The Red Max

Skillshot(s):

Make the single lane at the top left to light all three numbered mushroom bumpers on the right side. Very important!

Full Rules:

The Red Max is a rare game; only 70 were made, most no longer exist. But it can be a frustrating drain monster and one where the most valuable shot often fails to score (more on that in a moment). The goal of the game is to collect the 9 letters in T-H-E-R-E-D-M-A-X. This is a two-step process. First, you need to light the mushroom bumpers on the right side of the game. You light all three by getting the ball through the lane at the top left, usually only on the plunge. The mushroom bumper in the center of the game lights bumper #1. Hitting the captive ball all the way back lights #2 and #3; weaker or grazing hits may only light #2. Once you have one or more bumpers lit, hitting a lit one gives you a letter in THEREDMAX, but also turns that bumper off; you need to re-light it to get a chance to add another letter. Your bonus is the value of the letters you’ve collected: 1000 for T-H-E, 3000 for T-H-E-R-E-D and 5000 for T-H-E-R-E-D-M-A-X. You only collect it at the end of a ball when you drain out a side lane; if you have no letter bonus yet, you get 500 points instead. You can also collect your bonus during a ball by shooting the saucer at the upper right. But … there is no backstop behind the saucer to ensure that balls shot at it go into it. The ball often zips over the saucer or goes around the edge of it up to the top of the game without scoring it. Your score often depends on how lucky you are at having the ball settle into the saucer. The ball can also drop into the saucer from above, but again it often rims out and goes through without scoring it. There’s a center ball-save post which is raised by hitting the mushroom bumper right of the captive ball; hitting the bumper left of the captive ball lowers it. If you get the post up, you can use microflips to set up shots. The pop bumpers are lit in pairs by the two white rollover discs just above them. The rollover on the right lights the green bumpers, the one on the left lights the yellow bumpers. General strategy is to make the skill shot, raise the center post, then hit the lit bumpers on the right. Once you have some bonus to collect, shoot for the saucer. You can also shoot for the saucer to get the ball up top. If you do get the ball back up top by whatever means, try to nudge it to either light the pop bumpers, go into the left lane to relight the mushroom bumpers, or fall into the saucer from above.

via Bob's Guide