Quickie Version
Shoot the A and B drop targets to raise the hole value, then shoot the hole when the value is 400 or 500 points.
Go-To Flipper
Balanced
Skill Shot
drop the ball between the top bumpers, ideally so it rolls over the little white knob that “scores lit value” [rotating awards are hole advance, open right gate, open left gate]. A full plunge is often the right strength for this.
Full Rules
This game is about the A and B drop targets and the hole awards. Shooting both the A and B targets scores 200, raises the center post, and increases the hole value. The targets then reset for you to repeat this. Continue to hit the A and B to keep getting those 200’s and raising the hole value. Collect the hole when you feel it’s high enough; hole value goes 50-100-200-300-400-500. Hole values above 50 reset down to 50 after being collected.
You may be able to repeatedly flip into the hole, let the kickout settle back on the left flipper-center post point, then flip it from there back into the hole. If the ball settles back on the right hand side, you may be able to microflip it back to the left for the repeat shot.
On some units, a full power flip from the post-cradle may be too strong and be rejected at the hole. Try a medium-level flip rather than a full one or a soft tapping one.
Even though there’s a left gate kickback, and a ball going into the left gate when open should score 400 points by the time it’s kicked back out, keep the ball away from there. Sometimes the kicker misses or kicks too weakly to pop the ball back into play. It also might kick the ball out just hard enough to go around the top arc and then immediately center drain.
The center target has five positions, all of which score 100 points. Three positions also advance the hole value, one opens the left gate and one opens the right gate. It starts each ball at the left on an advance; it cycles one step to the right each time you hit a “change” switch, i.e. either of the top two bumpers or the two mid-side slingshots (all labelled “change”). I avoid it unless I have the post up and either also have the right gate open or else have the ball cradled and my shot is at it while it’s lit to open that right gate.
Flipper techniques: when you get the ball between the upraised post and a flipper tip, microflipping to transfer it to the other flipper is more difficult than on other games with this opportunity. As you try to creep up your microflip to “just enough to transfer the ball,” the flippers on Gay 90’s tend to go nothing-nothing-nothing-too much. This can lead to a flip straight out the right drain from the left flipper or an uncontrolled shot off the left wall from the right flipper. Be careful\!
Playfield Risk
The center target has rebound risk and is especially bad if you mis-time your shot and hit the rubber behind it. Shots to the top often come back to the bottom and hit the slings; most left side drains are from slingshots. Side drains from up top are at highest risk when the ball is rolling down the right side of the back of the moving target section. The kickback is sometimes too weak to get the ball out of the left outlane.
External Links
Machine Information
- Name
- Gay 90's
- Manufacturer
- Williams
- Year
- 1970
- Type
- em
- Display
- reels
- Players
- 4