Flipper (SG-1000) (English) Creation Date: 11 June 2017 Version: 1.0 File number: SG-1000-F-001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-- 1- Introduction 2- Display 3- Basics 3.1- Controls 3.2- Features and points 4- Strategies 5- Codes and Cheats 6- Frequently Asked Questions 7- Version History 8- Legal Section 9- Credits/Thanks/Other Stuff 10- Donations =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 1- Introduction =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Flipper is my tenth FAQ. This game, made for the SG-1000 and SC-3000 systems in 1983, was manufactured and sold under license by Sega. Prior to writing this FAQ, I had no knowledge of this game. Furthermore, no instruction booklet was available to me for the writing of this document. So I guess that we’ll discover how this game works together. As such, objects and other characteristics will be identified as they appear on the screen. On to the game… Flipper is a basic pinball game which can be played by two players. There is no intro. Pressing the START (1) button brings you straight to the game. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 2- Display =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The display is divided into three sections. The left-most section displays, from top to bottom: - Bonus: This is the accumulated bonus points for the ball that you are in the process of playing. At the time that the ball is lost, the BONUS is added to the points of the player who’s play has just ended. - 1 UP: Player one’s score while playing; HIGH SCORE while in demo mode. - 2 UP: Player two’s score while playing; second HIGH SCORE while in demo mode. - BALL: This is the number of balls left the player has, not counting the one that is in play. - TILT: This appears at the bottom if the game is paused. I have yet to figure out how it is activated during gameplay. If, however, it does occur, the flippers would become inoperative and the ball in play will eventually fall past the flippers to end play. The HIGH SCORES are obviously erased when you turn off and restart the game. The center section displays the pinball field. For those who are unfamiliar with pinball machines, the idea is to keep the ball in play as long as possible in order to accumulate the amount of points to either get a free play (number of points to be determined) or to get a high score. In order to do this, you launch the ball from the extreme right lane to the top of the board. As the ball travels down towards your bottom flippers (there is a second pair at the top left section) it either goes through or strikes a series of obstacles (spinners, bumpers, lanes, etc.) that provide a set number of points per passage or contact. Some of the aforementioned obstacles also provide BONUS points which are tabulated in the left-most section of the display. Also, the elimination of other obstacles, such as targets, provides access to other parts of the field. The right-most section of the display shows three things: - The game’s name : FLIPPER - The multiplier for the accumulated BONUS points: 1X, 2X, etc. - The SEGA trademark. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3- Basics =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ============================================================================= 3.1- Controls ============================================================================= The Flash can do some ordinary things and a couple of unusual ones. The controls for executing these movements are as follows: DIRECTION PAD: The only directions which can be used on the DIRECTION PAD are UP and DOWN. Pressing UP makes the launcher move up, thereby decreasing the power of the launch. Pressing DOWN makes the launcher move down, thereby increasing the power of the launch. SELECT: Does not appear to have a use. START: Pauses and unpauses the game. When the game is paused, the word TILT is visible in the left-most section of the display. 1 BUTTON: Pressing the 1 button activates the left flippers and keeping it pressed maintains the flipper in a raised position. It also moves the mobile bumper in a clockwise manner and can be used to launch the ball. 2 BUTTON: Pressing the 2 button starts the game and launches the ball to begin play. Pressing the 2 button activates the right flippers and keeping it pressed maintains the flipper in a raised position. It also moves the mobile bumper in a clockwise manner. ============================================================================= 3.2- Features and points The pinball field is littered with a number of features that include the following: Lane (purple): (900 pts per passage) When the ball passes through a purple lane, a circle appears at its center. When a circle is present in all three purple lanes, the multiplier is moved up. Lane (white): (see description) These lanes are located to the extreme right and left of the flippers. There are two pairs, the inner and the outer lanes: - Inner lanes are worth 500 points when the indicator is yellow and 1000 points when the indicator is blue. - Outer lanes are worth 1000 points when the indicator is yellow and 1000 BONUS points when the indicator is blue. Bumper (round): (100 points per bump) The color of the round bumper doesn’t appear to make a difference to the number of points accorded per bump. Bumper (mobile): (0 points) This bumper sort of looks like an orange and yellow flower. It moves in a clockwise manner as the flippers are activated. The positions that are occupied by the bumper are: above each of the blue triangular bumpers and just above the empty space between the lower flippers. Bumper (blue triangle): (0 points) These are located almost directly above the lower flippers. Targets (yellow to blue): (100 points per contact) These targets are located in the middle of the top of the field. At the beginning of play, they are yellow rectangles. After the first contact, they turn blue. Another contact turns them yellow again to repeat the cycle. Targets (white): (200 points) These targets are located on the right side of the field, above the launch hole. Targets (yellow disappearing): (200 points) These targets are located in front of launch holes situated at the top-left and on the right side of the field. Knocking down both of the targets in front of a launch hole also lands you 1000 BONUS points. Spinner: (20 points per spin) This is a green rectangle that is attached to a green rod that permits its rotation as the ball passes through the lane that it is located in. Launch hole: (accumulated BONUS points) These are located behind targets in the top-left and on the right side of the board. Once the targets are down, the launch hole becomes available to receive the ball. After the BONUS has been added, the trapped ball is launched back into the field and the BONUS total is restored. Also, the BONUS points given are adjusted with the multiplier. Note: I’ve tried to be as accurate as possible for the point values associated with each feature. However, the values sometimes seem to be arbitrary. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4- Strategies =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Pinball games are fairly straightforward, especially this one. Regardless, here are a couple of hints to keep in mind while playing Flipper: - Upon launching the ball to begin play, do not launch it at full power. When this occurs, the ball tends to go across the top of the screen and down the left lane in such a manner as to go straight down between the flippers. It is best to set the launch power at half or less in order to get some mileage out of those purple lanes and bumpers. - To elaborate on the previous hint, the physics of this game make the ball “heavy”. It often seems to be magnetically attracted to that space between the lower flippers. For example, experienced pinball players have a tendency to immobilize the ball on a flipper in order to direct it in a specific direction. However, in this game, when doing so, as you release the ball, it often immediately goes down between the flippers before you’ve a chance to send it back into play. Sometimes, you’ll swear the ball has gone through the flipper and it may just have. - This one sounds obvious, but try keeping the ball in the upper-left section of the field as long as possible in order to rake in some serious points in that confined space, particularly when the launch hole is accessible. - That mobile bumper can be helpful and a pain in the neck. You can place it above the space between the flippers to obstruct that area and it may work by occasionally deflecting the ball away from the danger zone. However, since tapping either the 1 or 2 button moves the bumper, it can also inconveniently appear in that area while you are trying to send the ball back into play and deflect it down between the flippers. In the end, this game is quite simple, but it isn’t that easy to rack up a significant amount of points. I must have played a hundred games before breaking the 50 000 point mark. Yeah. ============================================================================= 5- Codes and Cheats ============================================================================= There are no cheats or codes that I know of which are available for this game. ============================================================================= 6- Frequently asked questions ============================================================================= This section will be developed as readers send in some feedback and need more information on specific aspects of the game. ============================================================================= 7- Version history ============================================================================= Version 0.5 - Started FAQ/Walkthrough on June 11, 2017. Version 1.0 - Completed the FAQ/Walkthrough on June 18, 2015. Submitted to GameFAQs and Neoseeker on May 25, 2015. ============================================================================= 8- Legal Section ============================================================================= This document may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. This document should only appear on GameFAQs and Neoseeker, if you find this FAQ on another website, please inform me about this by e-mail at joe_incognito1@excite.com . This document is Copyright 2017 Jose Laflamme. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. ============================================================================= 9- Credits/Thanks/Other Stuff ============================================================================= -Thanks to Joni for writing the Alien Syndrome FAQ from which the format for my first FAQ was derived. -Thanks to the game and its producers, Sega Entertainment, for making the game. -If you think anything is missing in this document then please e-mail about it with the heading "Flipper FAQ contribution". I'll give you credit, of course. If you don't want your name mentioned then I'll just put "anonymous contributor" in place of your name. -If you're gonna e-mail me any comments (good or bad) or questions about this document then have the heading be "Flipper FAQ comment". ============================================================================= 10- Conclusion/Donations ============================================================================= I do hope that you’ve enjoyed reading and using this FAQ to get you through the game. I did my best to make it as informative and precise as possible, all the while keeping it entertaining. However, I cannot deny that preparing a document of this type is quite a task. Therefore, here is something that I’ve seen in some other FAQs. Below is an email address for people who wish to make a donation to further my efforts in drafting future FAQs. For everyone who used this FAQ, thank-you for trusting my work and don’t be shy about giving me any feedback. Paypal address: joselaflamme@gmail.com THE FUN NEVER, EVER STOPS. ==========================