Pharaoh

Quickie Version:

UTAD.

Go-to Flipper:

Balanced

Risk Index:

High; learn how balls exit the upper playfield down the ramps and be ready to defend yourself

Full Rules:

A two-level game with a lot going on. There are three ways to get the ball from the lower playfield to the upper: two obvious ramps and an “underchute” assist kicker left of the center ramp. Shots here go into an upkicker hidden beneath the playfield and are ejected towards the upper left flipper. This is the easiest way up top, since a shot here doesn’t need to have the strength to climb a vertical ramp. It’s also the most valuable as you’ll see. On the upper playfield are two drop target 3-banks which you use to light your locks. To light both locks, hit one of the targets in either upper 3-bank, then hit the same-colored target on the other upper 3-bank before hitting any other upper target. This also scores 5K and spots you a PHARAOH letter. If you hit a different target, the sequence resets. To start multiball, simply lock a ball. Plunge the other ball into play; after a few seconds, the locked ball will be ejected and start multiball. You can also start multiball instantly by locking the second ball. The game may be set to require locking both balls to start multiball; check first if you can. There are two locks: one up top left of the captive ball, the other down below between the right ramp and the center drop targets. Playfield scoring is doubled so long as you have two balls in play. Only point values are doubled, not bonus advances or magna units. The captive ball advances P-H-A-R-A-O-H. If you shoot the ball up top via the underchute “hidden tomb” on the left, when the ball is ejected to the upper playfield, it starts a hurry-up score on the captive ball, and you’ll have one good chance to hit it as the ball rolls down to the upper left flipper. The hurry-up value is higher the more letters in Pharaoh you have. Making the Slaves Tomb shot between the upper drop target banks also starts the captive ball hurry-up; the kickout from it should come to the tip of the upper left flipper to give you a shot. Base bonus is advanced by both upper and lower drop targets: 1K per target, an extra 3K each time you finish a 3-bank before its timer runs out. Bonus goes up to 49K. The standup bulls-eye targets, one at the right on the upper playfield, one at the left on the lower playfield, increase your bonus multiplier up to 5X. The upper target is always active, but the lower one only advances when lit. Base bonus resets, but any multiplier is held, so it’s valuable to increase your bonus X on ball one to have it apply to all three balls. Bonus can be collected at the underchute shot when the green light in it is on. The game has magna saves above both inlanes; use them to deflect (they do not grab!) balls headed for the outlanes. Magna saves are triggered by buttons above the flipper buttons. You can earn up to 7 magna saves for each side by hitting drop targets in the lower playfield: right targets for the right magna save, center targets for the left magna save. The lower drop targets reset if not shot fast enough. Game strategy is to advance your bonus multiplier to 5X a.s.a.p., then try to set up multiball. Whenever the ball is in the lower playfield, shoot the left underchute to get it up top and set up a hurry-up shot. During multiball, it’s UTAD and just smack away at the drop targets and any captive ball opportunities you get. The upper right flipper is normally a mini-flipper, but I’ve seen that replaced with a standard size flipper on some games. A few other tips: one good way to set up your lock is to cradle the ball with the upper left flipper and backhand the tomb shot, trying to graze the topmost target on the left drop bank on the way in. If successful, this will both start the sequence and set up your shot: the right target on the other bank will light and flash, and the ball will be kicked out of the tomb to the left flipper, often well-aligned for a shot at the flashing target. Have fun finding all the anachronisms and gag items in the game’s artwork!