Extra special thanks to:
You may do what you will with this rule sheet, but remember that Judge Dredd, Multiball and probably quite a few other things are most likely copyright Bally/William's.
Note from Keith: I've just corrected some stuff that was wrong, mostly with Crime Scenes and the SuperGame 100M. I also added a Strategy section (such as it is). All of my comments are delimited within these asterisks. [Changed to blockquote. - Ed.] The rest of the document is as it was written by Cameron.
Playfield Description
I'll start in the lower left, and go around to the lower right. Note: Crime Scenes will be described in the Rules section!
This has been changed a little bit in production ROMs. The 2nd target hit (all the way at the back) will award 2x bonus. This includes everything that could be counted as bonus, including mode and Ultimate Challenge points!! But since hits are cumulative through the game, I'm not sure if you can get this again. I need to get the glass off! The 4th target hit awards something amazingly stupid like 5M.
It's worth pointing out that the Drain Shield isn't even activated until some major shot is made, or 4-5 switches. If you hit the EB target instead of the skill shot, you can let it drain as long as you don't hit too many other switches without the Drain Shield coming on. When the ball is saved, it will continue to be kicked out until you hit a switch.
Rules:
Chain Links
A chain link is like a Door Panel / Mansion Room / Mode / Computer Screen etc. To start a Link you simply need to shoot the Left ramp, or Sniper Tower when lit ('Build Up Chain Feature'), they alternate; the Left Ramp is lit first. Note that when lock is lit, only the Sniper Tower will start Links. Total score from each Link is added in Fun With Bonus. Most of the Chain Links last 30 seconds, and you get 3 million just for starting them! I found an adjustment in the menus, Shots for Mode: 2; so maybe more shots to 'Build Up Chain Feature' will be necessary on some machines. Perhaps it's self-adjusting?
Actually, all modes are 20 seconds long, unless noted.
There are nine (9) chain links. It's good to see that they didn't go ballistic on JD like they did on Indi. The modes are less repetitive, and only three involve shooting the ramps (and only one of those involve shooting both ramps - but there's a twist so it's ok).
The modes are 30 seconds each, unless stated otherwise:
Pursuit -> Black Out -> Sniper -> Battle Tank -> Bad Impression ->
Melt Down -> Safe Cracker -> Manhunt Millions -> Stake Out => Ultimate
Challenge.
(I listed them in the order they cycle through. I'm unsure as to which one is lit at the start of a game.)
Seems to be random.
I believe you also get some small amount of points for each shot you make that misses. Still, the only way to score well is to get lucky and actually HIT the thing.
I like to use this mode after the first multiball to just shoot JUDGE. Another strategy is to hold a ball on the left flipper and shoot the left ramp over and over for doubles points (effectively 1M+1M). Perhaps after you've spelled JUDGE all you need to.
Yes, 3M+10M/shot.
Yup, this also is 3M+10M/shot.
The scoring is almost like Move Your Car. In Move Your Car, you actually GOT 2x, 3x, and 4x the values (for a maximum of 80M). In this mode, you only get the same points for each shot.There's also something weird about this mode. If you hit it during the opening animation, your score will be 8M. If you wait just a little bit, when it starts counting down, the value will be over 8M, like it started at 9M or something. Weird.
I've already mentioned the Bonus ('?') target. During each mode this is lit, and once it's hit, it's no longer lit. Hitting it is in the players best interest, I'll describe the effects below: [Note: A * means that there is more info in the Spoilers]
Crime Scenes
There are 5 Crime Scenes scattered around the playfield. The only analogy I can think of is that they're like Hazards in While Water. Crime Scenes are the left Orbit, Small Loop, Sniper Tower, Large Loop, and right Ramp.
Shooting a crime scene will sentence a criminal..
At the start of the game, there are usually 4 Crime Scenes lit. The crime level associated with them is random, AFAIK, but is usually either Warning or Misdemeanor. Different scenes can be at different levels.
The levels are:
Level Name | Colour | Millions of points per scene |
Warning | Green | 1 |
Misdemeanor | Yellow | 2 |
Felony | Red | 3 |
Class X Felony | White | 4 |
Hitting the Advance Crime Level target advances all scenes one level up from what they were, to a maximum of Class X Felony. It also scores 1M. After ALL lit Crime Scenes are at Class X, the Advance Crime Level target unlights.
The Crime Scenes stay lit until you shoot them. After you've shot them all, another 3 or 4 will randomly light up at random levels.
That's all there is to it! The bottom lights depicting the Crime Levels are actually mostly useless. They only light up when a scene is at that level. Since scenes can start at different levels, that's why more than one can be lit at a time. The only real useful use of these lights are during SuperGame.
On our machine, extra ball was lit at both targets after 7 crime scenes, and the next at 22. And every 15 Scenes after that, pretty much forever. I [Keefer] have gotten the 82 Crime Scene extra ball before, and the next one was indeed lit at 97. Didn't light the 97 one, though. Drained with like 95. :(
The actual crimes get worse at the higher levels, e.g.: "Life for Cannibalism". The animation is nice, and the quotes make it clear that a Crime Scene has been hit. Be careful of burned out globes, and remember to check the Small loop, as it tends to hide a bit under the planet. Perhaps the next software release could include a list of lit Crime Scenes, and the current level, in the status report.
Multiball
Knock down the 'JUDGE' drop targets to light lock. This is an unmistakable event, as flashers start flashing (not as bad as CFBL) and the planet starts to rotate. Shoot the left ramp, and the ball will be diverted to the planet. Check out the ball locked animation. A new ball is served to the plunger before the other-one is even in the planet, so there are no delays there. [Note: a soft shot up the ramp when lock isn't lit, can cause the ball to end up at the planet. The problem with this is that the timers for a Link don't stop, and it takes a while for the ball to be unlocked.]
Because of the Deadworld changes, release ROMs do the locking differently. Now, "locks" 1 and 2 just sail around the the ramp. The 3rd ball will indeed be diverted to the Deadworld, and if the Claw can't get the ball out, it falls onto the playfield rather ungracefully. After starting Multiball with the 3rd shot, 3 more balls are autoplunged into play.The jackpot value starts at either 20 or 25M (not sure). Each drop target hit adds 1M to the jackpot. Shoot the left ramp to light the jackpot, and hit the Subway (scoop behind the "D" target) to collect.
Collecting a jackpot does NOT reset the value; it just keeps growing and growing.
There are 4 jackpots, each 5 million more than the previous. The current jackpot is indicated on the playfield, as either Mortis, Fire, Fear or Death will flash. The order on the playfield is wrong, and the jackpots occur in the order given above. The quotes are good, taunting the player to score the jackpot; although the feminine computer voice keeps saying "Shoot left Ramp to light Jackpot" all the time . grrr.
I don't think collecting the jackpot adds anything to the value, but I'm not sure.
The jackpot animations are really nice.
After the Death Jackpot, Ultimate Challenge starts. Any balls that you lost up until that point are re-launched. Ie: If you only have 2 balls left in play when you score the Death Jackpot, 2 more will be launched.
Multiball/Ultimate Challenge end when less that 2 balls remain in play.
When starting a second multiball, 'JUDGE' must be completed for each lock. Although for the second and third locks, the machine gives you a few letters for free. Unlike FishTales/Indiana Jones, Jackpots are not held between multiballs. So if you just missed getting Death, you need to start from the beginning again. Personally, I think this is a bit rough!
Misc. Things
I think it's only 3M for the 2-way combo.
I guess this is the part you're all waiting for:
Rules:
The player is greeted politely by Annita Mann at the start of a Super Game, and is told that they have the Drain Shield active for 10 seconds. The machine waits for a ball to be launched, and then launches a second one.
There are four different, and seemingly unrelated Super Games. All of them are two ball, but draining 1 reverts to normal play for the remainder of that ball. One game is played per ball.
However, if you hit the JUDGE drop targets within 15 seconds, you start a 6 ball frenzied multiball. Confused yet?...
There's no time limit on the JUDGE thing, AFAIK. All you need to do is get JUDGE before you have <2 balls in play.
I think this game just scores 7.5M/ramp, no base. If there IS a base, it is 7.5M. You have to collect it of course.
The scoring for this game is simply 5M*targets, for a maximum of 25M. The drop targets only reset when you've made a Subway shot.
In all Super Games(tm)(c)(r)(pty)(ltd)(sdtm)(etc) there is a chance to score a super jackpot of 100 million. Shoot four lit crime scenes in order, first a 'warning' (it's on the display) then Misdemeanor, Felony and then Class X Felony. Now one of the top shots (it varies between Sniper/Ramp etc) will be lit for the 100 Million - But it's only lit for 10 seconds, the computer voice counts it down - By the time it gets to '1', it has an amazingly smug tone to it too!
The 100M Super Jackpot has nothing to do with Crime Scenes. All it is is the Advance Crime Scene target. Hit it 4 times to light the 100M. It's always the same shot for each game, but I don't remember what they all are offhand. I think it's the Sniper Tower for the Traffic Jam SuperGame.You don't need to be in 6-ball or anything to get the 100M. I've lit (and collected) the 100M in 2-ball play, while failing to get JUDGE at all. :|
In a 5 ball game, you get the following:
Extra Ball Buy-Ins
In a regular game, the bought extra ball starts multiball, so it's a little fairer than Twilight Zone and Indiana Jones, as multiball can lead to jackpots (i.e. replays) or extra balls.
In a Super Game, game 4 starts.
General Stuff
The 'Family Mode' default is 'No'.
The sound is good. Some annoying quotes (not as bad as 'Shoot the Snackbar!), but I started to ignore them after a while so they were ok. But putting the sound aside, I thought the animation was fantastic. It wasn't just that the animation LOOKED good, it was actually clever.
The Match Sequence is fantastic. It's a little long (and I never actually saw it Match), but it's great. See the spoilers if you want a better description, but you really should wait!
No cows that I could see .. sorry.
That about covers it. I really like the game (so far) and I think that it has some really good features, it is certainly 100% more playable than Indiana Jones, and seems a heck-of-a-lot more light hearted than Twilight Zone. It's good to see that the design crew has a bit of a sence of humor!
Strategy
OK, there isn't all that much strategy per se, but here are a couple hints:
KNOW YOUR MODES! By doing this, you can maximize your effectiveness for mode scoring. Modes can be worth an awful lot if you bother to play them. I don't think you'll do very well at all if you don't, especially because the only other thing you can do during a mode is shoot for multiball (well, Crime Scenes too), and multiball can easily be worth nothing if you goof it up. Here are some ideas:
I usually don't try to do much with Bad Impersonator. Seems kind of dangerous to me.
The other modes depend on my mood. I sometimes play them if I've made the first shot or 2. Otherwise, I'll go for Crime Scenes.
I save both Safecracker and Blackout until after the first multiball. It is much easier to spell JUDGE during these modes, either by flailing during Blackout, or shooting the Subway over and over during Safecracker.
During Ultimate Challenge, try to get balls on the right flipper. You can then exploit the Sniper Tower for 10M/shot with the left flipper (since Sniper feeds the left flipper).
Spoilers
WARNING: Look at these at your own risk. The only information contained in this document are full animations/sounds which are even funnier if experienced during play.
Well, there are 2 ways to get Ultimate Challenge: Getting all 4 regular multiball jackpots, and by finishing all of the modes. For the multiball UC, it is 4-ball. For the mode UC, it is 6-ball.
Editor's Notes