Shaq Attaq

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Professional and Amateur
Pinball Association's Guide to
Premier's Shaq Attaq
Version as of January 16, 1995

DISCLAIMER: This rule sheet is meant as a guideline only, and is not an official documentation. To the best of our knowledge, the information contained in this rule sheet is accurate. However, due to various ROM editions, operator setup options, and tournament modes, the rules of any particular game may deviate from those listed below. The rules of the game are always final, and any discrepancies between this rule sheet and the actual game rules cannot be used as a basis for protest.

This rule sheet is based on rules provided courtesy Premier Technology, and updated by Dave Stewart for distribution at PAPA-5.

1. Playfield Features

(Note that the notation "score 1x basket points" means to score 1 basket point times the current multiplier, which is advanced by completing the drop targets, and maxes out at 3x).

Upper left spot target
Score 500K. Score 1x basket points and collect basketball event icon if lit or flashing.

Left Up-kicker
Receive tip-off award if in normal ball play. Score 500K, 1x basket points and collect horse head event icon if lit or flashing.

Drop Targets
Score 5K. Each target scores 1x basket points and collect MVP cup event icon if lit or flashing. Completing the bank scores advance multiplier if lit. Once multiplier is 3x, completing all drop targets scores a rebound, lights hidden feature #5, awards 1 game ball, lights rebound in features completed circle, and collect the rebound progressive score value. The sequence goes 5M, 10M, 20M. If MVP event active. Also used in MVP event.

Spinner
Score 5K per spin. Score 1x basket points and collect basketball event icon if lit or flashing. If #1 flashing, light #1 and flash #2. If #3 is flashing, light #3 and flash #4. If super-spinner active, score and advance progressive award. The sequence is 5M, 10M, and 3 basket points. Add a letter to HORSE if horse event active.

Upper right spot target
Score 500K, advance a letter in SHAQUILLE if `spell SHAQUILLE' lit. Score 1x basket points and collect clock event icon if lit or flashing.

Basket Hoop
Score 1M. Collect 20M jackpot or 100M Super jackpot if flashing and light jackpot in the features completed circle. If 'beat the buzzer' is active, end the beat the buzzer event, award 1 game ball, and light the special lamp for 10 seconds at the bottom right spot target. If alley-oop flashing out, award 8 basket points (or 10 on easy settings, 5 on hard settings) and 1 game ball. Also light alley-oop in features completed circle. Award 2 or 3 baskets if 2 points or 3 points lit solid. In 1-ball play, start multiball flashing or flashing out.

Right Up-kicker
Score 500. If #5 flashing, collect 1 game ball, light game ball in the features completed circle, offer player the chance to trade all game balls for an award (Section 7), and restart the 1-5 game ball sequence. Start Super spinner flashing out if the spinner basketball event icon unlit.

Hole kicker
Score 50K. Score 1x basket points and collect MVP cup event icon if lit or flashing. If free throw is lit, score 1-10 basket points, and if an event is active, light hidden feature #3 and receive 1 game ball.

Right side rollover lane
Score 90. Score 1x basket points and collect MVP cup icon event if lit or flashing. If #2 flashing, Light #2 solid and flash #3. If #4 flashing, light #4 solid and flash #5. If dribble lit, start dribble (left outlane ball saver) flashing for 10 seconds.

Center spot target; Score 30K. Score 1x basket points and collect clock event icon if lit or flashing. Start dribble flashing out. If dribble already flashing out, spot a drop target (unless in MVP event) and score the progressive dribble award. The score sequence is 5M, 10M, and 3 basket points.

Lower left Vari-target

This target gives a variable award, depending on how far the metal lever is pushed when the target is hit. Scores 300K, 1M, 3M, or 5M, depending on the depth of hit. Score 1x basket points and collect basketball event icon if lit or flashing. Advance Bonus value if lit. When bonus value reaches 20M, light bonus 20M in the features completed circle. If bonus value 20M, spot a drop target if driven completely back. If break the backboard flashing out and target hit back far enough, receive the progressive break the backboard award. The sequence is 10M, Hurryup Extra Ball, 10 basket points, and 1 game ball.

Right Ramp
Used to begin flashing events if "begin event" flashing, and to start multiball if flashing. Score 1s basket points and collect clock icon if lit or flashing. If light alley-oop is lit or shooter lane alley-oop is flashing, begin alley-oop flashing out. Score 100M when in Supermode.

Lower left spot target
score 30K. Award an extra ball if lamp flashing. Score 1x basket points and collect horse head event icon if lit or flashing.

Bottom right spot target
Score 30k. Award special if flashing. Score 1x basket points and collect clock icon if lit or flashing.

2. Game Events

The player tries to score the most points and baskets while playing 4 timed qualifying events on the road to the finals event. Each event is qualified at the right ramp by completing all of its associated event icons (horse heads, MVP cups, Basketballs, clocks).

All flashing events begin by shooting the ramp while "begin event" is flashing. Multiple events can be active at the same time (called multimode) with a single ramp shot, or a new event that is qualified while the current events are being played can also be started by shooting the ramp again.

The events are the following:

Horse event
Complete the letters of HORSE by repeated spinner shots within 15 seconds. The first 4 letters score 10 baskets each, and the last letter awards 3 game balls and ends the event.

MVP event
Shoot the center drop target as many times as possible within 15 seconds, scoring extra ball, 50M, 100M, and 300M (and end event) for each successive hit.

Game balls event
shoot the vari-target as many times as possible within 15 seconds. Score 2 game balls for any hit and 3 game balls if the vari-target is driven all the way back.

Shot Clock event
Shoot the basket hoot once within 15 seconds. The first hoop shot awards 1 game ball, starts the bottom right spot target flashing out, and ends the event.

Finals Event
Playing all four of the above events qualifies you for the finals event. Make all the strobing shots (vari-target, spinner, right rollover lane, right ramp, and basket) within 30 seconds. Completing all shots scores the point value chosen when finals was entered, which is normally 100M, but can be higher by trading in game balls if you have 5 or more game balls. For example, trade 5 game balls to play for 300M. When time expires, the board is reset and the event qualification process begins again.

The first time, all event icons are lit simultaneously. After going through the finals event once, only some of the icons are lit at any given time, and the lit ones are rotated by the slingshots.

3. Regular Multiball

Shooting the basket hoop while in 1-ball play (except during finals) to light start-multiball on the right ramp. Shoot the right ramp to start multiball, along with any events that are also flashing. Note that after the first multiball, the start-multiball times out, and you must shoot the basket again to re-qualify it.

Score jackpots by shooting the basket or re-locking all balls on the right ramp. Note that a ball shot to the right ramp will be locked for 10 seconds, then be released again.

After scoring a jackpot, the super jackpot is lit for five seconds. Shoot the basket to collect it. If the super jackpot times out, then the basket scores a jackpot again. Multiple super jackpots can also be scored consecutively, by making baskets within 5 seconds of each other.

On normal settings, each jackpot is worth 20M, and the super jackpot is worth 100M. On tournament settings, the jackpot is worth 10M, and the super jackpot scores 50M.

4. Shaq Attaq Multiball

This is a 3-ball multiball, obtained by filling the features completed circle (shown on the playfield near the free throw hole) and then shooting the ramp. While in Shaq Attaq, all targets score 1x basket points. Shaq Attaq continues until only 1 ball remains on the playfield.

5. Slammin Jammin

Slammin Jammin may be obtained two ways:

Spell SHAQUILLE: complete all letters of SHAQUILLE by hitting the top right spot target (just above the upper right flipper), or by selecting the Advance SHAQUILLE award from the Tip-Off, then shooting Tip-Off, which will give you the choice to play Slammin Jammin.

Trade Game Balls: if you have 10 to 13 game balls, you can trade them in to start Slammin Jammin. See Section 7.

Slammin Jammin is a 3-ball multiball where every target adds 5M (or 3M on hard settings, 10M on easy settings) to an end-of-ball bonus. This feature remains active until 2 balls drain. You can still qualify events, but you cannot start them during Slammin Jammin.

6. Other Features

Multimode
Occurs as a result of having 2 or more events active at the same time. The spinner and right side rollover now score an additional 1M for each active event. Multimode level 3 or greater lights the Level 3 lamp in the features completed circle.

Supermode
Enabled when all 4 events, multiball, and Shaq Attaq are all active at the same time. In addition to scoring multimode as previously described, the ramp scores 100M.

Super Spinner
Can only be activated after the spinner basketball icon has been collected. Shooting the spinner, right up-kicker, and either return rollover starts super spinner flashing out. Shooting the spinner now scores the progressive award of 5M, 10M, and 3 basket points.

Break the backboard
The right return rollover starts the vari-target backboard lamp flashing out. A hit on the vari-target scores a progressive sequence of 10M, hurry-up EB, 10 baskets, and finally 1 game ball for each hit for the rest of the game.

Alley-oop
Enabled from the plunger skill shot or by shooting the ramp with a lit light alley-oop lamp. The basket hoop alley-oop lamp begins flashing out. Shooting the hoop scores 8 baskets (5 on hard settings, 10 on easy settings), 1 game ball, and lights alleyoop in the features completed circle.

Plunger Skill shot
Player will sometimes be given a choice between enabling alley-oop or beginning all qualified events. This is indicated by alternating the flashing lamps in the shooter lane while the ball is sitting at the plunger. Shooting the ball will stop the lamp movement and give the appropriate award once the ball reaches the ramp.

Tip-off
A mystery award active during normal 1-ball play and enabled by shooting the left up-kicker. The player is allowed to choose between a point award or some other award. In tournament mode, tip-off always offers the same awards.

7. Game Ball Feature

Various features award game balls. Shooting the sequence 1, 2, 3, and 4 will light #5. Let the ball land in the right up-kicker (between the upper-playfield flippers) to award a game ball, light game ball in the features completed circle, and be given an opportunity to trade all game balls collected so far for an award, as follows:

  • 1 - 10M points
  • 2 or 3 - Hurry-up Extra Ball
  • 4 or 5 - Multiball
  • 6 or 7 - Extra Ball
  • 8 or 9 - Shaq Attaq
  • 10 through 13 - Slammin Jammin

14 Double Entire Score (awarded only once per player per game).

15 or more: Score 20M (10M on hard/tournament settings, 30M on easy settings) per game ball.

8. Hidden Features:

5 hidden features are in the game. Discovering them lights a corresponding lamp and scores an end-of game bonus (or end-of-ball on easy settings). The hidden features are as follows:

  • #1- Playing multimode level 5 or supermode.
  • #2- Re-lock all balls in ramp during multiball.
  • #3- Shooting free through during an event.
  • #4- Tip-off: choose 5,000 twice (or three times hard settings).
  • #5- Score a drop target rebound.

The bonus is based on total hidden features found, as follows:

  • 1 found - 10M
  • 2 found - 30M
  • 3 found - 100M
  • 4 found - 300M
  • 5 found - 1 Billion

On normal and hard settings, this bonus is collected at the end of the game. On easy settings, it is scored at the end of each ball.

In order to find all five features in one game, go for multimode level 5 immediately, as it becomes much harder to achieve after reaching the finals event for the first time. To do this, avoid shooting the right ramp and avoid the "start event" plunger shot until all four features and multiball are lit at the ramp. The other hidden features can be obtained through normal game play.

9. Scoring Level

Grand Champion scores on Shaq Attaq typically range between 1B and 2B. In tournament mode, it is expected that the top A division player may score about 1B, and the average game be on the order of 200M-400M. In the B and lower divisions, top scores will probably be about 500M, with an average score around 200M.

10. Strategy Summary

Slammin Jammin is by far the most lucrative mode in this game. Therefore aim for completing SHAQUILLE, and don't trade in game balls until you have enough to trade in for Slammin Jammin. This is harder done then said, because you may have to say NO to trading in your game balls for multiball or an extra ball, in order to trade them in later for Slammin Jammin.

The MVP event is the most lucrative event, allowing you to score EB plus 450M if you hit the drop target 4 times. The Game Balls event can also be lucrative, because you can collect most of the balls required to get you Slammin Jammin. The horse event and shot clock event are not really all that worthwhile. Avoid starting both MVP and Game Balls events simultaneously, since you only have time to shoot for one of them, unless you are going for hidden feature #1

Multiball is worthwhile, but not necessarily big points unless you can consistently shoot the basket. Try to start MVP event and multiball together, then shoot the drop target a lot.

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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