4 Square

Your goal for this game is to complete sets of 1-2-3-4 numbered lanes and targets as many times as possible. There are five of each number on the playfield: one top lane, one side lane, one bottom return lane or out lane, one yellow target and one green target. Any of the five counts towards finishing a set of 1-2-3-4. Finishing a set scores 500 points and increases the value of one set of numbered lanes or targets from 50 to 200. The first set increases the top lanes; set \#2 increases the yellow targets; set \#3 increases the green targets. Completing a fourth set actually hurts your scoring opportunities, since the green targets now change to “special,” which is a free game in location play but worth nothing in tournament play. I wouldn’t worry about it much, though, since to collect points, you need to keep scoring numbers. Just try to postpone finishing that fourth set and shoot all but one of the four numbers as much as you can.

The key feeds on this game are when the ball comes out of the side 1, 2, 3 or 4 lanes. It will hit the rubber post below the lane and bounce off the top of the triangle [2 and 3 lanes] or slingshot [1 and 4 lanes] below. You’ll need to learn how to “read” the drop to know when and how to nudge to keep the ball in play.

Shatzing the ball up the bottom 2 or 3 lanes from the flippers is possible, but you’ll need to be careful you don’t get an “up the return lane, down the out lane” drain when you do it. Balls coming down the return lanes usually are going fast enough to hold up the flipper and transfer them to the opposite side for a cradle and more controlled shot.