5 Great Multiballs for Getting Better at Pinball
It's hard to believe there was a time when multiball wasn't a standard feature on pinball machines.
Multiball had appeared in titles before Firepower, but Steve Ritchie's 1980 Williams classic helped popularise the feature in a huge way. Williams sold more than 17,000 Firepower machines, and throughout the 1980s multiball became the standard.
Multiball can be intimidating. Suddenly you've got two, three, or even more balls flying around the playfield at once, and keeping them alive requires a completely different set of skills.
The temptation is to just keep flipping.
Getting good at multiball means learning when to slow things down, how to trap balls, when to take a shot, how to manage multiple flippers and, most importantly, how to stay in control.
Here are five multiballs that I think are particularly good for practising those skills.
Godzilla - Mechagodzilla Multiball
I've discussed why I like Mechagodzilla Multiball on here before, but I keep coming back to it because it's an excellent multiball for developing your skills.
It perfectly blends flowing multiball play with stop-and-start control.
There are only a few shots lit at a time, so you need to be deliberate and accurate. Thankfully, most of those shots are reasonably accessible, even with multiple balls in play.
As the number of lit shots gets smaller, the multiball really begins to shine. One of the trickier shots is the left ramp. During multiball, the upper flipper can get in the way of the ramp entrance, especially when you're trying to keep the lower flippers active at the same time.
This is where stage flipping can become incredibly useful (more on that later).
Mechagodzilla Multiball is a great introduction to the idea that successful multiball play isn't about hitting everything. It's about controlling the balls and making the shots that actually matter.
If you want to learn more about the rules and strategy, we cover the whole thing in our Mechagodzilla Multiball Guide.
Jurassic Park - T-Rex Multiball
T-Rex Multiball is sometimes considered a bit of a "sucker" multiball. It's relatively easy to start and isn't worth a huge amount of points upfront.
Played properly, there are some serious points available.
The reason I've included T-Rex Multiball is that it gives you a very clear reason to stop flailing. The jackpots can be collected in order from left to right. The challenge becomes hitting the red shot while avoiding the blue ones.
That completely changes how you approach the multiball.
Instead of desperately keeping balls moving and hoping something good happens, you're encouraged to gain control, identify the red shot you need and deliberately aim for it.
It's a great multiball for learning control, accuracy and patience while multiple balls are in play.
Fish Tales Multiball
Williams' 1992 Fish Tales arrived during an era when pinball rule sets were becoming increasingly elaborate. Fish Tales keeps its multiball rules focused, however progress towards the Super Jackpot carries over throughout the game.
If you want to put up really big scores, then learning how to consistently reach and collect Super Jackpots is essential.
What makes Fish Tales such a good game for learning multiball is that simply keeping the balls alive isn't enough. You need to get them under control and deliberately set up the jackpots.
This is very much a multiball where trapping balls is necessary.
I've gone into much more detail about the strategy in a previous post, which I'd highly recommend checking out: Fish Tales Pinball Super Jackpot Guide
Twilight Zone Multiball
Bally's 1993 Twilight Zone features multiple different multiball opportunities, but I want to focus on its main Multiball because it's one of my favourites.
There are some similarities to Fish Tales. You're often concentrating on one important shot at a time, and trapping balls can be incredibly valuable.
But Twilight Zone adds more risk-reward decisions - and four flippers.
Even before Multiball begins, there's choice to be had. After locking the first ball, you can start Multiball via the left ramp, or you can continue locking balls and build the jackpot value.
That's easier said than done. The left ramp is also a useful and relatively safe way of transferring the ball from the right flipper to the left, so deliberately avoiding it can make controlling the ball more difficult.
Collecting the jackpot and relighting it can only be done with the top flippers. This is an excellent reason to learn stage flipping.
Stage flipping means pressing the flipper button only partway so that you can activate the lower flipper without activating the upper one. With practice, this gives you much more control over the game's four flippers.
Being able to keep a ball trapped on a lower flipper while using another flipper to collect a jackpot is an incredibly useful skill, and Twilight Zone gives you plenty of opportunities to practise it.
Pro tip: If the Powerball is in play, try putting it into the main lock rather than sending it back into the gumball machine. This can bring the Powerball into Multiball, where jackpots scored with it are doubled.
Lord of the Rings - Fellowship Multiball
Stern's 2003 The Lord of the Rings features three major multiballs themed around the three books, but Fellowship Multiball stands out as one of my favourites.
Similar to Fish Tales, your progress carries throughout the game - and thankfully so.
To progress through Fellowship, you're required to alternate between hitting the Balrog and making either the left or right ramp.
Hit Balrog.
Hit a ramp.
Hit Balrog.
Hit a ramp.
This is a multiball that really rewards for you trapping up and taking it one shot at time.
Nothing feels better than having one ball trapped on each flipper, using one to hit a ramp and then immediately using the other to smash Balrog.
Getting Better at Multiball
One of the biggest improvements you can make to your multiball play is simply learning to slow everything down.
Pinball programmer and tournament player Tim Sexton has put together an excellent video covering how to approach multiball across different eras of pinball.
I'd highly recommend checking out the video below:
Start Practising Multiball
The best way to get better at multiball is to play it deliberately.
The five games in this list can all be played at Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe in Wellington, New Zealand, with The Lord of the Rings returning very soon.
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