Aerosmith

Stern Pinball, 2017 — shot-by-shot rules and strategy guide.

Open Aerosmith in the Pinball Genie app →

Designer John Borg; code/rules Lonnie Ropp. Three editions: Pro, Premium, and LE (500 units, cosmetic-only vs Premium). Central toy is Jacky the jack-in-the-box on the Toy Box (an air-ball ball lock).

Core loop

Pick one of nine song modes at ball start via Jacky the Jukebox (timed, default 50s). Make a shot, then shoot the left scoop for Crank It Up to boost the mode and unlock its Super feature. Feed the Toy Box between mode shots to bank locks. Chip the nine AEROSMITH standup targets to qualify shot multipliers and Mystery.

Multiballs

• Toy Box Multiball ("Toys in the Attic"): shoot Toy Box to light lock, shoot the lock saucer to lock. 3 locks start it (stack up to 6 for 2x base jackpots). Goal: all 8 major shots twice; 8th = Super Jackpot. Relock during MB for 1 ball = 20s of 2x / 2 balls = 3x playfield scoring — the only multiball with a playfield multiplier, and the game's highest ceiling.
• Elevator Multiball ("Love in an Elevator"): shoot both orbits (Premium/LE can also use the drop target) to light the elevator lock; 3 locks start it. Super Jackpot = % of all jackpots collected (100/75/50%). No playfield multiplier.

Multipliers

• Shot X (AEROSMITH targets): spell A-E-R-O-S-M-I-T-H to qualify flashing "X" inserts; next major shot hit with an X scores 2x for the rest of the ball. Light every X on one ball → roving 3x.
• Bonus X: the three DUDE inlanes (cycle with flippers) raise end-of-ball bonus (max 9X–10X per code).
• 2X Playfield (Premium/LE only): backhand the five upper mini-playfield targets, then shoot the loop exit → 2x scoring for 60s. On Pro this exists only as a Mystery "Double Scoring" award.
• Combos: the standard modern-Stern strobing-arrow system — after a major shot, the other arrows strobe; hitting one inside the window scores 2x (and 2x coins in modes). Stacks multiplicatively with shot-X and playfield multipliers.

Money sequences

• Walk This Way alternating ramp loop (left↔center ramp) is the biggest repeatable — best saved until the center/left ramp is X-loaded (and 2x playfield lit on Prem/LE).
• Toy Box Multiball with a 3x window banked, farming the 8-shot jackpot ladder.

Wizard modes

• Medley Multiball (mini-wizard): earn ≥1 award in all 9 songs (+ both multiballs); start at left scoop; replay unfinished songs. +10M per song completed beforehand.
• Final Tour (grand wizard): complete all 9 songs; advance 24 Cities (8 shots each, 10M/20M/30M tiers); 100M Super Jackpot at the left scoop.

Skill shots

• Hidden: soft plunge into the lock saucer → 500K (+500K per repeat) + 1 Smart Missile, and it progresses a lock.
• Super: hold left flipper, short-plunge to the right flipper, shoot one of three lit shots → 1M (+1M per repeat) + 2 Smart Missiles.

Extra balls (all at the left eject/scoop)

Start 3 song modes; collect 5 (+variable) Dead Shot Jackys; or percentage-based Mystery. VIP Pass ball save lights at the right outlane by completing the two Toy Box-flanking targets.

Goals in Aerosmith

Every goal below is tracked step-by-step, with shot paths drawn on the playfield map, inside the app.

• Hidden Skill Shot skillshot · Easy

  Soft-plunge into the lock saucer for guaranteed value plus a Smart Missile and lock progress.

  Reward: 500K (+500K per repeat), +1 Smart Missile, +1 Toy Box lock

• Super Skill Shot skillshot · Medium

  Hold the left flipper and short-plunge to the right flipper, then shoot one of three lit shots.

  Reward: 1M (+1M per repeat), +2 Smart Missiles

• Walk This Way Ramp Loop combo · Medium

  The single biggest repeatable: alternate the left and center ramps for compounding combo value.

  Reward: 2x combo x 2x coins, stacks with shot-X (2x/3x) and 2x playfield; single shots reach 20M-40M+

• Strobing-Arrow Combo Chain combo · Easy

  Learn the base combo engine: make a major shot, then hit a strobing arrow within the window for 2x.

  Reward: Each combo'd shot worth 2x normal value (2x coins in song modes)

• Same Old Song and Dance Ricochet combo · Medium

  Start the mode, Crank It Up, then bang the right-wall targets that ricochet into the Toy Box for a fast ~30M.

  Reward: ~30M completed in roughly 6 shots

• Sweet Emotion Escalation Farm combo · Hard

  Work the ejects then the major shots; after four lit-shot hits everything lights for 1-2M each, plus a 60s super.

  Reward: 1-2M per shot; 60-second all-scoring super feature

• Loaded-Ramp Mega Shot combo · Hard

  Stack an AEROSMITH X insert onto the center ramp, start Super Ramps, and combo under every multiplier.

  Reward: Documented stacks of 80M+ per shot (shot-X x playfield x Super Ramps)

• Toy Box Multiball (Toys in the Attic) multiball · Medium

  Light the lock at the Toy Box, lock at the saucer, and start with 3 balls; the game's highest-ceiling multiball.

  Reward: Base jackpot 500K (+50K each); 8th shot = Super Jackpot

• Elevator Multiball (Love in an Elevator) multiball · Medium

  Shoot both orbits to light the elevator lock, lock at the elevator, and start with 3 balls.

  Reward: Super Jackpot = % of all jackpots collected (100%/75%/50% by attempt)

• Toy Box 6-Ball with 3x Stack multiball · Hard

  Delay the start to lock up to 6 balls, then relock during play to bank a 3x playfield window.

  Reward: 6-ball MB = 2x base jackpots; relock = 20s of 2x (1 ball) or 3x (2 balls)

• Rats in the Cellar mode · Easy

  The beginner-friendly spinner song and the best mode to overlap with a multiball.

  Reward: Super Spinner — spinner lights for 100 spins

• Back in the Saddle mode · Easy

  Pop-bumper-focused easy song: hit the lit spinner then a bumper-driven random shot.

  Reward: Super Pops — bumpers light for 100 hits

• Dude Looks Like a Lady mode · Medium

  Two lit shots at a time (left shifts right when made); Crank It Up lights the DUDE inlanes.

  Reward: Super — inlanes light for 10 completions

• Last Child mode · Medium

  Orbit/ramp song: shoot the lit orbits, relight via both orbits or both ramps.

  Reward: Super — loops light for 10 loop shots

• AEROSMITH Shot Multiplier multiplier · Medium

  Spell A-E-R-O-S-M-I-T-H to qualify the X inserts; the next X'd major shot doubles for the rest of the ball.

  Reward: 2x on the next X'd shot for the whole ball; light every X → roving 3x

• 2X Playfield (Premium/LE) multiplier · Hard

  Backhand the five upper mini-playfield targets, then shoot the loop exit to double all scoring for 60s.

  Reward: 2x scoring for 60 seconds (Premium/LE only)

• Medley Multiball (Mini-Wizard) wizard · Hard

  Earn one award in every song plus both multiballs, then start at the left scoop to replay unfinished songs.

  Reward: +10M per song completed beforehand (perfect 200M); Medley Super Jackpot at the scoop

• Final Tour (Grand Wizard) wizard · Hard

  Complete all 9 songs to qualify, then tour 24 Cities by clearing sets of 8 shots.

  Reward: Cities 1-8 = 10M, 9-16 = 20M, 17-24 = 30M each; 100M Super Jackpot to finish

• Beginner Opener — Survive and Build strategy · Easy

  A safe first-30-seconds loop: soft-plunge, easy song, Crank It Up, bank locks into Toy Box Multiball.

• High-Score Opener — Stack the Big Game strategy · Hard

  Super Skill Shot, bank Toy Box locks, start Elevator MB via the orbits, load the roving 3x on the ramp, then combo.

• When to Cash Multipliers strategy · Medium

  Hold the shot-X and playfield windows for a comboable ramp — never a one-off single shot.

• Arm the Outlane Ball Save strategy · Easy

  Knock down both targets flanking the toy box to light the right-outlane save, then keep playing knowing one drain is covered.

  Reward: Ball save at the right outlane; the ball is returned to the shooter lane