Horror Pinball

Pinball: techniques for better play

Pinball can be played with very little or no skill. You need to learn certain techniques to get good scores. A few words of advice are needed when using pinball machines.

Do not raise both pinball machines simultaneously!

You should not raise two pinballs simultaneously. It is important to assess the trajectory of the ball when it arrives from the space above. If the ball hits one of the pinballs directly, wait until it contacts before activating that pinball to send it away.

Personally, I don't have both pinballs down. Depending on the position of the ball, I raise or lower one pinball machine. If the ball is in the right direction, I will raise the left flip and lower it to the right. If it goes right, I do the reverse. Although it may seem odd, I believe we are better equipped with flips in the antagonistic situation.

Cushioning

It is possible to dampen or stop a ball from hitting a flip when it hits a flip. It's amazing to watch and it's not difficult because it happens in a fraction of a second. You raise the ball a fraction of second before it hits the flip. If the ball was moving at the correct speed and you did the gesture correctly, the ball can be stopped.

The Pass

A ball that is heading towards a pinball machines may hit it. If it does, it can raise it a bit before impact. The ball then hits the machine and bounces back to its opposite machine.

There are many other ways to get the ball to another pinball machine. You can do a little flip, or push the table forward and sideways.

A second technique for passing is when the ball falls in a lane at a high speed and is headed towards a flip. The ball raises this flip and uses it to jump towards the flip that will pick it up.

Why make passes? To pass the ball to someone who has an important task, like taking down the last target.

Ball control

This leads us to ball control. It is possible when the ball arrives slowly. If the ball comes through a Flowlane, flip it and let it go. The ball settles in a hollow at the pinball place. It is possible to think about what you want to do.

If it comes from the top, flip it to catch it.

Lower the flip, then let the ball flow until it reaches the position that allows you to send it back at the right angle. This will allow you reach any goal: ramp, target or hole.

As you will notice, the ball's trajectory is more angled in relation to its longitudinal axis the closer it gets to the end. By moving the ball towards the end, you can reach the lowest elements on the table, such as the target blocks and the ramp entrance.

The Fork

When the ball is about to hit one of the pinball machines, the fork can be very helpful. This is the most basic technique you need to learn. Sometimes, I do several of these per game. The fork is two strikes on the pinball buttons. They are separated by a fraction of a second. It starts with the pinball closest the ball. The table is slightly moved by the first shot. The ball moves along its path, so it's equivalent to moving closer to the pinball machines. It touches the pinball machine slightly, and bounces back to the other pinball machine. The second shot works in the same way: the ball is moved closer to the pinball machine by moving the table in the opposite direction. This immediately sends it back. This maneuver is extremely fast and requires practice and coordination. It's very fast. It's almost magical!

This technique requires sideways tamping, as you may have seen. It is difficult to execute a fork with stuffing using a computer. It is not common to be successful in using a fork on simulated pinball machines. This is also true for the 3D Ultra Pinball series.

Surprisingly, they are available with Virtual Pinball, Future Pinball, and other pinball machines. My theory is that the programs interpret situations and perform the stuffing for me, even though I am using a fork. There is no other explanation that I can think of.