Big Game 2022
Big Game
This is a fast, widebody, 4-flipper shooter from Stern (1980). The theme features big game animals (tigers, lions, etc.) and has 9 drop targets that light the big bank of lamps grouped into three score cards (X, Y, and Z). In this re-write, you help the big game go after the “prey” who are hiding amongst the card lamps. A PDF of the rules and settings is here: BigGame2022Rules.pdf
Skill Shot
Each ball begins with a single lane flashing for a skill shot. Hitting the 10-point switches on either side of the top lanes will increase the value of the skill shot.
Prey
When the ball enters the playfield through a top lane, prey (1 or more) will start running on the cards. The prey are presented as a blinking lamp, and the cards represent the map. Prey will run and try to stop on a map spot that has not yet been uncovered (by hitting the corresponding drop target).
When the prey lands on a particular spot on one of the cards, that lamp will flash. To flush the prey, the player will need to light that card and then hit the corresponding drop target. Once flushed, the prey can be killed by hitting the drop target associated with the prey’s location.
On level one, there is only one prey (initiated with top lane). Once that prey is killed, level two will have two prey (the player has to start them with two top lane entries). The number of prey will continue to increase. Killing each prey will award the player 20,000 points.
Scoring Cards
The nine numbered drop targets are associated with three sets of numbers on the X, Y, and Z cards. If the X card is lit, hitting the 1 target will light the 1 lamp on the X card.
Cards are selected with the pop bumpers. Hitting the top pop bumper 5 times will select the Z card. The lower-left pop will select the X, and the lower-right will select the Y. The number of cards that can be selected at the same time is controlled through the coin door settings. If a pop bumper hit will select more cards than allowed, other cards will be de-selected.
When drop targets are hit, they can start a “hurry up” to finish the 3-bank of targets (controlled by coin door settings). If the targets are not completed within the hurry up time, the bank will reset. If the player finishes the bank before they reset, the player will be rewarded by lighting all the cards regardless of whether or not they are selected (this is turned on/off by the “Hurry Up Drop Targets Liberal Clear” setting). Whether or not the drop targets exhibit this “hurry up” behavior is controlled by a coin door setting.
Completing all three cards will clear the cards and achieve a holdover bonus.
Other playfield lamps will be lit based on the number of rows, columns, and diagonals lit on the cards. Those rules are as follows:
Lighting 4 corners on any 2 cards, 2 vertical or horizontal lines on any 2 cards or the “Z” card completed lites the bottom EXTRA BALL lane.
Bottom SPECIAL lites when two diagonal lines are made on any 2 cards.
Completing any card or 3 in line on each card lites 2X.
Completing 2 cards or two 3 in line on each card lites 3X.
Reserve bonus lites when 3 cards are filled.
BIG GAME Letters
Activating BIG GAME lamps (3 top lanes, 2 in-lanes, and 2 stand ups) will light the BIG GAME lamps in the upper left lane. Using that lane to reach the saucer will score an award based on the number of lamps lit and the number of times BIG GAME has been spelled. The player will receive 5,000 points for each letter, and 35,000 for each time BIG GAME has been spelled.
If the BIG GAME jackpot is enabled, the player will have a certain number of seconds to collect the jackpot (with the saucer) after the BIG GAME letters are completed. The number of seconds is controlled by a coin door setting. The jackpot is 100,000 points.
Other Scoring
Other scoring values match the printed values on the playfield.
Tests, Audits, and Adjustments
Press the button inside the coin door to page through the follow options. The Credit/Reset button on the front of the machine will change the settings. You can exit back to attract mode at any time by triggering the SLAM switch on the inside of the coin door.
Settings
00:01 Lamp Test (press Credit/Reset button to cycle through individual lamps)
XX:XX Display Test (press Credit/Reset button to test individual digits)
00:03 Solenoid Test - cycles through solenoids
00:04 Switch Test - shows up to four closed switches
00:05 Sound Test - not implemented
01: Award Score 1 (Credit/Reset button sets this for extra ball or special at given score)
02: Award Score 1 (Credit/Reset button sets this for extra ball or special at given score)
03: Award Score 1 (Credit/Reset button sets this for extra ball or special at given score)
04: High Score (Credit/Reset button double click to reset)
05 : Number of Credits
06: (Audit) Total number of plays
07: (Audit) Total replays
08: (Audit) Number of times high score beaten
09: (Audit) Chute 2 coins
10: (Audit) Chute 1 coins
11: (Audit) Chute 3 coins
12: Chute 1 Coins / Credit
13: Chute 2 Coins / Credit
14: Chute 3 Coins / Credit
15: Freeplay (0 - off, 1 - on)
16: Ball Save (number of seconds)
17: Sound Effects & Soundtrack Selector
0 - no sound
6 - sounds, music, and callouts (all through WAV Trigger & speakers)
7 - sounds & music
8 - sounds & callouts
9 - sounds
18: Music Volume (0-10)
19: Sound Effects Volume (0-10)
20: Callouts Volume (0-10)
21: Big Game Jackpot Time (0 - 60 seconds) - when the player completes the B-I-G G-A-M-E letters, a jackpot will be available on the saucer for this number of seconds. Set to 0 to disable jackpots. The jackpot is worth 100,000 points.
22: Hurry Up Drop Target Level - drop targets will be on a hurry up for this number of cards completed
0 - no hurry ups
1 - drop targets will be on a hurry up until all the cards are completed once
2 - drop targets will be on a hurry up until all the cards are completed twice
99 - drop targets will always be on a hurry up
23: Hurry Up Drop Targets Liberal Clear - Completing a set of drop targets before the hurry up resets them will award all the numbers on all the cards. For example, clearing the 1-2-3 drops will clear 1-2-3 on all cards (X, Y, and Z) regardless of which card is lit. Failing to finish the bank before it clears will only award the numbers for the lit cards.
24: Max Cards Lit - number of cards that can be simultaneously lit. The lit cards will change with the pop bumpers, but other cards will go out so that the total number of cards lit (X, Y, Z) will be limited by this value. Possible values are 1, 2, or 3.
25: Max Cards Lit Decreases with card level - this setting controls whether the number of allowable cards lit will decrease after the cards have been completed.
0 - Max Cards Lit stays the same
1 - Max Cards Lit decreases 1 each time the cards are completed
26: Credit/Reset Hold Time (holding button will reset game if held for this amount of time) - when the game is in attract mode or during the first ball of play, hitting the Credit/Reset button with either start a game or add a player (up to four players). When the game progresses to ball two, the Credit/Reset button can be held to restart the game. This parameter controls how long the player must hold the button.
0 - button immediate resets the game
1-3 - hold the button for 1-3 second(s) to reset
99 - game cannot be reset
27: Tournament Scoring
0 - Extra balls and specials are awarded
1 - Extra balls and specials are rewarded with points
28: Number of Tilt Warnings
29: Award Score Overrides - settings 1, 2, and 3 (above) will set the Award Score 1-3 values. When that value is crossed, the player will receive a reward based on this chart. For example, setting this value to “4” will give the player an extra ball when the cross scores 1 or 2, and a special when the cross score 3. To turn off award score rewards, set the Award Score (above, in settings 1-3) to 0.
30: Number of Balls / Game
3 - three balls per game
5 - five balls per game
31: Scrolling Scores (0 - no, 1 - yes) - scroll scores over 9,999,999
32: Extra Ball Award (in tournament scoring) - number of points given for an extra ball in tournament scoring.
33: Special Award (in tournament scoring) - number of points given for a special in tournament scoring.