"Haunted House," released by Gottlieb in June 1982, is a pioneering pinball machine known for its innovative triple-playfield design. This game was the first to feature three distinct playfields: an upper attic, a main level, and a basement, which is visible through a plexiglass window. Each playfield includes flippers and various targets, providing a rich and varied gameplay experience.
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Quickie Version:
Shoot the ball to get to the upper and lower playfields (details below), then hit drop targets all day.
Go-to Flipper:
Balanced
Risk Index:
High
Full Rules:
First things first, let’s discuss the three levels and going between them. When you plunge, balls will land in one of three holes at the top left. The left-most hole drops the ball to the lower playfield, where it is kicked out from “above” (towards you) the lower left flipper towards the bumper. The center hole / saucer kicks the ball out downwards on the main playfield. The right hole / saucer kicks the ball up and to the right onto the left side of the upper playfield towards the left flipper. Balls can go between the main and the upper playfield via the ramp on the right. Balls can go from the upper to the lower playfield via the hole on the left side of the upper; these land near the lower left flipper. Balls exiting the lower playfield are always popped to the main playfield through the scoop just below and right of the top left plunger holes; they usually are thrown towards the upper of the two flippers on the main playfield left. Balls can enter the lower playfield from the main one via the top left plunger hole, by going through the hole behind the center push-back target, and by shooting the “trap door” shot on the far right. From the center hole, the ball lands just above the lower left flipper. From the trap door, the ball is kicked out over the lower right flipper going left across the playfield. The flippers require getting used to. The upper and lower playfield flippers are not reversed, but it sometimes seems like it. The upper “right” flipper faces the way a left flipper normally does and vice versa. The lower playfield flippers aren’t reversed in terms of where they are visually either, right being right, but are reversed if you think in terms of which flipper it is if you were “facing” the lower playfield. To activate both the upper and lower flippers, you need to use the set of flipper buttons slightly further back on the cabinet than the regular buttons. When the ball changes playfields to or from the main playfield in either direction, you’ll have to quickly switch which set of buttons you use! On the main playfield, there’s a small drain area between the two flippers on the right; beware! Completing a set of drop targets in either the lower or upper playfield activates double scoring on the opposite playfield. Completing them a second time activates double scoring on the main playfield. (How’s that for convoluted?) If you do enough work in the top or bottom, the other two playfields will both be worth double. Completing the lower playfield drops seems to be the easier of the two. Each visit to the upper or lower playfield raises your “monster bonus” multiplier, up to 5X. Monster bonus is earned on just these two playfields by hitting the drop targets and the lower standup targets. If you plunge to the upper playfield and the ball exits it out the left to the lower playfield rather than out the right via the ramp to the main, your bonus multiplier will already be at 3X. Points are primarily earned by hitting the targets on all three playfield – drops upper and lower, standups on the main. Strategy is to keep going upstairs and downstairs as much as you can and smacking the heck out of the targets while there. Lastly, the game tends to play slow unless the operator has consciously steepened it and is notorious for having maintenance issues. Fun, but a risk to use in competition due to its reliability.
via Bob's Guide
