Breakshot

Capcom, 1996 — shot-by-shot rules and strategy guide.

Open Breakshot in the Pinball Genie app →

Designer: Greg Kmiec (frequently misattributed to George Gomez). Art by Stan Fukuoka/Paul Mazur/Hugh van Zanten, software by Bill Pfutzenreuter/Tony DeFeo. One production run, ~1,000 units, May 1996, model BRK3002. No Pro/Premium/LE editions exist — that convention postdates this game.

The table

A single-level, EM-throwback design — no ramps, no spinner. Two main flippers plus an unusually capable upper-right "3rd" flipper that can trap and catch. The playfield reads bottom-to-top: slingshots/in-out lanes → Green (left) and Brown (right) drop-target banks near their respective orbits → a two-ball Captive Ball left-of-center → Purple/Orange standups flanking the Center Pockets (the signature toy: 3 saucers behind a rising post) → 3 jet bumpers → 3 rollover lanes (Yellow/Blue/Red) at the very top, fed by the Left and Right Orbits running up each edge.

Three pool "games"

Only one is active at a time (chalk icons over the slings show which), cycling Nine Ball → Eight Ball → Nine Ball → Rotation, repeating:

• Eight Ball — sink 7 assigned colors (solids or stripes) via the rollover lanes, Purple/Orange standups, and Green/Brown banks, then shoot the 8-Ball Saucer. 100K.
• Nine Ball — hit any of 5 shots (Left Orbit, Captive Ball, Right Orbit, Green standup, Brown standup) 9 times total. 200K, plus a Points/Special/Extra-Ball bonus wheel at the Center Pockets entrance.
• Rotation — sink all 15 balls, cycling the same 7 shot-groups twice. 500K.

Both Super Cues (lit orbit shots) and any Center Pockets saucer hit auto-sink the lowest unsunk ball regardless of which game is active.

Center Pockets — the lock/multiball engine

A ball entering (post down) trips an opto, raises the post, and ejects a fresh ball to the plunger (up to 2 locks). A hard hit on the post with resting balls propels them into the side saucers — a Good Shot (base value), a Trick Shot (+100K, one ball into a lit side saucer), or a Nice Combo/"Breakshot" (+250K, both side saucers made on one hit — the game's namesake).

Ball-O-Rama (2-ball multiball, 2x scoring): lock one ball, then shoot the lit 8-Ball Saucer to start. Jackpot starts at 100K, climbs 10K/sec, never resets. Breakshot Frenzy (3-ball, 3x scoring): lock both side saucers, then capture a 3rd ball in the center saucer to auto-start. Jackpot starts at 200K, resets after each collect (2 "easy" jackpots before relighting is required); a fast second ball into the entry opto right after a collect scores a Double Jackpot. No ball saver runs during either multiball.

Multipliers

• Bonus multiplier — rollover lanes advance it, seen up to 13x, paid at end-of-ball.
• Multiball state — Ball-O-Rama 2x / Breakshot Frenzy 3x, global while active.
• Bank Shot streak — each consecutive Bank Shot make (uninterrupted) doubles/triples the payout, no stated cap.
• Left Super Cue → Bank Shot Bonus — pre-loading Left Super Cue shots before cashing the Bank Shot doubles a stacking 50K bonus (reported max 3.2M).
• Super Cue chain — 60K × consecutive makes, reset by any other switch.

Combos and the money loop

Capcombo (250K): Bank Shot → Right Orbit, or Left Super Cue → Right Orbit, immediately. The headline technique is the Bank Shot catch-and-relaunch loop: light-plunge onto the upper-right flipper, catch, shoot the Bank Shot, re-catch, repeat — each lap sinks a ball and the value escalates fast (1M+ per lap is reachable by the eighth to tenth rep, and a single shot can pay far more). Landing both Super Cues back-to-back (both lit simultaneously, then the two orbits shot one right after the other) lights the Captive Ball for an Extra Ball.

Wizard mode — Cutthroat Countdown

Reached after completing 3 regular games (default). A 60-second timer calls balls one at a time (≤10 sec each); hitting the right target sinks it, scores 1M, and adds 10 seconds. A second pass calls missed balls in random order. Ending with at least one ball sunk lights the center saucer for a Super Jackpot worth 2M/ball sunk, scaling to 2x then 3x on repeat completions. Sinking every ball ("perfect") auto-spots the next game complete and chains straight into another round. The Frenzy multiball multiplier still applies to the per-ball 1M Cutthroat scoring during Cutthroat Countdown (up to 9M/ball when 3x is running), but it does not apply to the Super Jackpot itself.

Risk notes

Fast ricochets off the Center Pockets are the game's biggest drain hazard — approach it off a controlled trap, not a bounce. Multiball has no ball saver and the jackpot shot isn't forgiving. The Bank Shot loop's biggest risk is a mistimed catch, which resets the escalating value to base — skilled play means consciously bailing once you've banked a big number.

Goals in Breakshot

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

• Skill Shot — Light Plunge to the Bank Shot skillshot · Easy

  A soft plunge parks the ball on the upper-right flipper, lighting the Bank Shot; catch and cash it for a guaranteed 100K and a sunk ball with almost no drain risk.

  Reward: 100K + sinks the next ball in the active pool game

• Alternate Skill Shot — Hard Plunge to the Lanes skillshot · Easy

  A full-power plunge skips the Bank Shot line entirely and sends the ball to the top rollover lanes (or scores a Right Super Cue if already lit) — lower value but useful for building rollover progress.

  Reward: Advances the bonus multiplier + sinks a numbered ball; scores a lit Right Super Cue instead if already lit

• Capcombo — Bank Shot into Right Orbit combo · Medium

  The game's signature flow combo: land the Bank Shot, then immediately loop into the Right Orbit before anything else, for a flat 250K and the moose-kicks-a-cow animation.

  Reward: 250K + the moose-kicks-a-cow animation (Capcombo)

• Capcombo — Left Super Cue into Right Orbit combo · Medium

  Second way to trigger Capcombo: shoot the Left Super Cue (Left Orbit lit via a flashing Orange hit) then immediately follow with the Right Orbit for 250K.

  Reward: 250K (Capcombo)

• Nice Combo ("Breakshot") — Both Center Saucers on One Post Hit combo · Hard

  With two balls resting against the raised center post, a hard hit that propels both into the left and right side saucers on the same shot scores the game's namesake 250K combo.

  Reward: 250K + both sunk-ball awards (Nice Combo/"Breakshot")

• Bank Shot Catch-and-Relaunch Loop combo · Hard

  The single highest-value repeatable sequence in the game: keep re-shooting and re-catching the Bank Shot from the upper-right flipper without ever letting the ball leave the top-right corner. Value escalates fast — 1M+ per lap is reachable by the 8th-10th rep.

  Reward: 100K + sunk ball on first make, escalating each consecutive catch (100K, 200K, 300K...; 1M+ by lap 8-10 reported)

• Both Super Cues Back-to-Back combo · Medium

  Light and hit the Right Super Cue then the Left Super Cue (or vice versa) without a miss in between to light the Captive Ball for an Extra Ball — arguably the highest-leverage combo in the game since it buys more time for the Bank Shot loop.

  Reward: Lights the Captive Ball for an Extra Ball

• Super Cue Consecutive Chain combo · Easy

  A lit Super Cue stays lit through drains and ball changes — keep re-hitting the same orbit uninterrupted for 60K, 120K, 180K... per consecutive make.

  Reward: 60K on the 1st consecutive make, escalating per make (60K, 120K, 180K...)

• Ball-O-Rama (2-Ball Multiball) multiball · Medium

  Lock one ball in the Center Pockets, then cash it in at the 8-Ball Saucer to start a 2x-scoring 2-ball multiball with a climbing jackpot.

  Reward: 2-ball multiball, 2x scoring; jackpot starts 100K and climbs 10K/sec, never resets

• Breakshot Frenzy (3-Ball Multiball) multiball · Hard

  Lock both side saucers, then capture a third ball in the center saucer to auto-start a 3x-scoring 3-ball multiball with an easy, resetting jackpot.

  Reward: 3-ball multiball, 3x scoring; jackpot starts 200K (+~5K erratic climb), 2 easy jackpots before relight needed

• Breakshot Frenzy — Double Jackpot multiball · Hard

  After collecting a Frenzy jackpot the post rises to block re-entry; sneak a second ball in immediately after for a Double Jackpot bonus.

  Reward: A Double Jackpot on top of the base Frenzy jackpot

• Eight Ball mode · Medium

  Sink all 7 assigned colors (solids or stripes, randomly assigned) via the rollover lanes and standup/drop targets, then finish at the 8-Ball Saucer for 100K.

  Reward: 100K + lights Call Your Shot for a shot at instantly finishing the next game too

• Nine Ball mode · Medium

  Hit any of 5 designated shots 9 times total — Left Orbit, Captive Ball, Right Orbit, Green standup, Brown standup — for 200K, plus a bonus wheel at the Center Pockets entrance.

  Reward: 200K + a Center Pockets bonus wheel (Points/Special/Extra Ball)

• Rotation mode · Hard

  The long game: sink all 15 balls using the same 7 shot-groups as Eight Ball, effectively cycling through them twice, for a 500K completion award.

  Reward: 500K completion award

• Call Your Shot mode · Medium

  Lit briefly at the Left Inlane (and whenever the 8-ball is lit), Call Your Shot lets you pick one of three shots at the 8-Ball Saucer and instantly finish the current game if you hit it clean.

  Reward: Instantly finishes the current game for its full completion award (flat 1M if during Cutthroat Countdown)

• Bonus Multiplier (Rollover Lanes) multiplier · Easy

  Hitting the Yellow/Blue/Red rollover-lane diamond inserts advances the end-of-ball bonus multiplier — reported as high as 13x in the wild.

  Reward: Advances the end-of-ball bonus multiplier (reported as high as 13x)

• Bank Shot Bonus Multiplier (Left Super Cue Stack) multiplier · Hard

  Front-load Left Super Cue hits before cashing the Bank Shot — each one doubles a stacking Bank Shot Bonus, reported as high as 3.2M, then cash it all in on one big Bank Shot.

  Reward: Base Bank Shot value + a stacked bonus starting at 50K and doubling per Super Cue (reported as high as 3.2M)

• Cutthroat Countdown (Wizard Mode) wizard · Hard

  Complete 3 regular games (default) to reach the game's wizard mode: a 60-second countdown where the machine calls balls one at a time for 1M each, ending in a per-ball Super Jackpot.

  Reward: 1M per called ball sunk (+10 sec each) + a Super Jackpot of 2M/ball at timer's end, scaling 2x then 3x on repeats

• Perfect Cutthroat Countdown wizard · Hard

  Sink every called ball in a single Cutthroat Countdown round to trigger a special animation, auto-spot the entire next regular game as complete, and drop straight into another Cutthroat Countdown.

  Reward: Maxes the Super Jackpot + perfect-game animation + next game auto-spotted complete + straight into another Cutthroat Countdown

• Beginner's First 30 Seconds strategy · Easy

  A low-risk opening sequence: safe skill shot, a few free loop reps, then easy standups and the forgiving captive ball before you ever aim at the risky center toy.

  Reward: 100K skill shot + free Bank Shot loop points + a free Nine Ball spot + Extra Ball progress, all low drain risk

• Best Opener: Ride the Bank Shot, Then Bail strategy · Medium

  The competitive-player opener: treat the Bank Shot catch loop as a meter you deliberately cash out of once the value gets big, rather than a combo you run to failure.

  Reward: Escalating Bank Shot value banked before it resets — community high 8.5M on a single shot

• Macro Strategy: Stack Frenzy Under Cutthroat Countdown strategy · Hard

  The top-end scoring line: get Breakshot Frenzy's 3x multiplier running, then time it to overlap with Cutthroat Countdown's called-ball scoring and Super Jackpot.

  Reward: Up to 9M per called ball during Cutthroat Countdown (1M x Frenzy's 3x) while 3x is still running

• Captive Ball Extra Ball strategy · Medium

  The captive ball only counts toward the extra ball when you hit it hard enough to reach its internal target — soft hits just score the little rollover value. Four solid hits (factory default) lights the extra ball.

  Reward: Extra Ball after the required number of hard captive-ball hits (4 by default)

• Arm the Left Outlane Kickback strategy · Easy

  The left outlane has a kicker coil that saves the ball, and it re-lights whenever you knock down either three-target drop bank in sequential order. Cheap insurance worth taking early on every ball.

  Reward: Lights the left-outlane kickback (a saved ball)