RULES SHEET: BARB WIRE
Revision 1.0
- Last Modified: October 26, 1996
- Written by Lee Van Doren (lvd@lucent.com)
- Barb Wire, Gottlieb and other words in this document are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Premier Systems(?), Inc. or licensed for use
by Premier.
Under Construction
Note: Areas I am unsure of are tagged with question
marks. Search them out and send input! I am mostly weak on random awards
and the scoring end of things...
Credits
Written by Lee Van Doren (lvd@lucent.com or depeche@gnn.com)
http://members.gnn.com/depeche
Special thanks to the FSPA (Free State Pinball Association) and
especially our N. Baltimore League, where this machine is made
available to us by Weiner Distributing.
Additional Input from RGP folks:
Aaron Mandel
Recent Changes
0.5: 10/12/96: Rought Draft - Completely from memory.
1.0: 10/26/96: Additional Input Received
Summary
Barb Wire is based on a movie starring Pamela Anderson Lee. I
haven't seen the movie so I can't comment on how well it correlates.
This was the last production pinball machine by Premier under the
Gottlieb name. Another game followed which only was in test at the
time the Gottlieb line was shut down. It was a machine based on
Brooks & Dunn country music stars?
I personally feel that this is a decent machine for a Premier/Gottlieb.
The game play is reasonable, especially for novices but the excitement
definately lacks due to simplistic rules. I would give it a B-.
Background
Rent the movie...
Playfield
Here's the various playfield parts, starting from the plunger lane
and working clockwise. (* = Arrow Shot)
- Plunger
Dual plunger; the manual plunger when pulled back enough, sends
the ball up and around to one of the left flippers, usually
the lower one. An autoplunger is also there for ballsavers
and Multiballs, however it doesn't shoot the ball hard enough to
come around to the left flippers so the ball drops back into
the lower kickout hole for kickout.
- Outlanes
Part of a rotating extra ball award when lit. (Rotated with
flippers)
- Inlanes
Part of a rotating extra ball award when lit. (Rotated with
flippers)
Each inlane lights the opposing ramp for a Missle shot (combo
award)?
- Flippers
The usual two, in the usual places. Center post too.
Typical Premier/Gottlieb catch-all flippers.
- Slingshots
Standard, just like the flippers. Can be active for 10M a
sling (see Retina Scan)
* Kick Target
A target that kicks the ball back.
- Upper Flipper
Standard size
* Captive Ball
Above the flipper, hits here feed the flipper. Also an arrow
shot, also lights right ramp for Missile.
* Retina Scan
A kickout hole.
Starts game lit, any switch after eject relights it.
Awards Retina Scan (Mystery) when lit and no rounds going
...see below... Also an arrow shot.
* Left Orbit
Feeds to pops. Also awards a lens target during Hammerhead Bar.
* Left Ramp
Collects Missile combo when lit. Lit for Add-a-ball at the start
of every multiball mode.
* Big Fatso
Door that raises and lowers to reveal a hole.
Open for Skill Shot at start of every ball.
Also starts rounds (see below).
Also awards Mega Bonus when activated by right lower target.
Also used in various modes. In some cases the opening and
closing alternate, in others he stays open for a period of time.
* Right Ramp
Awards Missle combo when lit. Advances Toll value 5M or 2M if
Crash the Tolls has been played once.
- Pop Bumpers
I believe two of them with a kickback target. Scores something
per hit but advances cursor along BARB WIRE letters, awarding
letter if not lit when pops are complete and ball feeds into
right kickout hole. Pressing both flippers locks cursor on
letter and prevents advancing. Collecting all letters awards
Super Jackpot. Lit letters carry from GAME TO GAME! Hence, this
is not active in Tournament Mode.
- Lens Targets
Four targets. Completing targets lights targets for 20M each
for 20? seconds. Targets reset each ball. Also used in
Hammerhead Bar round.
* Lower Right Kickout Hole
Awards Mind Read. After about 5? shots extra ball is lit.
[Info needed on subsequent awards]
Warning: poor design here on most machines which causes
kickout to be dangerously close to between the flippers.
Note you will often want to get in the habit of manually
plunging balls for multiball because of this.
* Lower Right Target
Hitting target lights Mega Bonus at Big Fatso and advances Mega
Bonus 30M. Big Fatso alternates open and close for about 15
seconds. Shooting in the hole awards Mega Bonus which is
significant, 30M + 30M each advance.
General Rules
No novice/expert mode (at least not by default settings).
Tournament mode can be started by holding both flippers a few
seconds before starting (see below for specifics).
Buy In is enabled in default settings. You can buy up
to (standard??) extra balls (25c each); there is no separate
buy-in high score board.
Software Changes: None known at this time...
Generally, you start Rounds (modes) and complete them. See strategy
below.
Skill Shot
Shoot ball with full plunger shot to feed left flipper. Big Fatso
is open for skill shot. Hitting shot awards HAYWIRE letter. (First
letter is spotted at start of game in normal settings).
Collecting Triangle/Arrow Awards
As something to do when you have nothing else to do... There is
a triangle on the playfield of various value awards (5M to 100M).
All major shots are lit at the start of the game. Scoring a shot
awards the current triangle value if it is not lit. I believe
slings advance the award? When all shots are completed they relight.
When triangle is completed, Firefight starts. This is a 3 ball multiball
mode where three wandering shots are lit for a jackpot including lens
targets. Mode continues until one ball is left.
After all arrows are completed, only half relight. When one is scored,
the next arrow to the right relights. When those are all scored, then
only two arrows are lit at a time on the playfield. There is some
behavior where a shot can be completely inactive if the arrow for that
shot is not lit...
The only use of this really is to get the 100M value that is lit on
your first shot of the game. If you don't get it, don't worry, you
will by accident eventually.
Super Jackpot Value
Starts at 300M I believe? Advancing super jackpot happens as an
award at Retina Scan (anywhere else?). Super Jackpot is scored
from Pops in completing BARB WIRE or is awarded in Hideout round.
ROUNDS:
First shot of the game to Big Fatso lights it for "Start Round".
Shooting it when Start Round is lit opens the hole. Shooting it when
open starts lit Round. Each subsequent completed cycle of Rounds
requires one additional hit to light Start Round.
During all mutliball rounds, ball saver stays on for a LONG time (about 20
seconds). Two balls are initially plunged but also, the left ramp is
lit for add-a-ball for one additional ball. Try to get this while ball
saver is active so you can get three balls going right away.
Hideout
Only non-multiball round. Big Fatso, Retina Scan hole, and Mind Read
hole are lit. Note you can score the Mind Read hole from behind fed
by the pops. Score each to provide choice of taking current award
or trying to score either shot to award next award. After three shots
are completed, award is given and mode ends. Order of awards are:
Adv. Multipler, Extra Ball, Super Jackpot, Double Your Score, ...?
Big Fatso
Multiball round. He opens and closes alternately
throughout the round. Each switch toggles his scoring value between
10M, 20M, 50M, 100M, and 200M. Since this mode lasts as long as you
keep the balls alive, the potential scoring is unlimited, but it's
harder than it sounds. Requires good ball control and patience.
Crash the Tolls
One ball round. If no round is started (except Hideout) by the start of
the third ball, this round is automatically started. Shoot arrow shots
to collect current toll value. Shoot right ramp to advance toll value 20M
during the round. When all arrows are completed and you still have more
than one ball, shoot Big Fatso for super jackpot. If super jackpot is
scored, then the round recycles.
Hammerhead Bar
"Music!", also a multiball round. Complete lens targets first, then
each target scores 20M for rest of the round. After 5 are scored,
extra ball is awarded. Shooting left orbit also awards a lens target.
Haywire
Wizard Mode. After completing other 4 rounds, this one is lit. Also
a multiball round. You must shoot one of a roving pair of arrow shots
to collect a HAYWIRE letter (adding onto letters you have collected
during the game from skill shot or Retina Scan). Once letters are
completed before you are down to one ball, you advance to the final
HAYWIRE frenzy. All shots are lit, ball saver is on for a humongously
long time (45 seconds?) and you get 4 balls. As you shoot shots a
bonus value is raised. Once it reaches 990M, Big Fatso opens and
you must shoot him to award it. Strange behavior here? If your round
hasn't timed out yet (ball saver) you don't score it, until it does
time out. After the bonus is scored, the arrow shots relight and you
continue but with no ball saver. Once you work the value up to 990M,
you can score it again... and again... Once you are down to one ball,
Big Fatso is open for 20? seconds to score the current value and then
the round ends. Easily where all the points are!
If you fail to collect the HAYWIRE letters, the round ends but you keep
your letters...
NOTE!!!: If you collect all the HAYWIRE letters at any point in the
game, you instantly start Haywire frenzy. SOOOO... if you screw up your
Haywire round, try and collect the rest of the letters (through skill
shot or... Retina Scan) to start Haywire frenzy.
Combos
There is a combo cycle that can start from a shot that feeds any flipper.
It starts at the appropriate shot for that flipper and continues through
the cycle. The awards I am not sure of, but are something like 5M + 5M
each combo? Cycle is:
Right Ramp, Left Ramp, Right Ramp, Left Orbit.
Also a combo for shooting captive ball after right inlane. (10M+10M?)
Retina Scan (Mystery) Awards
- Award HAYWIRE letter
- Advance Multiplier
- Slings award 10M
- Award Triangle Value (moves 5? spots and awards value)
- Light Extra Ball
- Extra Ball (very rare)
- Zilch
- X Million
- Advance Mega Bonus (30M)
- 3 Jackpots
- Reveal Match Number
Bonus
At the end of the ball, I think the bonus is just the toll value.
This bonus is then multiplied by the current bonus multiplier
which is not held. It can be 2X or 3X.
Extra Balls
There are many ways to collect extra balls in this game:
- Hideout Round
- Hammerhead Bar Round
- Retina Scan to Light EB
- Mind Read to Light EB
Light EB cycles the EB lit among the inlanes and outlanes via flippers.
Tournament Mode
Hold both flippers before starting game for about 5 seconds. The
screen will say "TOURNAMENT MODE ENABLED--PRESS START". Press start!
Tournament mode will be on for all players. This is CRITICAL for
league play due to diabling the unfair BARB WIRE super jackpot.
If you forget, make sure you keep an eye out for someone scoring that
and deduct it from their score.
Tournament mode disables the BARB WIRE award and gives 50M in lieu of
an extra ball and 200M in lieu of a Special.
Strategy
Not much to it! Complete the rounds, do as best you can and get to
Haywire round, that's where the points are. If you screw it up, use
Retina Scan repeatedly to get those last HAYWIRE letters.
Once you complete the first cycle of rounds, get to Hideout round,
go all the way for the Double Your Score. Voila! You have about
4-5B+ at this point. Also, on your first Hideout, go for Extra Ball
if not in tournament mode, otherwise, go for Super Jackpot.
Everything else in the game is pointless... sorry! A good score is
over 1B. A wizard score is 3B+...
Any questions or additions, please email me!! Thanks!
Lee Van Doren
