Rollercoaster tycoon

RollerCoaster Tycoon

RollerCoaster Tycoon is a 2002 Stern pinball machine designed by Pat Lawlor, based on the PC game of the same name. The amusement park theme shows up everywhere: four colored habitrail ramps resemble roller coasters, and the playfield has bumper car bumpers, a talking Dunk the Dummy figure and plenty of other theme-fitting elements.

Playfield features

Four roller coasters (ramps): Chicago Loop (left ramp, ball lock), The Flying Ghost (blue habitrail, center), The Flying Turns (red habitrail) and The Rocket (yellow habitrail, shoots the ball almost up to the height of the glass). Other features: Scrambled Eggs (spinning device), Bumper Cars (pop bumpers), Handyman (drop target for starting modes), Maintenance Men (standup targets), Dunk the Dummy and Information Kiosk (random awards).

Main goal: Park Tycoon

The goal of the game is to collect as many guests as possible for your amusement park and reach the Park Tycoon wizard mode. Guests mostly come from the bumpers (Bumper Cars) and from completing modes. Completing the six FUN modes is required to reach Park Tycoon.

Skill shot

Plunge the ball through the upper right hole. The value starts at 100K and goes up 50K for each successful plunge.

Opening the roller coasters

Each coaster is opened by repeatedly shooting it. The status light changes from red to yellow and finally to green (open). The Rocket ramp lights one coaster's construction light per hit. Opened coasters let you lock balls for multiball.

Multiball

Balls are locked at Chicago Loop or The Rocket while the opened coasters are lit green. The first multiball requires two open coasters, the second three and the rest four. Jackpot values increase as you collect multiballs during the same park. Reaching Park Tycoon resets the jackpots when a new park begins.

FUN modes

Modes are started by lighting FUN at the center ramp (Flying Ghost) and then shooting through the Handyman drop target to the upper right. A plunge can also start a ready mode. There are six FUN modes, some of them timed modes and some collection tasks. The modes include Power Ride, which is the most valuable in points. Completing all six modes (or running out of time) fills the park and opens Park Tycoon.

R&D targets

Collecting the R&D targets lights features and modes as additional options.

E-A-T targets

Collecting the E-A-T letters opens the Food Stall for extra points.

A-B-C lanes

The upper lanes raise the bonus multiplier. The bonus multiplier goes up to a maximum of 6x, where the extra ball lights.

Dunk the Dummy

A talking dummy in the upper left corner. During certain modes you can dunk the dummy for point awards. The dummy comments on the player's performance – sometimes with a snarky tone.

Information Kiosk

A scoop that gives random awards. The general view is that shooting it isn't strategically worthwhile for points.

Park Tycoon (wizard mode)

After completing all six FUN modes, Park Tycoon starts. All four coasters light up yellow – the goal is to light and collect the jackpot from each coaster. After collecting all the jackpots, the Super Jackpot lights at The Rocket. The Super Jackpot value depends on the number of jackpots collected.

Reaching Park Tycoon starts the building of a new park and the guest counter resets. Reaching a second Park Tycoon in the same game scores even more points, since the Bumper Cars bumpers are already at their maximum value.