AC/DC Pinball For Dummies

Ashley Burke
9 hours ago
4 min read

Back in the 1970s, AC/DC were one of the loudest bands around. Their albums with Bon Scott are some of the best hard rock records ever made. If you don't believe me, give Powerage (1978) a listen.

Fast forward to 2012, when Stern handed legendary designer Steve Ritchie the task of creating an AC/DC pinball machine. Steve is no stranger to rock 'n' roll, he even wrote the iconic riffs for High Speed (1986) and Black Knight 2000 (1989). He knew that if you were making a pinball machine based on one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time, the game itself had better be hard.

AC/DC pinball will kick your butt!

AC/DC is a game that has followed me from tournament to tournament for years. Every time I stepped up to one, I'd question my song choice, and wonder why the action button only sometimes gave me an add-a-ball.

Because the game is brutally difficult, and because the inserts don't do a great job of explaining what's going on, it's a machine I've always struggled to learn naturally.

So this guide is for my past self, and anyone else who's sick of standing in front of an AC/DC wondering what on earth they're supposed to be doing.

I'm not going to explain every rule in the game. Instead, I will cover a very basic foundation of the rules and the strategy I use in tournaments.

Skill Shot

One of the top lanes will be lit for the skill shot. Use the flippers to move the lit lane.

Each successful skill shot awards one VIP Pass.

A VIP Pass can be spent by pressing the action button, giving you one free shot.

I normally save these until multiball, or spam the action button at the end of Ball 3.

If you hold the right flipper, you'll enable the secret skill shot. Hit any major shot quickly enough and you'll collect two VIP Passes instead of one.

Personally, I just take the normal skill shot because I suck at the secret one.

Hells Bells

At the start of the game you can use the flippers to choose your song.

Hells Bells is your best friend. Pick that every time.

Songs work differently from most pinball modes. They never time out and continue running throughout the game. Even when prompted to change songs, I always stick with Hells Bells.

One shot to the bell lights the ramps and orbits to collect song shots.

Collecting song shots will happen naturally, so they shouldn't be your main focus.

The important part is that every song shot also builds your Song Jackpot.

Song Jackpot

Song Jackpot is where the big points come from.

As mentioned above, every point you score from song shots is also added to the value of your Song Jackpot.

Naturally, this value builds throughout the ball.

The jackpot resets when collected and at the end of every ball.

Song Jackpot starts lit, but the first one usually isn't worth much.

To relight it, you must complete the FIRE lanes at the bottom of the playfield three times.

You'll know it's ready when the red flasher beside the cannon starts pulsing.

Once lit, either ramp will feed the cannon.

When the ball reaches the cannon, the display shows the jackpot value before lighting one of the targets on the left side of the playfield. Fire the cannon with the action button and hit the lit target to collect your Song Jackpot.

If you miss, the jackpot value continues building, but you'll need to complete the FIRE lanes three more times before you can collect it again.

Double Scoring

Three shots to the bell starts 2X scoring for 20 seconds.

While 2X is running, another three bell shots increase it to 3X.

Every bell shot resets the timer back to 20 seconds.

When the timer runs out, another three bell shots start the 2X scoring again.

This is why Hells Bells is the song to choose. The bell shot not only starts double scoring, but increases your song jackpot.

When 2X or 3X is running, this multiplies the Song Jackpots as well as the song shots building the value.

Multiball

When I'm playing AC/DC, I want to be in multiball as much as possible.

There are three multiballs, but the only one I really care about is Jam Multiball.

Six ramps light Jam Multiball on the right ramp.

Personally, I find backhanding both ramps much safer than shooting them forehand.

During Jam Multiball, both ramps are lit for jackpots.

Collect all five major shots for an Add-a-Ball.

VIP Passes also count towards these five shots. This can be handy to use to extend your multiball.

Putting It All Together

During single-ball play, your only real goal is to start Jam Multiball.

Whenever the cannon is available from the opening Song Jackpot or the multiball start sequence, I actually shoot the bell instead. It's safer than taking the jackpot, and it gets me one shot closer to starting 2X Playfield.

Once multiball starts, I focus on three things in this order:

Add-a-Ball
Start 2X Playfield
Light Song Jackpot

I try to cradle all balls and play with one flipper whenever possible.

First, chip away at the five Add-a-Ball shots.

Then keep working the bell until 2X scoring is running.

From there it becomes a balancing act between repeatedly backhanding the ramps and hitting the bell to keep the multiplier alive.

Keep an eye on the FIRE lanes. Completing them three times relights Song Jackpot.

Once it's lit, cash it in. Even if your multiplier has expired, it's better to collect it than risk losing it when the ball drains.

When multiball finishes, go straight back to collecting ramps so you can start another one.

Too Long; Didn't Read

Pick Hells Bells
Back hand six ramps to light multiball
Start multiball on the right ramp
Shoot the bell three times to start 2X scoring
Completing the bottom FIRE lanes three times lights song jackpot
Collect song jackpot with cannon
Always be in multiball

Now You're Ready

As a tournament organiser, I love putting AC/DC into the lineup because it kicks everyone's butt and games are usually over pretty quickly.

As a tournament player, I can keep starting Jam Multiball over and over, collecting Song Jackpots along the way.

Hopefully this strategy helps you do the same.

Try it For Yourself

AC/DC is on the shoppe floor at Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe.