Jack-Bot

As in the original Pin-Bot, the plunger launches the ball towards a spiral ramp known as the Vortex, which has a top, middle, and bottom section. To score the highest value offered, shoot the ball into the middle section.

The vortex value resets to 10 million for each ball unless it is held (see below).

Shooting the middle vortex hole during Multi-Ball can score a Jack*Bot.

A touch target just above the right inlane/outlane area. Hitting this target randomly draws a card to add to the player's total (starting from zero), with the goal being to reach 21 (as in blackjack) or get as close as possible without busting (going over 21). Each time the target is hit, the player scores 1 million points times the total (i.e., bringing the hand to 17 scores 17 million points). Hitting 21 exactly or busting resets the total to zero, but if the player hits 21 exactly, they win a 50 million point bonus.

Aces can count as 1 or 11, as in regular blackjack.

The Hit Me target can also be used to score up to 75 million points during the Hurry-Up Mode, and for scoring Jack*Bots during Multi-Ball.

To the left just beneath the ramp, there are three poker targets. One is lit during play; hitting the lit target advances the bonus multiplier up to 5x. If an unlit target is hit, the player must wait until the targets reset before trying again. If the lit target is hit, and the player hits the two other targets before they reset, the machine spots the player a poker card to be used in the game Pin-Bot Poker (see below).

Underneath the left ramp is a cashier target. When activated, the ramp will lift up to allow the ball to go underneath to hit it. Hitting this target can do a variety of things for the player: score the bonus during Cashier Mode, collect the Solar Jets award, doubles the winnings for a casino game, and collect Jack*Bots during Multi-Ball.

When the ramp is down, shooting the ball up the ramp and over to the mini-bagatelle playfield (a carry-over from the original Pin-Bot) begins the Vortex Counter, which gradually adds 1 million points to the value of the vortex (starting from 10 million), up to a maximum of 50 million points. The ball then will randomly make its way either through the hole, activating Solar Jets Mode, down to the right inlane, which will award a random award (which changes in synchronization with the Vortex Counter), or back to the plunger for another skill shot.

If the ball falls through this hole and into the bumpers, it triggers Solar Jets mode. The ramp flips up; the player then has about 20 seconds (represented by a slow countdown from 10) to hit the Cashier target to score the Solar Jets value, which starts at 40M and goes up by 4M for each bumper hit. Starting Multiball or Casino Run before the timer runs out will also score the Solar Jets award.

If the ball goes through the right inlane, it will trigger one of the following awards:

• 25 Million: Awards 25 million points.
• Cashier: The player has 20 seconds (represented by a slow countdown from 10) to hit the Cashier target and score twice the bonus value (though this replaces the end-of-ball bonus instead of adding to it). Starting Multi-Ball or Casino Run also awards the Cashier value.
• Light Extra Ball: Lights an extra ball light.
• Mega Ramp: Lights the left ramp. The player must shoot the ball up the ramp within 5 seconds to win the Mega Ramp value, starting at 50 million, and increasing 25 million each time it is achieved.

The Game Saucer is a narrow lane leading to a ball trap that is located just to the right of the left ramp. Shoot the ball into this trap to begin a casino game. During Multi-Ball, shoot the ball into this trap to collect a Jack*Bot, and during Casino Run, this trap is one of several that can be used to spin the wheels on the slot machine.

As in the original Pin-Bot, the machine has a visor that begins the game closed, and a 5x5 grid of lights underneath it, colored yellow, blue, orange, green, and red, in that order. Above the lights are a visor row of targets that light the lights vertically in columns, and to the right side is a side row of lights that light the lights in each row horizontally. To open the visor, the player either needs to complete the grid by hitting the targets in any order, or by shooting the correct visor or side row target when the lights are initially flashing; the lights initially flash one column at a time, left to right, and then one row at a time, top to bottom. In the latter case, opening the visor by shooting the correct target awards a 50 million point bonus (after this is done, however, the machine requires the player to open the visor each subsequent time by just completing all 25 lights on the grid in any order).

In Jack-Bot, the lights are known as Keno Lights, and each column also has a white arrow above it. When the visor is closed, shooting the ball into the target when the white arrow is lit awards a Keno Award:

• Vortex at Max: Automatically brings the vortex value to 50 million.

  Add Vortex Value: Increases the value of the vortex if it isn't already at 50 million.

  Vortex Held: Carries the value of the vortex over to the next ball, including extra balls.

  25M: Awards 25 million points.

  Add Poker Card: Spots an extra poker card for Pin-Bot Poker.

  5X Bonus: Brings the bonus multiplier to 5X, the maximum available in the game. (Note that after the ball drains, pressing the EXTRA BALL button enough times to activate a cheat results in Pin-Bot slamming the 5X graphic, making it 6X; this is the only time a player can get a 6X Bonus.)

  Game Saucer Lit: Before the first Multi-Ball, and only before the first Multi-Ball, if the Game Saucer isn't lit, hitting the arrow will light the saucer.

  Extra Ball: Awards an extra ball; usually awarded only on the last ball if the player's total score is under 300 million points.

When the visor opens, the player can lock a ball into one of Pin-Bot's eye sockets; doing so puts another ball to the plunger, and locking the second ball begins Multi-Ball.

If the visor is open, and the player hasn't started Multi-Ball yet, completing all 25 lights a second time lights an Extra Ball light above the inlane and outlane roll-overs.

The inlane and outlane roll-overs have an extra ball light above them, which the player collects by getting the ball to roll over the lit inlane or outlane. It is possible to have more than one light lit and collect multiple Extra Balls.

There are four games in total Pin-Bot can play: Pin-Bot Poker, the Slot Machine, Roll the Dice, and Keno. Pressing the EXTRA BALL button repeatedly when it flashes gives the player an opportunity to cheat at the games, but this doesn't always happen.

In all four games, the machine will ask the player to either accept the total or attempt "DOUBLE OR NOTHING." If the player chooses to double, they have a limited time to shoot the ball under the left ramp and hit the Cashier target. Doing so doubles the player's winnings; if time expires or the ball is lost, no points are scored for that game. If the player takes too long to respond, the game will automatically pick the option to simply collect the bonus.

This game uses the poker hand displayed at the center of the playfield. The Poker Targets, Keno awards, Casino Run, and Slot Machine can all light cards in this hand. (Completing the hand the first time lights an Extra Ball.) Points are awarded based on the value of the hand: 10 million points for a single deuce, 15 million for an ace or ace-deuce, 20 million for one pair, 30 million for two pair or three of a kind, or 50 million for a full house (all five cards). In addition, a flat 50 million is scored for each hand the player has already filled. The resulting total can be doubled later.

If the player successfully cheats, Pin-Bot pulls an extra Ace from his sleeve. ("Ace of Clubs?") This can give players a hand that is normally impossible: four Aces, worth 149M million points. (Players can still double this to 298 million if they wish.)

The slot machine wheels spin and reveal a random award:

• Multi-Ball: Starts Multi-Ball.
• Special: Awards a Special; typically one credit and 500 million points.
• Add 10 Cards: Adds 2 complete poker hands to the player's grand total.
• Hurry Up: Starts a timer that counts down from 75 million to 15 million; the player must shoot the "Hit Me" target in order to collect the bonus.
• Collect Bonus: Awards the player the bonus they would have received if they had lost the ball.
• Vortex at Max: Sets the Vortex value to 50 million automatically.
• Hold Vortex Value: Carries the Vortex value over to the next ball (including extra balls).
• Bonus: Awards a random bonus generally between 25 million and 40 million points. Players have the option to double the winnings if they wish.
• Lite Extra Ball: Lights the extra ball.

This is the hardest of the games to successfully cheat, but if done, Pin-Bot will slam the reels, and it will change to "Extra Ball Lit."

The game is based on the "Dice Game Wager" which begins at 3 million points, and increases by 100,000 points each time the ball makes contact with the bumpers located just below the mini-bagatelle playfield (known as the Solar Jet Bumpers). The Machine rolls the dice, and whatever she rolls is multiplied by the Dice Game Wager (i.e. 5,500,000 x 6 = 33,000,000). Players can then decide to double if they wish.

If the player successfully cheats, Pin-Bot will simply flick the dice so that the result is always a 12, and announce, "BOXCARS!"

This game is based on the Keno card (the 5x5 grid of lights under the visor); the player's progress on the grid determines how many squares are chosen for the random drawing. Six squares are picked at random, and the player wins 5 million points per square matched, plus 5 million points just for participating. If all six squares match, the player wins 50 million points. Players also win an additional 25 million points for every card filled previously. In the event the player has less than five squares lit on the grid, the game will allow the player to use the full center column to give them a chance at making some matches.

If the player successfully does a cheat, Pin-Bot will slam the whole card, giving the result that 25 matches were made, awarding the player 99 million points.

As before, the player can then decide whether or not they want to try and double the winnings.