Whirlwind video game

 Compiled by Jim Hoxsey (jjhoxsey@vela.acs.oakland.edu).

Special thanks to Mark Phaedrus (phaedrus@milton.u.washington.edu).

"Whirlwind" and "Million Plus" are registered trademarks of Williams

Electronic Games, Inc. (C) 1990 Chicago, IL.

NOTE: These rules are compiled from hours on end of continuous play of

"Whirlwind" and are as accurate as possible to the author's best

knowledge.  If there are any discrepancies, please notify the author.

OBJECT OF THE GAME

     To move the storm to your area by hitting various direction

targets.  Lock two balls, and start Multiball by locking a third

and/or hitting the 3-toll ramp.

STARTING THE GAME

     One to four players can play.  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

     Shoot the ball from the plunger to hit one or more of the

"FEEL THE POWER" drop targets.  100K for "POWER", 200K for "THE"

and 300K for "FEEL".  Hitting more than one target will add their

values together.

SO YOU MESSED UP...

     A ball that is launched and doesn't hit a single playfield

target will be re-served.  NOTE: This only happens on the FIRST

time a ball is served for a player.  This does not apply after a

ball is locked or the ball ends up in the plunger lane by bouncing

over the wall.

MOVING THE STORM

     Scattered about the playfield are eight(8) targets.  Two of

each: NE (Northeast), NW (Northwest), SE (Southeast), and SW

(Southwest).  These are easily noted by either the letters on them

or color: NE/Red, NW/Yellow, SE/Orange, and SW/Green.  A target is

spotted for the player when he launches his 'first' ball of each

ball.  The targets the player must hit are lit on the compass at

the center of the playfield.  Once all these targets are hit, lock

will lite.

     After locking ball 1, the player must hit different targets to

lite lock 2.  After locking ball 2, Multiball will lite.

     The set of targets for the first Multiball can be hit in any

order.  From the second time on, only one direction can be hit at

a time.  Only when both of those targets are hit, will another

direction lite.

SKYWAY TOLLS

     Skyway Tolls are collected throughout the game.  The number

collected and how are:

     Skyway Ramp -- 1 or 2, depending on status of the "2 Tolls"

lite.

     Cup -- 1.

     3-Toll Ramp -- Of course, 3.

     At the end of a ball, the player will recieve 2K for each

Skyway Toll collected.  No more than 99 Skyway Tolls can be

collected.  If 99 Skyway Tolls are collected, then the player has 

their "SKYWAY PAID FOR" and receive 200K (Plus a neat little tune)

each time a ramp is hit.

SKYWAY RAMP(Right)

     This ramp is used to advance Skyway Tolls and lock balls.  Its

entrance can be either open(down) or closed(up).

     When open, the ball will be returned to the left inlane, and

either one or two Skyway Tolls will be collected.  Going through

the left inlane or going up the ramp will briefly lite 2 tolls. 

The Tornado Drop Target's value will also increase briefly.  The

point value of this ramp also increases with each successful run. 

It starts at 50K and increases by 10K each time up to a maximum of

100K.

     When closed, the ball will land in a cup and be ejected toward

the upper right flipper.  One Skyway Toll will be collected for

entering the cup.

     The ramp's current status depends on a number of things. 

Entering the Super Cellar Door (either lit or not lit) will toggle

its status, unless Multiball of either flavor is in progress, in

which case it will remain closed.

     In a one player game, the ramp will be open while regular lock

is lit.  In a two or more player game, the ramp will be open or

closed while regular lock is lit depending on how many balls are

physically locked to the number that the current player is trying

to lock.  If the number that are physically locked is greater than

the number that the player is trying to get to, then the ramp will

be closed.  Otherwise, it will be open.

     If Multiball of either flavor is lit, the ramp will be closed.

     The ramp will be open at the beginning of a player's turn,

unless one of the above rules applies to keep it closed.

3-TOLL RAMP(Left)

     This ramp is used to collect 3 Skyway Tolls, spot a target (if

lock isn't lit or Multiball isn't in progress), lite the Super

Cellar Door, collect Million and/or Million Plus, and start

Multiball.  Its value starts at 50K and increases by 10K each time

up to a maximum of 100K.  This ramp returns the ball to a point

somewhere near the lower SE target, usually on the right spinning

platter.

SUPER CELLAR DOOR(Yellow light)

     This amazing little device is quite useful.  To lite the door

temporarily, the ball must traverse the right inlane.  To lite it

permanently (until entered), the 3-Toll Ramp must be hit.

     Depending on the difficulty level of your machine, this may or

may not be lit at the beginning of a ball.

     The awards that can be lit are labeled on the backglass just

below the score display.  The value can be changed using the

spinner located to the right of the Skyway Ramp.

     Entering this target will toggle the status of the Skyway

Ramp, unless lock is lit (or will be lit by the Super Cellar Door)

in which case it remains closed.  Also, one Cellar Visit will be

awarded.

     The seven awards are:

     "LO PRESSURE JETS ALL AT MAXIMUM" -- Will increase the point

value of the Lo Pressure Jets to 5K (flashing).

     "SUPER DOOR SCORE 500,000" -- Increases the player's score by

500K.

     "EXTRA BALL IS LIT" -- Lites the extra ball target.  Only lit

until collected or ball is lost.

     "DROP TARGET AT MAXIMUM" -- Sets the value of the "FEEL THE

POWER" drop targets to 100K.

     "QUICK MULTIBALL IS LIT" -- Lites Quick Multiball.

     "MILLION IS LIT" -- Lites the Million shot.

     "HI PRESSURE JETS ALL AT MAXIMUM" -- Will increase the point

value of the Hi Pressure Jets to 5K (flashing).

     The Super Cellar Door is disabled during Quick Multiball or

Multiball.

     When all seven values are collected, all values will flash,

and the Super Cellar Door will lite.  Entering the Super Cellar

Door at this point awards MEGA DOOR BONUS.  MEGA DOOR BONUS awards

all seven values AGAIN as well as 2,000,000 points and lites ONE

Special.  NOTE: Extra Ball can only be collected from the Super

Cellar Door about four times before it will no longer be

collectable (it will automatically lite the box on the backglass). 

Also, Special can only be collected approximately twice.  These

values may differ on your machine, depending on difficulty setting.

     Once the MEGA DOOR BONUS is collected, the Super Cellar Door

will award nothing until the current ball has been lost.

THE CELLAR DOOR(Red light)

     This device is similar to the Super Cellar Door, but will not

award anything except a Cellar Visit.  Cellar Visits are worth 5K

each and are cumulative through the entire game.  The point value

is awarded at the end of each ball.  This is where the ball will

come out if the ball enters it or the Super Cellar Door.

     It is also used to start Cellar Multiball.  Cellar Multiball

is only possible if Multiball was started, and no Million Plus was

awarded.  A player normally has 15 seconds after two balls are lost

on Multiball to collect Cellar Multiball.  Cellar Multiball is

basically Multiball with only two balls.  When the red light is

flashing, enter the Cellar Door.  A ball will be ejected to the

plunger lane.  Launch this and the 2nd ball will be ejected from

the Cellar.  Normal Multiball rules apply.  Either the Super Cellar

Door or the Cellar Door may be entered to start Cellar Multiball.

"FEEL THE POWER" DROP TARGET

     These three drop targets are used for the Skill Shot. 

Dropping all three of these targets awards the drop value.  It

starts at 50K and increases to 100K in increments of 10K.  Sweeping

(hitting all three simutaneously) is 100K + current drop value. 

The drop value can be set to 100K immediately by using the Super

Cellar Door.

TORNADO DROP TARGET

     This drop target's value varies, depending on trips up the

Skyway Ramp and the time between them.  The initial value of this

target varies depending on the difficulty setting.  The values are

50K, 75K, 100K, 150K, LITE QUICK MULTIBALL, and EXTRA BALL.  Each

trip up the Skyway Ramp lites the next highest value all the way to

LITE QUICK MULTIBALL.  Point values can be collected more than

once, but Quick Multiball can only be collected once each time it

is lit.  See EXTRA BALLS to see how to lite the EXTRA BALL target.

     After a certain point, LITE QUICK MULTIBALL can no longer be

lit.

LO/HI PRESSURE JETS

     These bumpers are like any other jet bumpers on most Williams

games.  Their point value is advanced by the platter in front of

the center Hi Pressure Jet.  Hitting this target will advance one

jet bumper.  The values are:

     Unlit -- 1,000

     Lit -- 3,000

     Flashing -- 5,000

     When all bumpers are flashing, the platter is worth 100K.  The

bumpers can also be maxed out with the Super Cellar Door.

THE FAN AND SPINNING DISKS

     What makes Whirlwind what it is.  They usually are operational at

the same times.  When a lock of any flavor is lit, or when a Multiball

of either kind is in progress.  The fan does nothing to game play, but

the disks will wreak havoc with the ball(s) in play.  This sometimes

produces quite interesting results, as well as frustrating ones....

QUICK MULTIBALL

     Quick Multiball can be lit from either the Tornado Drop Target or

the Super Cellar Door.  It is started by locking a ball in the cup

under the Skyway Ramp when Quick Multiball is lit.  If none or one

ball is physically locked, then a normal Quick Multiball is started:

     A ball is ejected into the plunger lane.  When a playfield target

is struck, the ball in the cup will be ejected.  Unlimited Million is

lit.  This continues until one ball is lost.  Direction targets can

still be hit during Quick Multiball.  The 3-Toll Ramp will award

1,000,000, 3 Skyway Tolls, and spot a direction target (if any need be

spotted).

     If two balls are physically locked, then normal Multiball will be

started, except 1,000,000 will be awarded in addition to each Million

Plus collected.

     After a certain point, Quick Multiball can no longer be lit from

the Tornado Drop Target.

LOCKING A BALL

     This will vary between one and two player games.  In general, a

player must 'lock' two balls before they can start Multiball.  In a

two or more player game, if a player does lock two balls, then fails

to start Multiball, another player may 'steal' those balls with a

Quick Multiball.  Basically, before a player can play Multiball, there

must be two balls physically locked.  Physically locked balls are

those that are sitting in the lock lane on the left hand side of the

machine.

     Locking a ball will advance the Bonus Multiplier.  The Bonus

Multiplier will multiply the Skyway Tolls value at the end of a ball.

The values are 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, 6X+Lite Extra Ball, and 6X+Lite

Special.  The bonus multiplier will not exceed 6X.  A player cannot

'loose' the multiplier value if another player steals their locked

ball(s).

"FEEL THE POWER" MULTIBALL

     Multiball is started by locking two balls and then releasing them

with a third.  They can be released two ways, by hitting the 3-Toll

Ramp (which will award 1,000,000 and three tolls), or locking a ball

in the cup.  The latter will only work up to a point, then Multiball

must be started by hitting the 3-Toll Ramp.

     Once more than one ball is in play, Million Plus will be lit.

Hitting the 3-Toll Ramp will score 2,000,000.  This will increase by

1,000,000 each time to a maximum of 10,000,000.  If at least one

Million Plus is collected before loosing two balls, normal play will

resume.  Otherwise, Cellar Multiball will lite.  See CELLAR DOOR(Red

light) for details.

3-WAY COMBO

     Going between the Lo Pressure Jets to the upper right flipper,

around the Hi Pressure Jets and back to the upper right flipper again

and finally up the 3-Toll Ramp scores a 3-Way Combo (plus an awesome

siren).  The 3-Way Combo will score only 250K, as well as the points

that the 3-Toll Ramp is currently worth.  All these targets must be

hit in order, with no other targets in between (except the neccessary

direction targets and the spinner).

EXTRA BALLS

     Extra Balls can be obtained only by hitting the Tornado Drop

Target when Extra Ball is lit.  There are three ways to lite Extra

Ball:

     Skyway Tolls -- Depending on the setting of your machine, this

can be from 5 Skyway Tolls to 50.  Also, the number of 'stops' that

will lite it can vary.  For instance these can be 8, 35, 50, and 75.

Or 35 and 50.  Use the Instant Info feature to find out how many are

needed.  A tone will sound to let you know that Extra Ball is lit.

Will remain lit until collected or remainder of game.

     Super Cellar Door -- Can only be collected a finite number of

times, usually four: two from hitting it while lit and two from the

Mega Door Bonus.  No tone will sound to let you know it is lit.  This

will remain lit until collected or current ball is lost.

     Locking the 5th ball -- Once and only once.  Will remain lit

until collected or remainder of the game.

SPECIALS

     Specials can be collected only from the outlanes.  There are only

two ways to lite Special:

     Mega Door Bonus -- Will only happen 1 or two times.  Depending on

the difficulty settings.  Will only remain lit until collected or

current ball is lost.

     Locking the 6th ball -- Once and only once.  A tone will let you

know it is lit.  Will remain list until collected or end of game.

     If only one Special lite is lit, the lit lane will toggle between

left and right each time a slingshot it hit.

DIFFICULTY SETTINGS

     Oddly enough, I could not find anyways to determine the setting.

Most features are set individually.  You'll have to discover these for

yourself.

5-BALL MACHINES

     I've never seen one of these since 1980.  I have no idea what

options are changed if set for five balls.

MECHANICAL FAILURES

     I currently only know of one mechanical failure that the machine

can compensate for immediately.  This is the Skyway Ramp.  If it is

left open (down) and will not rise, Multiball and Quick-Multiball can

still be started.  If the CPU sees three balls in the lock lane, it

will start Multiball.  This can, of course, wreak havoc in

multi-player games.  %)

     The Skyway Ramp will only award one Skyway Toll during Multiball

of either type, or when the ramp should be closed during regular play.

You will notice sometimes that the 2 Toll lamp will not lite when the

ball enters the left inlane.  This means that the ramp should be

closed (raised).

     Written by Jim Hoxsey (jjhoxsey@vela.acs.oakland.edu)