Firepower II

It may look like its parent, Firepower, but the strategy is totally different. Firepower was all about the stand-up targets and the spinner; Firepower 2 is all about multiball and the top lanes.

Multiball is only a 2-ball here, but the lock saucer near the upper right is always lit during single-ball play; lock a ball, then hit the top center release target to start multiball. Scoring is doubled during multiball. The lock saucer value goes up to the next level each time you lock a ball in it – 10K, 20K, 50K. The release value goes up each time you play multiball, too – 50K, 100K, 150K. Play multiball 3 times, which requires only two shots per, and you get 200K each time you start it thereafter\!

Bonus is the other source of big points. Base bonus is raised by the nine stand-up targets (1 per flashing target) and top A-B-C-D lanes (2 per lane, lit or not), up to 99K. Completing the top four lanes also raises your multiplier which goes up to 5X, so there’s a possible massive 495K in bonus. Remember to use the lane change with the flipper buttons to help get unlit top lanes. Top lane completions score 25K once your bonus multiplier is maxed.

Bonus and multiplier reset each ball. The release light will stay on if lit. Release and lock saucer values carry over.

As for the FIREPOWER targets, completing them lights the spinner and return lanes. Bumpers are lit when you get any set of three letters FIR, EPO or WER. This also lights the orbit shot to hold bonus, but only for 7-10 seconds; make sure to shoot it when lit\! If you get hold bonus on your last ball, it gives you one extra bonus amount but with no multiplier. Orbit scores 25K when not lit. While useful, spinner and bumper points can’t win out over multiball and bonus here.

My recommendation is to ignore both the firepower letters and the left ramp; you should get plenty of letters randomly during multiball, and the ramp is of little value. Just lock balls, play multiball and go up top. Once you have 5X, it’s okay to shoot the spinner all day if lit. Observe that when the left orbit is lit, you need to shoot up the right side instead to get the ball to go into the top four lanes, since left orbit shots go on through.

Firepower 2 typically plays extremely fast – faster than the original Firepower.

Key feeds: the return from the left-to-right orbit shot and the rebound from the Release shot. It really sucks when you shoot the release to start multiball only to have the ball bounce off that target and go straight down the middle, ending multiball before it even starts.