Bally · 1989 · played here as a VPX recreation of the real machine
Light the Skull Passage, lock three balls there, then shoot the two ramps for multiball jackpots.
Start with the goal →
Relight Skull Passage, lock three balls, then find the two Jackpot ramps.
Choose the picture that matches the table
The cabinet has a standard Bally version and a custom Limited Edition version. Both run the same LA-4 rules, so the targets, locks, awards, scoring, and strategy in this guide work on either one. The printed artwork is different; use the matching picture below when locating a shot.
The point of the game
Complete either the B-A-T targets or J-A-M targets to light Skull Passage. Shoot the lit passage to record a lock. Repeat until the third lock starts Party Monster Multiball, then shoot Monster Slide on the left and Party Punch on the right.
There is no mode ladder or wizard mode. The best loop is direct: relight Skull, lock balls, shoot both ramps in multiball, then repeat the setup.
While you advance locks, take Monster Slide when it flashes for E-L-V-I-R-A. Six letters light Skull Passage for three million. Keep Party Punch moving too; its ladder lights and then awards Extra Ball.
First-game route: take any lit Skull lock immediately, keep shooting Party Punch until Extra Ball is lit and earned, then relight Skull Passage and start multiball. During multiball, slow down; the jackpot shots are not timed.
Find your shots
Two flip-up targets guard the middle; the hole behind them awards ready awards.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. First hit either flat target to lower it. When both targets are down, shoot the dark opening behind them to receive the flashing award. Be ready for the ball to be kicked back.
The long left ramp for letters, jackpot progress and Party Ramps.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. Aim through the two posts at the bottom of Monster Slide and use a firm forehand so the ball climbs the ramp. If it starts up and rolls back, let it reach a flipper before shooting again.
The upper-left U-turn. It locks balls and later awards three million.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. Aim through the open channel at the bottom of Skull Passage; the ball must pass the entrance switch and continue up the lane. If a weak shot rolls back down the same lane, let it return to a flipper before trying again.
Four targets along the left wall. Three completed banks light a center-hole million.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. Aim at the flat rectangular faces in Dead Heads, one target at a time; do not aim at the gaps or the plastic above them. Expect the ball to rebound toward the middle after contact.
The far-right orbit into B-A-T; the right-wall targets increase its value.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the left lower flipper. Aim through the open channel at the bottom of Pizza Passage; the ball must pass the entrance switch and continue up the lane. If a weak shot rolls back down the same lane, let it return to a flipper before trying again.
Top lanes and three drops. Either bank can light the next lock and a letter.
How to try it: B-A-T is the three top lanes: reach them with the launch or an outside-lane shot and use the flipper buttons to guide the lane lights. J-A-M is the three flat drop targets: from the right lower flipper, aim at their faces one at a time and expect a center rebound.
The right ramp. This is your extra-ball ladder.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the left lower flipper. Use a forehand and aim at the pictured scoring part of Party Punch, rather than the nearby plastic or posts. Watch the first rebound, regain control, and then adjust the next shot left or right.
Left-to-right reference:
Dead Heads: finish four left-wall targets. Three sets light one million at the center hole; six sets on one ball light Special.
Skull Passage: lit Skull locks balls. After E-L-V-I-R-A, the same shot awards three million.
Monster Slide: shoot the left ramp for lit letters, ladder progress, one jackpot half and post-jackpot Party Ramps.
Barbecue and center eject: open both center targets, then shoot the hole for lit center awards or a Barbecue prize.
BAT and JAM: finish either group to relight Skull, raise B-A-T bonus progress, and light a brief Monster Slide letter chance.
Party Punch: shoot the right ramp for extra-ball progress, one jackpot half and safe post-jackpot points.
Pizza Passage: shoot the far-right orbit to send the ball through B-A-T. Right-wall targets raise Pizza value to 50,000, 100,000 or 150,000.
Launch deliberately
Send the ball to the B-A-T lanes and use lane change to complete missing letters. B-A-T is your first lock relight and your first Monster Slide letter chance.
If B-A-T is not finished at launch, use Pizza Passage or the center eject to send the ball to the top lanes again. Completing B-A-T also raises bonus X.
Your first useful run
If multiball falls to one ball before Jackpot, it is over. There is no restart in the rules; relight the locks from Skull Passage.
Use Monster Slide for E-L-V-I-R-A while Party Punch climbs toward Extra Ball.
Every feature
Finish B-A-T, J-A-M, or a Dead Heads set to flash Monster Slide for a letter. Barbecue can also award a letter. Shoot the lit ramp before it times out.
Letters usually carry ball to ball, though settings can make them reset. With all six lit, Skull Passage starts a timer for three million.
If the timer expires, the machine can remove letters, usually back to E-L-V-I. With two locks ready, finish E-L-V-I-R-A before the third lock so Skull Passage can earn three million and start multiball.
Each left ramp starts a timer. Make another before it expires to raise the ladder. Early steps can light Hold Bonus at the center hole.
Keep going to light and earn one million, then 250,000 shots and letters. Counts can vary by setting, so trust the ramp lights and display.
During multiball this ladder is off. Monster Slide becomes Jackpot, Party Ramps and Double Slide. Finish a good ladder run before the third lock.
Each right ramp lights the next ladder step. The 225,000 step lights EXTRA BALL. The next shot, at 250,000, awards it.
Until award, ladder progress carries between balls. After one extra ball, settings can drop the ladder at each new ball or limit extra balls.
The ladder works during multiball. One Party Punch can count as half the Jackpot and still climb toward Extra Ball.
Complete J-A-M to light Skull if needed, flash Monster Slide for a letter, and light Boogie Bonus at the center hole.
Before award, each bumper hit adds 1,000 and each fresh J-A-M set adds 10,000, up to 255,000. Let its value increase naturally; do not risk control just to grow it.
Open both center targets, then shoot the hole behind them. Barbecue can award an extra ball, bigger bonus multiplier, an E-L-V-I-R-A letter, points or Special.
You cannot queue a second Barbecue prize while one waits. The extra-ball chance is tempting, but center-target rebounds are dangerous.
Knock down all four left-wall targets for one head. Three heads light one million at the center hole for the rest of that ball. Six heads on one ball light Special.
Each completed set also flashes Monster Slide for an E-L-V-I-R-A letter.
Each completed B-A-T raises bonus multiplier one step, from 2X to 5X. It also lights Skull if needed and flashes Monster Slide for a letter.
Hold Bonus at the center hole saves bonus points, not multiplier. A normal drain resets both bonus points and multiplier.
The two Gravestone-Pizza targets light up to three toppings. Pizza Passage then pays 50,000, 100,000 or 150,000, clears toppings, and sends the ball through B-A-T.
During three-ball play, make Monster Slide and Party Punch in either order for Jackpot.
Party Monster Multiball
Skull Passage is normally lit at game start. After each lock, relight it with B-A-T or J-A-M. The third lock starts three-ball multiball. Save Locks and lock difficulty are operator settings, so watch the installed table.
Shoot Monster Slide and Party Punch in either order. The Jackpot is either a flat four million or grows from one million to four million, depending on settings. In growing mode, multiball scoring raises the value until someone awards it.
Each ramp pays 250,000 as a Party Ramp. Two near-simultaneous Monster Slide shots can pay the 500,000 Double Slide. Multiball ends at one ball; there is no add-a-ball, extension or restart in the rules.
Doing two things at once
| Which two things | Do they work together? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The Party Punch extra-ball ladder and the Jackpot | Yes | One right-ramp shot counts toward both. |
| The Party Punch ladder and the Party Ramps after the Jackpot | Yes | Each right ramp pays 250,000 and climbs toward the next extra ball. |
| The Monster Slide ladder and multiball | No | During multiball, Monster Slide is for Jackpot, Party Ramps and Double Slide. |
| The three-million Skull shot and the third lock | Yes, if you set it up | Finish E-L-V-I-R-A first, then shoot Skull Passage to earn and start multiball. |
| Barbecue, Boogie Bonus, the Dead Heads million and Hold Bonus | Yes | They shoot the center hole when lit. |
Keep the game going
The main extra ball is on Party Punch. Keep shooting the right ramp until EXTRA BALL lights, then shoot Party Punch again to earn the award. A poor first two balls can light a consolation extra ball on ball three, earned the same way.
Barbecue can award an extra ball directly. The machine may limit extra balls. Special is normally a free game, not another ball; it comes from six Dead Heads sets on one ball or from Barbecue, and moves between the left ramp and outlanes.
Score higher
Lock two balls. Advance Party Punch near Extra Ball. Use J-A-M or B-A-T to relight Skull and a letter. Take the letter, earn Extra Ball, finish E-L-V-I-R-A, then shoot Skull Passage for three million and the third lock.
Take Extra Ball before multiball. If your Jackpot grows from one million, score with loose balls before the second ramp only while control is good. After Jackpot, keep shooting Party Punch for 250,000 and extra-ball progress.
If Monster Slide is repeatable, chain its ladder before the third lock: Hold Bonus, one million, 250,000 payouts and letters. One miss can let the timer expire, so take a ready Extra Ball first.
From the video
0:26 · Ramp sides and shared locks: left ramp from the right flipper, right ramp from the left. Locked balls are shared in multiplayer.
1:11 · B-A-T ball returns: the center hole and Pizza Passage both return the ball through B-A-T.
3:34 · No jackpot timer: control first, then shoot the two ramps.
5:50 · Barbecue: the mystery award can be good, but the center targets can rebound dangerously.
13:27 · Complete these requirements first: finish E-L-V-I-R-A before the third lock when the left ramp is working.
One caution: what the video says about Hold Bonus does not match how this machine can be set. When the two disagree, trust the lights on the playfield.