Godzilla
Stern Pinball, 2021 — shot-by-shot rules and strategy guide.
Open Godzilla in the Pinball Genie app →Designed by Keith Elwin, Godzilla is a campaign-style machine built around destroying four cities (Tokyo, New York, London, Paris), fighting a roster of kaiju, and chasing the game's signature Destruction Jackpot. It ships in Pro, Premium, and LE editions; all three share 3 flippers (including an upper-right flipper) and 1 pop bumper. Premium/LE add a powered building elevator that physically locks 3 balls, a rotating Mechagodzilla toy with a magnetic-chest ball-lock, and a breakaway Bridge ramp (a 3rd ramp). Pro has 2 ramps and routes Bridge Attack through the right ramp instead.
The core loop
Play is organized as a city campaign. Each city has an objective tracker on the Monster Monitor — RAID (start a Kaiju Battle), POWER (complete the Tesla/Powerline targets), BRIDGE (destroy the bridge), and TANKS (Tank Attack). Completing these across cities is the spine of wizard-mode qualification. Conquering a city grants +1 Bonus X, +1x on the Super Spinner, and a scaling award. Leaving a city banks the Carnage Bonus.
Kaiju Battles (RAID)
Shoot either ramp twice to light a Kaiju Battle at the scoop, where flippers + the action button pick the fight. The four Tier-1 monsters are:
- Gigan — eight ramp shots, any mix (the safest battle; alternating ramps combo 2x/4x).
- Megalon — hit a random flashing shot before a ~10s window closes; miss and he hides (shoot a ramp to recall).
- Ebirah — a spinner battle across the three spinners; final blow at the pop bumper.
- Titanosaurus — five targets in strict sequence (three Powerlines left-to-right, Maser Cannon, Magna-Grab captive ball); the precision battle.
Winning conquers the current city and adds +1x to the Destruction-Jackpot multiplier. Tier-2 battles (Ghidorah/Gigan/Megalon match-ups, some 3-ball multiballs) unlock as you rotate cities, several using the classic "Fight or Flee" risk/reward decision. Winning two Kaiju Battles awards an Extra Ball.
The five regular multiballs
- Godzilla Multiball (cornerstone, 3-ball) — damage the building to 0% integrity with ramps (upper floors) and building shots (lower floors), then start at the building. Six jackpots light the Super Jackpot; scoring it qualifies the Monster Zero mini-wizard.
- Mechagodzilla Multiball (3-ball) — spin the right spinner to deploy (~20 spins), knock down the three Neo-Barrier shield targets, start at the right spinner. Its Super Jackpot qualifies Terror of Mechagodzilla.
- Bridge Attack Multiball (2-ball) — switch hits light Bridge Attack at the Magna-Grab captive ball; four attacks destroy the bridge, then "Bridge Out!" on either ramp starts it.
- Tank Attack Multiball (2-ball) — destroy ~10 tanks via lit TANK shots; starts at the scoop. Tanks advance toward Godzilla on a timer, dropping the Super multiplier if they arrive.
- Saucer Attack Multiball — destroy 6 saucers via the pop-bumper feature; the next bumper hit starts it, and each Saucer Jackpot adds a ball.
Award and collect systems
The Destruction Jackpot is the big-points chase: shoot the building when lit, then bank it on the upper loop. Its multiplier is fed by battles, saucer/Jet-Fighter thresholds, loops, and combos — but it resets when you change city, so cash before switching. Other systems include Jet Fighter Attack (inlane missiles → hurry-ups), Trains (left-ramp train-wreck; Prem/LE 5th train = Super Train Loops, Pro = 50M), Monster Rampage (spell R-A-M-P-A-G-E at the left spinner), Magna-Grab / Imposter Battle (magnet capture released for 5x loops or a left-spinner award up to 250M), Hedorah, and dozens of City/Secret Combos.
Allies and multipliers
Allies are lit at the halfway point of any battle (and via the Super Secret skill shot, Jet-Fighter milestones, etc.), cycled with the right flipper and collected at the scoop: Rodan (2x playfield, the only whole-playfield multiplier, ~60s), Mothra (left-outlane save), Anguirus (action-button add-a-ball). Other multipliers: Bonus X (+1 per conquered city), in-mode shot color ladders, and the Super Spinner — the first center-spinner rip after firing Heat Ray scores 2x/spin +1x per conquered city. Heat Ray itself is charged on the center spinner and, when the meter fills, held-and-released to collect everything currently lit (disabled during Planet X and Tier-2 battles).
Skill shots
Every skill shot scores points and adds ball-save time, and each unique type raises the multiplier on all of them — variety beats repetition. Easy ones feed the pop bumper; the money shots sit near the upper flipper. The best is the Super Secret Skill Shot: full plunge into the left spinner lane, then reflex to the scoop for ~10M, 2 Power-Ups, and an instant Ally.
Power-Ups and wizard modes
Godzilla Power-Ups are earned from dozens of tasks and collected at the scoop (choose 1 of 2). They gate the wizard modes: level 4 lights Monster Zero or Terror of Mechagodzilla (given the matching multiball Super Jackpot), level 8 lights King of the Monsters. The wizard ladder runs: the two mini-wizards → Planet X Multiball (complete all four city objectives) → King of the Monsters (final wizard: all four monsters at once, then a 4-ball bounty multiball) → Monster Island Madness (ultra-wizard: a 75-second 6-ball frenzy).
Recommended play
The consensus opener is the Gigan ramp line: plunge for a skill shot, shoot both ramps to light the scoop, start Gigan, and loop ramps — the safest path, which simultaneously damages the building toward Godzilla Multiball. Grab Mothra first for outlane insurance, hold Rodan for your biggest scoring window, spend Heat Ray whenever the playfield is well-lit, and cash the Destruction Jackpot before changing cities.
How Godzilla plays
Godzilla is a city-conquest pinball where you destroy four cities, win Kaiju Battles, and build the Destruction Jackpot multiplier. Victory means conquering all cities, stacking multipliers, and reaching the final wizard mode King of the Monsters.
The loop
- Shoot either ramp twice to light the scoop, then start a Kaiju Battle at the scoop.
- Win battles to conquer the current city and add +1x to the Destruction Jackpot multiplier.
- Damage the building with ramps and building shots to start Godzilla Multiball.
- Collect jackpots and super jackpots in multiballs to qualify mini-wizard modes.
- Cash the Destruction Jackpot at the building and upper loop before changing cities.
Reading the lights
- Kaiju Battle Arrows (shot arrows) — lit: Ramps light to qualify a Kaiju Battle, and the scoop lights to start it. · then: Shoot the lit ramps during the battle to deal damage and win. · control: Either flipper button: Cycles through available monsters before starting the battle. (When the scoop is lit and a battle is ready.)
- GODZILLA Lane Inserts (letters) — lit: Inserts above the flippers spell GODZILLA; the 'Z' aligns with and feeds the scoop. · then: Collect letters by making shots that light them; the 'Z' feeds the scoop for a collect.
- Monster Rampage Letters (letters) — lit: Left spinner lights R-A-M-P-A-G-E letters; completing the spell starts Monster Rampage. · then: Rip the left spinner to collect letters and start Monster Rampage.
- Heat Ray & Super Spinner (multiplier) — lit: Center spinner charges Heat Ray; when full, hold the action button to fire and collect all lit shots, then the first rip on the center spinner is the Super Spinner. · flashing: Center spinner flashes when Heat Ray is fully charged and ready to fire. · then: Rip the center spinner immediately after firing for 2x/spin plus 1x per conquered city. · control: Action button: Hold to fill the meter to 100%, then release to fire Heat Ray. (When Heat Ray is charged.)
- Rodan 2x Playfield (multiplier) — lit: Scoop lights when an Ally is available; cycle to Rodan and collect for 2x playfield scoring. · then: Shoot the scoop to collect Rodan and activate 2x scoring for about 60 seconds. · control: Right flipper button: Cycles the unlit Ally insert to Rodan. (When the scoop is lit for an Ally collect.)
- Jet Fighter Attack (lanes) — lit: Inlanes flash to collect missiles; after six missiles, roving red arrows light shots to destroy jets. · flashing: Inlanes flash when missiles are available; the fifth hurry-up lights the left spinner for a 5x final. · then: Shoot the lit red-arrow shots; take the fifth shot at the left spinner for the 5x finish.
- Magna-Grab 5x Loops (multiplier) — lit: Complete the three Powerline targets, pass the right inlane to light Magna-Grab, let the magnet catch the ball, then press both flippers to drop it for 5x-value loops. · flashing: Magna-Grab flashes when lit and ready to catch the ball. · then: Immediately rip loops for 5x value. · control: Both flipper buttons: Press both flippers to release the captured ball from the magnet. (After the magnet has caught the ball and 5x loops are lit.)
- Destruction Jackpot (status) — lit: Building lights when the Destruction Jackpot is lit; shoot it to stage the ball, then shoot the upper loop to bank the value times its multiplier. · flashing: Building flashes when the Destruction Jackpot is lit and ready to stage. · then: Shoot the building first, then the upper loop before the stage window closes.
- Multiball Starts (mode) — lit: Each shot lights when its multiball is ready: building for Godzilla, right spinner for Mechagodzilla, Magna-Grab for Bridge Attack, pop bumper for Saucer Attack. · flashing: The specific shot flashes when its multiball start is available. · then: Shoot the lit shot to start the corresponding multiball.
- Oxygen Destroyer (status) — lit: Right outlane lights for the Oxygen Destroyer last-ball save. · then: Ball is saved and returned to play.
Lane change: not verified for this machine yet.
Start scoring
- Ball one — Take the safe opening: plunge for a skill shot, shoot both ramps to light the scoop, start Gigan, and loop ramps while damaging the building. Each unique skill-shot type raises the shared multiplier. — Bumper Skill Shot, Skill Shot — Left Spinner, Best Opener: Gigan Ramp Line, First 30 Seconds (Beginner)
- Building — Stack multiballs and multipliers: start Godzilla Multiball by damaging the building, collect jackpots to qualify Monster Zero, and use Heat Ray for Super Spinner 2x/spin. Add Rodan's 2x playfield and the Destruction Jackpot multiplier. — Godzilla Multiball, Heat Ray & Super Spinner, Rodan - 2x Playfield, Destruction Jackpot Collect, Magna-Grab into 5x Loops
- The big one — The largest payoff is King of the Monsters: qualify by playing a mini-wizard, Planet X Multiball, and reaching Power-Up level 8, then start at the building for a four-monster battle and a 4-ball bounty multiball. — King of the Monsters, Planet X Multiball, Monster Zero Mini-Wizard, Terror of Mechagodzilla Mini-Wizard
The Action Button on Godzilla
Center of the lockdown bar.
Godzilla's button is a hold-and-release control more than a tap control. Its marquee job is the Heat Ray — squeeze it until the meter fills, let go, and every lit shot on the playfield pays at once. It also picks your Kaiju Battle at the scoop and cashes in the Anguirus ally.
- Button flashing after ~60 spinner rips: Hold to charge the Heat Ray; release once the on-screen meter hits 100% to collect every lit shot.
- Second or third Heat Ray of the game: Each one demands a longer hold — conquering three cities shortens the charge back down.
- At the scoop after two ramp shots: Flippers scroll the Kaiju Battles and the button locks in the fight you want to play.
- Anguirus banked, any multiball running: Press to add a ball; every Anguirus you collect stacks another use for later.
- Godzilla Multiball buildup on screen: Hold during the intro to swap the soundtrack — seven tracks sit behind the default.
Goals in Godzilla
Every goal below is tracked step-by-step, with shot paths drawn on the playfield map, inside the app.
-
The safe, easy plunge: a short plunge that dribbles into the pop bumper. Low value, but each unique skill-shot type you make raises the multiplier on all of them.
Reward: ~750K x unique skill shots + ~5 sec ball save
-
The highest-value regular skill shot: a full plunge around the orbit behind the upper flipper into the left spinner lane.
Reward: 5M + 1M x unique skill shots, plus 8 sec ball save
-
The single best opener if you can execute it: a full plunge into the left spinner lane, then an immediate reflex to the scoop for ~10M, 2 Power-Ups, and an instant Ally.
Reward: ~10M + 2 Power-Ups + collect an Ally immediately; boosts future secret skill shots by +2M
-
The Heat-Ray-fed five-shot combo. Charge Heat Ray to level 3 to light the left inlane, roll it to arm the right ramp, then run right ramp - left ramp - center spinner - upper loop - tail whip.
Reward: ~20M on the final tail whip + +1x Destruction-Jackpot multiplier and lights the building to collect; 3 shots in lights an Ally
-
Complete the three Powerline targets, pass the right inlane to light Magna-Grab, let the magnet catch the ball, then press both flippers to release it into a window of 5x-value loops.
Reward: 5x-value loops after the drop
-
Instead of dropping the Magna-Grab ball for loops, time the release into the left spinner for one of four escalating awards - up to 250M on the fourth.
Reward: Escalating in order: 15M + Ally, 20M + Annihilation%, 30M + Destruction-Jackpot x, 250M
-
The main big-points bank: with the Destruction Jackpot lit, shoot the building to stage it, then shoot the upper loop to bank the value times its multiplier.
Reward: Base ~5M + 1M per lit Monster-Monitor insert + temp base x multiplier; also +1% Annihilation and lights the left spinner for a Monster Rampage letter
-
The train-wreck loop mode: light Advance Train at the left ramp (via scoop, reverse-building, or captive ball), then bank trains on the left ramp. On Prem/LE the 5th train starts Super Train Loops.
Reward: Prem/LE: Super Train Loops mini-mode (Pro: 5 Trains = 50M); 10 Trains = +1x Destruction Jackpot
-
The cornerstone multiball and mandatory progress. Damage the building to 0% integrity with ramps (upper floors) and building shots (lower floors), then start it at the building.
Reward: 3-ball; six jackpots light the Super Jackpot at the building; scoring the Super qualifies the Monster Zero mini-wizard
-
The second pillar. Spin the right spinner to deploy Mechagodzilla (~20 spins), disable the Neo-Barrier by knocking down the three shield targets, then start at the right spinner.
Reward: 3-ball; ramps + building jackpots, then a timed ~20s Super Jackpot window; scoring the Super qualifies Terror of Mechagodzilla
-
Rack up switch hits (~50) to light Bridge Attack at the Magna-Grab captive ball; four attacks destroy the bridge, then 'Bridge Out!' flashes on either ramp to start.
Reward: 2-ball; three jackpots light double jackpots at Magna-Grab, then a ~15s Super Jackpot (up to 6x per right-ramp shot); first two Supers add a ball
-
Feed the pop bumper to destroy saucers; six destroyed arms the multiball so the next pop-bumper hit in normal play starts it. Each Saucer Jackpot adds a ball.
Reward: Grows to a bigger ball count; each Saucer Jackpot (~10x base) adds a ball; 3 saucers = Extra Ball earlier
-
The standard opening battle. Shoot either ramp twice to light the scoop, start Gigan, then make eight ramp shots in any combination - every shot doubles as building damage.
Reward: Conquers the city + advances Godzilla Multiball; alternating opposite ramps = combo 2x, final combo = 4x
-
The precision battle - dangerous on its own. Hit five flashing targets strictly in sequence: the three Powerlines left-to-right, then the Maser Cannon, then the Magna-Grab captive ball.
Reward: Escalating values 4M -> 7M -> 10M -> 15M -> 20M; conquers the city on the win
-
The spinner battle. Rack up spins on the three spinners (left, right, center), then deliver the final blow with a pop-bumper shot. Low time pressure but the left spinner is risky.
Reward: Each completed spin set scores millions; conquers the city; final blow at the pop bumper
-
A low-drain warm-up mode. Collect six missiles at the flashing inlanes to start, then shoot the roving red-arrow hurry-ups; the fifth shot lights the left spinner for a 5x final.
Reward: ~500K+ per jet; 10 Jet Fighters = Extra Ball; 15 = +1x Destruction Jackpot; thresholds light Allies
-
Charge Heat Ray on the center spinner, hold the action button to fill the meter, then release to collect everything lit and arm the Super Spinner - the first rip scores 2x/spin +1x per conquered city.
Reward: Heat Ray collects all currently-lit shots; Super Spinner = 2x/spin +1x per conquered city (Power-Up #7 adds +2x)
-
The game's only whole-playfield multiplier. Light an Ally (halfway through any Kaiju Battle, Super Secret skill shot, Jet-Fighter milestones), cycle to Rodan at the scoop, and collect for 2x scoring.
Reward: 2x playfield scoring for ~60s (75s via Power-Up #6); collecting Rodan again extends the timer
-
The major mid-wizard. Play all four city objectives at least once, across as many cities as it takes - a Tier 2 Kaiju Battle for RAID, Tesla Strike for POWER, Bridge Attack for BRIDGE and Tank Attack for TANKS - and Planet X appears as a City-Select choice.
Reward: 3-ball multiball seeded by an Earth Bonus; five waves ending in a scoop hurry-up worth 175M+; a path into Monster Island Madness via its Victory Challenge
-
The final wizard mode. Qualify by playing Monster Zero or Terror of Mechagodzilla, playing Planet X, and reaching Power-Up level 8 to pick Light King of the Monsters. Start at the building.
Reward: Part 1: fight all four Tier-1 monsters at once; Part 2: 4-ball MB ending in the Ghidorah Bounty = Part-1 value x balls in play (up to 4x)
-
The consensus opening across every source. Plunge for a skill shot, shoot both ramps to light the scoop, start Gigan, then keep looping ramps - the single safest path that also pre-loads Godzilla Multiball.
Reward: Completed Gigan battle + heavy Godzilla-MB progress with almost no drain-prone shots
-
A beginner's opening minute: land a skill shot for the save window, run ramp-ramp-scoop into Gigan, damage the building, and grab Mothra to insure the left outlane.
Reward: A safe ball-save cushion, Godzilla-MB progress, and left-outlane insurance
-
Cash the Destruction Jackpot Before Changing Cities
Changing city wipes the temporary base value the Destruction Jackpot has built up, so build it through battles, collect it at the building and bank it on the upper loop first - then change city, since conquering a high-value city like London adds its own DJ bonus on top.
Reward: Banks the fully-built Destruction Jackpot before the multiplier resets; conquering London afterward adds its own DJ bonus
-
Win the whole first-tier monster roster in one game: two ramp shots qualify each battle at the scoop, then run each monster's own pattern - Gigan's eight ramp shots, Titanosaurus's strict target order, Ebirah's spinner sets and Megalon's roving purple shot - before moving to the next city.
Reward: Every battle won conquers the city and stacks Destruction-Jackpot multiplier plus Allies; a full sweep is also the backbone of wizard-mode progress
-
The reward for finishing Godzilla Multiball properly: collect all six multiball jackpots, cash the super jackpot at the building, then start the mini-wizard it qualifies.
Reward: Mini-wizard mode plus one of the two qualifiers for the final wizard mode
-
Terror of Mechagodzilla Mini-Wizard
The Mechagodzilla side of the same path: start its multiball, work the jackpots, cash the timed super jackpot on the Mechagodzilla shot, then play the mini-wizard it qualifies.
Reward: Mini-wizard mode plus the second qualifier route toward the final wizard mode
-
Godzilla keeps an alternate-play menu behind its attract screen that almost nobody demonstrates on location. While the machine sits idle between games, holding both flippers opens a list whose contents depend on how that particular machine is equipped.
Reward: Access to King of the Monsters Time Attack — a two-part timed challenge ending in a four-ball multiball, on topper-equipped machines only — plus a DJ Mixer jukebox when the machine is set to free play
-
Nearly everything you accomplish drips energy into a single meter. Fill it and the scoop lights for a Power-Up. Shoot the scoop and you are handed two awards to choose between, and whichever one you take stays switched on until the game ends. The first three rungs are cheap, then the price locks at six and never comes back down.
Reward: Permanent scoring, timer and multiplier boosts, plus the two mini-wizard modes at levels four and eight
-
Conquering Cities for Permanent Perks
The four cities are more than backdrops. Beat a city's tier-1 monster before you move on and it stays under your control for the rest of the game, paying a perk found nowhere else plus a permanent bonus multiplier. Move on with that battle unfinished and the monster keeps the city for good. The running count of cities you hold then pays out again on a ladder of its own.
Reward: A unique perk and a permanent +1 bonus multiplier per city, plus escalating awards at one, two, three and four cities
-
Recruiting Allies and Choosing Their Perks
Three allies wait at the scoop, and you decide which one turns up. Each carries a different perk, so the choice is really about what your ball needs right now: a scoring doubler, an outlane save, or an add-a-ball held in reserve for the next multiball.
Reward: Your pick of 2x playfield scoring, a left outlane save, or an add-a-ball during multiball
Pinball Genie is an independent, solo-built project operated by Pinball Genie LLC. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any pinball manufacturer or theme rights holder.