Secrets of the Deep

> "Dive! Dive!"
>
> - Bruce

***Secrets of the Deep*** is a pinball table that released with the launch of *Pinball FX2* as part of the Core Collection, and was re-released in all subsequent *Pinball FX* games. The table follows a crew of deep sea researchers, evading danger as they encounter shipwrecks full of priceless treasure on their quest to find the lost city of Atlantis.

## Table overview

### Upper half of the table & upper playfield

At the top left of the table is a toy model of Bruce the shark, with a mouth that opens and closes to both let the ball enter the shark and animate in sync with his audio callouts. Various toy mines that explode during the **Mine Chaos** multiball mode are scattered throughout the top half of the table. To the top right of the table is an underwater docking station with a bridge that travels around the back right corner of the table and along the right table wall, where a toy submarine near the plunger can move to link up with the station. This station releases balls to the upper right flipper at the start of **Abyss Multiball**.

*Secrets of the Deep* has a substantial upper playfield, featuring two upper flippers. The upper playfield can be accessed off of the initial plunge, by shooting either orbit on the lower playfield, off of the periscope kicker, or by shooting the center spinner. The left side of the upper playfield is occupied by a 3-bank of drop targets with inserts labelled SHARK ATTACK, gated by two mini-loops that wrap behind the drop targets. To the right of the upper playfield, a model of a diver's helmet marked with inserts spelling DIVE can be seen above two standup targets, which can lower and open to admit the ball; and a scoop that can only be accessed with a late flip from the upper left flipper is located behind the helmet, marked with inserts for the four **side modes**.

Directly between the two areas of the upper playfield is a three-layered target bank marked with inserts spelling SHIP and WRECK. The first layer is a drop target 4-bank, the second layer is a 5-bank of standup targets, and the third layer is a 4-bank of lifting targets with holes behind them that the player must avoid shooting. To help in shooting the targets, a hanging captive ball is located in front of the target bank; shooting the captive ball is required to complete the first layer once it has been fully raised.

### Lower half of the table

Directly above the dual left inlanes on the left side of the playfield is a sinkhole with a model probe launcher above it, which magnetizes the ball if the vari-target has been shot and roves around the playfield; using the flippers, the player can control where the ball exits. This sinkhole is in front of the left orbit, which can send balls to the shark mouth at certain times; to the right of the left orbit is the left ramp, which sends the ball behind the toy mines of the upper playfield and towards either the upper right flipper or the funnel. Directly to the right of the left ramp is the center ramp, which passes through a toy figure of a kraken and is marked with an escape hatch halfway through; pressing the launch button when "ESCAPE" is flashing will send the ball past the center ramp exit and into the funnel.

A vari-target marked with the letters in CRANE is located to the right of the center ramp and left of the center spinner. Depending on the amount of strength the player shoots the vari-target with, the more letters light up and the more time they have to shoot the left sinkhole and load the probe. To the right of the center spinner is a vertical up-kicker designed to resemble a periscope. Once the ball enters the kicker, the periscope rotates 90 degrees, and the player can choose when they want to launch the ball by pressing the launch button. This kicker is to the right of the table's right ramp, with a habitrail feeding balls into the toy submarine or the funnel. To the right of this ramp is the right orbit, and to the left of the plunger lane is a drop target 3-bank marked with pictures of sea animals. The lower right drop targets are controlled by the game during single-ball play, but aren't if a multiball is active.

The table has 4 "proper" return lanes, with 2 on the left and 2 on the right spelling TIDE; but the rightmost left inlane features a hidden kicker that can send the ball up the left ramp, and is qualified by completing TIDE. Above the right set of return lanes is a funnel that progresses the toy submarine model with every switch hit. Between the sets of return lanes are the standard sets of two slingshots and two lower flippers. Five lamps near the left flipper indicate the current bonus multiplier. Each outlane contains a Magna Saver, and the left outlane also has a diverter gate that can drop the ball into the left plunger lane. The aprons have a metallic yellow texture to reflect the outer chassis of submarines, with each apron containing a circular window that allows submarine occupants to see directly outside. Scattered across the playfield are several circular inserts hiding magnets that can hold or interfere with the direction of the ball.

### The plungers

The standard plunger on the right side of the playfield brings the ball up a straight shaft that feeds the upper playfield. A pressure gauge is located near the spring-loaded plunger that can be used to determine how much force is being applied to it to shoot the ball into play.

Skill shots worth 500,000 points can be scored by plunging with enough strength to hit the lit drop target on the left 3-bank.

The left plunger can be accessed by completing the lower right drop targets during normal play, then letting a ball drain down the left outlane. This is a spring-loaded plunger that launches the ball diagonally across the table, ideally hitting one of the three lower right drop targets. Plunging the ball such that it hits the flashing drop target scores a skill shot worth 2 million points and increases the **bonus multiplier** by +2x.

## Objective

Complete four multiball modes successfully (by scoring enough jackpots) to collect letters in the word "DEEP" and qualify the **wizard mode**.

All four multiball modes share the same rules for jackpots: each ramp shot scores a jackpot starting at 500,000 points, with the last ramp shot scoring a super jackpot worth 2x; completing sets of targets in the center target bank or elsewhere on the playfield will also score jackpots, with a mega jackpot worth 4x available if the player completes all four of the raising targets on the third layer of the center target bank without shooting a hole. Hitting the upper standup targets twice will lower the diver's helmet, and shooting the ball into it will increase the jackpot values by 100,000 points.

At the end of multiball, a bonus is awarded dependent on how many of the required shots the player made; 5 million for fulfilling the requirement, 10 million for completing double the required shots, and 20 million for completing 4x the required shots. Multiball modes take priority over and cancel any active **side modes** and are unable to stack with each other, meaning only one can be started at a time. The outlane Magna-Savers are disabled during multiball, and no other features can be progressed outside of the **tide kicker** and **shipwrecks** while multiball is running.

* *D* - **Abyss Multiball**: Shooting the left or right ramp will lock a ball in the toy submarine, which must be sent to the docking station by completing 20 spins in the funnel through any ramp shots that feed it. Locking three balls this way will start Abyss Multiball, releasing the locked balls out of the docking station and plunging a fourth ball into play. The goal of the multiball is to descend at least 50 meters - a ship can be seen on the display, next to several markers representing the meters it has descended; as the player shoots jackpots, it descends faster, stopping if the player hasn't collected any jackpots for a while or is holding up either flipper. Balls can be added by locking a ball in the submarine, then sending it to the docking station.
* *E -* **Shark Attack**: Completing the upper left drop target bank during normal play adds a set of letters to SHARK ATTACK. Once the two words are spelled, a 3-ball multiball will begin and the shark's mouth will lower in front of the left orbit. The player must feed the shark five times to win the multiball. Each shot to the left orbit feeds the shark and scores a jackpot starting at 500,000 points and increasing by 100,000 points per shot, to no known limit. Feeding the shark also activates a short ball saver.
* *E -* **Probe Frenzy**: Collect 3 samples by using the probe launcher to start this multiball. Power up the probe launcher with a shot to the vari-target - the stronger the shot, the more time the player has to shoot the sinkhole. If the player shoots the sinkhole in time, the launcher will capture the ball; the player must hold down and release the left flipper button at the right time to shift the arm as it swings so that the ball exits directly above a lit magnet on the table. Once 3 samples have been collected, the robot arm will obtain another ball that the player must quickly knock off before the robot arm swings back into its resting state to start a 2-ball multiball. To add more balls, the player must re-activate the launcher by hitting the vari-target and quickly shooting one ball into the sinkhole to bring out another ball. This can be done two more times for a large, 4-ball multiball, required to complete the multiball successfully. If the player fails to knock a ball off from the launcher before it returns to its resting position, the multiball will fail and the samples must be recollected.
* *P -* **Mine Chaos**: If a ball has already been loaded in the toy submarine (see **Abyss Multiball**), shooting the left ramp five times will start a quick 2-ball multiball. Each ramp shot detonates a mine, violently shaking the table and activating a ball saver for a short time; shooting the flashing shots within 10 seconds of each other scores 1 million points in place of the jackpot value. Making at least 5 jackpot shots ends the multiball in success.

Once DEEP has been spelled, the **Underwater Vortex** wizard mode will be available to start at the right sinkhole. In this untimed final mission, all the magnets across the playfield fluctuate as the player must uncover the lost city of Atlantis at the center target bank. To complete the mission, the player must shoot the four drop targets first to increase the speed of the captive ball; then complete the second layer of standup targets twice to fully raise the ship. To win the wizard mode, the player must hit all 4 raising targets without shooting any of the sinkholes behind them and drifting out of the vortex early - ending the wizard mode in failure.

If all 4 raising targets are hit before either the player shoots a sinkhole or drains the ball, the player will discover Atlantis and a 2-minute long **victory mode** will start, in which lit lanes and targets award massive jackpots that can only be collected once per shot. Each completed flashing lane scores 5 million points, each set of lanes scores 50 million points, each individual target completed scores 1 million points, and each target bank completed scores 10 million points. Once the 2-minute time limit expires or the ball drains, the wizard mode ends and the table progress is reset.

## Side modes

There are four side modes that can be started by shooting the center spinner followed by the right sinkhole. The spinner toggles the lit side mode from top to bottom.

* **Collecting Samples**: Get the ball over a lit magnet within 20 seconds, either by nudging the ball over the magnet or by using the probe launcher by shooting the vari-target followed by the left sinkhole; doing so will swing the probe launcher around, and the player must hold either flipper button in time to shift the launcher so that it reaches the magnetized ball and picks it up for 400,000 points and a sample. The mode will then repeat until time runs out, the ball drains, or the player fails to guide the probe launcher to a magnetized ball. Collecting 5 samples during this side mode lights an **extra ball**.
* **Turtles on the Shore**: Within 20 seconds, the player must shoot one of three randomly lit shots - either orbit or the center spinner - to score 300,000 points and save a turtle. The mode ends once either the ball drains or time runs out. Saving 10 turtles during this side mode lights an **extra ball**.
* **Hungry Moray Eels**: Video mode. The player must use the flipper buttons to move the ship across the screen while dodging the moray eels that pop out from the top and bottom of the screen to try and eat it. Pressing the right flipper moves the ship to the right, while pressing the left flipper moves the ship to the left; the player must get the ship across the entire screen to win. There are 3 levels of difficulty, which reset when the ball drains; each level adds one more screen to clear and increases the 500,000 completion value up to 1 million and 2 million, respectively. Beating level 3 lights an **extra ball**.
* **Narrow Trench**: Video mode. The player must guide the submarine through a trench, while watching out for stalagmites and stalactites. The left flipper moves the submarine upwards, and the right flipper lowers the submarine. Crashing into one ends the mode and results in a **Hull Breach** that must be repaired. There are 3 levels of difficulty, which reset when the ball drains; each level increases the speed of the submarine and increases the 500,000 completion value up to 1 million and 2 million, respectively. Beating level 3 lights an **extra ball**.

The remaining side modes are features that can be activated during normal play, but take priority over all other modes while active.

* **Hull Breach**: If the player fails to complete **Roar of the Kraken**, win the **Narrow Trenches** video mode, or makes a weak shot to the right ramp, the submarine will be damaged and the player must seal off the damaged hull(s) within 20 seconds each by sending the ball to a lit magnet on the lower playfield for 200,000 points, with the final hull collecting the total value scored during the mode. This process requires two sealed hulls for the latter two methods, and five sealed hulls for the former method. If the player does not hit a lit magnet in time, the damaged portion will be sealed off with no reward, and the mode will end.
* **Roar of the Kraken**: 10 shots to the center ramp without activating the **escape magnet** will summon a kraken that attacks the submarine. In under 60 seconds, defend the submarine against the kraken by shooting all three ramps, the two orbits, and both ends of the mini-loop for 100,000 points before the hull's integrity fully depletes, resulting in a **Hull Breach**. Winning the mode scores 5 million points. (*After the winding Kraken ramp is hit 5 times, the diverter magnet at the end of the ramp will turn on and can be used to divert the ball to the funnel at the end of the reef ramp if the launch button is pressed near the end of the Kraken ramp to prevent the ball from fully going through the ramp and counting as progress towards starting this side mode. This mechanic is known as Escape - as it allows the crew to escape and avoid the kraken.*)
* **Deep Sea Diving**: Spelling DIVE with four completions of the upper standup targets will lower the diver's helmet. Shooting the ball in the helmet will begin this 30-second timed mode, where each shot to the upper standup targets walks 1 meter, and spinner hits replenish oxygen for extra mode time. Walking 5 meters during a single attempt at this mode lights an **extra ball**.

## Perks

* **Ball Saver**: A 30-second ball saver will be granted at the start of each ball and multiball. It can be reactivated by locking a ball for **Abyss Multiball**, feeding the shark during **Shark Attack**, collecting a master neutralizer combo in **Mine Chaos**, or by hitting any of the lower right drop targets. During multiball modes, the ball saver will only save one ball before deactivating.
* **Magna-Saves**: Shooting either entrance to the mini-loop three times will charge up the automatic magna-saves guarding the outlanes. Shooting the mini-loop clockwise charges up the left magna-save and shooting the mini-loop counter-clockwise charges up the right magna-save; up to three magna-saves of each type can be charged, carrying between balls. Magna-Saves can also be lit instantly by pressing the launch button from the periscope kicker, such that the ball rolls over the flashing mini-loop entrance.
* **Bonus Multiplier**: Completing all 3 lower right drop targets during normal play, which alternate automatically every 10 seconds, will light the left outlane to divert the ball to the left plunger. Plunging the ball from the left plunger to hit the flashing lower right drop target scores 2 million points and increases the bonus multiplier by 2x, to a maximum of 10x.
* **Shipwrecks**: To explore a shipwreck, the player must complete all three layers of the center target bank in order: the 4-bank of drop targets, the five WRECK standup targets and the drop targets again, and lastly, the four raising targets; shooting one of the sinkholes behind the raising targets ends the exploration prematurely. Completing the exploration scores 1 million points and lights an **extra ball**.
* **Ride with the Tide**: Spelling TIDE at the return lanes, which alternate with the flippers, qualifies the tide kicker at the rightmost left inlane. Balls that land in this kicker score 1 million points and are sent up the left ramp at full strength.
* **Escape Bonus**: After five shots to the center ramp have been made, the escape magnet will be qualified, and can be activated by pressing the launch button just before the ball passes by it. Using the escape magnet prevents the **Roar of the Kraken** side mode from starting, sends the ball to the funnel (advancing the submarine in the process), and scores a bonus of 250,000 points per funnel spin.
* **Extra Balls**: Extra balls can be lit at the right sinkhole by collecting 5 samples during **Collecting Samples**, saving 10 turtles during **Turtles on the Shore**, beating level 3 of either video mode (**Narrow Trench** or **Hungry Moray Eels**), walking 5 meters during **Deep Sea Diving**, or fully exploring a **shipwreck** while no multiball is active. All extra balls can be claimed by shooting the side mode sinkhole at the right side of the upper playfield.

## Tips

* **Shark Attack** greatly overpowers all other scoring, due to the jackpot value at the shark's mouth having no cap (unlike many other jackpots in the game) and the generous ball saver given after each shot. The multiball is also easy to start, simply requiring two completions of the upper left drop target bank. In comparison, the **wizard mode** requires far more effort to reach, and the effort often isn't rewarded as the vortex can make it very easy to end the wizard mode early.
* Prioritize the **magna-saves** if they aren't already lit, ideally by shooting the periscope kicker and then using the launch button to make the flashing mini-loop entrance shot. Magna-saves deactivate during multiball, but death saves are relatively easy to accomplish on this table both in single-ball and multiball play.
* If a **Hull Breach** occurs, hold the ball on a flipper and wait for it to time out. The risk of sending the ball onto a low-powered magnet outweighs the reward of 200,000 points for each successful shot.

## External links

* Official table trailer (0:27 - 0:40)
* Table walkthrough by ShoryukenToTheChin (PDF)
* Official table soundtrack on Bandcamp (tracks 1 - 4)