Solar Fire

Quickie Version:

Upper 5-bank all day. Take multiball if you can get it safely, but think 5-bank first.

Go-to Flipper:

Balanced

Risk Index:

High; watch out when balls fall down the ramps from the upper playfield

Full Rules:

Solar Fire has possibly the most complex rule set of its time; Elektra would be the other contender. The playfield is similar to the more common Grand Lizard, featuring a drop target 5-bank on the upper playfield with 5-level timing-based scoring [value locked in at 20K, 40K, 60K, 80K or 100K with first target dropped]. The targets reset if not completed quickly. Completing the top 3-bank when flashing spots a FIRE letter; getting the flashing FIRE letter gives 20 seconds of double scoring. The upper 3-bank lights the loop behind it for 25K, then 50K, then drain shield. You can sometimes score this loop twice by shooting the ball into the loop on the bottom end, where it can go in and up, trip the switch hidden under the plastic, then fall back down that way to trip the switch again rather than continuing out the top. Multiball here is far riskier than on Grand Lizard. You need to complete the lower left target bank or lower center target bank to light a lock. Which order the locks light in appears random. Two-ball multiball play starts when you lock your second ball in either the lower center or top right saucer. Locking all three balls starts multiball; note this requires locking your second ball in the far left saucer. Subtle! The top 5-bank scoring is 2X during 2-ball multiball and 3X during 3-ball multiball … BUT once you lose a ball in 3-ball multiball, your 3X ends even though you still have 2 balls in play – no 2X then. It’s pretty easy to lose one ball quickly while trying to juggle things on multiple levels, so odds are your 3X won’t last long. After draining one ball during three-ball multiball, you can relight a lock by completing one of the 3-banks. Collecting S-O-L-A-R letters in the chute at the left between the lower saucers each give you 1 additional bonus X up to 6X max. The lit letter in SOLAR changes continuously, so you may need more than 5 shots to get all the letters. Base bonus goes up to 63K on each side for a maximum of 756K at 6X. Left side is bonus earned during single-ball play; right side is bonus earned during multiball play. Unique! The game has both magna saves and drain shield. The magna saves are activated by buttons on either side above the flipper button and trigger the magnet above the return lane on that side of the machine. Finishing a 3-bank awards a magna save activation, up to three times per side. The drain shield is activated by completing the upper left target 3-bank three times and activates one outlane as protected (sides alternate). When active, a ball draining through the lit side is returned to play. Ball control. The top saucer should kick the ball out to the upper left flipper. You’ll find that balls that fall just below the upper right flipper but still manage to hit the metal above the center ramp will bounce just enough to be tipped by the upper left flipper and kept on the upper playfield. Keep your left flipper down and ready when the ball goes there. The center ramp is by far the easier route to the top vs. the right ramp. Check before you play to see if the center post between the flippers has been removed or had the rubber taken off. Ignore the solar gun captive ball shot.