Cosmic Princess

Quickie Version:

Up top until you have the #3 lane at a minimum, then drop targets until you have 5X bonus, then spinners all day.

Go-to Flipper:

Balanced

Risk Index:

Medium-High

Skillshot(s):

Make the #3 lane, which adds 1K to the value of one of the spinners; which one alternates on switch hits. The other lanes each add 400 to the value of one spinner or the other, like the top stand-up targets on Trident. The green #1 and amber #2 add to the left spinner; orange #4 and red #5 to the right spinner. Four of the top lanes can be gotten other ways: the 2 via the standup target below the left spinner, the 4 via the standup below the right spinner, and the 1 and 5 via the left orbit shot to the top. The 3 you must score directly, hence its higher value. Don’t bother shooting at the two standups, though, just go up top.

Full Rules:

Similar in many ways to Trident and Magic by Stern, but more fun to play than either, Cosmic Princess is rare to see in the US. If you come across one, don’t pass up a chance to play it! It’s a bonus-and-spinner game with an appealing playfield layout that really rewards skill. Once you’ve made all five lanes, the spinner with the pink light on to match #3 is worth 2K per spin, the other 1K. Base bonus is earned by collecting top lanes, return lanes (3 advances each) and outlanes (also 3 advances) and goes up to 19K. Bonus multiplier is built up by completing the drop targets the same way as on Trident: hit the 2nd and 4th targets for 2X + 5K; 1\3\5 for 3X + 10K; 1\2\4\5 gives 4X + 20K; all 5 gives 5x + 30K. Maximum collectable bonus is thus 95K. Both base bonus and multiplier reset each ball. There are so many ways to advance base bonus that any decent-length ball will max out unless you collect bonus first, making getting the drop targets for bonus X imperative. The collect bonus saucer at the upper left is always active. When collect is scored, the base bonus resets but any multiplier is held for the rest of that ball. You can’t shoot at the saucer directly, but balls bouncing around the top two bumpers often go into it, so when you want to collect, send the ball there via the right spinner. Since it’s easy to rebuild bonus, once you have it at maximum with a decent multiplier, collecting it should be your top priority. The outer return lanes score 2K minimum, but go up 2K in value each time you make the left orbit shot up top until worth an additional 6K each. After you have your 5X active, just shoot spinners all day: left for spinner points and to the top to build bonus, right for a chance to collect it.