Toledo

Toledo is an odd game with a few quirks. The safest way to score points is just go up top all day, scoring the rollovers and occasionally the top saucer.

Bonus goes up to 19K, built by the lower rollover buttons, the upper rollover buttons when lit (alternates on/off on 10 point switches) and the top saucer when lit. The saucer also alternates between “spot numbers” (see below) and advance bonus on 10-point switches. Bonus is doubled by scoring the A and B stand-up targets on the sides.

Once your bonus is at the 19K maximum, the top saucer value alternates between spot numbers and 5000 points.

The focal point of the game is the center \#1-\#8 stand-up targets. The first quirk is the targets themselves – they’re not normal stand-ups, they’re buttons\! This is the only game I know of with that. The second quirk is their scoring. Targets are 100 unlit, 500 lit; \#1 starts lit, the others not. Hit \#1 and the light moves right to \#2; now both \#1 and \#2 score 500. Hit \#2 and the light moves to \#3, etc. on to \#8. You can also advance the light by scoring the little rollover button in the middle below \#s 4 and 5 (the button itself doesn’t score any points), and the top saucer when lit spots 2 numbers. Once you finish all 8 numbers, the targets change value to 1000 plus add bonus. You can get a lot of points this way . . . IF you survive the rebounds from the buttons. Odds are you won’t.

The playfield layout is similar to Air Aces. As on that game, avoid the temptation to shoot the center targets, especially from the upper flippers. That gets the ball going sideways too much and risks draining. It’s a bit of a shame that the centerpiece of the game is not worth the risk to shoot at.

Strategy is just up top to build bonus, then A and B to double it, then up top again for the 5K saucer. Everything resets each ball. The C and D stand-up targets are irrelevant unless extra balls are on. If EBs are active, you need all four letters, A-B-C-D, to light the extra ball lane (I think it’s just one at a time and alternates between the two return lanes). If EBs are on, it’s also possible that the Special has been set to award an extra ball as well. You light the outlane for special by getting all 8 numbered targets (also alternates).