The Free State Pinball Association's Guide to
Mario Andretti
Version 0.8
Rule sheet by Stephen Jonke (sjonke@jagunet.com) with much help from Dan
S. Yochelson (dsy@jhu.edu). Thanks also go out to all members of the
Free State Pinball Association. Visit the FSPA's home page at:
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~bvs/FSPA/
Yes, a blatant plug for the FSPA, and why not? :)
Mario Andretti (MA) is a narrow body, 3-ball, racing themed game.
Anything and everything that Gottleib Premier might consider to be their
legal property is, in fact, quite likely their legal property.
MA is a game that has grown on me. It's worth giving a few tries even
if your first impression of it isn't so good. It has all the things
you've come to expect from modern Gottleib/Premier games including
wacky, but often clever and fun rules.
Please email suggestions and errata to sjonke@jagunet.com
Version History
---------------
Version 0.1 (5/27/96) - Rough draft started.
... continues ...
Playfield Description and Layout:
--------------------------------
This description begins at the center bottom and progresses roughly
clockwise around the playfield.
Up Post: Between flippers. Raised for a period of time at beginning of
each ball. Also raised temporarily when the right loop is shot and by a
Mystery award.
Left Flipper: Normal size Gottleib flipper.
Left Slingshot: In the usual spot. During normal play enables the right
outlane diverter ball save and disables the left outlane kickback.
EB/Pass Standup: White standup target at top of left slingshot. Scores
extraball or "pass" when lit.
Left Inlane: Doesn't do anything special.
Left Outlane: Has kickback. During normal play it's enabled by the
right slingshot and disabled by the left slingshot.
Turbo Standups: Two yellow standups just above the left slingshot. Hit
Turbo to start it flashing - hit it again before it times out for 5
million. Next award is 10 million then 15, 20...
Left Ramp: Scores Mystery and Race Strategy when lit. Lights Stop
Watch at right loop if not already lit.
Pop Bumpers: Three of them in standard triangle arrangement.
Upper hole: Just below the pops. Feeds ball to Right Hole kickout.
Right Loop: Feeds to the left inlane. Lights, starts and scores stop
watch. Raises up post for a short period of time if it is not already
up. Diverter at top right of loop can catch and send ball into scoop
and then to pop bumpers.
Right Hole: At middle right side of playfield. Collects Victory Circle,
Track Award or Pit Stop when lit. Ball kicks back out of this hole.
Right Outlane: Has diverter save to right inlane. During normal play
it's enabled by the left slingshot and disabled by the right slingshot.
Right Inlane: Doesn't do anything special.
Jackpot/Yield Standup: White standup target at the top of the right
slingshot. Scores Jackpot or "yield" when lit.
Right Slingshot: In the usual spot. During normal play enables the
left outlane kickback and disables the right outlane diverter ball
save.
Right Flipper: Normal size Gottleib flipper.
Hairpin Turn: A horseshoe shaped shot in the middle of the playfield.
Left and right sides can be shot, exiting from the opposite side.
Tach: Two red standups between the sides of the Hairpin Turn
horseshoe.
Spinning Cars: Two cars mounted at either end of a rod that spins
around the hairpin turn. A prong extends below each car that
can hit the ball or be hit with the ball to spin the cars.
Miscellaneous Standups: Several other white standups are on the
playfield.
Skill Shot:
----------
A manual plunger shoots the ball up a short ramp that leads to a captive
ball. After hitting the captive ball the ball is fed to a habitrail
that leads to the right inlane. Hit the captive ball with the plunged
ball. The captive ball moves up a short path over 3 rollover switches
and into a standup if plunged hard. You collect the award associated
with the last switch touched on the way up. The awards are:
1st switch: Jackpot
2nd switch: Lock Ball (begin regular multiball)
3rd switch: Race Strategy (see below)
Standup (Crash and Burn): 30 points + 1 gallon fuel
After collecting an award (except Crash and Burn) that award is no
longer available until the other awards have also been collected.
Races
-----
The primary goal of Mario Andretti is to win races and advance to the
World Championship. There are 17 numbered car-shaped lights forming a
race track in the middle of the playfield. Advance around the track by
hitting lit yellow Mario shots (which also causes the spinning cars to
rotate faster and faster), the spinning cars themselves, sling shots
and/or pop bumpers. Complete a certain number of laps to complete a
race and receive a Checkered Flag Award (see below.) The first race is
1 lap in length and all subsequent races are 2 laps.
During each race making a shot lit green ("Pass") advances you one
position. If you are already in 1st place then shooting a green shot
advances the "pass bonus" by 5 million. Shooting a red shot
("Yield") drops you back one position. You start each race in 1st place
- complete the race in 1st place to get "Victory Circle". Finishing
three races in 1st place (three Victory Circle's) starts the World
Championship (see below.) Finishing a race also gives an award based on
your position at the end of the race:
1st Place: 50,000,000 and lights EB standup for a period of time
2nd Place: 30,000,000
3rd Place: 10,000,000
4th and lower: Nothing
Fuel & Pit Stops
----------------
You start the game with 5 gallons of fuel. Each lap uses 1 gallon of
fuel. If you run out of fuel you can no longer advance cars around the
track until you "Pit In" by shooting the right hole. Sometimes Pit In
will be lit before you completely run out of fuel and I'm not yet sure
why this is. Either way you must shoot the right hole to make a pit
stop. Shooting the right hole when lit for "Pit In" awards 3 gallons
fuel and lets you continue advancing around the track. Fuel can also be
collected during normal play via Track Awards, Mystery Awards, the
Pass/Yield Round and the "Crash and Burn" skill shot award.
Checkered Flag Awards
---------------------
Completing a race in any position gives you a choice between two
awards/modes (except when you get World Championship). There are left
awards and right awards which advance independently. Choose an award
with the corresponding flipper button. If you don't select a particular
award it will be offered again the next time. The sequence of awards is
as follows:
LEFT AWARD RIGHT AWARD
------------- ----------------
Redline Round Multiball
Race Strategy Pass/Yield Round
Super Jackpot 5 Jackpots
Spin Cars Round Multiball
Complete (*) Complete (*)
(*) "Complete" is not actually an award, rather it indicates that you've
selected all available awards on that side. Selecting "Complete" will
give you the award on the other side (i.e. the incomplete side) just as
if you had selected it. I'm not yet sure if anything special happens if
you complete both sides.
Redline Round - 2-ball multiball round. This round starts with a skill
shot - the top rollover switch (Race Strategy) is lit, making it gives
you [???] After the skill shot multiball begins. Shoot the red "Tach"
standups 5 times (each worth basically nothing) and then each subsequent
tach shot is worth 50 million as long as multiball lasts. As soon as
the tach is lit for 50 million the up post, left outlane kickback and
right outlane diverter *all* become disabled, making this round a bit
of a "sucker shot".
Multiball - (see below)
Race Strategy - (see below)
Pass/Yield Round - interesting one ball mode. All the "light" shots are
lit green. Hitting green lights ("Pass") advances the award and changes
the shot to a red light ("Yield"). Collect the current award and end
the round at any time by shooting the right hole. If you shoot a red
light the round ends but you can still collect the current award at the
right hole for a period of time. Here's the awards in order:
1. 1 gallon
2. 2 gallons
3. 50,000,000
4. 100,000,000
5. Extra Ball
6. Spin Cars Round
7. [???]
Spin Cars Round - lucrative 3-ball multiball round. This round starts
with two skill shots in a row. The top rollover (Race Strategy) is lit.
Getting it awards the double jackpots Race Strategy award if you haven't
already recieved it (i.e. jackpots doubled for rest of ball!!) The
second skill shot awards [???] After two skill shots multiball begins.
Each time the spinning cars are rotated scores a jackpot. The Jackpot
standup is also lit for jackpot. During the round shoot either side of
the hairpin horseshoe, or the cars themselves to spin the cars and
collect jackpots. This round can rack up serious points.
Multiball
---------
Regular multiball can be started via a skill shot, Checkered Flag Award,
random award, or automatically on ball 3 if you have not already played
regular multiball. Multiball begins with a skill shot - the 2nd
rollover (Lock Ball) is lit. If missed 2-ball multiball begins, but if
you make the skill shot you are given a second skill shot (and thus a
3rd ball) in which the 1st and 3rd rollovers are lit. Shooting one
collects the respective award (Jackpot or Race Strategy). 3-ball
multiball begins regardless.
Multiball starts with three shots lit: left and right hairpin turn and
the right loop. Each is worth 10 million points. Once all three are
collected they relight and the "Tach" is added for 20 million each, plus
the right standup (just above the right slingshot) is lit for Jackpot
and stays lit even if hit. Once all the 20 million shots are collected
they relight and the right hole is added. Each of these scores a
Jackpot. After all 5 jackpots are collected the left ramp lights for
Super Jackpot. After collecting the SJ the 5 shots relight for jackpot
and then the ramp for SJ. Repeat.
Your state in the sequence carries over between multiballs so that you
don't have to recollect awards and jackpots you've already collected in
a previous multiball. However, if you collect at least one Super
Jackpot your next multiball starts over at the beginning.
Jackpot & Super Jackpot
-----------------------
Jackpot can be collected via multiball, Track Award 3 and 16, Checkered
Flag Awards, Hurry Up, skill shots and mystery awards. The jackpot
value starts out at 30 million and is advanced by 5 million during
normal play via shooting either side of the hairpin and then hitting the
Tach before it stops flashing. It can also be advanced by random awards
and Track Awards.
Super Jackpot can be collected via multiball, World Championship,
Checkered Flag Awards and mystery awards [???]. It begins at 200
million and is advanced 100 million by shooting the Stop Watch when it
is flashing (see below). It can also be advanced by Track Awards and
mystery awards.
Race Strategy
-------------
Race Strategy is lit at the left ramp for a period of time after each
lap that doesn't complete a race. Shoot the ramp when lit to collect
Race Strategy. It can also be collected via mystery awards and Track
Award 8. Race Strategy gives you one of a set of possible awards:
Pop bumpers 10,000,000 for rest of ball
Right loop 10,000,000 for rest of ball
Slingshots 10,000,000 for rest of ball
Spinning cars 10,000,000 for rest of ball
Hairpin turn 10,000,000 for rest of ball
Pit stop (right hole) 30,000,000 for rest of ball
Super jackpot doubled for rest of ball
Jackpot doubled for rest of ball
Fuel trade - option to trade your fuel for something:
1 - 9 gallons: [what for each???]
10 or more gallons: trade 10 gallons for EB (once only.)
[other race strategy awards???]
World Championship
------------------
Start World Championship by winning 3 races. WC is a 3-ball multiball
that starts with two skill shots with the top rollover (Race Strategy)
lit. Making the skill shot awards [???] After both skill shots
multiball begins. All major shots are lit to advance cars around the
track. Each lap completed awards a Super Jackpot.
Track Award
-----------
At the beginning of each lap Track Award is lit at the right hole if
it was not already lit (track awards are *not* stacked). Each
car-shaped light that forms the race track has a number next to it.
Shooting Track Award gives you the correspondingly numbered award:
1. 5 Gallons Fuel
2. 50,000,000
3. 3 Jackpots
4. Green Lights (all pass/yield shots light green)
5. Advance Jackpot (+ 5,000,000)
6. 1 Gallon Fuel
7. Advance Super Jackpot (+ 100,000,000)
8. Race Strategy
9. Post Up (raises post for a period of time)
10. Begin Hurry-Up (Jackpot or EB standup lit for a period of time)
11. 3 Gallons Fuel
12. Advance Super Jackpot (+ 100,000,000)
13. 30,000,000
14. Complete Lap
15. 1 Gallon Fuel
16. 5 Jackpots
17. Extra Ball (once per game) or Advance Jackpot (+ 5,000,000)
After collecting a track award, Track Award cannot be collected again
until the next lap.
Mystery Award
-------------
Mystery is alternately lit and unlit at the left ramp on slingshot,
pop bumper and tach hits. If Race Strategy is lit at the ramp,
Mystery will not be lit. Shoot the ramp when lit for Mystery to
collect a random award:
1 to 10 Gallons Fuel
Post Up
1 to 5 Jackpots
Multiball
Race Strategy
500,000,000 (!!!)
Complete Lap
[... ???]
Stop Watch
----------
The right loop is lit for Stop Watch when you shoot it or the left ramp
when the right loop isn't lit for something else. Once lit it will
remain lit until you start the Stop Watch or the right loop is lit for
something else. When lit shoot the right loop to start the Stop Watch -
a timer begins counting up. Shoot the right loop again to stop the stop
watch. If you hit some other switch in between the round ends and you
must relight it again. If you do make the shot you receive an award
based upon your time:
0 to 2.99 seconds: Advance Super Jackpot 100,000,000.
3 to 3.99 seconds: Add 3 gallons fuel.
4 to 6.99 seconds: Add 1 gallon fuel (crash & burn.)
7 or greater: Nothing.
In addition if your time is lower than the best time you win a free game
- interestingly the game stops immediately to let you enter your
initials rather than waiting for the end of the game.
[Presumably the max Super Jackpot value is 900,000,000 like Big Hurt,
et. al.]
Champs
------
There are several "champs" that MA keeps track of. I don't think these
names are right, but the idea is:
- Normal High Scores and Grand Champ
- Single Ball Champ: Highest score on one ball gets initials & game
- Stop Watch Champ: Shortest stop watch time gets initials & game
Ball Saves
----------
Mario Andretti has unusual, very Premier-ean rules for ball saves. At
the beginning of each ball the left outlane kickback, right outlane
diverter and up post are all enabled for a fairly long period of time.
During this time balls can be saved over and over again (however, if the
ball slips past a raised flipper you won't get it back.) After this time
expires the up post drops and one of the two outlane saves remains
enabled. The left slingshot enables the right outlane diverter save and
disables the left and the right slingshot enables the left outlane
kickback and disables the right (like I said - very Premier-ean! :) The
up-post is also raised for a short period of time when you shoot the
right loop.
In addition Mario Andretti has guaranteed ball time. If you have not
had the minimum ball time it will repeatedly give you the ball back
after your third ball until you do get the minimum ball time. Note
that any extra balls you collected on your 3rd ball come first.
Bonus
-----
End of ball bonus is:
Pass Bonus
At the end of the game you also receive:
10,000,000 x Gallons Fuel
Strategy
--------
[...]
