Extra balls
Hyperspace is one way to earn extra balls. The other way is to upgrade the three flags directly above the drainage chute three times in quick succession. Each time you do, another light below the flags will light up. Get all three to light up together to earn an extra ball. This has the advantage over the hyperchute, as you are in complete control. With hyperspace, the ball still has to go into one of the launch chutes to earn the extra ball -- and it is a matter luck if that happens or not.
Near the launch ramp, there is an array of three flags. Hit all the flags and get a level 1 commendation. Do this again and get level 2. Once you get level 3, you will get an extra ball. Hit the flags again and get an extra ball again, for an unlimited amount of extra balls. Note: The lights for the level commendations disappear very fast; be quick about hitting the flags. Be patient and hit the flags. Eventually, you will get up to level 3 and be rewarded with extra balls. This method is far more successful than the Hyperspace way because you earn them instantly and are not required to go down the out lanes, where you can lose the ball while getting the other one.
Beginning bonus
When you first shoot the ball, do not use enough force to send the ball up to the top. Get it past the first light, and if done correctly, it should go back down and to the left on a little ramp for a "Skill Shot Bonus". How many points you get in the bonus depends on how far the ball went before dropping back. If you get the ball to light all the lights in the shoot-off ramp then make it drop back, you can get up to 75,000 bonus points. The lowest bonus is 15,000.
Refuel ship
There are two ways to refuel your ship. The first is to pass the ball through the slot above the left hand flipper (under the launch ramp hole). The easiest way to do this, obviously, is to go through the launch ramp. For the second method, there is a bridge where the launch ramp is located. It has colored lights through it. Shoot the ball all the way through and spin the flag, and your ship will be refueled.
Upgrade engines
Upgrade engines by lighting all three lane lights on the launch ramp area. You can control the location of lit/unlit lights by hitting the flippers, just like the way you can control the ones at the top of the board. The easiest pattern of play is to use the left flipper just as the ball is entering the flipper, to pop it onto the launch ramp. Launch Training is therefore the quickest way to make Ensign. Make it a habit to always go back for two repeat shots on the launch ramp for a good point booster. Note: A flipper hit on balls being ejected from the hyperspace tube can fairly often send them back there. You also get a bonus for this repeat hit if done immediately.
Reflex Shot Award bonus
Shoot the ball up the launch ramp (the purple ramp to the left of the screen) and let it drop through the hole. When the ball gets to the middle of the left flipper, shoot the ball. It should go up the launch ramp again and you get a Reflex Shot Award. Note: This can be done as many times as you want, but requires precise timing.
High scores
It is almost pointless to pursue the specific mission targets of the current mission. Rather, since the inevitable end of your game is the final draining of the third ball, changing the focus of your games to always having a center post in place and always having an extra ball or a number of extra balls available to greatly increase the number of fairly high score games. The key to both these goals is the Hyper Space ramp. By directing the ball from the right flipper (contain the ball with the flipper held stationary, let it drop, then direct the ball into the chute. With a little practice you should be able to do this 95% of the time) into the launch ramp. The next shot from the left flipper into the Hyper Space ramp is a little more difficult but you should be able to master a 75% success rate for this one. The ball must go right to the end of the ramp. As you continue to make this sequence of shots over and over, you will activate the center post and also have an extra ball available. When this is the case, then go after the specific mission of the moment. By always doing this before pursuing specific targets, your games should be greatly extended.
When using the Hyper Space routine for gaining a center post and extra balls, it is only necessary to start the sequence from the right flipper to the launch ramp and then off the left flipper into the Hyper Space chute. Once the ball has gone to the end of the Hyper Space chute and awarded whatever is appropriate for that play, it will kick back down and it is very often possible to send it right back up into the same spot where it just came from -- namely right back up into the Hyper Space chute. The goal is to send it up the chute as many times as possible. When you finally miss, the ball will start to move around the table and the actual mission of the moment can be pursued. Also, quite often the ball will kick out of the Hyper Space chute and off the left flipper into the launch ramp which you then use the left flipper again to direct the ball right back into the Hyper Space chute.
When you do not have an extra ball available and the ball in play has ended up in the Black Hole and it is likely to kick out into the right hand drain chute (thus costing you a ball), at the very moment it is about to leave the Black Hole, use your left table shift key to move the table and usually you will avoid the ball draining. Only hit it once otherwise it will tilt. Another note, this same Black Hole kick out will often put the ball right into the extra ball spot when same is still available.
The white bar across the Launch Ramp that registers the points awarded, if and when the ball has stopped just before it. Let it sit there for as long as possible before shifting the table to move in on through. The slower the ball goes under this bar the more points you will receive (usually about two to three million points, but can be as high as 15 million points. Note: Watch your fuel level so that the mission is not aborted.
You can also experience very substantial run ups by slowly turning the flags.
Far right tube
The most common tube passed back through, in the Launch area, by a ball bouncing among the bumpers, is the far right tube. Always rotate the lights to keep that tube dark as it is most likely to be lit again by the ball bouncing around.
Upper area tube patterns
The tube patterns on the upper areas are that a ball in the left tube, and especially the right tube, is bounced back up through the same tube 20% (left tube) to 40% (right tube) of the time. Always move the light out of that tube when the ball goes down through it. When a ball is shot back into the entry area by the right catch ramp, it always places the ball into the left entry tube. Always move a dark spot to that tube to insure weapons upgrades.
Cycling the hyperspace tube
Regarding cycling the hyperspace tube for post up and extra balls, if you do not want to have to deal with the gravity well and dropping a ball down the side shoot to get a replay, wait for the post to drop down before getting it again. The third Hyperspace on a single ball triggers the Post-up. Once at this stage, if you wait for the post to drop before getting another Hyperspace. Each Hyperspace you get takes you back to Post-Up, as often as you can do it. Note: A much more controllable Hyperspace shot is from the tip of the left flipper.
Left flipper shots
Left flipper shots are usually best done by catching the ball first, then releasing it and shooting. A quick shot goes up the Launch Ramp, a shot toward the flipper's end is a Hyperspace shot, and a shot from the very tip can hit the flags on the right or the worm hole on the lower right area.
Right flipper shots
Right flipper shots include a possible Hyperspace from the tight early area of the flipper, the far right wormhole or upper bumpers from about one third of the way down, a shot at the enter flags from the mid area, a Launch shot from about four-fifths of the way down, or a re-fuel tube and upper/re-entry shot from the tip.
Using time wisely
Until you reach about 40 million points with several levels of play achieved, it takes two minutes to gain each one million points. The arithmetic is fairly simple -- to get to 30 million takes about an hour of continuous play. A game that results in 86 million points will take almost two hours. A 70 million point game takes just a little over an hour and a half. If you do not have at least 5 million points when the ball number changes from one to two, press [F2] and start over. There is virtually no point in trying to achieve a high score if that is only where you are at when the number two ball shows on the board.
Rapid level advancement using Time Warp
Once you have attained the level of Commander (level 6) you can select the Time Warp mission by lighting all three mission lights. This is an easy mission to complete. You need only hit the various rebound bumpers 25 times, followed by a launch chute. This sends you "forward in time" and will usually advance you to Admiral l(level 8) instantly.
Replay function
The replay function is the red light next to the left flipper. If you lose your ball and the red light is on, you will get another ball. The replay action is better than an extra ball because when you lose, you do not abort your missions and do not have to start all over again. To get the replay function light on, you have to open the wormholes by hitting the Space Warp target (the small red button near the entrance of the Hyperspace chute). The wormhole lights will then light up to a color (red, yellow, or green). You now have to get the ball in the wormhole of that color to turn on the replay function.
Skip the new game music
While the game is starting a new game, press [F2] again during the music and sound effects to start the game immediately.
Play while the game is in tilt
This trick requires extremely good timing. While the game is playing the new game music, press [F2] then press all of the bump table buttons simultaneously a couple of times. The box will say "TILT!", but you can still launch, use the flippers, and get points. If you are unsuccessful, close the game, open it again, and start over.
Keyboard touch
As your score climbs higher and higher, it becomes more difficult to touch the keyboard as softly and gently as possible. It becomes a bit of a challenge to see how softly you can do it and this seems to lead to much higher scores. Perhaps because you have to control the amount of force applied, better control of the game is achieved.
Glitch: Time Warp mission while at Fleet Admiral
While at Fleet Admiral level, complete the Time Warp mission by launching. This sends you forward. Only problem is, there is apparently nowhere to go forward to and the game will freeze.
