(Mark's Note - this rule sheet was found as a result of a Google Newsgroup search.  The author is Dave Hollinsworth)


Dave's Guide to Space Shuttle
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Version date: January 27, 1996

1. Playfield Description (clockwise from lower left, as usual):

Flippers: just the usual two in the usual positions. The right flipper button (only) can be used for Lane-Change.

Slingshots: the usual two. They seem to be a little bigger than average.

Heat Shield: There is an up-post between the flippers. It is raised for about 10 seconds by shooting the Center Ramp. There is a light inside it which flashes to indicate the remaining time.

Left Outlane: big and nasty, and with no rubber on the separator posts. It can be lit for "Score Shuttle Value"; i.e. immediately give the current value of the SHUTTLE spellout.

Left Inlane: can be lit for "20K & Spot Shuttle", by getting 5x bonus multiplier on a ball.

Left Lock: a short lane with a saucer at the end. It's lit for Lock whenever only one ball is in play, and locking a ball there scores 20K.

S-H-U: the first of two three-banks of contact targets. They face down and to the right, and are part of the SHUTTLE spellout sequence.

U-S-A lanes: three very usual-looking rollovers located in the top left corner of the game, at the end of the Spinner lane. When completed, they increase the bonus multiplier by one, to a maximum of 7x. Lit lanes carry over to the next ball; bonus multipliers never do.

Bumpers: the usual triangle of three located below the rollovers. The lower entrance is very wide, and the bottom surface of the lowermost bumper isn't protected by anything (i.e. it's possible to trigger that bumper directly from the lower right flipper, although there's really no reason to.) Very active bumpers (although that's probably machine-dependant). They score 100 points (yup, 100) when unlit and 1000 when lit. One bumper is lit at the start of each ball, and each bumper hit rotates the light clockwise. Each of the first two completions of the drop target bank (see below) will light an additional bumper.

Center Ramp: the main ramp in the game. It circles to the right and drops the ball above the Right Lock. It collects Stop & Score (more later) and starts Multiball, and also raises the Heat Shield for about 10 seconds. In keeping with the theme, there is a funky model of a space shuttle mounted over the entrance to the ramp. The ramp entrance is protected by the....

T Drop Target: a single drop target located dead center, which blocks the entrance to the Center Ramp. It is part of the SHUTTLE spellout. When zero balls are locked, dropping this target lights the ramp for Stop & Score (more later). When one or two balls are locked, dropping the target keeps it down and lights the ramp for Start Multiball.

Spinner Lane: a lane to the right of the Center Ramp bends to the left, forming a half-orbit. Shots here go to the rollovers. At the bend is a spinner. It's worth 1000 points a spin, increased by the....

Drop Targets: there is a 3-bank of drop targets along the left wall of the Spinner Lane. Completing the bank awards 20K, opens the Right Outlane Airlock if necessary, and adds 1000 to the value of the spinner, maxing at 7000. The first two completions of the targets on a ball will light one additional jet bumper. The drop targets and the spinner value are reset at the start of every ball.

Right Ramp: this is a "half-ramp"; i.e. it starts, goes about 9 inches, and ends at a single contact target. Similar to Fire!'s Victim ramps, although not as long or steep (or drain-prone; I've never had a full shot drain, and only one soft shot ever has). Shooting the target will change the current value of the SHUTTLE spellout. An Extra Ball can be lit here.

T-L-E Targets: the second 3-bank of contact targets. They are a mirror image of the first (just a little higher), and they complete the SHUTTLE spellout.

Right Lock: a mirror image of the left one. It functions exactly the same.

Right Inlane: a mirror image of the left one. It functions exactly the same.

Right Outlane: not quite a mirror image of the left one. It has the same huge opening and the same "Score Shuttle Value" light, but the difference 
here is that there is a diverter that can return draining balls to the inlane! Called the "Airlock", it is open at the start of each ball, and can be relit by completing the drop target bank.

There are two horizontal grids of lights in the center of the playfield that indicate your bonus muliplier and current SHUTTLE value, "Shoot Again" and "Bonus Holdover" lights between the flippers, and a 5x3 grid of round white lights between the two that indicate the value of your current end-of-ball bonus. Neat trick: during attract mode, this grid will sometimes spell out the game's title. And when you tilt, it continuously spells that word until the ball is returned to the outhole.

It should also be noted that the game has a REALLY funky voice. This game predates samplers, and as such it has a voice synthesizer that "creates" the quotes on the fly. It uses a very deep bass male voice. Not quite as cool as the voice in the video game Astro-Blaster, but close.:-)

2. Stop & Score

Stop & Score (henceforth, S&S) is one of the major ways to score points on Space Shuttle. Start it by dropping the T drop target in single-ball play. The backglass displays not belonging to the current player show a number, constantly and quickly increasing from 20K to 99,990, looping around. Shooting the ramp scores the value indicated. The entire thing is over very quickly, only 5 or 6 seconds. The drop target resets when the value either is collected or times out.

3. The SHUTTLE Spellout

The other major feature of Space Shuttle is the SHUTTLE values. There are 7 possible awards, shown in the center of the playfield:

20K, 50K, 100K
50K & Hold Bonus
100K & Light Outlanes
Extra Ball
Special

One of these is values is randomly selected at the start of each ball. Hitting the Right Ramp target changes the value, again randomly. Completing all seven letters in the word SHUTTLE (the two 3-banks and the drop target) scores the current value and randomly chooses another.

Lit outlanes will also score the current value. Letters can be spotted by lit inlanes. Also, completing the T drop target last scores a 100K bonus in addition to the value.


4. Multiball

Locks are lit whenever only one ball is in play. After locking either one or two balls, drop the T target and shoot the Center Ramp to start Multiball.

(I don't think that having 2 or 3 balls matters any...not sure.)

There is a Jackpot, of sorts...the Center Ramp is continuously lit for S&S for as long as two or more balls remain in play. The T target remains down throughout Multiball.

Relocking a ball during Multiball doesn't do anything special, except make a cool noise, flash the playfield inlays, and kick it back out.


5. Extra Balls

There are three ways to get an Extra Ball in Space Shuttle:
- The SHUTTLE spellout (awarded immediately)
- Get the bonus multiplier to 7x (lit at Right Ramp)
- Get the spinner value to 7000 (lit at Right Ramp...this one is HARD to get)

6. Strategy

During single-ball play, you should try to concentrate on locking balls and starting Multiball. Try to trap a ball (this is very easy, as the flippers actually come up a good distance past horizontal), and then shoot the opposite lock. Also, keep an eye on the current SHUTTLE value, and if it's something bad, shoot the Right Ramp to change it. If it's good, don't go out of your way to collect it yet...just avoid that right ramp.

During Multiball, here's a surefire strategy for you: shoot balls on the left flipper through the Spinner Lane to the rollovers, and shoot balls on the right flipper up the Center Ramp for S&S. This not only gives you good points, but it lets you build up your bonus multiplier easily, working towards that 7x Extra Ball. In the meantime, randomly moving balls should pick up any remaining SHUTTLE letters for you.

Once you use your Airlock, it's worth going out of your way to relight it, because the outlane is so nasty. A shot from the right flipper through the Spinner Lane should graze a few targets on the way up.

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