Williams SS Recreation FP Monster Bash (Williams, 1998) v0.7Beta

Monster Bash Rulesheet v1.40

© 1998-1999 Matt Magnasco
5/23/99

Shameless plugs: My web page: http://teriyaki.resnet.gatech.edu/matt My pinball page: http://teriyaki.resnet.gatech.edu/matt/pinball.shtml This rulesheet: http://teriyaki.resnet.gatech.edu/matt/texts/pinball/ monsterbash.txt http://www.fiendation.com/things/monsterbash.txt Email: matt@teriyaki.resnet.gatech.edu

I. INTRODUCTION

1.1: Monster Bash is George Gomez' newest pinball creation. It is also the next-to-last WPC (Williams Pinball Controller) game Williams will produce, as after their next game Cactus Canyon, Williams will introduce to the world "Pinball 2000" (P2K), whose changes are as yet unknown to people outside of Williams. This is also a licensed game, as Williams licensed some of Universal Pictures' most famous monsters. Monster Bash is a fairly simple game, presumably designed for someone other than us wizards. :)

1.2: Design Credits:

Design: George Gomez
Software: Lyman Sheats
Music: Vince Pontarelli
Art: Kevin O'Connor
Mech. Engrg.: Chris Shipman
© 1998 Williams Electronics Games.
Email: monsters@wms.com
Web Site: www.pinball.com/games/bash
Pictures: members.aol.com/JOCKOPILOT/monsterbash.html
1.3: Credits for helping with the rule sheet:

Mark Phaedrus phaedrus@halcyon.com
Greg Dunlap gdd@tezcat.com
Chris Heckman checkman@math.gatech.edu
Ad Jonker adjo@bart.nl
??? psu19257@odin.cc.pdx.edu
1.4: Objective:

To collect the 6 monsters' instruments and show the world the scariest band since KISS.

1.5: The Monsters:

(in no particular order)

Creature from the Black Lagoon
The Wolfman
Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein [not to be confused with Bride of Pinbot. :) ]
Dracula
The Mummy
II. PLAYFIELD LAYOUT

Yet another game built on the AFM playfield layout. If you were good at the shots in AFM and Medieval Madness, you shouldn't have too many problems here. Call me cynical, but as far as I can tell, George just took the drawings for AFM, made a few cosmetic changes, and spat out AFM 3. Several posters on r.g.p. have expressed that Monster Bash feels like a Brian Eddy game (designer of AFM and MM), so my conclusion that MB is AFM 3 is somewhat justified.

(in usual order, clockwise from center drain)

Left flipper and slingshot:
Normal.
Left inlane:
Normal-sized, but can be lit for "Phantom Flip". More on this later.
Left outlane:
Normal. Can be lit for special.
Creature from the Black Lagoon:
Under-the-playfield toy which glows green whenever you shoot the...
Creature's Black Lagoon:
A lane that's in the exact same shape and position as Crazy Bob's in NBA Fastbreak and the Tube in No Fear. Used to start and in playing "Creature Feature".
Left loop:
Can either feed the jet bumpers or careen around just like in AFM. Used to start and in playing "Full Moon Fever".
Phantom Flip target #1:
See "Phantom Flip" later on.
Left ramp:
Tight figure-8 ramp that feeds the left inlane. Used to light and in playing "Ball and Chain". Weak shots will roll back down, carom off the above Phantom Flip target, and hit the right slingshot.
Phantom Flip target #2
Frankenstein:
2-bank motorized drop target. Blocks access to the center ramp. Used to light and play Frankenstein Multiball.
Phantom Flip target #3
Center ramp:
Protected by Frank. Feeds the right ramp prior to starting Frank Multiball.
Mosh Pit (center lane):
A lane much like the Mode Start/NAS Cure lane on Johnny Mnemonic and in the same position as AFM's saucer. Awards various awards after so many shots. Used to light Mosh Pit Multiball. Used during pretty much everything. Can be shot from either flipper, although I think it's easier from the right flipper.
Tomb Treasure Target:
A large standup about halfway up the Mosh Pit and offset from the lane itself. Adds +1X bonus X and the same number of points that 10 jet bumper hits would score.
Scoop:
Fowards-facing-only scoop that awards random awards a la Stroke of Luck or Merlin's Magic. Used to get the extra ball and in starting Drac Attack, Mummy Mayhem, Mosh Pit MB, Monster Bash, and Monsters of Rock. No feed from the jet bumpers, but it's got a fairly large mouth so direct shots aren't necessary.
Jet bumpers and D-I-G rollover lanes:
Lanes
advances the bonus X as normal, and is lit for skill shot at the beginning of each ball. Successful skill shots award 100K+50K points and a Monster Bomb (think Martian and Troll bombs. More on these later.) Spelling D-I-G raises the jet value by 1500 and spots 5 hits on the jets.
Jets
advances toward lighting Mummy Mayhem and starting Mummy Jets (a.k.a. super jets), both occuring at 60 jet hits. During super/mummy jets, the jet values are doubled.
Right ramp:
Flat ramp which loops around and feeds the right inlane. Weak shots will fall back and normally hit the left flipper.
Right loop:
Same as left loop.
Dracula's loop:
A semicircle in the playfield on which Dracula travels. (Drac says, "I will mezzzzzzzmerizzzze you with my semicircular movements!")
Dracula's coffin:
Where Drac rests when Drac Attack, Monster Bash, and Monsters of Rock are not active.
"Drac" and "Attack" standups:
In the same position as the "AN" martian in AFM. Used to light Drac Attack.
Right outlane, inlane, and slingshot:
Same as left.
Plunger:
Automatic. It's also how you use the monster bombs.
III. OBJECTIVE AND MODES

The objective is to collect the 6 monsters' instruments to light Monsters of Rock multiball. To collect the instruments, you must *complete* the modes, not merely *play* them. Playing all 6 modes lights a mini wizard mode, Monster Bash.

All modes are timed modes. Modes stop when (1) they're completed, (2) they time out, or (3) the ball drains, whichever occurs first.

3.1. Creature Feature (20 seconds AND hurry-up):

Similar to Royal Madness in Medieval Madness. Shoot all major shots -- both loops, both ramps, and the Mosh lane in any order before time runs out. The first shot is a 1M hurry-up, subsequent shots score 2X, 3X, 4X, and 5X the hurry-up value (max 5M). Creature Feature ends on the 5th shot. You have 20 seconds to shoot each shot; the timer resets to 20 after each shot. The Black Lagoon and a spear gun (see monster bombs) will each spot one shot, end the hurry-up if active, and reset the timer, like the super jackpot/lock shot during Royal Madness in MM. The black lagoon may be shot multiple times during Creature Feature; the lane spotted starts at the first lit lane and proceeds clockwise.

Completing Creature Feature awards the CFTBL's saxophone.

Some quotes:

"He's so cute and slimy."
"Amphibians rule!"
"You're an awesome amphibian!"
"Wrap your flippers around me, fish-boy!"
3.2. Full Moon Fever (4 hurry-ups):

Shoot both loops four times collectively. Those balls will end up in the jet bumpers. Once FMF is started, however, balls will careen around, so watch out! Upon starting FMF, a 1M hurryup is lit on both loops. Shoot to collect and reset the hurryup to 2M, 3M, and 4M. Either loop will qualify for any FMF shot, but the ball must completely loop around (it doesn't count if the ball lands in the jet bumpers). All hurryups stop at 250k for a few seconds and then expire.

Collect all 4 hurryups during one FMF to get the Wolfman's drums. A monster bomb awards the current hurry-up, starts the next one, and spots one loop. The hurryup value increases by 250k per completed Full Moon Fever (ie, FMF #2 scores 1.25M --> 2.25M --> 3.25M, etc.)

If FMF and Mummy Mayhem (q.v.) are active concurrently, the controlled gates will divert the ball to the jet bumpers, so it will not careen around. Shots will still count.

Some quotes:

"NO, I will NOT be your date to the concert!"
"But I've had all my shots."
"Get away from me, you fleabag!"
3.3. Ball & Chain (Up to 4 30-second increments):

Shoot each ramp three times to start, and then shoot them each three times more to collect the Bride of Frankenstein's microphone. The timer may be reset to 30 seconds up to three times by shooting the mosh pit lane. Both ramps score 2X the ball and chain value (starts at 500k), and the mosh pit lane scores 1X. Once the Bride's microphone is collected all scoring is tripled until the timer runs out; time can still be extended by shooting the Mosh Pit. A monster bomb spots one ramp shot, alternating between the right and left lanes (starting on the right).

Some quotes:

"Tall, dark, handsome. NOT!"
"It's outta here!"
"I heard he's got a monstrous organ." (groan....)
"Somebody stop me!"
With the 3X scoring once the mode is completed, Ball and Chain can be _very_ lucrative during multiballs, especially since the timers are stopped (see "Timers during multiball" section).

3.4. Frankenstein Multiball:

Assemble Frankenstein by shooting him 7 times. He will then raise up and expose the center ramp; shoot it to start Frank MB. Frank MB is a 3-ball MB whose objective is to beat up on Frankenstein. Collect 6 super, double super, and/or triple super jackpots by hitting Frankenstein to collect his keyboard. Frank scores super, double super, and triple super jackpots; every other major shot scores a normal jackpot (base value 400k). Double and triple super jackpots are lit by shooting regular jackpots before shooting a super jackpot: a double super requires two intervening jackpots and a triple super requires three. Jackpots are increased by 50k and super jackpots are increased by 250k each time you complete Frankenstein during multiball. Double supers count as two shots to Frank and triple super jackpots count as three. A flaming torch (see monther bombs) will spot the next lit super jackpot, including double and triple supers if they're lit, so a flaming torch will spot anywhere from 1 to 3 hits on Frank.

The way Frank registers hits is a metal bar attached to Frank's torso hits a microswitch. More than likely, the microswitch which registers hits on Frank will get bent or otherwise break over the course of time. The Phantom Flip targets on either side of Frank will compensate when Frank is broken.

If you did not get the keyboard during multiball, Frank will raise up and re-expose the center ramp to restart Frankenstein monoball. This is the "last chance" analog of the super jackpot sudden death in AFM or the Battle for the Kingdom sudden death in Medieval Madness. You have 15 seconds to pound away on Frankenstein and get the remaining amount of super jackpots to spot the keyboard. Each hit on Frank restarts the timer at 15 seconds; regular jackpots may still be collected and will stil light double and triple super jackpots. The last chance will remain active if Mosh Pit multiball is started, and presumably also during Monster Bash (but you must start last chance before starting the multiball).

Some quotes:

(Igor) "What a torso! What's a torso?"
(Igor) "You put your left leg in."
(Scientist) "This is no time to do the hokey pokey!"
(Scientist) "Get ready when I flip the switch!"
The light show to start Frank multiball kicks ass.

3.5. Mummy Mayhem (45 seconds):

Think of a 1-ball Rule the Universe. You have to score 7.5M points within 45 seconds. All switches scores 50k, and jets are tripled (minimum 30k). Each major shot is lit for a mayhem jackpot, whose score is 500k plus all switches since the last mayhem jackpot (like Fear Fest on No Fear) Score at least 7.5M to collect the Mummy's bass. Started at the scoop. A monster bomb here spots one mayhem jackpot. Getting a multiball running concurrent with Mummy Mayhem should make this mode a breeze.

Completing Mummy Mayhem before time runs out awards a bonus of 250k * (# of seconds remaining), so if you complete Mummy Mayhem in 35 seconds (leaving 10 remaining), you get a bonus of 2.5M. Subsequent Mummy Mayhems require an additional 500k per completed Mayhem to complete.

The quotes to start and during this mode are *really* funny.

3.6. Drac Attack (30 seconds):

Spell D-R-A-C-U-L-A by hitting the two red "Drac" and "Attack" buttons on the right side of the playfield 7 times collectively. Once started at the scoop, Drac will come out of his coffin and move around periodically. Each time you hit Drac, the timer resets to 30 seconds. Hit him five times to collect his guitar. If you hit him while he's moving, you'll score 2X the Drac value, but you'll only receive one hit. The monster bomb spots one hit on Drac; if you use the monster bomb when Drac is moving, you do get the 2X score but only 1 hit.

D-R-A is spotted for you at the beginning of the game.

Listen for the quotes when a ball rolls back down the right Bride ramp and strikes Drac on his backside. Otherwise....

Some quotes:

"Back off, I'm the lead guitarist!"
"Hey, those are my Bruno Malis!" {the shoes OJ was wearing the night of the murders}
"Do you think you can hit dis bat with dat ball?"
3.7. Extra Ball and Special:

Collecting a predetermined amount of monsters (usually 3) will light an extra ball. Collecting a predetermined amount of instruments (usually 4) will light the special on alternating outlanes. The EB is lit until collected, but the special is only active for the current ball. The special alternates outlanes each time a slingshot fires.

3.8. Monster Bombs:

Same exact thing as martian bombs in AFM. Spots 1 hit/shot towards collecting the monster's instrument. They are, and the monsters that they're for:

Garlic clove Dracula
Hair dryer Bride of Frankenstein
Ancient scroll Mummy
Silver bullet Wolfman
Spear gun CFTBL
Flaming torch Frankenstein
The monster bombs can be collected by skill shot, 3+6 (i.e., 3, 9, 15, 21, etc.) mosh pit shots, or as an award from the scoop. Garlic cloves may also be collected by spelling D-R-A-C-U-L-A more times prior to starting Drac Attack.

3.9. Instrument Bonus:

Each time you collect an instrument, all major shots (both loops, both Bride ramps, and the Mosh Pit) light for Instrument Bonus, which is Monster Bash's equivalent of victory laps after Rule the Universe in AFM. Scores 900k + (100k * number of instruments collected on that ball). Completing a subsequent instrument relights all shots and raises the instrument bonus. Shooting the mosh pit lane relights all shots but does not increase the instrument bonus.

Instrument Bonuses will light during multiballs, and any ones active prior to starting multiball will remain lit. Instrument Bonuses are only active for the ball on which the corresponding instrument was received.

IV. MULTIBALLS

4.1. Mosh Pit:

Light by shooting the center lane 6 times. Started at the scoop. Initially two balls, up to two more may be added -- with a fresh but short ballsaver each time -- by shooting the center lane. Jackpots are worth 750k + (5k * # of mosh pit shots). Jackpot maxes at 1.5M. All shots (lagoon, both loops, all three ramps, mosh pit) score a mosh pit jackpot. 10 shots to Frankenstein scores a Mosh Pit Super Jackpot, whose score is a function of the regular jackpots you collect (expect a value around 7-10M). After collecting the super jackpot, Frank's red standups will raise up. Shoot them 5 times to collect the second super jackpot, which is 3X the current Most Pit jackpot value. Then shoot Frank's ramp 10 times to get the first super jackpot again, then the standups 5 times for the second super, etc.: lather, rinse, repeat. Mosh Pit MB is also lit at the 24th Mosh Pit shot during regular monoball play.

4.2. Monster Bash:

Start (not necessarily complete) all six monsters' modes to light light MB at the scoop. 4-ball multiball with each monster worth 2M, and the center lane lit for Bash Jackpots of 2M + 500k * number of monsters bashed since last Bash Jackpot (max 7.5M). Generous ball saver. Lit as soon as the 6th monster's mode is started. Subsequent Monster Bashes raise the monster value by 500k. Monster Bash is Monster Bash's equivalent of AFM's Total Annihilation.

4.3. Monsters of Rock (wizard mode):

Collect all six monsters' instruments by *completing* their respective modes. Shoot scoop to start. Each instrument (you may collect it multiple times prior to starting MOR) is worth 5M, and there's a 25M bonus for each *complete* set of instruments. This total is cumulative throughout the game, so your first MOR will give you a bonus of at least 55M (25M + 6 x 5M), your second MOR will be at least 110M, etc. If you can start MOR without previously starting Monster Bash, you get an additional 50M. And that's just the bonus for *starting* MOR!

MOR itself is a 4-ball multiball with each monster being worth 4M. Very generous ball saver. Every time you shoot all monsters' shots (i.e., the black lagoon, both loops, both ramps, and Frank once each), you will receive the Monsters of Rock jackpot, which is 4M x (# of monster completions). The Mosh Pit will spot one additional monster toward the MOR jackpot per shot, probably starting from the Creature and working clockwise. Each subsequent Monsters of Rock raises each value by 1M, so each Monster scores 5M.

If you start Monster Bash and can complete all remaining instruments during Monster Bash, Monsters of Rock will automatically start with a fresh ballsaver and MOR scoring. Starting Monsters of Rock automatically terminates any active modes without completing them.

4.4. MB and MOR Champions

If your Monster Bash or Monsters of Rock score is high enough, you will be the MB or MOR champion. Only those points accumulated during the multiball itself count to being champion, so the 105 million you got for starting MOR before MB (55M for the instruments + 50M for MOR before MB) will *not* count toward your MOR total. Most likely you will not receive a free credit for being the MB or MOR champion.

4.5. Timers stop during multiball:

As the animations clearly state, any and all active timers are stopped. But you can still play the mode(s) that is(are) active! I don't know if this is a bug or a (ahem) "feature"[*]. Either way, take advantage of this, and use Frank, Mosh Pit, and/or Monster Bash multiballs toward collecting instruments. Therefore, if you have a multiball lit, try to start at least one mode before starting the multiball.

[*] As in, "It's not a bug, it's a feature!"

4.6. Commentary:

Monster Bash and Monsters of Rock multiballs are unbalancing to this game. If you can keep them going for a long time, and can get a few of each over the course of a game, 1.5 or even 2 billion on this game is not out of the question. I've gotten an MOR over 400M; my score for the game was 661M, so MOR was 60% of my game's score!!

V. SCOOP AWARDS

Each shot to the scoop will award a random award, much like the Stroke of Luck in AFM. Each award is "featured", as in a rock band, at a certain monstrous venue somewhere in the world. I say monstrous because Williams renamed common venues to have monstrous names: Wolfstock, Fillgore East and West, Cadaver Club, etc. See also "Lyman's Lament". The awards I've seen are:

Points: 50k, 75k, or 100k
Light EB
Light Drac Attack
Light Mummy Mayhem
Start ____________ (any monster's mode)
Advance ____________ (toward starting a monster's mode)
____________ monster bomb (any monster bomb)
Hold bonus X
"Advance Mummy" spots 10 hits on the jet bumpers, whereas "Advance (anything else)" spots one shot or hit. "Advance Bride" alternates which ramp it will spot, unless one ramp is already completed.

VI. MISCELLANEOUS

6.1. Phantom Flip:

By hitting the three Phantom Flip targets 7 times collectively, a stackable amount of Phantom Flips can be lit on the inlanes. Phantom Flip is the return of Thing Flips! Monster Bash used some AI to flip the flipper for you, taking what the game thinks is the best shot. More often than not, however, I've seen Phantom Flip fail to make the shot cleanly, so the ball caroms off somewhere. Probably after many plays, the AI will have improved enough so that the Phantom Flip becomes accurate, i.e., it must be "trained". On the machine that I play, the Phantom Flip completes its shot maybe half of the time.

Every 7 hits on the Phanton Flip targets spots 2 Phantom Flips, which are stackable and carry over from ball to ball. As soon as you use one, the remaining flip(s) light up on the opposite inlane, and may be switched by hitting the flippers (i.e., they're somewhat player-controlled).

6.2. Extra balls:

Can be lit by --

Enough monsters (reflexes)
12 Mosh Pits
Scoop Award
The monster EB is available after every Monster Bash, much like how the castle EB is available after every Battle for the Kingdom in Medieval Madness. The instrument special is a one-time-only thing: collect it or lose it for the rest of the game.

The animation for extra ball is reminiscent of the AFM martian getting bonked upside the head with a pinball: Drac is bustin' a move and gets squished by a disco ball. Drac normally provides the quote "Extra ball!", but if Full Moon Fever is running, the Wolfman will howl it instead.

6.3. Lyman's Lament:

After shooting the scoop 43 times during normal (i.e., non-multiball) play, the 44th award is "Lyman's Lament", which is supposed to be something really cool. Lyman Sheats himself provides the speech for this mode.

There is a cheat code to start Lyman's Lament without having to shoot the scoop 44 times. The spoiler is:

Start the game with at least one credit remaining on the machine. Prior to launching the ball, enter the following flipper code: 11L,1R,5L,1R,6L,1R. Launch the ball, don't drain, and shoot the scoop.

6.4. Strategy:

MULTIBALL!!! Which one is irrelevant, just keep 'em going for a long time, and try to start them when you've got modes running. Getting Monster Bash should just about guarantee at least a replay.

6.5. Ball Saver:

The factory default for the beginning-of-ball ballsaver is OFF.

6.6. Easter Eggs and Cool Backglass Stuff:

Elvira and Wonder Woman appear on the backglass, to the right of all the monsters.
Usually, if you've collected 5 monsters and/or 5 instruments, the scoop will generally start the remaining monster's mode. Multiple times, even!
Cows:
"Cow palace" venue
On the left side of the Mosh Pit MB animation is a cow skeleton
Some of the peasants on the backglass are wielding non-standard farm implements like a Garden Weasel (looks like a pitchfork with gears) and a shrub trimmer.
Dracula is simultaneously on stage and in the audience.
There is a DOHO in this game. Look for it in the graveyard when Igor picks up pieces of Frank's body.
6.7. Canceling animations:

You can stop any animation at any time by pressing both flippers simultaneously, like you do to speed up a bonus count.

VII. FUN WITH BONUS

The bonus is just a switch count multiplied by the bonus X, just like in AFM and MM. Getting a 20X-30X bonus X on this game is fairly easy, since there are two ways to advance it (the D-I-G rollovers and the Tomb Treasure target) and multiballs are plentiful. Many balls during a multiball will hit the Tomb Treasure target by accident. Since Lyman Sheats did the software for AFM, MM, and MB, I presume that the bonus X maxes out at 250X.

Questions? Comments? Random artillery fire? Please email them to me at matt@teriyaki.resnet.gatech.edu.

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