Cyclone

Williams, 1988 — shot-by-shot rules and strategy guide.

Open Cyclone in the Pinball Genie app →

Cyclone is a 1988 carnival game with two flippers, no multiball, and a surprising amount going on. Everything worth having sits on one of three tracks: the Comet ramp ladder, the Cyclone ramp jackpot, and the Bonus X multiplier. Learn which target bank relights which ramp and the machine opens right up.

Plunge softly

The skill shot is five pockets above the top lanes, and this is one of the few machines where a full-power plunge is the wrong answer. Bottom to top the pockets pay 10K, 25K, 100K, 25K and 5K, so the centre one is the target and the back one is the punishment for overshooting. The award is also multiplied by which ball you are on, up to five times — and extra balls advance that multiplier, so a fourth-ball skill shot is possible.

The two ramps, and what relights them

• The Comet ramp sits just left of centre and climbs a value ladder on the back panel in 20K steps, from 20K to 100K. Collect the 100K step and the Million lights.
• The Cat targets to the left of the Comet relight it. They pay 20K each and light the HOLD half of Hold Bonus.
• The Cyclone ramp is right of the Spook-House and set further back. Three shots while lit before the timer expires pays the jackpot.
• The Duck targets above the right outlane relight the Cyclone. First completion pays 25K, second 50K, and the third lights the extra ball on the outlanes. Every completion also lights BONUS.
• Both ramps return down the right lane, which lights the Ferris Wheel for free every time you make one.

There is a shortcut most players never spot: a small, half-hidden target on the right side of the Spook-House island spots one of the Cat targets for you. That turns relighting the Comet from a three-target job into a two-target one.

Double Score, and the biggest shot on the machine

Completing the 1-2-3 rollovers starts Double Score — twenty seconds on a factory machine, though operators can set it anywhere from off to ninety-nine. It doubles every point value on the playfield, including the Comet Million, which becomes two million with its own sound effect. It does not double the jackpot, so save the Cyclone ramp for outside the window.

That gives you a clear order of operations for the best score available here: build the Comet ladder to the top first, then complete 1-2-3, then make the ramp while the clock runs. Building the ladder after starting the doubler wastes almost all of it.

The jackpot is partly the machine's

Three Cyclone ramps before the timer expires pays the jackpot displayed in lights next to the Mystery Wheel. Collecting drops it back to 500K, so a second jackpot in the same game is worth far less. You can grow it a little as you go — every 1-2-3 rollover hit adds 5K.

The oddity is what happens between games: a game in which somebody collected the jackpot adds a million to the machine's jackpot once the credits run out. Look at the backglass before you start — a high number means the last player collected, and you are walking into a bigger prize.

The Spook-House lottery

A single drop target guards a sinkhole. Knock it down, put the ball in the hole behind it, and the Mystery Wheel on the backglass spins. Awards run from nothing at all up to 200K, and both the extra ball and the special live on it, which makes every trip worth taking. The drop target stands back up on a timer, so the two halves of this shot need to come close together. Your ball returns from the boomerang kickout on the far side of the playfield.

Multiplier, Hold Bonus and the special

The boomerang hole advances your bonus multiplier, but only when its Advance X light is on. That light is cheap: either return lane relights it, and so does any ramp or the Ferris Wheel. Since you are already shooting ramps, the multiplier costs almost nothing to build.

Hold Bonus is spelled across two banks: Cat targets light HOLD, Duck targets light BONUS. Get both and your bonus carries into the next ball instead of resetting — on a machine with no multiball, one of the few ways to compound a good ball. One number on the Bonus X ladder above the flippers is also flashing; drive your multiplier up to it and the special lights. That number varies from machine to machine, anywhere from three to seven.

Two things that make this game safer than it looks

An underhit Comet ramp does not come screaming back at your flippers — it falls through a second hole into the jet bumpers. So you can attack the Comet harder than the layout suggests, and a short shot still pays, because bumper hits build the Ferris Bonus at 3K each. The Ferris Wheel is lit by the right return lane, pays a 50K base plus everything the bumpers added, and returns the ball to the left return lane, relighting Advance X on the way.

The extra ball lights on both outlanes but only one is on at a time, and it toggles constantly as the ball hits flippers, slingshots and bumpers. If a drain is coming anyway, glance at which side is lit and nudge toward that one.

How Cyclone plays

Cyclone is a Coney Island midway with no multiball -- one ball at a time, and the payoffs come from two ramps, a Ferris wheel and a backglass lottery. Climb the Comet ramp to its Million, race three Cyclone ramps for the jackpot, and complete the top lanes to double everything on the table.

The loop

1. Soft-plunge the centre skill pocket for a multiplied opener, then settle in on the two ramps.
2. Climb the Comet ramp a rung at a time to light its Million, relighting it on the Cat targets whenever the timer lapses.
3. Complete the 1-2-3 top lanes to switch on Double Score, doubling everything on the table for a short stretch.
4. Relight the Cyclone ramp on the Duck targets and rip three shots up it against the clock for the jackpot.
5. Sink the Spook-House to spin the backglass wheel, and grind the boomerang hole to drive your bonus multiplier toward the special.

Reading the lights

• 1-2-3 Rollovers (lanes) — lit: Three rollover lanes cross the top of the table; a lane still dark is one you have not run through yet, and each one you catch drops another 5K onto the jackpot. · then: Light all three and Double Score switches on, doubling every score on the table for roughly twenty seconds on a stock machine. The jackpot is the lone holdout it will not double, so collect that outside the window. · control: Either flipper button: either flipper button rolls the lit 1-2-3 lanes across a step, so you can line an unlit lane up with wherever the ball is dropping in from up top (before the ball rolls back down through the top lanes)
• Comet Ramp (ladder) — lit: The Comet ramp climbs a back-panel ladder one 20K rung at a time up to a hundred thousand, and banking that top rung lights the Million on the ramp itself; when the ladder times out, the Cat targets bring it back. · then: Top the ladder and take the Million -- there is no cap on how often you can rebuild and collect it. Caught inside a Double Score window it pays two million, the single biggest score here, and an underhit ramp is no punishment: it spills through a lower hole down into the nest instead of rocketing back at the flippers.
• Cyclone Ramp (mode) — lit: Light the Cyclone ramp on the Duck targets, then land three shots up it before the timer runs out to collect the jackpot glowing on the backglass -- never less than a half million. · then: Every collection knocks the jackpot back down to its floor, so the first one is the real money; build it higher first by tapping the 1-2-3 rollovers, and take it outside Double Score since that window leaves the jackpot alone. A game where somebody banks it seeds a bigger jackpot for whoever plays next.
• Cat & Duck Banks (status) — lit: Two standup banks flank the middle: the Cat targets on the left spring the Comet back to life and mark the HOLD side of Hold Bonus, while the Duck targets on the right revive the Cyclone and mark BONUS -- and a small target hidden beside the Spook-House spots one Cat for you. · then: Light both HOLD and BONUS in a ball and your built-up bonus carries into the next one instead of wiping -- with no multiball on this game, it is one of the only ways to compound a good ball. The third Duck completion of the game also arms the extra ball out on the outlanes.
• Ferris Wheel (mode) — lit: The right return lane is the only switch that lights the Ferris Wheel, and since both ramps drain back down that lane, a made ramp lights it for free; the award starts at a 50K floor and climbs 3K with every jet-bumper hit banked beforehand. · then: Feed the bumpers to fatten the bonus, light the wheel at the right return lane, then collect at the wheel itself. The ball rolls back to you out of the left return lane, re-arming Advance X as it passes.
• Spook-House (mode) — lit: Knock the lone drop target down, then drop the ball into the sinkhole waiting behind it to set the backglass Mystery Wheel spinning; that drop resets itself on a short timer, so the two halves of the shot have to come almost together. · then: The wheel is the only road to some of the best awards here -- its spread runs from a flat blank up to 200K, and it is where the extra ball and the special both hide, so treat every sink as a lottery pull. The ball comes back to you from the boomerang kickout across the table.
• Bonus X Ladder (multiplier) — lit: The boomerang hole is the only shot that steps your bonus multiplier up, and only while Advance X is lit -- either return lane, either ramp, or the Ferris Wheel switches that back on. · flashing: One rung of that multiplier ladder up near the flippers strobes; hit that number and you have lit the special. · then: Drive the multiplier up rung by rung until you reach the flashing one and the special lights -- where it sits ranges from three as high as seven. The kickout tends to feed the left flipper, so be set there before the ball pops back out.

Lane change: the flipper buttons move the lit lane. Either flipper button rolls the lit 1-2-3 lanes across a step, so tap it before the ball drops back down through the top to line an unlit lane up with its path. Completing all three switches on Double Score, doubling every score on the table for a short stretch -- though the jackpot is left out of the doubling.

Start scoring

• Ball one — Start with the soft plunge into the middle skill pocket for 100K, multiplied by your ball number, so your steadiest touch is worth the most late in the game. Then feed the two ramps and let a missed Comet fall safely into the bumpers, building the Ferris bonus while you find your range. — Soft Plunge Skill Shot, The Safe Miss, Ride The Ferris Wheel
• Building — Climb the Comet to its Million and complete the top lanes for Double Score, ideally lining the two up together. Relight and race the Cyclone ramp for the jackpot, and light both halves of Hold Bonus so a strong ball's total carries over -- the closest thing this machine has to banking progress. — The Comet Million, Double Score, The Cyclone Jackpot, Hold Bonus
• The big one — The one true monster score is the Two Million shot: build the Comet ladder to its Million first, switch on Double Score with the top lanes, then make the ramp while the clock runs. Chasing behind it are the Cyclone jackpot -- which quietly grows between games -- and the special, lit by driving your multiplier up to that flashing rung. — The Two Million Shot, The Cyclone Jackpot, Light The Special

Does Cyclone have an action button?

Cyclone keeps the cabinet plain: two flipper buttons, a start button and a manual plunger. The flipper buttons handle lane change on the top rollovers, and that is the only extra job they have.

Goals in Cyclone

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

• Soft Plunge Skill Shot skillshot · Medium

  Five pockets sit above the top lanes and the middle one pays 100K. It takes a soft, measured plunge — too hard and the ball sails past the good pocket into the 5K one at the back.

  Reward: 100K multiplied by ball number, up to 5X

• The Comet Million progression · Medium

  The Comet ramp climbs a ladder of values on the back panel in 20K steps, from 20K up to 100K. Collect the 100K step and the Million lights on the ramp. There is no limit on how many you can collect in a game as long as you keep relighting and rebuilding.

  Reward: 1M once the ladder is topped out

• The Cyclone Jackpot mode · Hard

  Three shots up the Cyclone ramp before the timer expires pays the jackpot shown in lights on the backglass. There is no cap on how many you can collect in a game, but every collection drops the value back to 500K.

  Reward: The current jackpot, minimum 500K

• Double Score multiplier · Medium

  Complete the 1-2-3 lanes at the top and everything on the playfield doubles for a short window — twenty seconds on a factory machine, though operators can set it anywhere from off to ninety-nine. The jackpot is the one thing it does not double.

  Reward: All playfield values doubled

• The Two Million Shot combo · Hard

  The biggest single score on this machine is a Comet Million collected inside a Double Score window. That means building the Comet ladder to the top first, then completing the top lanes, then making the ramp — in that order, with the clock running.

  Reward: 2M in one shot

• Ride The Ferris Wheel mode · Easy

  The right return lane lights the wheel, and the wheel pays a bonus that grows in the bumpers: a 50K base plus 3K for every jet bumper hit. Since both ramps return down the right lane, a made ramp lights the wheel for free.

  Reward: 50K plus 3K per bumper hit, typically 100K-250K

• The Spook-House mode · Medium

  Knock down the single drop target, then put the ball in the sinkhole behind it to spin the Mystery Wheel on the backglass. The drop target stands back up on a timer, so the two halves of this shot have to come close together.

  Reward: One Mystery Wheel spin

• The Mystery Wheel secret · Medium

  The wheel on the backglass is the only route to several of this machine's best awards. Values run from a flat nothing up to 200K, and both the extra ball and the special live on it — which makes every Spook-House shot a genuine lottery ticket.

  Reward: 0 to 200K, or an extra ball or special

• Advance Bonus X multiplier · Medium

  The boomerang hole advances your bonus multiplier, but only when its Advance X light is on. That light is cheap to bring back — either return lane does it, and so does any ramp or the Ferris Wheel.

  Reward: One multiplier step per lit shot

• Light The Special secret · Hard

  One number on the Bonus X ladder above the flippers is flashing, and driving your multiplier all the way up to it lights the special. Where that flashing light sits varies from machine to machine — anywhere from three to seven — and a low one usually means a generous operator.

  Reward: Special

• The Duck Targets progression · Medium

  Three standups above the right outlane that do more than relight the Cyclone ramp. The first completion pays 25K, the second 50K, and the third lights the extra ball on both outlanes. Every completion also lights the BONUS half of Hold Bonus.

  Reward: 25K, 50K, then an extra ball light

• The Cat Targets combo · Easy

  Three standups left of the Comet ramp, worth 20K each. They relight the Comet and light the HOLD half of Hold Bonus — and there is a shortcut: tucked against the right flank of the Spook-House island sits a small target that spots one of the three for you.

  Reward: 20K each, plus a Comet relight

• Hold Bonus strategy · Medium

  Hold Bonus is spelled out across two different target banks: the Cat targets light HOLD and the Duck targets light BONUS. Get both and your accumulated bonus carries into the next ball instead of resetting — which on a machine with no multiball is one of the few ways to compound a good ball.

  Reward: Bonus carried into the next ball

• The Toggling Extra Ball strategy · Medium

  Both outlanes carry an extra ball light, and only one of them is on at a time. It flips sides constantly as the ball hits flippers, slingshots and bumpers — so the side you are protected on is changing while you play, and it is worth a glance before you nudge.

  Reward: Extra ball

• The Safe Miss strategy · Easy

  An underhit Comet ramp does not come back down the ramp at you. It falls through a second hole into the jet bumpers instead — which is why you can attack the Comet far more aggressively than the layout suggests.

  Reward: A missed ramp that feeds the bumpers

• The Jackpot Between Games secret · Medium

  The jackpot on this machine is not entirely yours. Collect it and it drops back to 500K — but a game in which somebody collected the jackpot adds a million to the machine's jackpot once the credits run out. Look at what the backglass is showing before you decide how hard to chase it.

  Reward: A larger jackpot on a machine that has been played