Scared Stiff Rule Sheet
Version 2.0 4/12/98
Compiled by Robert Macauley
The following is a guide to the Bally pinball Scared Stiff. Scared Stiff is most likely a trademark of Williams/Bally and as such is none of my concern. Elvira - Mistress of the Dark is most likely copyrighted by whatever cable T.V station the show appears on. Just imagine tm after each word and we should be fine. This rulesheet is essentially freeware and may be used in any manner just as long as my name and the names of any contributors remains intact.
The Story So Far
Scared Stiff was the last Bally machine released in 1996. Although the game was available in some locations in the U.S as early as November, it didn’t appear in Australia until just before the end of the year. The wait was worth it in the end.
Special Note
Bob McCann and Dan Wilson have already posted several versions of a Scared Stiff sheet at Bob’s website "The Temple of Pinball". This sheet is not a copy of their sheet although I have read it. As the subject matter is the same there will be similarities to their sheet, especially in the layout of the playfield. This can’t be avoided and so I shall be listing all contributors to Bob and Dan’s sheet in this document. I just had to write about this game in detail as it has me seriously addicted to it.
Playfield Layout
Starting at the drain and going clockwise as usual:
Flippers:2 standard length flippers. The tops are made to look like bones.
Slingshots: Normal size and shape. Above the kickers are rubber Boogie Men.
Inlanes: Normal. Nothing special here.
Outlanes: The left outlane can be lit for Cast a Spell. This was once a kickback but this was removed from production versions. This is now a drain save. the right outlane can be lit for Telepathetic Power.
Cast a Spell targets: 3 targets above the left outlane. Lighting all 3 twice lights the left outlane. Can also give a 100k spell bonus.
Coffin: The exit from the lock. Feeds to the left inlane.
Left Orbit: Feeds to either the deadheads or the jet bumpers. When lock is lit a diverter sends the ball under the left ramp to be locked.
Secret Passage: A switch at the top of the orbit. A weak shot will fall in here and spot a tale. This can also spot a level on the Stiff-O-Meter in Scared Stiff mode.
Left Ramp: Steep ramp which feeds to the right inlane. Also called the Beast ramp.
Leaper Targets: 3 metal plates with plastic frogs above them. 1 each side of the left ramp and 1 on the left side of the right ramp.
Deadhead Lanes: 3 rollover lanes. Each one spots a deadhead. Deadheads are worth 50k+50k per deadhead lit with no limit known.
Skill Shot Hole: Plunge the ball in here for 250k+250k per shot. Balls from the deadheads and the crate exit here.
The Crate: Used during Terror from the Crate and Scared Stiff modes.
Extra Ball Lane: Collects EB when lit. Feeds to the deadheads.
Monsters Lab: The bumper area. Can only be shot via the left orbit when lit or a strange bounce from the right lane.
Right Ramp: Lights the spider hole. This ramp counts up to awards (like bear kicks). The awards are: Hold Bonus at 3, Light EB at between 5 and 12, Light EB at 30. Shots to the ramp are worth 25k. Repeat shots are worth 100k for the 2nd shot and an extra 50k for each shot after up to a maximum of 450k. This value resets to 25k if you miss. Feeds the left inlane. The ramp count maxes out at 99, but there is no bonus for reaching that level.
Spider Hole: Spins the Spider when lit.
Right Lane: Totally worthless lane. Feeds to the crate or the skill shot hole.
Telepathetic Target: Similar position to the relight kickback on Corvette but angled towards the middle of the playfield. Each hit turns the right outlane on or off.
Plunger: A manual plunger but can also autolaunch.
Spider: A big hairy spider in the backbox.
Rules
The object is to complete the 6 tales of terror then advance the Stiff-O-Meter to level 10 (Scared Stiff). The tales are not modes, more like tasks. Any tale can be lit at any time except for the multiball tales which can’t run at the same time as each other.
The tales are:
The Monster’s Lab: 20 hits on the bumpers lights the lab tale. When lit each bumper hit is worth 10k. This value can be increased by something.
Night of the Leapers: 1 hit on each leaper target lights the tale. Also 20 hits on the leaper targets starts Leaper Mania. You have 20 seconds to hit 5 leapers. Completing this lights EB for the first time and awards 250k each time after.
Return of the Deadheads: Light all 3 deadhead lanes to light the tale. After lighting the tale lighting the 3 deadheads advances the bonus X. An EB is lit after reaching a bonus X value between 5X and 12X.
Eye of the Boney Beast: 3 shots to the left ramp lights the tale. This ramp also lights the lock. 1 ramp shot is needed for each lock on the 1st multiball and an extra ramp shot is needed for each subsequent multiball up to a maximum of 5 ramps per lock. If the tale is lit the ramp is worth 50k+50k for each consecutive shot until you miss. No limit is known at this time.
Terror from the Crate: A 2 ball multiball. Each hit to the crate lights 1 of 4 lights on top of the crate. Lighting all 4 allows the crate to be entered and starts multiball. Each shot to the crate scores 250k. Shots to the left ramp increase the crate value. Ends when 1 ball is left in play. Later multiballs require more hits to light each light, up to a maximum of 5 hits per light.
Stiff in the Coffin: 3 ball multiball. Shoot the left ramp to light lock then lock the ball in the left orbit. Locking 3 balls starts multiball. Both ramps are lit for jackpot. After collecting 1 jackpot the lit ramp alternates for each jackpot. the jackpot value starts at 500k and is increased by hitting the unlit ramp. ends when 1 ball is left in play.
Scared Stiff: Lighting all 6 tales lights the T.V for Scared Stiff mode. No other shots are lit. Shoot the crate to start the mode. The object is to raise the Stiff-O-Meter to scared stiff (level 10). You raise the level by hitting either the crate or either ramp. All 3 are lit at the start of the mode and after the first shot, the shots alternate with each hit. The last shot is always the crate. You have 30 seconds to make the shots and each shot adds a few seconds to the timer. If you reach level 10, all lights go off then the game goes crazy. All lights flash and every popper and slingshot starts going off. The display shows rapid fire animation’s and random quotes are played. After 10 seconds monster multiball is announced. This is a 4 ball multiball with all jackpots lit for repeated 1M shots. You also get 5M for starting. This ends when 1 ball is left in play. All tales become unlit and you start again. If you fail to reach level 10 when you reach Scared Stiff mode again the level starts from where you left off before.
The Spider Game
Shooting the spider hole when lit gives you a chance to play Spin the Spider in the backglass. The spider wheel has 14 awards and the aim is to stop the spider on the unlit awards. Each award can only be collected once so if you stop on the same award twice, too bad. The awards are:
Eyeballs: Light all 3 to light EB.
Deadheads: 2 of them. Each one spots a deadhead lane.
Light Jackpot: Lights the left ramp for jackpot.
Double Trouble: All scoring doubled for 20 seconds.
Scared Weird Little Guy: Beat the crate mode. All shots to the crate score 25k* the stiff-o-meter value which is going up and down. The mode lasts 20 seconds.
Coffin: Lights a lock or awards lock if it is already lit. Also extends the crate multiball. When 2 or more balls drain, multiball is restarted.
Crystal Balls: Awards telepathetic power. Some awards are:
Light EB
250k
500k
Light Lock
Spot Skull (deadhead)
Boogie Man Boogie
Advance bonus X
Monster’s Lab: Spots 10 bumper hits.
Boogie Man: Boogie man boogie mode. Frenzy mode with each switch scoring 10k. Each Sinkhole raises the switch value by 5k. The mode ends after 20 seconds.
Crate: Spots 1 hit towards terror from the crate. Also extends crate multiball.
Leaper: Starts leaper mania.
Boney Beast: Hurry-up. Shoot the left ramp to collect. Value starts at 200k.
Lighting all 14 awards starts Spider Mania. This is a 4 ball multiball with everything lit. The spider goes around the wheel spotting all the awards. The 2 crystal balls give a telepathetic special, locking a ball scores 500k, deadheads and bumpers score 100k per hit. The mode ends when 1 ball is left in play. The initials of the last person to play spider mania are displayed in attract mode with the date and time it happened.
Tips and Strategies
I tend to ignore the skill shot. I always try to plunge the ball into the spider hole instead. If you miss the hole and the ball doesn’t hit anything you can relaunch the ball indefinitely.
There is a setting which causes the ball to be autolaunched after a ball is locked. If you are quick you can plunge the ball yourself and try for the spider hole.
If you can’t hit the spider hole consistently, try shooting to the bumpers and landing in the spider hole that way. A bank shot off the crate sometimes goes down there but it’s a lot more prone to SDTM drains.
I usually extend the coffin multiball first then go for the eyeballs for EB. After that I just take anything, although double trouble is good to have during multiball. During multiball, try to keep 1 ball looping the right ramp to light the EB’s.
Random Notes
Not a lot to say really. This is quite a good game but good players will find it a little too easy on the normal settings. If a location has a few good players, the game times will go through the roof and the operator may be forced to turn up the difficulty level.
Easter Eggs
Occasionally when you shoot the spider hole, the display will show a number 3 running around the web instead of a spider. if you press the start button 3 times you get two picks from the spider instead of one. Choose wisely.
The programmers have hidden some of their birthdays in the software. This also happens on The Machine: Bride of Pinbot. On certain dates when you turn the game on you hear a fanfare and the display shows a happy birthday message. The 2 dates known at this time are:
Tania 12/5 and Alan 2/22
There is a cow!! One of the deadheads is a cow called Meathead.
There is also an occurance of DOHO. In attract mode during the Elvira’s Favourite Stiffs table DOHO will sometimes be displayed as the lowest name on the list.
