Cue Ball Wizard

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LAST UPDATE: 4 May 1993

[This should be the last version of the guide. I don't think there is anything left, as far as rules go.]

If you see any mistakes, or want to add anything to this rules sheet, please let me know.

People who helped contribute to this sheet are listed at the end.

CBW is probably a registered trademark of Premier Pinball, and all that jazz.

NOTE: This rules sheet is based on the machine I know and love. On hard settings, the max score for a particular feature will be lower than what I have indicated here. Also, for machines w/o the cue ball installed, the jackpots are nailed with shots to the NO WAY target, and the two white targets on the left and right of the horseshoe.

Important Stuff

This section describes locations and shots on the playfield that will be referred to in the discussion.

THE RAMP
This is pretty obvious! :-) This is the key shot of the whole game. Hitting the ramp while the two red lights are blinking will award various things.

CORNER POCKET
This is the eject hole on the left side of the machine above the left outlane.

SIDE POCKET
The two green targets attached to the upper platform where the 8 ball rests. You must hit the cue ball into these targets for various awards.

HORSESHOE
The two holes underneath the side pocket. Sort of a 'Tunnel' where hitting the ball in one side will allow the ball to exit out the opposite side (If hit hard enough).

BANK SHOT
Two eject holes on the top of the machine, one on the left and one on the right.

POOL LANES
One letter of POOL appears in each outlane and inlane. Either flipper button will change which lanes are lit, so a letter should never be repeated.

STRIPES/SOLIDS
These are the drop targets on the upper left and upper right sides of the machine. The ones on the left are the 'Solids' numbered 1-7. The targets on the right are the 'Stripes' numbered 9-15.

SWEET SPOT
The white target located in between the two bank shots. This target gets lit after spelling POOL.

HURRY UP SPECIAL/HURRY UP 10,000,000/HURRY UP 5,000,000
The yellow target just above the Corner Pocket on the left side of the machine.

CHANGE/HURRY UP EXTRA BALL
A target just above the right outline. It has a picture of a wagon wheel on it. Hitting this will change the Wagon Wheel award, or if lit, will award an extra ball.

NO WAY TARGET
The white target below the side pocket, in between the two entrances to the horseshoe.

DOUBLE/WIZARD
These are lights on the bottom of the table. These keep track of how far along each word is spelled. These are cumulative between games, but a Slam Tilt or Power Cycle will reset them both.

The Rules

The ramp is the most important shot in the game. The ramp has to be hit once to light it for the wagon wheel award. This means after you initially plunge the ball, the ramp will be lit for the first wagon wheel award. Hitting the Corner Pocket will also light the Wagon Wheel, if it's not already lit. Hitting the ramp after it is lit will start one of the following timed rounds: (The current round to be awarded will be flashing in the Wheel above the flippers.)

ROWDY RAMP
Hit the ball up the ramp as many times as you can in the given amount of time. The awards are 2 million for the first shot, then 5 million, 10 million, 20 million and finally 40 million.

HORSESHOE EXTRA BALL
After this round starts, hit the ball in either side of the horseshoe to get an extra ball.

NO WAY
When this round starts, you have to try to hit the NO WAY target in between the horseshoe entrances. Each hit scores 30 million. The hard part of this shot it that the Cue Ball is in the way, and you must develop various shots to hit the target, or knock the cue ball out of the way long enough to get a clear shot.

SPELL DOUBLE
This round is used to add letters to DOUBLE. The first shot to hit is the Corner Pocket. If letters remain after this first shot, hit the Ramp to add additional letters until time expires. Completing the word DOUBLE doubles every score, every extra ball, and every special you hit during that ball. The double round ends when your ball drains.

COMBO SHOTS
This is a series of 'Countdown' shots. The first is the ramp shot, which counts down from 10 million. After hitting the ramp, you must hit either Bank Shot, which starts at 20 million. After the Bank Shot, hit the Corner Pocket shot, which counts down from 50 million. This round ends after all three shots are made, or if one of the countdown scores reaches 0.

SIDE POCKET
Your aim in this round is to hit the Side Pocket as many times as you can before time runs out. Every successful shot scores 10 million, and advances your RACKS (Explained later).

If you are successful in completing all the above Wagon Wheel rounds, the Ramp is automatically lit for POOL BALL MANIA. Pool ball mania is a 3 ball multiball round, where every target is worth 5 million points. The round ends when 2 out of 3 balls drain. (When I say every target, I mean the No Way shot, the 1-7 and 9-15 targets, the change targets and the Side Pocket. Slingshots, Pop Bumpers, In/Outlanes, etc do NOT score 5M a hit.) [NOTE: On hard settings, it's 3M a target.]

WARNING--You do NOT collect the pool ball mania bonus until all your balls have drained. This means DON'T TILT or you will forfeit all the pool ball mania points!

After pool ball mania is over, the ramp is lit for NINE BALL PLAY. (Note: The ramp will only stay lit for Nine Ball Play for about 99 seconds. After this, it resets, with Rowdy Ramp being the award.) After starting this round, your object is knock down the 1-7 drop targets, then hit the 8 ball (Side Pocket). This lights the 9 ball drop target for 500 million points (or a BILLION if you're in DOUBLE!). After the 9 ball target is lit, you have about 15 seconds to hit it. After time ends, or you hit the 9 ball, the wagon wheel resets, and you begin all over again. Note that if your ball drains before you can start Nine Ball Play, the ramp will be reset at the start of your next ball.

2 BALL MULTIBALL: To light the ramp for 2 ball play, you must first knock down one set of the drop targets. (SOLIDS or STRIPES). You will know which side you need, because the lights above this particular set of targets will be flashing. (Hitting the opposite set of targets will award 500,000 points a piece.) After completing the targets, the Side Pocket will begin flashing '8 Ball'. Hitting the Side Pocket will light the ramp for multiball. After multiball begins, the object is to hit the Side Pocket and knock the 8 ball into all three color sets on the upper platform for the jackpots. The jackpots start out at 5 million a piece, but hitting any of the drop targets will add 1 million to each remaining jackpot. If all three jackpots are hit, the ramp is lit for a Super Jackpot, which scores 100 million. If you hit the Super Jackpot, the whole process resets until one of your balls drains. Note that all Wagon Wheel awards can still be collected while 2 ball is in progress.

Other Scoring

The Skill Shot: Before you plunge the ball, the 8 ball on the platform will turn back and forth. The object of the skill shot is to plunge the ball so that the 8 ball will hit the BLUE targets on the platform for 5 million. This takes a couple of shot to get used to, because you have to lead the shot a little bit.

Scratch Shot: Hitting the Side Pocket without the 8 ball being lit scores a Scratch Shot. After 3 Scratch Shots, you get 10 million, and then the next point award occurs at 8 Scratch Shots. (Not sure of how many points.)

Completing the word POOL lights the ramp for VIDEO MODE. There are two video modes that the machine alternates between.

CATCH THE POOL BALLS: Pool balls will fall from the top of the display, and you must use the flipper buttons to control the pocket to catch them. The scoring is 2 million for the first ball caught then 5 million, 10 million and 20 million.

WHERE'S THE KING: You are presented with 3 curtains, and must choose one and hope you find 'The King'. Use the flippers to choose a curtain. You get 0 points for finding a Cow Pie, 5 million for Cactus Jack, 10 million for the moose, and 20 million for 'The King'. It has been noted on rgp that no matter what curtain you pick, you will get the same award, so this video mode is a good time to rest your hands and get another sip of your favorite beverage. :-]

The SWEET SPOT is lit after POOL is spelled. Hitting the SWEET SPOT awards 50 million points, and stays lit until the current ball drains. The SWEET SPOT can be lit multiple times during a ball.

The Bank Shot: This is a good way to rack up some points and light some special things on the playfield. Most bank shots will award some points, then another award. These awards range from advancing the multiplier, advancing racks, awarding EVERYTHING, lighting the hurry up special/extra ball, completing DOUBLE, giving an extra ball, lighting the ramp for wagon wheel award, starting the current wagon wheel round, starting video mode, spot letters in WIZARD and DOUBLE, scoring 1M, 5M, 10M, completing WIZARD, hurry up nine ball, and others.

There are two types of bank shots:

The clean Bank Shot is when you make it in to the Bank Shot eject hole without hitting any bumpers. The clean Bank Shot awards points, plus a random award. The points are 1 million, 2 million, 5 million, 7 million, 10 million, 15 million and finally 20 million. It has been my experience that you will receive a clean Bank Shot extra ball in between 5 and 7 million points, but your mileage may vary. You can tell when clean bank shot is on because the bank shot lights will be flashing.

The regular Bank Shot only gives the random award. You can tell it will be a regular bank shot when the Bank Shot lights are not flashing.

Neither bank shot is lit during Multiball or any Wagon Wheel round.

NOTE: After you complete the Pool Ball Mania Round, ALL bank shots are clean until nine ball play is over. This is an excellent time to get the extra ball, or get an easy 20M.

RACKS and MULTIPLIER: You advance your multiplier with shots to the Corner Pocket, or, sometimes, the bank shot. You advance racks during the SIDE POCKET round, and sometimes with the bank shot. RACKS also get advanced after you complete a bank of stripes or solids. When your racks have advanced to 4, the hurry up extra ball will light. Your bonus after your ball drains is calculated as follows: 500,000 X Racks X Multiplier Example: You have 4 racks, and a multiplier of 2: Your bonus will be 4 million. Note that a Tilt will forfeit your bonus and any POOL BALL MANIA points you have, but you will not lose any extra balls you have earned.

Spell WIZARD: Completing WIZARD lights the NO WAY target for 10 million points a shot until the current ball drains. You add letters to WIZARD by hitting the NO WAY target while the red Spell Wizard light is lit behind the Cue Ball. The bank shot will sometimes award letters as well. Spelling WIZARD also lights the 2 red special targets in the top of the machine for 5M a hit.

Horse Shoe points: The lights leading into either side of the horseshoe are 2 million, 5 million, 10 million, and 20 million. If any of these lights are flashing, hitting the ball into that side of the horseshoe will award those points and advance to the next point value on the opposite side.

SPECIAL targets: There are two red SPECIAL targets on the top left and right corners of the machine. The targets are lit by advancing your multiplier to 7. You can tell these are lit by the white strobe that will flash above either target. Only one will be lit at a time, and it switches sides every time a bumper is hit.

STRATEGIES

Hit the bank shot A LOT. This will result in huge scores, and, if you get lucky, it will award a special or an extra ball.

An easy way to start 1/2 billion shot: Knock down the flashing drop targets before hitting the ramp to start Pool Ball Mania. This will light the 8-ball that would normally be hit to light the ramp for multiball. Avoid hitting the 8-ball into the side pocket during Pool Ball Mania, and after PBM ends, hit the ramp to start Nine Ball play. Now, instead of worrying about hitting the 1-7 drop targets, simply hit the 8-ball, and the 9 drop target is lit for and easy 1/2 Billion!

It is said that two quick shots into the horseshoe during Horeshoe Extra ball will award 2 extra balls. I have never gotten this to work. (Although I have done it MANY times.)

Hit the ramp while multiball is lit and the wagon wheel award is Rowdy Ramp. First, Rowdy Ramp will start, then, the multiball sequence will begin. Plunging the second ball will award 2 million automatically. After this, keep both balls going through the ramp for huge Rowdy Ramp scores. (The ramp maxes out at 40 million, but you can collect this multiple times.)

A shot that hits the NO WAY target pretty consistently is as follows: The ball will return to the left flipper after the ramp shot to start NO WAY. Let the ball get to the tip of the flipper, then flip. The ball should hit off the right slingshot, and (hopefully) into the NO WAY target for 30 million.

Be careful when hitting the Cue Ball into the Side Pocket. It's a drain shot. You can avoid this problem by hitting the cue ball at an angle, kinda like a real pool shot!

Start the Side Pocket round and multiball at the same time. This way, you can collect jackpots and the Side Pocket bonus at the same time.

If you have the ball trapped on the left flipper, you can backhand the ball up into the 1-7 drop targets, and sometimes into the bank shot.

Do NOT hit the ramp if Pool Ball Mania is lit and you are in 2 ball multiball. It will not give you your third ball as it normally would.

After winning your replay on points, try to get the multiplier up to 7 to light the special targets in the back. (In some cases, this is the ONLY way to get a replay once you have won several replays on points because of the HUGE replay boost this machine has.)

Some Machine quotes

  • "Another coin, please." - After inserting your first quarter.
  • "Quit talkin' and start chalkin'" - Pressing the start button
  • "Chalk up, partner." - If more than one person joins in the game.
  • "What kinda cow pie shot was that?" - A failed ramp shot
  • "Hurry, get the extra ball!" - When the hurry up extra ball is lit
  • "Extra ball's starin' ya right in the face." - Hurry up extra ball
  • "Yee-Ha, what a shot." - Hitting a jackpot, or a NO WAY shot
  • "YEEEEEEEE-HAAA!" - Hitting a ramp during Rowdy Ramp
  • "Anyone seen my horse?" - Hitting the Sweet Spot when it's not lit.
  • "Make my day." - Hitting the ball through the horseshoe for 5M.
  • "Just watch the Wiz, baby." Hitting the horseshoe for 10M.
  • "God, I'm good." - Hitting the horseshoe for 20M.
  • "One more for double!" - When only one letter remains in DOUBLE.
  • "One more for wizard!" - When only one letter remains in WIZARD.
  • "Thats what ya call the bank shot." - On some clean bank shots.
  • "Nice bank shot." - On some clean bank shots.
  • "Eight ball, side pocket." - Hitting the eight ball to light multiball.
  • "You found the King, baby." - Finding the King during video mode.
  • "You sure need that ramp shot." - When the ramp is lit.
  • "Go for the ramp!" - When the ramp is lit.
  • "Get dat ramp!" - When the ramp is lit.
  • "Hurry, get the nine ball!" - When nine ball is lit for 500 million.
  • "It's nine ball time!" - When you hit the ramp to start Nine ball play
  • "Surprise, Tenderfoot!" - When you find Cactus Jack in Video Mode.
  • "I hate these outlanes." - Just guess when this happens.. :-]
  • "Looks like the game's over, partner." - When the game is over.
  • "You ain't thinkin' of leavin' now, are ya?" - When the game is over.

There are more quotes.. The game practically tells you everything to hit.

My Highest Score - 2.5 Billion (That was with a DOUBLE 1/2 Billion Shot)

People who helped in the writing of this rules sheet, by pointing out mistakes and suggesting new things to add:

  • Deena Newman
  • Ken Cantrell
  • Bowin Kerins
  • Kevin Martin
  • Marc Sira
  • Josh Hayes
  • Joel Iott

Jerry Duffy         | |_)   |_)      |
                    | | LAY | INBALL |
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"You're never too old to rock and roll
if you're too young to die."
-Jethro Tull

Editor's Notes

  • HTML added by David Gersic dgersic_@_niu.edu
  • E-mail addresses have been expunged to prevent web-bot spamming, and Web links have been updated where possible.


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