Star Wars: Han Solo

> "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side."
>
> - Han Solo

## Star Wars: Han Solo

### Based on

Han Solo
created by George Lucas

### Achievement

"Notorious smuggler" - Lock 3 balls in the correct compartment in a row.

### Number of flippers

7 (5 on main playfield and 2 mini-flippers in the cargo mini-playfield)

### Number of multiball modes

6 (all mandatory)

***Star Wars: Han Solo*** is a pinball table themed off of Han Solo, originally released for the *Star Wars Pinball: Heroes Within* pack for *Pinball FX2*. The table gives the player an opportunity to relive significant moments in Han Solo's journey from the original trilogy, from his days as a smuggler to becoming an unlikely ally of the Rebel Alliance in their struggle to overthrow the Galactic Empire and restore the Republic.

## Objective

Han Solo's journey to become a general of the Rebel Alliance takes place through nine missions, listed from the top to bottom of the playfield in this document. To qualify **General Solo**, each mission must be completed successfully, and successfully completed missions may be repeated to increase the Wizard Jackpot value for the mode. Four of the missions are single-ball modes, while the other five missions are multiball modes that typically require collecting a super jackpot to complete.

Completion credit for missions can also be obtained by scoring a **secret skill shot**, described in the **perks** subsection, though this will count as 0 points added towards the Wizard Jackpot.

* **Han Shot First**: Every shot to the spinner at the right orbit entrance will rotate the carousel of 4 targets (8 on subsequent attempts) in the cantina bar; if the spinner was hit from the back, it will rotate to the left, and if it was hit from the right, it will rotate to the right. If a cardboard target reaches the front-center part of the carousel after many spins, the player can shoot the mini-orbit to make Han's figure stand up from his seat and shoot the target. After all of the bar patron targets are knocked down, an **extra ball** will light, and the player must repeat the same process with the Greedo target to start a showdown with Greedo. During this mode, the player must shoot a random sequence of 4 lanes from both ramps and orbits to get Han in position, then make a final shot to the mini-orbit to defeat Greedo and win the mission. Each shot in the mode is worth big points starting from a hurry-up value of 10 million; subsequent shots add 10 million more to the value, and the final hurry-up will start at the sum of the preceding values.
* **Probe Hurry-Up**: 6 shots to the crossramp, with the first 5 shots spelling PROBE, will begin a mission where Han engages in battle with a probe droid. One of the ramps or orbits will light to score a hurry-up value starting from 5 million points. After the flashing lane is hit, the player must shoot the mini-orbit quickly within 15 seconds to shoot down the probe droid, win the mission, and score the hurry-up value with a multiplier; the multiplier starts at 2x and increases by +1x every time this mission is completed on the current ball.
* **Asteroid Field**: A shot to the left saucer will briefly raise the hidden bumper and light the three bumpers to advance towards lighting the Asteroid Field video mode. After 20 bumper hits have been collected this way, the video mode can be started by shooting the left saucer once more. The player uses the flipper buttons to steer the *Millennium Falcon* through the asteroid field, and must avoid both the incoming asteroids and laser fire from the pursuing TIE fighters. Dodging enough asteroids will damage the pursuing TIE fighter for 1 million points, and the *Falcon* can only sustain 3 hits (+1 per attempt) before the mission fails. The player must continue to steer the *Falcon* safely until the TIE fighters are destroyed to win the mission for 1 million x the number of TIE fighters defeated. Every time this mission is won, one more TIE fighter than the last successful attempt will have to be defeated.
* **Free the Princess**: Lock balls at the Death Star by first completing the STAR target bank, then shooting the Death Star's laser magnet. Once 3 balls have been locked, a 3-ball multiball mode will start where a 1 million point jackpot can be scored by locking one ball at the central sinkhole, which can be multiplied for every subsequent sinkhole shot within 15 seconds; after that, the player will have a limited amount of time to score super jackpots worth 2x the base jackpot value by shooting the ball into the sinkhole under the hidden bumper as it rises for 15 seconds, with each subsequent sinkhole shot adding an additional multiplier to the value that maxes out at the number of balls in play. Completing STAR during the multiball increases the jackpot value by 500,000 points. After the player drains down to a single ball, the **Battle of Yavin** hurry-up will start, described later in this section.
* **TIE Fighter Attack**: This 2-ball multiball is one of the easier objectives to start, and requires a successful **skill shot** that locks the ball in the space slug to qualify. To start the multiball, the player must hit the right saucer with enough strength during single-ball play to release the captured ball. The player must seat Han and Luke at the quad cannons by shooting either the center ramp or center sinkhole for jackpots worth 1 million each; they must then make the shot they didn't shoot earlier within 10 seconds to score another jackpot. Once both balls are locked, the player must use the quad cannons outside the left apron to shoot down the TIE fighters for a super jackpot worth 2 million, increasing by 1 million for each super jackpot collected. To do so successfully, the player must use the flipper buttons to pivot the quad cannon left or right and hold the launch button to fire at the locked ball being released from the back right saucer as it travels down the right exit habitrail.
* **Battle of Yavin**: After **Free the Princess** ends, the player must use the single ball that remains to complete this fast-paced hurry-up mode. Each shot to the Death Star target bank scores a hurry-up value starting at 10 million points; if a hurry-up times out, it will simply reset from the base value if this isn’t the last shot in the sequence. Each target hit will light one letter in the word STAR, and at least one letter must be lit by the time the score pool shrinks to 250,000 for a chance to complete the mission successfully by locking the final ball into the Death Star laser magnet for a jackpot worth the total points from the collected hurry-ups multiplied by the number of lit STAR letters.
* **Fastest Hunk of Junk**: Making 3 shots through the side docking ports of the *Falcon* will send the ball to its mini-playfield for a chance to light a lock for the Fastest Hunk of Junk multiball. The player must hit all 4 targets at the mini-playfield's back wall; doing so successfully will award a 10 million point bonus and grant the player unlimited time to shoot the left ramp to lock a ball, while failing to do so will light the lock on a time limit of 5 seconds x the number of targets hit. If the lock is already lit and the targets are completed, the jackpot value for the multiball will increase by 1 million. Once all 3 balls have been locked at the left apron, Chewbacca will toss the locked balls into play for 3-ball multiball, and the jackpot lanes will light to score 1 million points each. Making "speedy shots" by quickly shooting any flashing lane will score 2 million points and increase the hyperdrive speed; once it reaches below 12 parsecs with a minimum of 4 speedy shots, the side dock will light to score a super jackpot worth 10x the jackpot value.
* **Kessel Run**: Every 8 shots to the left ramp activates the magnetic crane above the *Millennium Falcon* toy. To move the crane, the player must use the flippers to move it to the right, and use the launch button to move it downwards. There are 16 ball lock positions, but only one will be lit, shown on the display as a flashing circle; if the player locks the ball in the right spot, the jackpot value for the multiball will increase by 1 million points, but otherwise, the jackpot value will reset to its base value, though the ball will still be locked. Once 3 balls have been locked this way, 3-ball multiball will begin with the balls dropping out the *Falcon*'s front hatch. The player can earn jackpots by hitting the center ramp and side dock; once both jackpots are collected, a super jackpot worth 2x the base jackpot value will light for 30 seconds at the back left saucer, via a strong shot up the diverted left ramp. After that, the player has another 30 seconds to shoot the center ramp to claim a 2x super jackpot. This will result in success of the mission, but if 3 balls are still in play at this point, the player can shoot the leftmost saucer to claim a 3x super jackpot; and if four balls are in play (due to releasing the locked space slug ball during this multiball), the right saucer must be hit for a 4x super jackpot. The cycle of jackpots and super jackpots then repeats.
* **He Certainly Has Courage**: Once the right ramp has been shot 8 times, a stormtrooper ball will be locked behind the back left saucer. Locking 3 balls this way will release the stormtrooper balls into play, along with the normal pinball, for a quick 4-ball multiball event. The stormtrooper balls are made of plastic, and are immune to the table's magnets; so, to dispose of the stormtroopers, the player must shoot the magnet above the hidden bumper with the normal pinball, then shoot the 3 stormtrooper balls into the sinkhole below it to win the mission. The jackpot value starts at 3 million increasing by 1 million each time this mission is completed, and the two locks following the first jackpot score 2x and 4x the jackpot value, respectively.
* **Escaping from Jabba**: This 3-ball multiball starts once 3 balls have been frozen in carbonite, which can be done by spelling FROZEN with 6 shots to the left standup target, then shooting the left ramp to lock the ball into a fold-out carbonite slab. After the 3 balls have been locked, the carbonite slab will fold out and melt to release the locked balls, and the player must help Han escape Jabba while recovering from hibernation sickness - reflected by the darkness in the table, only pierced by the front lights of the *Falcon*. To score jackpots worth 1 million points, the player must lock a ball into any saucer; and once at least 1 ball has been locked, the player can shoot the center sinkhole within 15 seconds to score a super jackpot worth 2x, or increase the jackpot value by 1 million by locking balls in all the flashing sinkholes. The player must collect 4 super jackpots to complete the mission, with single-ball play resuming immediately after the fourth super jackpot is scored.

### General Solo

Once all nine missions have been completed, one last shot to the center sinkhole will start **General Solo**, a 4-ball victory multiball. The wizard mode begins by tallying the highest mission totals the player achieved before starting the wizard mode, adding them all into the value for collecting the elusive Wizard Jackpot at the crossramp, worth the sum of all the mission totals x the number of balls in play. After scoring the Wizard Jackpot, the player can relight it by collecting regular jackpots worth 1 million x the number of balls in play at all the table's major shots. The space slug behaves as normal during this multiball, and releasing the locked ball will add an additional multiplier to the Wizard Jackpot, making it even more lucrative. The cycle of collecting jackpots to relight the Wizard Jackpot continues until the player drains down to a single ball, at which point all mission progress is reset.

## Perks

* **Skill Shot & Space Slug**: The goal of the skill shot is to determine the correct amount of plunger strength that will take the ball up the shaft and send it into the space slug cave. The player can perform two consecutive skill shots, with the second skill shot worth 2x, before the space slug toy spits out a ball onto the right saucer in front of it. A successful skill shot will lock a ball inside the space slug, which can be released with a strong right saucer shot to start the **TIE Fighter Attack** multiball mission during single-ball play, or added into any ongoing multiball mission.
	+ On the first skill shot of every new ball *(ie. first skill shot on ball 1, but not on skill shots following locked balls or extra balls until ball 2)*, a **secret skill shot** can be scored by plunging the ball at slightly higher strength such that it heads to the upper left flipper. Quickly shooting the crossramp from this feed allows the player to scroll through a list of awards on the display using the flippers, alternating between very small points and completion credit for any of the nine **missions**.
* **Ball Saver**: A 30-second ball saver is activated at the start of each ball and multiball mission.
* **Magna-Save**: Spelling SAVE on the 4 Magna-Save targets (two at the corners of the left ramp, a third target between the shoot mini-orbit and hyperspace ramp and one more between the right ramp and right orbit) will activate one charge of the table's magna-save, which uses a powerful magnet to save the ball from draining in the outlanes, magnetizing it to a nearby inlane. Up to 3 magna-save charges can be stacked, persisting across balls, and each one can be used by pressing the launch button.
* **Faulty Flipper**: A strong shot to the right saucer when no ball is locked there will play the sound effect of a Mynoc wail. When this happens, the game will attempt to flip the ball into the left saucer to make progress towards lighting Asteroid Field.
* **Tauntaun Ride**: After 20 unlit bumper hits during normal play (+5 per mode completion), Han will command Chewie to raise the hidden bumper for a short time. Every bumper hit for the next 10 seconds scores 25,000 points, and the timer resets back to 10 seconds with each hit. Collecting 40 bumper hits in a single attempt will complete the side mode, hold the **bonus multiplier** (or light an **extra ball** if the bonus multiplier has already been held), and get Chewie to stomp on the hidden bumper and lower it. If the timer expires, the side mode will end prematurely and Han will shoot the bumper to lower it instead.
* **Bonus Multiplier & Combos**: The bonus multiplier can be increased either by spelling SOLO on the return lane rollovers, which alternate with the flippers, or by setting a new record for the longest combo. Performing the former advances the multiplier by +1x and performing the latter advances the multiplier to the length of the longest combo performed. The bonus multiplier can be held by completing **Tauntaun Ride**.
* **Extra Balls**: Extra balls can be lit at the center sinkhole by knocking down all four Cantina targets, beating the **Battle of Yavin** hurry-up mission, locking 5 balls for **Kessel Run** in the correct compartment, winning the **Asteroid Field** mission twice, or by completing **Tauntaun Ride** twice on the same ball.

## Tips

* This is a very difficult table for several reasons, testing your stamina with nine missions that might seem easy to start, but are quite difficult to complete. Your first priority, after making the skill shot, should always be completing the SAVE targets to qualify the magna-save, which can prove very useful as death saves are tough to accomplish on this table.
* The area surrounding the upper left flipper can prove problematic for new players and has various tight shots. The mini-orbit, despite having a wide point of entry, is surprisingly difficult and has to be mastered in order to complete **Han Shot First** and **Probe Hurry-Up**; when in doubt, get control of the ball on the right flipper, and use the table's guiding lines to make the shot. The center ramp is positioned at an awkward angle, but can be most reliably made by shooting it using the left flipper. Lastly, the STAR target bank is essential to completing **Battle of Yavin** - the best way to shoot these targets is by first shooting the center sinkhole and then making a reflex shot, or by nudging the ball above the upper left flipper after shooting either orbit.
* On average, the highest-scoring multiball missions, and thus, the ones that contribute the bulk of points when it comes to the Wizard Jackpot value, are **Free the Princess**, **Kessel Run**, and **Fastest Hunk of Junk**. All three of these multiballs have jackpots that can be slightly difficult to increase, but score far more than any other modes in the game - and the game encourages you to increase the jackpots for Kessel Run with an **extra ball**, so it's worth doing just for that.
* Generally, combos, bonus multipliers, and especially **Tauntaun Ride** aren’t worth the effort of going for; shooting the orbits for combos will make **Han Shot First** much more difficult to start, while Tauntaun Ride has the risk of sending the ball in dangerous directions. If you activate the mode, simply hold the ball on a flipper and time it out. There are far more reliable extra balls to come across.

## References & Easter Eggs

* The table layout slightly resembles that of Williams' 1995 *Johnny Mnemonic*. Both tables have an emphasis on quick, flowing shots that return the ball to the player at a fast pace and require them to be on guard at all times. The magnetic crane above the *Millennium Falcon* is also comparable to the Matrix Grid in *Johnny Mnemonic*.
* Other elements of the table take inspiration from *Cirqus Voltaire*, a Bally table that took inspiration from older electro-mechanical pinball machines. Along with the hidden bumper that raises out of the playfield, *Cirqus Voltaire* also features the unique inlane / outlane layout seen on this game.
* Using the magna-save as a death save nets you a compliment from Han.
* If the carbonite slab fails to magnetize the ball, the display will read "Oops" and a new ball will be plunged.

## External links

* Official table trailer
* Table walkthrough by ShoryukenToTheChin
* Official table soundtrack (tracks 12 - 23)