Pinball isn’t as random as it seems
Hint: Go for the flashing lights.
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When you look at a pinball machine, you might think it's nothing more than a bunch of flashing lights. Many people think the game is random, but it’s actually carefully laid out in groups of targets that correlate to specific objectives, called modes.
These modes, along with the multiball, are the key to achieving higher scores in the game. Once you learn to control the ball using the flippers, start aiming for the targets that are lit – that means they are activated. Once hit, the game will light something else to tell you what to aim for next.
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Video Transcript
What do you see when you look at a pinball
machine?
I kind of see, like, a giant slot machine.
There’s shiny things and bright lights.
Letters that don’t mean anything that aren’t
linked up to anything.
It’s just designed for beeps and boops.
But what happens if you do this?
And what if you do it again?
And again?
This is how you’re meant to play pinball.
And while a casual player might see a bunch
of blinking lights, a skilled pinball player
sees a map.
People tend to get overwhelmed by pinball
because they think the game is random.
I never know what to look at.
Every time I play, I feel like the ball just
goes wherever the hell it wants to go.
I’m just, like, hitting things aggressively
and hoping it works out.
But just like any arcade game, you can learn
how to get better.
Don’t take it from me, though.
My name is Roger Sharpe, and I have been playing
pinball for far too long.
There’s so much luck here, not skill.
I’m breaking the bank and I don’t even
know what I’m doing!
Well, what you’re doing kinetically is manipulating
flippers to hit a ball, and you’re going
in a certain line of action when the ball’s
down on the flipper.
That is skill.
I think the biggest hurdle for most people
is that they think that the ball is not controllable.
And if the game is working against you, it
makes sense to just jump from game to game
and try your luck.
Right?
Well, no, each game was different.
Each game had different geometry; each game
had different rules.
Even though each game is unique, there are
common elements to look for on any pinball
machine.
At the bottom, you’ve got a plunger to get
the ball going and flippers that keep it from
draining and hit it toward targets.
Knowing how to use these is the key to the
game.
But If you’re like me, you probably use
flippers like this:
When you’re supposed to play like this:
If you can slow things down, it’s to your
advantage.
Just above the flippers are slingshots.
They add a little chaos to the ball’s path.
The middle of the board is where you’ll
usually find target banks, like this one,
that spell out a word, and chutes, which will
take your ball and kick it out somewhere else
on the play field.
And there’s always these guys: jet bumpers.
And while it might seem like they’re meant
to derail your game, they’re actually pretty
harmless.
Most of those are done in clusters – done
in clusters for a reason.
It’ll bounce a little bit, maybe go back
up a lane. It’s not necessarily going
to come back in your face.
Up top, you’ve the source of a lot of big
points: ramps.
They’re usually designed to drop the ball
straight back onto the flipper, so you’re
