Rules for "High Speed" Pinball
From: ung@felix.UUCP (Bill Ung)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Rules for "High Speed"
Keywords: high speed rules
Date: 1 May 91 22:16:47 GMT
Reply-To: ung@felix.UUCP (Bill Ung)
Organization: FileNet Corp., Costa Mesa, CA
Rules for High Speed
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This is intended to be a fairly definitive posting of High Speed rules
and strategies. I don't work for Williams, so you won't find any ultra-
secret tricks here, but I have played and watched the game quite extensively
for a number of years and will try to describe the game as entirely as
possible. As you will note, I, myself, have a number of questions of my
own. If you have the answers, or have a home High Speed game and can test
them out, I'd appreciate the answers. Of course, credit will be awarded
where credit is due.
Please post any corrections or send them to ung@felix.UUCP or
hplabs!felix!ung.
[Note: This is my first attempt at writing rules, be gentle!]
QUICK REFERENCE CARD (straight off the game)
High Speed
o Make Stoplight Targets to change Ramp Stoplight from Green to Yellow to Red.
o Eject Hole and Ramp spot Stoplight Lamp.
o Shoot Ball up Ramp to run Red Stoplight, starting Police Chase.
o Shoot Ball up Ramp DURING Police Chase to Escape from Police and Begin
*Multi-ball* Play.
o Shoot Ball up Ramp DURING *Multi-ball* Play to WIN Hideout Jackpot.
===============================================================================
o Flipper return lanes light timed Freeway Arrow.
o Shooting up Lit Freeway scores and advances Freeway value toward Extra Ball.
o Each ball: 1st Freeway Shot lights Flipper Lanes; 2nd lights Spinners; 3rd
lights Hold Bonus.
o Flashing 1-6 Targets Advances Ramp value and lights Kickback.
MAXIMUM CREDITS - 30
OBJECT OF THE GAME
Advance the traffic light to red, run the red light and get away at High
Speed! Once you have gotten away, during multi-ball, hide in the hideout for
the bonus jackpot!
STARTING THE GAME
One to four players can play. Traditional High Speed games support
the 1-game, 5-balls per quarter. 50 cent High Speed games will not display
half-credits. New players can enter the game by inserting coins and pressing
Start until the end of the first ball; after that, pressing Start aborts the
current game for all players and begins a new one.
PLUNGER SKILL SHOT
High Speed does not truely have a plunger skill shot. While it is
possible to shoot a ball up the ramp and have it slide down the guide
rails into a hideout, but no extra points are awarded for such a feat.
Depending upon the difficulty level, the game will spot a stoplight
for you for just making it up the ramp off the plunger (see STOPLIGHTS
and RAMP SHOTS).
[Question: Is it possible to modify this so that there are bonuses for
achieving this? Is there an entry in the manual about this
or is there possibly a hardware hack that will do this for
you?]
Another possible skill shot would be to hit a flashing stoplight target
opposite or above the opening of the plunger slot. No special points are
awarded, but it gets you out of hitting the target later. Use this only
if you don't get a free stoplight for a plunger ramp shot.
STOPLIGHTS
The main stoplight is located above the opening to the ramp. You
begin with a green light. Around the board are three sets of stoplights
lights with red, yellow and green targets. The game begin with a green
light. Each light begins with its light flashing on each of the three
stoplight targets. Complete each light by spoting each flashing target
by hitting it with the ball, or using the ramp (see RAMP SHOTS) or the eject
hole (see EJECT HOLE). When the all targets of the current light have been
spotted, the light is advanced to yellow, then to red. When you reach the
red light. You must now send the ball up the ramp to begin the police chase.
This can either be done from the playfield or off of the plunger. During the
police chase, spot all nine stoplight targets in any order to light the
getaway lamp for the eject hole. During multi-ball, all nine target lights
may again be spotted in any order. Whenever a stoplight is spotted, the game
adds 1,000 points to your bonus total (see BONUS POINTS).
The three traffic lights around the board can be hit/marked in the
following ways:
1) Hitting the target next to the light with the ball.
2) Sending the ball up the ramp (see RAMP SHOTS). Depending upon
the difficulty setting, you may or may not be awarded a stoplight
target for a plunger ramp shot.
3) Landing the ball in the eject hole (see EJECT HOLE). Depending
upon the difficulty setting, this feature may be disabled.
Note: The plunger ramp shot and eject hole light spotting feature has been
disabled on 2 out of 3 High Speed games in my area. Is this an
operator-settable option? Or is this a consequnce of 3/5 ball games?
(The game that has them enabled gives 3 balls per game, the two that
don't give 5 balls per game.
[Question: If you spot all nine targets during multi-ball, what does
that accomplish for you?]
[Question: What algorithm does High Speed use to mark the lights? If
you shoot the ramp on a red light, the game will always mark
the highest bank red where yellow and green will usually mark
one of the lower banks]
RAMP SHOTS
During normal gameplay, when a ball is sent up the ramp, the game
will push the ball down one of the guide rails and into one of the side
hide-outs. You are also awarded the following bonuses for each ramp shot:
1) 50,000 points and a 2x bonus multiplier for the first ramp shot.
2) 75,000 points and a 3x bonus multiplier for the second ramp shot.
3) 100,000 points and a 4x bonus multiplier for the third ramp shot.
4) 100,000 points and a 5x bonus multiplier for the fourth ramp shot.
5) 100,000 points for each subsequent ramp shot.
Each ramp shot will also spot a stoplight target and advance the current
light, if necessary. Depending upon the difficulty setting, the game may
or may not spot a stoplight for a plunger ramp shot. The ramp value and
bonus multiplier are not awarded for a plunger ramp shot.
If the main traffic light is red, you will be awarded the usual rewards
but it will start the "Police Chase". This mode is entered whether the ramp
shot is from the playfield or the plunger.
Sending a ball up the ramp during the "Police Chase" consititues a
"Getaway" and will lock the ball in one of the hideouts. A second ball will
be served up which will be locked in the other hideout. A third ball will be
served which when it registers anwyhere on the playfield, will release the
other two balls, beginning multi-ball play. In the even you miss the ramp
on the second ball, the game will abort to two-ball multiball by ejecting
the other locked ball. However, if you haven't touched anything, some games
will allow you to drain the ball and try again. Others will drain the ball
eject the locked ball, starting you over at a green light.
During multi-ball play, sending a ball up the ramp will lock it in a
hideout and will award a jackpot bonus (see JACKPOT BONUS). Sending a second
ball up will lock it in the other hideout and will award another jackpot
bonus. When the last playfield ball is drained, all locked balls are released
and play continues. If you have more than one ball locked, you continue
multi-ball play. If only one ball was locked, then you start over at a green
light.
[Question: What happens if the third ball is sent up the ramp as well during
multi-ball?]
EJECT HOLE
Above the upper right-hand flipper, there is an eject hole. During
normal play, landing a ball there will temporarily lock the ball. The game
may also award you by marking off a light target, depending upon the
difficulting setting. The biggest advantage is the ball is kicked out to
the lane where the upper right-hand flipper is located. This makes for an
easy ramp shot (if you are skilled enough and have a decently powered
flipper).
During "Police Chase" mode or multi-ball, the eject hole will mark off
an unmarked target for you. If all targets are marked, the ball lock will
constitute a "Getaway".
If lit, the ball lock will award an "Extra Ball".
THE FREEWAY
There are two freeways and three freeway spinners. Two are on the outer
lanes around the upper half of the board, the third leads to the eject hole.
The two outer lanes award the Freeway Bonus, when its Freeway Arrow is lit.
Freeway scoring is as follows:
1) When nothing is lit: 100 points for each time the freeway signs
(spinners) spin when hit by the ball.
2) When nothing is lit, riding both outer-lane freeways in succession
(ie: one big loop) will light the timed Freeway Arrow on the side
you entered first. If you're good at making this loop, it's a great
way to pick up points and bonuses (ie: Hold Bonus, Light Extra Ball).
3) The lower flipper inlanes will light the opposite-side timed
Freeway Arrow.
4) The lower flipper inlanes, when lit, will also award 20,000 points
and will re-light the Kickback, if necessary.
5) When the Freeway Arrows are flashing, the freeway awards:
a) The first run awards 25,000 points and lights the flipper
inlanes.
b) The second run awards 50,000 points and will light the spinners.
c) The third run will award 75,000 points and will light Hold
Bonus.
d) The fourth run will award 100,000 points.
e) The fifth run will award 100,000 points and light the Extra Ball
indicator.
6) When the spinners are lit, they award 1,000 points per spin when
hit by the ball.
The Freeway Bonus indicators only flash for a short period of time. They
go out when the time has elasped or the Freeway Bonus is collected. The
20,000 bonus/light kickback and 1000 point indicators will last till the
end of the ball. The Extra Ball lamp will last till the end of the ball or
till the Extra Ball is collected.
THE SIDE 1-2-3 AND 4-5-6 TARGETS
One of the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 targets will be flashing at all times.
Hitting the target will advance the Ramp value and will re-light the Kickback
light, if necessary.
[Question: What types of points do these targets award?]
BONUS POINTS
Various targets will award bonus points and your total is kept tallied
on the main playfield (designed to look like a spedometer). You start each
ball with 1,000 bonus points. Each stoplight adds 1,000 points to your bonus
total. The outlanes add 3,000 bonus points to your bonus total. At the end
of each ball, the game awards you these bonus points, multiplied by your
bonus multiplier (you start at 1X, advance using the ramp, see RAMP SHOTS).
The game will start you over at 1,000 bonus points unless Hold Bonus has
been awarded (see THE FREEWAY). If you have finished your last ball with a
Hold Bonus, the game awards you the remaining bonus after computing your
end-of-ball total. Bonus multipliers are not carried over from ball to ball.
JACKPOT BONUS
The jackpot bonus starts at 250,000 points and climbs from game to game.
Once awarded, the jackpot bonus resets itself to 250,000 points (kinda like
the lottery).
[Question: What advances the jackpot bonus? Games played? Balls played?
Playfield targets?]
OUTLANES
There are two special lights, one for each outlane. When lit, they
will award 1 credit. When only one is lit, the slingshots move the light
from one side to the other. When the special light is not lit, the outlanes
will add 3,000 points to your bonus total.
[Question: Are both ever lit? What lights these lights?]
STRATEGY
Get good at the freeway shots, the ramp shot and the eject hole shot.
The freeway shots are probably easiest and if you can collect the Freeway
Bonuses often enough, this strategy easily outruns multiple ramp shots,
plus you get bonuses like Hold Bonus and Light Extra Ball. The ramp shot
is best to spot a hard-to-reach stoplight. The ramp bonus isn't bad either
and bonus multipliers are always a good thing to have. The eject hole is
really only worth it on games that will spot a stoplight for you. All games
will spot stoplights from the eject hole when all stoplights are off and
can be hit in any order. Also, if a playfield ramp shot cannot be made for
one reason or another, the eject hole is your only hope of getting away
(starting multi-ball).
DIFFICULTY OPTIONS
I do not have a High Speed manual so I cannot comment here, but I decided
to include the section just in case some kind soul could Email me some
information or USnail me an actual manual.
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MISCELLANEOUS INFO:
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PLAYFIELD
The spinners/freeways are labeled as follows:
Left Spinner: Bayshore Freeway
Right Spinner: Santa Monica Freeway
Eject Spinner: San Diego Freeway
SCORING
High Speed target scoring is as follows (summary):
Slingshots: 10 points.
Spinner: 100 points per spin.
Lit Spinner: 1000 points per spin.
Bumpers: 500 points
Freeway Scores: 1/ 25,000;
2/ 50,000;
3/ 75,000;
4/100,000;
5/Light Extra Ball
Ramp: 1/ 50,000;
2/ 75,000;
3/100,000
BONUS TOTAL SCORING
Plunger (starting): 1,000 points
Stoplight Target: 1,000 points
Outlanes: 3,000 points
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All above (except Quick Reference Card) Copyright (c) 1991 William Ung
"High Speed" is most likely a trademark of Williams Games, Inc.
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--
"Dispatch this is 504, suspect playing another game of High Speed, over."
Bill Ung
ung@felix.UUCP
hplabs!felix!ung
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