KISS

Stern Pinball, 2015 — shot-by-shot rules and strategy guide.

Designed by John Borg on SPIKE-1 hardware, KISS is a shot-based, mode-and-multiplier scoring game built around eight setlist "songs," two competing multiballs, and a long band-insert wizard-mode chain. The physical layout is identical across Pro/Premium/LE except for two hardware swaps: the Demon head's ball lock (physical 3-ball on Premium/LE, virtual/disc on Pro) and the Love Gun captive-ball mech (Premium/LE only; Pro plays that phase with two loose balls).

No skill shot

KISS has no formally awarded skill shot. The only plunge-related techniques are two "cheese" exploits: a soft-plunge delay that pre-trips the left-orbit switch, and a right-loop re-entry trick where a ball falling back into the right loop can double-collect an award.

Songs (modes)

Eight untimed shot-sequence modes — Deuce, Hotter Than Hell, Lick It Up, Shout It Out Loud, Detroit Rock City, Rock and Roll All Night, Love It Loud, and Black Diamond — are selected at the Backstage Pass scoop ("New Track") at ball start or between shots. Progress carries ball-to-ball; you can't run two at once or select one during multiball. Deuce is the beginner-friendly opener (two lit shots migrate left-to-right, then alternate); Detroit Rock City and Hotter Than Hell are flagged as advanced/high-drain. Completing any song steps an untimed, ball-long Playfield Multiplier: 2x -> 3x -> 5x -> Colossal — the single biggest scoring lever in the game, since it's permanent for the ball and stacks with everything after it.

Multiballs

Demon Multiball ("God of Thunder") is qualified by completing the Lock targets flanking the Demon head, or spelling D-E-M-O-N at the Demon shot, then locking 3 balls (physically on Premium/LE, virtually on Pro). Six major shots pay 2 Jackpots each; the 6th and 12th collections are Super Jackpots, escalating to a roving Double Jackpot and Double Super Jackpot. Locking balls during Demon MB itself adds a temporary +2X/+3X playfield stack. It's the harder-to-start but more consistent-value multiball.

Love Gun Multiball ("Flying Starchild") is qualified by repeated STAR-target hits and launched via the right ramp or Starchild saucer as a 2-ball multiball. Premium/LE gates a 3rd ball behind a captive drop target Hurry-Up; Pro plays the Hurry-Up phase with 2 loose balls. All major shots pay Jackpot, then Double Jackpot, building to a Triple Jackpot at the right ramp and a ~50M Super Jackpot at the Starchild/STAR shot. It's faster to start but "sloppier" and lower-average-value than Demon.

KISS Army Multiball is a sub-wizard multiball, qualified once all four band-member inserts (Star Child, Space Man, Demon, Cat Man) reach their flashing state, started at the scoop.

Multiballs never stack with each other or with mode play — pick one lane and commit.

Combos and hurry-ups

Any shot immediately following another while its arrow is still flashing scores double ("combo"). Fifteen named City Combos (1M x number of shots) run from 2-shot (Chicago, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Portland) through 3-, 4-, and 5-shot chains up to the brutal 10-shot Detroit. Rolling the left inlane lights an Army Combo, making the ARMY bank flash as the combo target; rolling the right inlane lights a Kiss Combo, making the KISS bank flash. One hit on the flashing bank instantly completes the whole bank and lights a Hurry-Up — Army Hurry-Up collected at the center ramp, Kiss Hurry-Up collected at the left orbit. The only documented stack is collecting both a pending Army Hurry-Up and Kiss Hurry-Up in the same cycle, which awards a 2X Shot Multiplier.

Grid, bonus, and wizard chain

A 16-light Grid (KISS bank, ARMY bank, 4 pop-bumper tiers, 4 instruments) feeds end-of-ball bonus and, completed twice by default (adjustable down to one completion), qualifies Heaven's on Fire, a mini-wizard scoop mode built around re-clearing the grid for a Super Jackpot. The four band-member inserts each track a flashing (partial) and solid (complete) state; all four solid qualifies Rock City, the final wizard mode — an 8-stage, 3-ball multiball (Instrument -> Kiss Army -> Pop Bumper -> Demon -> Starchild -> Spinner -> World -> ~100M Final Shot at the scoop).

Strategy in one line

Bank playfield multiplier by finishing songs before starting a multiball, favor Demon Multiball for consistency once you have the choice, and lead every ball with Deuce + center ramp while spelling KISS early for outlane insurance.

Goals in KISS

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

Left Orbit Soft-Plunge Delay skillshot · Medium

KISS has no formal awarded skill shot — this is the known cheese: plunge soft to delay the left-orbit switch trip and pre-load a left-orbit requirement before your first flipper touch.

Reward: Pre-loads whatever left-orbit award/combo is currently active
Right Loop Re-Entry Trick skillshot · Medium

Shoot the right orbit and let the ball fall back into the same switch to double-trip it and re-collect whatever's lit there.

Reward: Re-collects the currently lit right-orbit award
Chicago Combo combo · Easy

The easiest City Combo on the table — center ramp straight into right ramp while both arrows flash for double value.

Reward: 2M (1M x 2 shots)
Pittsburgh Combo combo · Easy

Chicago run in reverse — right ramp into center ramp — trivially farmable filler between other objectives.

Reward: 2M (1M x 2 shots)
Army Combo / Hurry-Up Stack combo · Medium

Roll the left inlane to light Army Combo, then hit the flashing ARMY bank shot to instantly complete the whole bank and light an Army Hurry-Up, collected at the center ramp.

Reward: Army Hurry-Up collected at the center ramp; stacking it with a pending Kiss Hurry-Up in one cycle awards a 2X Shot Multiplier (only documented stack)
Kiss Combo / Hurry-Up Stack combo · Medium

Mirror of the Army combo on the right side — roll the right inlane to light Kiss Combo, then hit the flashing KISS bank shot to instantly complete the whole bank and light a Kiss Hurry-Up, collected at the left orbit.

Reward: Kiss Hurry-Up collected at the left orbit; stacking it with a pending Army Hurry-Up in one cycle awards a 2X Shot Multiplier (only documented stack)
Los Angeles Combo combo · Medium

A 3-shot money combo threading right ramp, center ramp, and the Demon head.

Reward: 3M (1M x 3 shots)
San Francisco Combo combo · Hard

The big 5-shot money combo — hammer the center ramp four times then finish on the right orbit.

Reward: 5M (1M x 5 shots)
Demon Multiball (God of Thunder) multiball · Medium

Lock 3 balls in the Gene Simmons Demon head — physically on Premium/LE, virtually on Pro — for the game's most consistent-value multiball.

Reward: 6 major shots x2 Jackpots, then Super Jackpots and a strobing Double Jackpot
Love Gun Multiball (Flying Starchild) multiball · Medium

Build STAR-target hits to qualify, then launch via the right ramp or Starchild saucer for a fast but riskier multiball.

Reward: Jackpots -> Double Jackpots -> Triple Jackpot -> ~50M Super Jackpot
KISS Army Multiball multiball · Hard

Get all 4 band-member inserts flashing to qualify this sub-wizard multiball, then shoot the scoop to start it.

Reward: Super Jackpot at the Demon after clearing every lit shot
Deuce (Song Mode) mode · Easy

The consensus easiest, safest opening song — two lit shots migrate left-to-right across the playfield, then alternate faster and faster.

Reward: ~300K x shots made (cap ~2.4M) plus a step on the playfield multiplier
Detroit Rock City (Song Mode) mode · Hard

All major shots light at once; clear left-to-right to stack the doubler on the highest-value shots first. An advanced, high-drain-risk mode — avoid it early.

Reward: ~200K x shots made, final shot up to 3.6M if flashing
Black Diamond (Song Mode) mode · Medium

Shoot the right orbit into the pop bumpers; whichever bumper you hit determines the next lit shot — the roughest mode since it leans on repeat right-orbit shots.

Reward: ~300K x shots made (final ~2.4M)
Rock and Roll All Night (Song Mode) mode · Medium

A chained-lighting mode that alternates sides of the playfield, ending on a run that includes the Demon.

Reward: ~500K x shots made (final up to ~4M)
Playfield Multiplier Ladder multiplier · Medium

Completing song modes steps an untimed, ball-long playfield multiplier: 2x, then 3x, 5x, then Colossal — the single biggest scoring lever in the game.

Reward: Up to Colossal (10x) playfield multiplier for the rest of the ball
Demon Lock Multiplier multiplier · Medium

Hit the Lock targets during Demon Multiball to add a temporary +2x/+3x playfield stack plus a ~20-second ball hold, additive with the song multiplier.

Reward: +2X (one ball held) or +3X (two balls held) for ~20 seconds
Heaven's on Fire (Mini-Wizard) wizard · Hard

Complete the full 16-light Grid twice by default (adjustable down to one completion) to qualify this mini-wizard, then re-clear the grid elements at the scoop for a Super Jackpot.

Reward: Super Jackpot at the scoop + repeatable Add-A-Ball via STAR targets
Rock City (Final Wizard Mode) wizard · Hard

Get all 4 band-member inserts to their solid state, then shoot the scoop to start the 8-stage, 3-ball Rock City finale.

Reward: ~100M Final Shot at the end of Stage 8
Best Opener: Deuce + Center Ramp strategy · Easy

Select Deuce at New Track and lead every ball with the center ramp — the safest, highest-percentage opening sequence in the game.

Reward: Deuce song progress on the safest shot in the game, plus banked Demon Lock progress and an instrument toward Rock City's Space Man req
Beginner First 30 Seconds strategy · Easy

A concrete shot-by-shot opening plan for a new player: normal plunge, safe mode, spell KISS for outlane insurance, avoid high-drain shots.

Reward: Deuce song progress plus the Front Row kickback lit, insuring the unprotected left outlane
Stack Modes Before Cashing Multiball strategy · Medium

The core tournament heuristic: bank the highest playfield multiplier by finishing songs first, then start Demon Multiball so jackpots inherit it — one great ball beats three good ones.

Reward: Demon Multiball jackpots land at your maxed playfield multiplier (up to Colossal/10x) instead of a lower one
Pop Bumper Color Ladder to Purple strategy · Medium

Feed the pop-bumper cluster off the right orbit over and over to walk every bumper up the red-green-purple color tiers — grid fuel, and the Cat Man requirement for the finale.

Reward: All four bumpers at purple: satisfies the Cat Man insert condition and banks grid progress toward the mini-wizard

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