X's & O's

Completing the upper drop target 3-bank scores 10K to start but then increases the value of both itself and of the far left lane to the top. The drop bank values go up to 30k, 60K, etc. to 180K (the lights are cumulative); after that, it goes to special, then resets to 10K. The top left lane value starts at 5K and rises to 20K, 40K, etc. to 120K (also cumulative lights), then special. It also resets after special is scored; scoring either special resets both.

Bonus is earned by hitting any of the nine stand-up targets: 5K for each, 90K for a full card, which then moves to superbonus and starts a new card. You can get three cards for up to 270K, plus 8 squares on top of that for 350K in square-based bonus.

The tic-tac-toe squares award extra points if you get three in a row of the same symbol: each 3-in-line is worth 20K, up to 200K per ball in line-based bonus (if you have all 9 squares, it credits you with 10 lines rather than just 8). Slingshots and return lanes change which symbol will be awarded for a target hit. Hitting a target you already have when the opposite symbol is lit will change the symbol for that square, meaning you can undo your mostly-alike pattern by accident\! You can also “fix” your “fewer of this one” targets by hitting them when your “more of them” symbol is lit.

Card bonus carries over to future balls, including three-in-a-row extras, and will keep the same X or O values you had when you drained. There is no bonus multiplier.

Sneaky trick: if you need a center stand-up target but want the opposite symbol, make a bank shot off either slingshot at it\! The slingshot hit will change the symbol, and the bank shot off the sling will usually hit one of the center stand-ups.

The outlanes are non-standard. There’s a ball save saucer on the lower right: if the ball bounces off the post below the outlane and enters it, it’s kicked out over the right flipper where you can get it back into play, and it scores 5K for each X or O on your card. The left side return and outlanes are reversed.

If you get three three-in-rows on one ball, it lights the second-from-the-left top lane for 50K a shot; five three-in-a-rows on one ball lights the third and innermost top lane for 100K.

A good strategy is UTAD via the outer left lane from the right flipper and towards the upper flipper on the right from the left flipper, where you just keep completing the 3-bank. You’ll get a bunch of card squares with shots you can’t send up top. Don’t worry about the three-of-the-same unless you’re close to getting an all-same card, in which case it’s worth making sure they all match for the extra points.