Bobby Orr's Power Play

Quickie Version:

Drop targets all day.

Go-to Flipper:

Balanced

Risk Index:

High when center post is not up, Medium-Low with post up

Skillshot(s):

Have the ball go over the top star rollover to raise the center post, then drop into the top saucer. The saucer starts out worth 3K and goes up 3K per shot until it maxes out at 15K; enough of those can really add up.

Full Rules:

Power Play is mostly about bonus and a bit about the top saucer. For the bonus route, shoot the drop targets; completing either bank [not both!] advances your bonus multiplier to 2X, 3X, then 5X. After that, a bank scores an extra ball or special, which is usually set to be worth good points [25K and 50K]. Base bonus goes up to 29K, so your maximum overall is 145K. Drops, orbits and lanes all advance bonus. Once your bonus multiplier is at 5X, you can either continue shooting drops or, if balls to the top drop into the saucer a high percentage of the time, you can switch to UTAD via the orbits for saucers. Use caution with the upper flippers: while they’re great at nailing the drop targets, the ball is also more prone to drain out the side when shooting crisscross. If the upper flippers are weak or if shots with them are inconsistent, either let the ball roll by them or use them to deflect the ball to a soft landing on a lower flipper, especially if the center post is up. You’ll also find that shooting the drops with the bottom flippers often gives you a chance at the top saucer, too, since the ball usually rebounds off them up towards the top of the machine. Whenever you shoot orbits or drop targets, try to get the ball’s continuation beyond them to hit the top rollover if the post isn’t already up, and to drop again into the saucer; nudge as necessary. Hitting the center stand-up target raises the center post, too. The return lanes lower the center post. Ball control: unlike many games, the “down post” triggers on Power Play are not in the playfield above the flippers; instead, they’re the two return lanes. This means that once the post is up, balls falling down the middle of the playfield can be safely allowed to settle onto one of the center post-flipper contact points. You can then use micro-flips to get the ball where you want it for precision shots at the drop targets or orbits. Balls coming down the return lanes require you to either flip away or hold the flipper up to cradle it or transfer it across to the opposite side.