.g.) of the extra ball being lit, or if the extra ball will be available after every 10th switch hit.
Voltan Escapes Cosmic Doom has a conventional in/out lane setup. In lanes always score 300 points. The left in lane is where C and #7 are collected, and the right in lane is where D and #3 are collected. Out lanes score 1,000 points, unless the numbers 1-3-7-9 have all been collected at least once during the game, in which case one of the out lanes will be lit for 50,000 points, with the lit out lane alternating on 10-point switch hits.
Bonus is 2,000 points for each 1-9 number collected during the main game. 2 completions can be stored as super bonus. The only bonus multiplier is 3x, available from completing A-B-C-D once on a ball. Max bonus would be scored by completing 1-9 at least two times, then collecting exactly 8 numbers toward the next completion: this is worth 3x (36,000 super bonus + (8 lights on current board x 2,000 per light)) = 156,000 points. All collected 1-9 numbers are carried over from ball to ball, but bonus multiplier never carries over. There is no mid-ball bonus collect.
In competition/novelty play, extra balls score 25,000 points and specials score 50,000 points.
The numbers at the top lanes can be tied together. 1 and 9 can be combined, and 4 and 6 can be combined. The two settings are independent of each other, so it's possible to have just one of the two groupings, both, or neither. When two lanes are "tied together", collecting either of the two lanes will give credit for both.
The 50,000 point out lane reward for collecting 1-3-7-9 at least once in a game can be on both out lanes, rather than just lighting at one out lane and alternating.
The yellow arrows at the top lanes that can alternately spot the C or D letters from the in lanes can be set to be lit at the beginning of the game, rather than requiring the player to collect all four of 1-4-6-9 from the top lanes first.
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