The Machine: Bride of Pin·Bot

> "My God! She's alive!"
>
> - Shuttle engineer

***The Machine: Bride of Pin·Bot*** is a 1991 alphanumeric pinball machine released by Williams, digitally recreated by Zen Studios for the *Pinball FX* reboot. In this sequel to the popular 1986 pinball machine, *Pin·Bot*, the player is tasked with bringing a long-thought dormant machine to life through a stunning metamorphosis. The game notably features the first ever billion-point shot in pinball as one of several awards for activating the Big Wheel.

## The Bride's Metamorphosis

In order to bring the Bride to life, the player must shoot the shuttle ramp. If the shuttle insert in front of the ramp is flashing, the ball will be diverted to the upper playfield and score the current **Pin·Bot Value**; otherwise, it will send the ball to the lock under the Bride's face for 250,000 points. The shuttle ramp alternates destinations between the upper playfield and the Bride ball lock with each shot made to it. If the shuttle ramp hasn't been shot and the player is on their third ball, it will instead automatically send the ball to the Bride lock.

For the second stage, the player must lock a ball in both of the Bride's eyes to enable her vision, with the first ball locked scoring 250,000 and the second ball scoring 1 million points. Locking both balls starts 2-ball multiball, with doubled playfield scoring for as long as the multiball is active and the left eject lit to score Power Charge for a set 100,000 points + 100,000 per shot to a maximum of 1 million. Shooting the shuttle ramp during multiball will lock a ball for 500,000 points; during this time, the player can lock the second ball at the ramp for 1.5 million points and complete the Bride's metamorphosis.

Multiball then continues, with the goal now being to lock both balls at the ramp to enable the **Big Wheel** for one of six awards. Locking the first ball at this time scores 500,000 points, while the second ball lock scores 2 million and spins the Big Wheel. The following random awards can be scored from the Big Wheel, listed clockwise:

* **Light 1 Billion**: Lights the center ramp to score a one-time only billion point shot for 12 seconds.
* **10 Million**
* **50 Million**
* **Special**
* **5 Million**
* **1 Million**

Once multiball ends, regardless of whether or not the player was able to activate the Big Wheel or complete the metamorphosis, the shuttle ramp must be shot to start progress towards the next multiball. If the player failed to start the metamorphosis, the Bride's eyes will activate; otherwise, the Bride will revert to its initial position.

## Other Scoring

* **Skill Shot**: At the start of every ball, or if a ball enters the plunger via the alternate center ramp exit, plunging the ball will score the skill shot award displayed on the hole the ball falls into. Every time a skill shot is scored during a game, their multiplier increases by +1x.
* **Bonus Multiplier**: Complete all three 5K standup targets to increase the bonus multiplier by +1x. The bonus multiplier also increases if the ball rolls over the lower right loop switch, which can only be hit via a lucky slingshot bounce.
* **Small Wheel**: Shooting the left eject during single-ball play activates the small wheel for one of six "random" awards largely determined by the player's current score, listed clockwise:
	+ Light **Jackpot**
	+ 250,000
	+ **Extra Ball**
	+ Light **Extra Ball**
	+ 50,000
	+ 100,000
* **Jackpot**: The jackpot starts at 1 million points and increases by a small amount with each bumper hit. Light the jackpot by scoring the "Light Jackpot" **Small Wheel** award or collecting the fourth **right loop** award (once per ball), then shoot the left eject within 20 seconds to score the jackpot.
* **Pin·Bot Value**: Every shot to the shuttle ramp that doesn't enter one of the Bride locks during single-ball play sends the ball to the upper playfield to score the Pin·Bot value. The first and fourth Pin-Bot values score 100,000 points, the second and fifth score 200,000, the third and sixth score 300,000, and the seventh scores 600,000, lights an **extra ball**, and restarts the sequence.
* **Left Loop**: Shots to the left loop advance the lit value for 10 seconds from 25,000 - 50,000 - 100,000 - 500,000 + light **extra ball** the first time 500,000 has been collected during a ball.
* **Unlimited Millions**: Shots to the center ramp advance the lit value for 10 seconds from 100,000 - 500,000 - 1 million.
* **Bumper Values**: Collect 20 bumper hits to score and advance the indicated value from 25,000 - 50,000 - 100,000 - 500,000.
* **Right Loop**: Shots to the right loop advance the lit value for 10 seconds from 25,000 - 50,000 - 100,000 - 500,000 + light **jackpot** the first time 500,000 has been collected during a ball.
* **Loop Combos**: Shooting either loop or the center ramp in quick succession scores and advances the loop combo value - 500,000 for the first 4-loop combo, and 1 million for 5 to 9-loop combos and all subsequent combos. Reaching a 10-loop combo scores a **backdoor billion**. Each loop combo can only be collected once per ball and only after the previous combo value has been scored; for instance, the 5-loop combo can only be scored after collecting a 4-loop combo.
* **Backdoor Billion**: Outside of the random Big Wheel award for completing the Bride's **metamorphosis**, the player can also score a billion points by completing a **10-loop combo** or lighting all four return lanes for **extra ball** at the same time.
* **Extra Balls**: Extra balls can be lit at the return lanes and cycled with the flippers from random **Small Wheel** awards, maxing out the **Pin-Bot** value, or maxing out the **left loop** value (once per ball). Lighting all four extra ball inserts at once scores a **backdoor billion**. There is no limit on the number of extra balls per game.
* **End-of-ball bonus**: Bonus is calculated from switch hits x the **bonus multiplier**.

## Tips

* When in doubt, shoot the shuttle ramp. Along with leading to a potential extra ball, the shuttle ramp is essential to the most practical billion point shot in the game, which scores far more points than anything else. If you have trouble passing the ball to the right flipper during multiball, try shooting the center ramp off the Bride lock return to set up a shuttle ramp shot.
* Take advantage of the 2x playfield scoring during multiball by locking a ball and focusing on other objectives. This is a good time to go for unlimited millions at the center ramp or shoot for the loops for a chance at the left loop extra ball.

**Possible bug** - When hitting the Heart ramp on Pinball Arcade by Farsight the ball hit something and dropped into launch instead of onto flipper. I've had this once on Pinball FX version. Now to Twilight Zone!!!

**Easter Egg** - Listed when showing details about table - Old Mac Donald. Worked on real table in a snooker hall (Had the place in stitches) and every emulated version I have tried. I have video(s) of PS3/PC version with it.. You must sing along tho as rhythm is lost if just tapping the flipper buttons. Search for "David Cope Pinball" on youtube. Must add pinball to search otherwise you get a musician. Instructions there and also the Heart ramp problem video.