VP8 Stern SS Recreation Sharkey's Shootout (Stern, 2000) VP8 v1.0 2020-01-28

Rules for Stern's Sharkey's Shootout
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Author: Stephen Jonke
Version: 0.51
Last update: November 30, 2000
Be sure to visit the Free State Pinball Association's web site at http://www.fspazone.org/ (Free State Pinball Association (FSPA) – Competitive, Fun Pinball Leagues in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC since 1995!) The FSPA runs leagues and tournaments open to players of all skill levels in the Maryland, DC and Virginia areas. Many lives were lost to bring you this information....

"Sharkey's Shootout", "Stern", and lots of other things are probably trademarks and copyrights of Stern Pinball Inc. The style, format and some of the text of this rulesheet were based on Bowen Kerin's Medieval Madness rulesheet because it was a good base to work from and I figured no one cared about blatant plagery when it came to rulesheets. Do they? :) If not, why re-invent the wheel? This rulesheet may be distributed freely without any modification whatsoever and may not be sold. The latest version can always be found at http://homepage.mac.com/sjonke/pinball/rules/sharkey.html

Your input is encouraged! Throughout this rulesheet you will see "???". This indicates that I don't know a number or value. Also you will see "[???]" - this is placed at the end of passages that I am not sure about. If you know the numbers or you know that something is wrong, please email me with corrections, or just a note that the info is not correct so that I can further check into it. Ditto for any additional details you know about, worthy of mention quotes, etc. Write me at [email protected] for all corrections and additions.

Overview
Sharkey's Shootout is one of the first Stern games to be worked on by ex-employees of the now defunct Williams Pinball division. The layout of the game is taken from the Bally classic, Eight Ball Deluxe, with lots of new rules and features and many playfield changes. In an earlier form as a Sega game it was called Kelly Packard's Golden Cue - the name was not simply changed, the game was greatly modified after the transition to Stern.
In short the object of the game is to beat five opponents at games of 8-ball or 9-ball to get your chance to compete against the Black Widow, Jeanette Lee! First you'll face her at 8-Ball, then 9-Ball and finally at her own game, The WEB.
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Game Credits:
Playfield Design: originally Jon Norris, John Borg for the rework
Game Software: Dwight Sullivan with a little Lonnie Ropp
Dot Software: Keith Johnson with a little Lonnie Ropp
Dot Matrix Animation: Mark Galvez and Jason Dominiak
Sound & Music: Kyle Johnson (no relation to Keith)
Artwork: John Youssi
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Playfield and Basic Rules
Center Drain
Like any other, but features a Post Save

Flippers
Two in the usual spot and a third flipper about midway up the left side. Identical to Eight Ball Deluxe

Slingshots
Two in the usual spot. Toggles the next game (8-Ball/9-Ball) when not playing 8 or 9-Ball.

Inlanes / Outlanes
Light "POOL" letters. Lit lanes rotate with flipper button presses. Light POOL to enable the Mystery Eight Ball for a random award. Each outlane features a Post Save

Left Loop
Leads to the CUE rollovers and around the playfield. Diverters either stop the ball and send it back to the upper flipper, drop the ball into the CUE lanes, or let the ball go around. Increases Prize Money value. Starts Black Widow Hurry Up. Jackpot when lit.

Reverse English
Post at top of left loop. When lit, sends the ball immediately back to the upper flipper on a left loop shot.

CUE Rollovers
Three rollover lanes that lead to the pop-bumper area. Center rollover collects Skill Shot. Spelling CUE increases mulitiplier by 3 and starts Bumper Pool. Lit lanes rotate with flipper button presses.

Pop Bumpers
Three in the same location and triangle layout as Eight Ball Deluxe, however the bottom bumper is blocked on the front by the Center Target, preventing STDM shots down the middle off that bumper. Hitting this changes the next opponent if not playing 8 or 9-Ball.

Left Ramp
Leads around the playfield to the right. The ball either continues to the right inlane, or is diverted to the Magic Eight Ball and then to the left inlane. After two consecutive ramp shots the ball is diverted to the left inlane via the Mystery Ball magnet. Shooting the ramp spots one pool ball during 8-Ball and 9-Ball play. When not lit for anything else, lights Start Combination, then starts it on a consecutive shot.

Left Passage
To the left of pop-bumper area. If ball bounces or is nudged through this, the bumper value increases (and the ball goes to the upper flipper.) Also resets timer when playing Bumper Pool.

Center Target
In front of the bottom pop-bumper. Changes next opponent if not playing 8 or 9-Ball.

Right Hole
To the right of pop-bumper area. Sends ball out to the left into the pop-bumper area. Can be shot from flipper, or ball can bounce in from pop-bumper area. Increases Prize Money value. Resets timer and increases bumper value during Bumper Pool. Jackpot, Trick Shot and/or Extra Ball when lit.

Mystery Ball
Off of left ramp. Ball is diverted to this via a magnet when lit and after two consecutive ramp shots. Gives random award when lit. Sends ball to left inlane.

Inner Right Loop
Just to right of Right Hole. Sends ball to Right Hole. Collects Lock, Eight Ball, Jackpot and/or Trick Shot when lit.

Outer Right Loop
Just to right of Inner Right Loop. Can be blocked by Black Widow Drop Target. Sends ball to CUE rollovers. Collects Lock, Eight Ball, Jackpot and/or Trick Shot when lit.

Black Widow Drop Target
In the Outer Right Loop. Collects Black Widow Hurry Up, Web Hurry Up and/or Super Jackpot when lit

1-7 Drop Targets
The main feature of the game. A row of seven drop targets at the right middle of the machine, just below the right loops. Collects respective ball during 8-Ball/9-Ball. Increases Trick Shot value during Trick Shot

PAYOFF Standups
Row of six standup targets behind the 1-7 Drop Targets. Completing PAYOFF relights all three post saves and collects the current Prize Money.

Ball Saver
There is a fairly long ball saver at the start of each ball as well as at the start of Multiball and a particularly long one at the start of The WEB. During Multiball and The WEB the ballsaver is repeatable.

Post Saves
Both outlanes and the center drain feature player controlled Post Saves. An extra button on each side of the cabinet and just below the flipper buttons control these. Press the appropriate button for the left or right posts, press both for the center post. When lit and activated, the respective post pops up and blocks the outlane/drain for a short period of time. In addition the player may repeatedly activate it until the light for the post save stops blinking. All three post saves are relit by spelling PAYOFF.

Pool Break Skill Shot
Finally a real skill shot! At the start of each ball, plunge the ball to the CUE rollovers and get the ball into the center rollover to collect. Awards 5M (+ 5M each additional time), completes CUE (increases multiplier and starts Bumper Pool) and spots a pool ball. Tests plunging and bumping skills.

Mystery Ball
Mystery Ball is lit at the start of the game. When lit, shoot the Left Ramp. The ball is diverted to the Mystery Ball via a magnet and held there. An animation is shown and then a random award is given. Almost always gives Multiball as one of the first two awards. Relight the Mystery Ball by spelling POOL.
Possible awards are:

Light Extra Ball,
Jackpot
Prize Money (ranges from $1K to $100K)
Mystery Millions - ramp is lit for 1, 2, 3, 4 and finally 5 million points. Finishing Mystery Millions awards an additional bonus of ???
Relight Post Saves
Start Black Widow Hurry Up
If Dr. Wood is your Pool Game opponent, [??? how is Mystery Ball effected by Dr. Wood? ???]

Bumper Pool
Started by completing CUE. A timer begins to count down and the pop-bumpers are set to 25K points each. Getting the Right Hole or Left Passage resets the timer and increases the bumper value as follows:

Adds 25K until the bumper value is 100K
Adds 50K until the bumper value is 300K
Adds 100K until the bumper value is 500K
Adds 250K until the bumper value reaches its maximum of 1M
The timer is also reset with bumper hits and ???. After Bumper Pool ends your total for the round is displayed.

If Sticks is your Pool Game opponent, the bumper pool timer is longer [??? This is a guess. Sticks definitely doesn't increase the bumper value any faster, so I'm guessing it's the timer OR it may be that the bumper value carries over between rounds of bumper pool. I think I saw it do that, but I'm not sure. Or it may be both ???]

Black Widow Hurry Up
Lit by making the Left Loop all the way around or by making it all the way around the Outer Right Loop. Actually it doesn't have to go all the way around, just far enough. Started by shooting the Left Loop when lit. The Black Widow Drop Target pops up and an initial value of 10M is set and counts down. Shoot the Black Widow Drop Target before the value reaches its minimum of 1M (there is a grace period) to collect the current value. Lights Lock when collected.

Combination
Light Start Combination by shooting the Left Ramp when it is not lit for anything else. Shoot the ramp a second consecutive time to light Complete Combination at the Inner Right Loop - the ball is diverted to the left inlane. Shoot the Inner Right Loop to collect. Awards 10M + 10M for each previous combination on the same ball. If Mr. Grey is your Pool Game opponent, [??? how is Combination effected by Mr. Grey? ???]

Multiball
3-ball Multiball is started by making three Locks. Lock is lit at the beginning of the game at the Inner/Outer Right Loops. Shooting either awards a Lock when lit. Locks are virtual - the ball remains in play. After the first Multiball you must light each Lock separately - relight Lock by collecting a Black Widow Hurry Up. Multiball starts as soon as the third Lock is made.
There are 2 stages to multiball:

The Left Loop, Left Ramp, Right Hole, and Inner/Outer Right Loops (which are one Jackpot) are lit for Jackpot. Shoot any of them to collect Jackpot for 5M. Jackpots stay lit. Complete five Jackpots and the regular Jackpots unlight and Super Jackpot is lit at the Inner/Outer Right Loop.

Shoot the Inner or Outer Right Loop to collect Super Jackpot, worth 5 times the value of Jackpot (i.e. 25M).
After collecting the Super Jackpot you return to the first stage and Jackpots are increased in value by 1M (thus also increasing the next Super Jackpot value to 30M, 35M, etc) and you must complete one more to light the next Super Jackpot (6, then 7, 8, 9, 10.) Maximum Jackpot value is 10M (50M Super.) Multiball continues until only one ball is in play (or none). Multiball can be worth big ass points.

If Tex is your opponent, Jackpot is maxed out to 10M from the beginning (Super thus being 50M) and the first round still only requires 5 Jackpots to light Super.

Pool Games & Opponents
Ahhh, finally to the meat! At the beginning of the game an opponent and pool game (8-Ball or 9-Ball) are randomly selected. Each opponent also increases the value of a game feature as noted below:

Tex - Maximizes Multiball Jackpot (10M)
Sticks - Bumper Pool [??? longer timer, value carries over or both? ???]
Dr. Wood - Mystery Ball [??? does what to Mystery Ball? ???]
Mr. Grey - Combination [??? does what to Combination? ???]
Sharkey - [??? does Sharkey do anything? ???]
In the beginning of the game you immediately start the selected game and opponent.

Prize Money
Complete games of pool to collect Prize Money. Prize Money is totalled separately from your score. You start the game with $1K. Total Prize Money effects Jackpot values in The WEB and you receive awards at different levels. At the beginning of the game the value of the next pool game starts at $1000. It is raised one level by the Right Hole or the Left Loop, but drops to the next lower level periodically. It is awarded by completing Pool Games or spelling PAYOFF. Some other things can separately increase Prize Money as well. The prize value levels are: $1000, $5000, $10,000, $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000. Extra Ball is awarded when your total collected Prize Money reaches $500,000 and again at $???. Millionare Status (good for initials entry) is awarded at, you guessed it, $1M! In addition a special is awarded at $???.

8-Ball
Shoot the 1-7 Drop Targets in any order. After all are collected the eight-ball shot lights. Shoot either Right Loop to get the eight-ball and collect 5M (+ 5M each additional Pool Game) and the current Prize Money. Note, if the Black Widow Drop Target is up, you won't be able to shoot the Outer Right Loop to collect the eight ball, however you can still shoot the Inner Right Loop to collect it. Once completed you go to Trick Shot (see below.)

9-Ball
There are two ways to complete 9-ball. Shoot the 1-7 Drop Targets in order to light the eight-ball. The Left Ramp spots one pool ball. Shoot either Right Loop to collect the eight-ball and light the Left Loop for the nine-ball. Shoot the left loop to get the nine-ball and collect 5M (+ 5M each additional Pool Game) and the Prize Money. Once completed you go to Trick Shot (see below.)
Or, starting with the three-ball, after collecting a pool ball the Left Loop flashes for several seconds for the nine-ball. Shoot the Left Loop in time to get the nine-ball and collect 5M (+ 5M each additional Pool Game) and the Prize Money. There is no advantage to doing it the hard way[???], so you might as well do it this way. Once completed you go to Trick Shot (see below.)

NOTE: If you have not yet gotten The WEB [??? or does it always? ???], the Left Ramp can be shot to spot a Drop Target in both 8-Ball and 9-Ball, but it will not spot the eight-ball or nine-ball shots themselves.

Trick Shot
After finishing 8-ball or 9-ball, two of the 1-7 Drop Targets at random (side-by-side drop targets) will pop up and the Inner/Outer Right Loops are lit. Shoot either Right Loop to collect the Trick Shot value, however, before doing that you can increase the Trick Shot value by 1.25M points by shooting one or both of the raised 1-7 Drop Targets. After doing so another pair of Drop Targets will pop up, etc. The Trick Shot value carries over across pool games so any increase you make will advance the value for the next Trick Shot as well and for the rest of the game.
Before completing Trick Shot you can change your next opponent by hitting the Center Standup or the Pop Bumpers, and the Slingshots alternate the next pool game between 8-ball and 9-ball. Once Trick Shot is collected the opponent and game type are locked in and that game of pool begins immediately.

Completing Pool Games
Beat all five opponents at one game each to advance to the Black Widow (Jeanette Lee). You must beat the Black Widow first at 8-Ball and then at 9-Ball. Complete both of those Pool Games to start The WEB.

The WEB
Beat all five opponents once, plus Jeanette at 8-Ball and 9-Ball, to get to The WEB! This mode begins as soon as Jeanette is beaten at 9-Ball. The WEB is a four ball multiball with two stages:

The Left Loop, Left Ramp, Right Hole, and Inner/Outer Right Loops (which are one Jackpot) are lit for Jackpot. Shoot any of them to collect Jackpot for 10M and the Jackpot value increases by your Prize Money in points. For example, if you have $1,100,000 in Prize Money, the next Jackpot would then be worth 11.1M points, then 12.2M, 13.3M, etc. Once collected, the Jackpot unlights. Collect all four Jackpots to start the WEB Hurry Up.

Shoot the Black Widow Drop Target to collect the current WEB Hurry Up value. The initial value is 10M [??? it looked like that, but can it really be the same as a regular Black Widow Hurry Up?] and counts down to ??? [??? Probably 1M. Does it time out or stay locked at the lowest value ???].
In addition, during The WEB all switches score 250K. After collecting the WEB Hurry Up a ball is added (if there are less than four balls in play) and you return to the first stage.

If you are down to one ball in play but already have the Black Widow Hurry Up lit it will stay lit until it times out. If you can get the WEB Hurry Up before the shot times out another ball will be put into play and you will remain in The WEB! Needless to say, The WEB can be worth big ass points, especially if you can get to it several times!

Stacking
For the most part you can do anything while anything else is running. The one exception is The WEB which stops everything else. So, for example, during Multiball you can complete and start Pool Games, start and play Bumper Pool, etc, etc.

Tournament Mode
Sharkey's Shootout also comes in a Tournament Model. The Tournament Model can still play the regular game, but you also have the option of playing in Tournament Mode to compete for real money. [??? I know little to nothing about tournament mode as the machine I have to play is not a tournament model. Send me anything and everything you know. ???]

Comments On the Game
IMHO this is easily the best Stern/Sega game to date and by a pretty wide margin at that. In fact it's very good. Game feel is very good (significantly better than in the past), the rules are cool and it's just plain a blast to play. It's all helped by a fun playfield design and that the ball never seems to hit things without anything happening. I find myself playing it over and over until I'm practically (or literally!) in pain. :)
It does have its share of flaws, though. The sound quality is still pretty poor and the quotes can be a bit repetitive (although still better than most past efforts.) Also there seem to be a number of places where the ball can get hung up - this seems to have gotten worse since I last played the machine. In particular it's easy for the ball to get stuck in the inlane when it drops out of the habitrail, at the upper right of the Right Loop and it can get wedged in in the space behind the Right Hole. The latter can be particularly difficult to knock free. The ball can also get stuck behind and to the right of the Right Outlane Post Save, however the game knows about this and will pop the post up after a short while if a ball is there, popping the ball up into the air and into the plunger lane - if you trigger the Post Save yourself you'll be rewarded with an "Airball" animation for it and maybe some points too (I'm not sure)!
Notes on Strategy
Use the flipper!

Thanks
Thanks go out to Stern's Keith Johnson who provided a number of important details and special thanks to Dan Northover, Joe Schober and everyone else in the Free State Pinball Association.
Lastly, thanks go out to Stern Pinball Inc., everyone involved in creating this very cool game, and for providing a helpful website on it

The End

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